Predictions Summary Projections by Position Projection Team Boxes

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Prediction: PIT 24, CLE 27 (Line: CLE by 2)

This is the first “replay” or second meeting between two teams this year. The Steelers won 30-27 when the Browns visited in the season opener. The Steelers have stumbled recently while the Browns offense appears to be improving. Close game but the Steelers are not as good as before and the Browns may be better.

The Steelers have only the one win over the Panthers where they looked like an above average team. They lost to a visiting Buccaneers team and then had to hold off a Jaguars team that was doling out points in buckets to every opponent until the Steelers came along. This will be a defining game for both teams.

QUARTERBACK : Ben Roethlisberger passed for 365 yards and one score in the season opener over the Browns and has been mostly average since other than the home stand against the Buccaneers that they lost anyway. On the road this year he’s only thrown three touchdowns in three games and averaged around 220 yards in each.

RUNNING BACK : Le’Veon Bell has never been better this season since he ran for 109 yards and one score on 21 carries and added 88 yards on six catches in the opener against the Browns. He’s failed to score in the four games since and turned in around 100 total yards in each. LeGarrette Blount also scored in the opener and once more in the Carolina game.

WIDE RECEIVER : This passing offense lives and dies by whatever Antonio Brown does. He caught five passes for 116 yards and one score on the Browns last time. and since scored four touchdowns while maintaining his five catch minimum and 84 yard floor. No other wideout here has scored or even mattered aside from the opener against the Browns when Markus Wheaton had six receptions for 97 yards. Wheaton has not topped 50 yards in a road game yet.

TIGHT END : Heath Miller ended with 26 yards on three catches in the first meeting with the Browns. He’s only scored once this year and never had more than 51 yards in any road game.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: The exciting part of this game is that CB Joe Haden may not play with a hip injury and he already had trouble covering Antonio Brown. No Haden means tons of Brown not that it might not happen anyway. But the Browns have not allowed more than 237 passing yards to any team since the opener. The weakness against the run should benefit Bell again. But beyond Bell and Brown there are no automatic starts here and on the road won’t make it any more likely for one of the other players to suddenly have a big game.

For a team that most thought would struggle this year, the Browns have been in every game so far and never lost by more than a field goal. The Browns have yet to score fewer than 21 points. The beauty of that is the schedule is going to get much easier for three weeks once this game is over. Should the Browns take the Steelers this week, they could surprise by week 10 when the schedule takes a turn for the worse.

QUARTERBACK : Brian Hoyer passed for 230 yards and one touchdown in Pittsburgh. He was sacked three times but had no turnovers. He’s been pretty consistent at mid-200’s games with one score other than last week in Tennessee when he passed for 292 yards and three scores. He still has only one interception on the year and just one sack when at home.

RUNNING BACK : Ben Tate gained 41 yards on six runs before getting injured while Isaiah Crowell ran for two touchdowns on his five carries for 32 yards. Even Terrance West ran for 100 yards on 16 carries in the season opener. This mess cleared up last week when Tate returned and ran for 123 yards on 22 carries in Tennessee. Back at home all three may play but only Tate is likely to produce reliable fantasy value.

WIDE RECEIVER : Andrew Hawkins left Pittsburgh with 87 yards on eight catches and Travis Benjamin scored once on his two catches in that game. Since there has been little improvement with Hawkins remaining the possession receiver and both Benjamin and Miles Austin mixing in. All three receivers have scored but none of them have broken 100 yards this season.

TIGHT END : Jordan Cameron turned in two catches for 47 yards in Pittsburgh earlier this season. He’s been largely a non-factor with never more than 50 yards in any game and no touchdowns. Hoyer just has never relied on his tight ends.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: The Steelers seem to rank well against the pass but they have yet to face even an average passing attack. Look for some improvement from the season opener from Hoyer but that still won’t make him more than a moderately risky play this week. The Steelers have been much softer against the run than in years past and the Browns already scored twice on their run defense. Ben Tate at home should turn in a good game with a score though there will always be the chance one of the other backs get in the way. Tate is the only one on this team that is an obvious start this week.

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