1:00pm
The House That Hines Built
TV: CBS (map)
Radio: WDVE and other affiliates
What To Watch For
1. Mailing It In
The Browns got their first win of the season last week and also secured the top pick in the draft with San Francisco and Jacksonville winning. The Steelers victory over the Ravens secured the AFC North title and the #3 seed in the playoffs. As such, the Steelers have decided to rest a number of key players this week. It is likely that Ben, Bell, Brown, and Pouncey will not dress (or if they do dress will not play). The Steelers are essentially treating this like a preseason game and trotting out their JV team to take on the lowly Browns.
2. Contract Guys
Even though the result of the game doesn’t matter, this is a meaningful game for a number of players. Landry Jones will start at QB and is in the last year of his contract. While he isn’t capable of being an NFL starter, he could make himself a few million dollars on the free agent market as a backup with another good performance. Similarly, first round bust Jarvis Jones did not have his 5th year option picked up and will likely be hitting the free agent market. Jones is one of many first round busts from the 2013 Draft that will be hitting free agency and has not shown any ability to get to the quarterback this season. We may also get to see Justin Gilbert at CB, who the Steelers traded a draft pick to acquire but has rarely seen the field.
3. Sacks
The Browns have given up more sacks than any team in the league. RGIII will be starting at quarterback and traditionally he has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league at protecting his body against big hits. The last time these two teams met the Steelers exploded for 8 sacks and knocked Cody Kessler out of the game. With Landry Jones playing quarterback, the defense needs to keep the game close and give the offense a chance to put points on the board to keep the winning streak going into the playoffs.
4. No Injuries
Most importantly, like with any preseason game, the Steelers need to come out of this game with a clean injury slate. Even though the key offensive players won’t play a few starters along the offensive line will have to pay the whole game and specialists like Chris Boswell and Jordan Berry will play. This game does not matter, but the Steelers do need to be healthy for next week’s Wild Card playoff game.
5. Miami or Kansas City
The Steelers will host either Miami or Kansas City next weekend in the playoffs. If the Dolphins lose to the Patriots, the Steelers will face Miami. If the Dolphins win and the Chiefs lose to the Chargers, then the Steelers will face Kansas City. It is also worth noting that if Oakland losses to Denver, the Chiefs could win the AFC West and get the #2 seed.
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