CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – It took 18 seasons, but the Cleveland Browns are finally back in the playoffs.
They’ll face their division rivals, the Steelers in Pittsburgh Sunday night in an AFC Wild Card matchup where history and COVID-19 have conspired to stack the deck against the sixth seed in the AFC.
The Browns haven’t won at Heinz Field, where they are 1-20 overall, since Tim Couch beat the Steelers 33-13 in 2003, a string of 17 straight defeats. Pittsburgh has beaten the Browns in both previous playoff meetings, including coming from 17 down in the second half on Jan. 5, 2003 for a 36-33 victory on Wild Card weekend.
Since 1999, the Steelers have owned the Browns and are 36-8-1, including the playoffs and last week’s 24-22 Cleveland triumph to clinch a playoff berth, in the series.
Pittsburgh, the No. 3 seed in the AFC, is making its ninth postseason appearance in head coach Mike Tomlin’s 14 seasons but first since 2017 when the Steelers were upset in the divisional round by Jacksonville.
This is the 12th time in Steelers history they will play a team three times in the same season. Pittsburgh is 10-1 in third meetings with teams but 6-5 in the wild-card round of the playoffs and just 3-5 at home.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski will miss the game after testing positive for COVID-19. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will handle sideline duties for Stefanski, who by league rules is prohibited from being active on game day, and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will call offensive plays and four assistant coaches will also miss the game.
Cleveland will be without Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio, their top two cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Kevin Johnson as well as receiver KhaDarel Hodge due to COVID-19. Defensive end Olivier Vernon, who had nine sacks this season, ruptured his Achilles last week and is lost for the season.
With offensive linemen Nick Harris and Chris Hubbard already on injured reserve, Michael Dunn will likely be called upon to fill Bitonio’s shoes. Adrian Clayborn is expected to replace Vernon in the lineup and corners Terrance Mitchell and M.J. Stewart will cover for Ward and Johnson.
What to watch for – Cleveland’s winning formula this season has been simple: throw early, grab the lead by halftime then ride Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the second half to carry them to victory. The dynamic due are the only combo in the league with at least 840 yards each on the ground and they’ve combined for 23 touchdowns. They’ll likely stick with it Sunday night against the Steelers. The Browns are 10-3 this season when they rush for over 100 yards and 11-2 when Chubb or Hunt score a touchdown.
Chubb went over 1,000 yards rushing for the second year in a row, eclipsing the mark with a 47-yard TD run last week. Chubb missed the October matchup with the Steelers, who held Cleveland to 220 total yards.
Baker Mayfield makes his first playoff start in just his third NFL season. Over the final six games of the season the 2018 No. 1 overall pick completed 65% of his passes for 1,713 yards with 11 touchdowns, 1 interception and a 103.4 rating. Mayfield helped seal Cleveland’s playoff berth by rushing for 44 yards on six carries last week, including the game-sealing 3-yard run with just over a minute left.
With Bitonio out, Mayfield and his offensive line will have their hands full containing the sack-happy Steelers, whose defense tied a club record with 56 sacks to lead the league for the fourth straight season in bagging QBs. Pittsburgh racked up eight sacks in two games against the Browns, including four in the regular-season finale even with Pro Bowl linebacker T.J. Watt and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Cam Heyward sitting out. Watt, a leading candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, had 15 sacks to become one of 12 players in NFL history to get 13 sacks or more in three straight years, a list that includes Hall of Famers Reggie White, Derrick Thomas and Kevin Greene.
With a depleted secondary and Vernon out, the Browns need star defensive Myles Garrett, who says the aftereffects of COVID-19 are diminishing allowing him to feel like himself, to put pressure on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Garrett didn’t get a sack last week and has not been the same since missing two games with COVID-19. Pittsburgh's offensive line allowed an NFL-low 14 sacks this season.
A year removed from right elbow surgery, Roethlisberger attempted 608 passes, tied for the second-highest season total for his career. The 38-year-old's 33 TD passes were one off his career-high set in 2018. Roethlisberger, who is 23-2-1 against the Browns in his career, is 13-8 in the playoffs but just 5-6 since Pittsburgh's last Super Bowl title in 2008. He is the only player on the roster with a Super Bowl ring and is one of just nine Steelers who have a playoff win in Pittsburgh on their resume.
The Steelers finished dead last in the NFL in yards rushing and yards per attempt (3.6) but had a little success against the Browns. Pittsburgh ran for 129 yards in the first meeting and 85 last week.
Steelers cornerback Joe Haden will not play against his former team after testing positive. Cam Sutton continues to play in his place.
Pittsburgh rookie receiver Chase Claypool’s nine TD receptions were the most by a first-year player in the league this season. Claypool’s 11 total TDs tied a franchise record for most by a rookie and he scored in both games vs. Browns this year.
The Steelers have been able to overcome a tenuous kicking situation. Chris Boswell has been bothered by hip and groin issues over the last month, missing three games but replacement Matthew Wright has made all 11 of his field goal and extra-point attempts. Wright hasn’t been strong on kickoffs however, only one of his 15 kickoffs have resulted in a touchback.
Last Week – Browns beat the Steelers 24-22
The last time (playoffs) – Jan. 5, 2003: Steelers 36, Browns 33
Series history – Steelers lead all-time 77-60-1, 36-8-1 since 1999; 2-0 all-time playoffs
Rankings – AP All-Pro32: Browns No. 12, Steelers No. 6
Points per game: Browns 14 (25.5), Steelers 12 (26.0)
Total yards per game: Browns 16 (369.6), Steelers 24T (334.6)
Rushing yards per game: Browns 3 (148.3), Steelers 32 (84.4)
Passing yards per game: Browns 24 (221.2), Steelers 15 (250.2)
Points allowed per game: Browns 21 (26.2), Steelers 3 (19.5)
Total defensive yards allowed per game: Browns 17 (358.4), Steelers 3 (305.8)
Rushing yards allowed per game: Browns 9 (110.8), Steelers 11 (111.4)
Passing yards allowed per game: Browns 22 (247.6), Steelers 3 (194.4)
Turnover ratio: Browns 9 (+5), Steelers 3T (+9)
Probable starters for Browns – Offense: WR Jarvis Landry, LT Jedrick Wills Jr., LG Michael Dunn, C JC Tretter, RG Wyatt Teller, RT Jack Conklin, TE Austin Hooper, WR Rashard Higgins, QB Baker Mayfield, RB Nick Chubb, FB Andy Janovich
Defense: DE Myles Garrett, DT Sheldon Richardson, DT Larry Ogunjobi, DE Adrian Clayborn, WILL Mack Wilson, MIKE B.J. Goodson, CB M.J.
Stewart, CB Terrance Mitchell, SS Karl Joseph, FS Sheldrick Redwine, DB Tavierre Thomas
Injury report – QUESTIONABLE: RT Jack Conklin (knee), DE Myles Garrett (shoulder), CB Terrance Mitchell (not injury related), WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (concussion), DT Sheldon Richardson (neck), CB M.J.
Steward (calf), LG Wyatt Teller (ankle)
EXPECTED TO PLAY: C JC Tretter (knee), OT Kendall Lamm (illness), WR Jarvis Landry (hip), CB Tavierre Thomas (abdomen)
Uniforms – White jerseys, orange pants
Broadcast – Radio: 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 WNCX and the University Hospitals Cleveland Browns radio network. TV: WKYC TV-3 (NBC)
Kickoff – 8:15 p.m. Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Our prediction – Steelers 26, Browns 23
Our prediction record – 10-6
