Steelers vs. Browns 2014: Cleveland tries again after last-second upset in Week 1
The Cleveland Browns fell short of winning in Week 1, but they’ll get another chance to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, this time at home.
Steelers vs. Browns
The Cleveland Browns came just short of besting the Pittsburgh Steelers the first time the two teams met this season. But the hosting Steelers managed to kick a field goal from 41 yards out with just five seconds remaining in the game to win, 30-27. Sunday, the Browns will have another crack at a win.
Cleveland has played much better than expected this season, though the team only has a 2-2 record to show for it. Offensively, the Browns are actually playing well, but the unexpectedly poor play of the defense has really hurt the team. The Browns can’t stop the pass and they can’t stop the run, even against teams that aren’t great at either aspect.
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, isn't faring much better with a 3-2 record, but they look good in stat columns. Ben Roethlisberger is playing some of the best football of his career, and it's showing. The Steelers didn't inspire a lot of confidence the last time out, however, barely getting by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Digits
As noted, the Steelers are doing pretty well on paper. Roethlisberger leads the NFL's eighth-ranked passing offense, with 266.8 passing yards per game on average. Le'Veon Bell heads the league's eighth-ranked rushing offense as well, with 87 carries for 460 yards and a touchdown. LeGarrette Blount is a solid backup, with 29 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns. The two backs have per-carry averages of 5.3 and 6.4 yards, respectively.
But the Browns are even more impressive on the ground. They're ranked fourth in the league with 143.5 rushing yards per game on average, with Terrance West leading the way. West has 54 carries for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Ben Tate has 28 carries for 165 yards, and Isaiah Crowell has 160 yards and three touchdowns. Not bad for a team that managed to get a first-round pick in exchange for Trent Richardson, who has done nothing in Indianapolis.
Quarterback Brian Hoyer is the biggest surprise of the season. Few were confident in his abilities, but he has completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 1,007 yards with six touchdowns against just a single interception. Few are talking about rookie Johnny Manziel at this point.
Who to watch
Ben Tate: The running back missed multiple games with an injury sustained in the season opener against Pittsburgh on Sept. 7, but he returned in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans and was solid, with 22 carries for 124 yards -- a per-carry average of 5.6 yards. There is now no doubt who the lead back is in Cleveland. Tate was rushing for 6.8 yards per carry against the Steelers before sustaining his injury in Week 1.
Brian Hoyer: Whether or not Hoyer can keep up his strong play is the big question. In Week 1, he had a decent game, completing 18 of 30 passes for 222 yards with a touchdown, but he was even better against the Titans when he threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns. He also managed to lead the Browns to victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
Le’Veon Bell: Bell has been an explosive back this season, and may be the biggest weapon in a game that will come down to which team can run the ball better. Bell leads the AFC with 460 rushing yards, and has averaged 130.3 yards from scrimmage in his last three games against Cleveland.
How to watch
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland
When: 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Announcers: Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Evan Washburn
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile
The venue
Officially known as “FirstEnergy Stadium, Home of the Cleveland Browns,” the stadium opened in 1999. The venue is somewhat rough, but Browns fans are more concerned with their team’s historical tendency to be bad rather than their stadium. Browns fans are plenty loud, and the home field advantage is probably in the middle of the pack among NFL teams. The stadium underwent some renovations this past offseason, and will again next offseason.
Odds
The Browns opened up as 2-point favorites for the matchup, but the line has narrowed since opening. They can be had as 1-point favorites on some books, but the game is a pick ‘em on other sites, according to OddsShark.
Preliminary judgment
SB Nation’s panel of seven experts weren’t unanimous with their picks. Both Stephen White and Joel Thorman went with the Steelers to win, while the rest -- Ryan Van Bibber, David Fucillo, Danny Kelly, PFT Commenter and Matt Ufford -- picking the Browns.
Further reading
For more on the Browns, check out Dawgs By Nature. If you want more on the Steelers, head on over to Behind The Steel Curtain.
