Blitzburgh Pick’em: Week17

Week 17

This week the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) travel to Cleveland to play the Browns (5-10), in a game that could clinch not only the AFC North title… but also the #2 seed and a first round bye. This is actually one of the few games this week that matter, and in my mind a game that should prove to the rest of the NFL that the Steelers are an elite team that you don’t want to play in the playoffs.

This week is also very important to the Blitzburgh blog writers, as our regular season “pick’em” champion will be crowned. Bam has a 6-game lead, but anything can happen in Week 17 football.

Jump for our Predictions on this game and the rest of Week 17.

Bam:

This is a tough game to pick. The Steelers are far the superior team but Cleveland has given Pittsburgh some fits in recent years and is a good match up against Pittsburgh. This is the Super Bowl for the Browns so I’d expect them to be very aggressive on 4th down, blitzing, etc which will also help. The Steelers desperately want to win this game though and I think they can at least come close to matching the Browns intensity and that will be enough. Barely.
Steelers 24 Browns 20

Brian: 

This week is a tough one, since it’s unclear who will have something to play for and how much it affects the teams that don’t. The Steelers still need this win over Cleveland to cement the 2nd seed: Otherwise they likely end up at #6, a path that would probably include Indianapolis followed by New England. That obviously isn’t the ideal route through the playoffs and the Steelers know it. They ought to be able to get up for this one and beat on the Browns. I’m not sure about this Colt McCoy fellow, though. Steelers should win it…
Steelers 24 Browns 13

George:

Here are the rankings for the Steelers and Browns in several categories from Football Outsiders and Advanced NFL Stats:

Once again, the Steelers are the better team in everything except special teams and penalties. The Browns strengths of pass defense and rushing offense match up against the Steelers’ strengths, although they are worst against #1 receivers, which means you should look for at least one big play from Mike Wallace. If Peyton Hillis somehow comes up with a big play of his own, it could be a momentum-shifter in the game, but I don’t think that will happen. More likely would be a string of debilitating penalties killing a bunch of Steelers drives in the second or third quarter. Being a road game, that could easily happen, but I think the Steelers will pull it off in a close, low-scoring one.
Steelers 17, Browns 10

Matt:

Just like last week, this is a must win game for the Steelers. We have injuries, and older players that would appreciate a week to rest before a playoff game. Also a loss might mean going through Indianapolis and New England. As I said last week…I think everyone wants to avoid New England for as long as we can. The best way of doing that is getting the #2 seed, which we can do with a win in Cleveland.

The strength of the Steelers defense is stopping the run, and with Peyton Hillis banged up, I think the Steelers will continue that trend. If we can put the rookie quarterback, Colt McCoy, in obvious passing situations, I see the Steelers defense (and Dick Lebeau) will confuse him and force some turnovers. I hope this game is wrapped up by half time, but the Steelers do have a tendency to play up or down to the level of competition they are playing against. Hopefully the Steelers come out with a purpose in this one, and prove they are team to be reckoned with in the playoffs.
Steelers 27, Browns 10

Below are the Staff Picks for the rest of this week’s games.

STAFF PICKS