Were circumstances quite a bit different — and the Steelers really needed to win the regular season finale against the Browns — the names on this list likewise would be quite a bit different.
We could be watching to see if T.J. Watt (with 15 sacks) could match or better James Harrison's team record of 16.
We'd really be watching to see if last Sunday's second-half Ben Roethlisberger was a sign of the passing game's rejuvenation or simply false hope.
But of course, Roethlisberger has already been ruled out, and Watt — who didn't practice all week — is almost certainly going to get the afternoon off as well, which leaves the spotlight on a handful of down-the-liners — plus one starter — who have plenty to prove.
Here are five Steelers to keep a close eye on Sunday in Cleveland:
Cassius Marsh:
If you asked yourself "who's that number 49 guy?" during the Colts game, you were not alone.
Marsh burst onto the Steelers scene with two special teams tackles against the Colts and, beyond that, was downright maniacal.
The face paint and full sleeves of tattoos only add to his emerging Pittsburgh legend.
You'd never heard of him, but this is Marsh's seventh NFL season, and he has 14 career sacks.
I wouldn't be surprised if he adds to that total Sunday afternoon.
Sean Davis/Jordan Dangerfield/Antoine Brooks Jr.:
OK, this is a bit of a cop-out, putting three players in one spot, but with Terrell Edmunds nursing a bum shoulder and Minkah Fitzpatrick liable to get much of the game off, this is a showcase for the backup safeties.
The Steelers drafted Sean Davis in the second round in 2016, and he started 40 games his first three seasons, but he never really progressed.
When he was injured last season in Week 2, the team traded for Fitzpatrick (which they might have done anyway), so Davis signed with Washington in the off-season only to be quickly released.
He will start Sunday and could see time at both safety positions.
Special teams captain Jordan Dangerfield should finally get a decent amount of defensive snaps, but the coaches will likely take a longer look at rookie Antoine Brooks Jr. who didn't look out of place when he played quite a bit in the first Cincinnati game.
Justin Layne:
Justin Layne profiled as a cornerback project when the Steelers drafted him in the third round in 2019, and that's what he played like in his first training camp.
With Joe Haden, Steven Nelson, Mike Hilton, and Cameron Sutton ahead of him, there was really no urgency, but with both Hilton and Sutton closing in on free agency and Haden not getting any younger, it's time to take a longer look at Layne.
That will happen in Cleveland, which also happens to be his hometown.
Layne wasn't too bad when cornerback injuries surfaced earlier this season; in fact, he was on the field for the final few plays when the Steelers had to hang on in Baltimore.
Assuming the Browns aren't ravaged by late-developing COVID-19 issues, Jarvis Landry will be an excellent test for Layne this weekend (just as I was submitting this, Haden posted two semi-ambiguous tweets that suggest he may have tested positive for COVID, which also could affect his postseason status, but nothing official yet.)
Chukwuma Okorafor:
Okorafor hasn't been awful in his first season as a starter but, at times, he has been awfully inconsistent (which doesn't exactly distinguish Chuks from his fellow linemen).
As starting right tackle, Okorafor's primary responsibility will be — naturally — Myles Garrett.
So all that's standing between Garrett and multiple reunions with Mason Rudolph is Chukwuma plus whatever help he gets.
David DeCastro will probably start at right guard, but I can't imagine him playing the entire game, which would leave Danny Isidora next to Okorafor.
Isidora was signed off Kansas City's practice squad two and a half weeks ago but is a four-year vet with six starts under his belt.
This game will tell a lot about Okorafor.
Mason Rudolph:
This is so obvious that I nearly excluded Rudolph from this list, but (cue Mike Tomlin voice) obviously, Rudolph is the most important player to watch Sunday afternoon.
The Garrett business notwithstanding (back to that in a moment), this game is very much a referendum on Rudolph's future in Pittsburgh.
Since his contract also runs out when Roethlisberger's does, Rudolph may not get another regular season start to prove himself, especially against a team that absolutely needs to win.
The coaches, Roethlisberger, and the receivers are saying all the right things — and Rudolph has had the season-long advantage of running the first-team offense every Wednesday.
But the offense had been awful for three or four weeks before coming to life in the second half against the Colts.
While the game may mean nothing to the Steelers in this season's standings, it means just about everything to Mason Rudolph.
Incidentally, back to the aforementioned "Garrett business."
Wouldn't you like to think that a player nominated for the Walter Peyton NFL Man of the Year Award — considered the league's most prestigious by the players themselves — would be man enough to apologize for not only assaulting another player and battering him with that player's own helmet but then accusing him of a racial slur?
Yet Garrett still hasn't sought out Rudolph — not in the off-season and not earlier this season — and says he has no plans to do so Sunday.
So don't watch for that.