Pittsburgh @ Cleveland preview
FirstEnergy Stadium
Last Meeting ( Dec 30, 2012 ) Cleveland 10, Pittsburgh 24
The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the playoff picture and counting on their recent dominance over the Cleveland Browns to continue their surge when they hit the road for a key AFC North game Sunday. The bitter rivals are in a three-way tie for second in the division and one game out of the final wild-card spot. The Steelers have won 17 of the last 19 meetings dating to 2003, but the teams split last season.
The Browns are one win away from matching last season's total of five, but like the Steelers, they have more ambitious goals. "They are in a very similar situation that we are in," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin told reporters. "There is a certain amount of urgency that goes with that." The teams have gone in opposite directions, as Pittsburgh has won four of its last six following an 0-4 start while Cleveland has dropped four of five since a three-game winning streak.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Cleveland -1. O/U: 40.
ABOUT THE STEELERS (4-6): Pittsburgh is riding a resurgent Ben Roethlisberger, who was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after passing for 367 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions last week. Roethlisberger is 15-1 as a starter against the Browns and has 24 TDs and 10 interceptions against them. The defense has played inconsistently, holding six opponents under 300 total yards and giving up 393 or more in its other four games.
ABOUT THE BROWNS (4-6): Cleveland has won three of its last four home games but stumbled on the road last week, committing four turnovers in a 41-20 loss at Cincinnati. The defense has kept the Browns competitive, ranking fifth in total yards (306.5) and in the top eight against both the run and the pass. It's another story on offense, where Brandon Weeden's ineffectiveness and Brian Hoyer's knee injury have forced the Browns to turn to veteran Jason Campbell.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Roethlisberger (208) needs five touchdowns passes to surpass Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw for the franchise record.
2. Browns WR Josh Gordon has four 100-yard receiving games and needs 55 yards to surpass his total of 805 as a rookie last season.
3. Steelers WR Antonio Brown needs six receptions to join Yancey Thigpen, John Stallworth and Hines Ward as the only Pittsburgh players to register 80 in a season.
PREDICTION: Steelers 23, Browns 20