Cleveland @ Pittsburgh preview
Heinz Field
Last Meeting ( Nov 24, 2013 ) Pittsburgh 27, Cleveland 11
Despite needing plenty of help, the Pittsburgh Steelers attempt to keep alive their playoff hopes when they host the Cleveland Browns in the season finale on Sunday. Pittsburgh is looking to become just the second team in NFL history to begin a campaign with four losses and go on to qualify for the postseason. But in addition to defeating Cleveland, the Steelers will need Baltimore, Miami and San Diego to lose in order to join the 1992 Chargers in the history books.
Pittsburgh remained in contention by posting a 38-31 victory at Green Bay last week. It figures to end the regular season with a third straight win, as it has captured 18 of its last 20 meetings with Cleveland. The Browns hope to avoid ending the campaign with a losing streak that reached six games last Sunday, when they dropped a 24-13 road decision to the New York Jets.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Steelers -7. O/U: 44.
ABOUT THE BROWNS (4-11): Josh Gordon, whose 1,564 receiving yards are the most in a single season in team history, needs one touchdown catch to join Gary Collins, Braylon Edwards and Paul Warfield as the only Browns to reach double digits in a season. Gordon is 10 receptions away from breaking Ozzie Newsome's single-season record of 89, which the Hall of Fame tight end recorded three times. Cleveland has lost each of its last nine visits to Pittsburgh, using six different quarterbacks in that span.
ABOUT THE STEELERS (7-8): Ben Roethlisberger has dominated the Browns over his career, winning 16-of-17 starts - including all eight at home. The veteran has posted a quarterback rating of 100 with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions against Cleveland. Roethlisberger, who thrown 14 TD passes and only two picks over his last six overall games, is 247 yards away from breaking his own franchise record of 4,328 set in 2009.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Roethlisberger had a rushing touchdown last week, his first since Week 16 of the 2010 season.
2. Pittsburgh posted a 27-11 victory at Cleveland in Week 12.
3. Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell needs 73 yards from scrimmage to break Franco Harris' franchise rookie record of 1,235 set in 1972.
PREDICTION: Steelers 34, Browns 16