All the Steelers had to do to make the playoffs was beat a couple of bottom feeders in the AFC North. Knock off Baltimore and Cleveland, teams with double-digit losses, and Pittsburgh was back in the dance. But after an embarrassing loss to a ravaged Ravens club last week, the Steelers enter the final weekend needing help to play beyond this weekend.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cleveland Browns +10.5
Pittsburgh Steelers -10.5
Over/Under 47.5
ODDS ANALYSIS
The line was brought down a half-point to Pittsburgh -10, still a sizable number in NFL circles. Cleveland is a double-digit dog for the third straight week and is 1-1 ATS in the previous two. The Browns covered last week as an 11.5-point dog in Kansas City. They lost by 17 to Seattle before that getting 14.5 points. Both those games were on the road. The total fell to 47.
KEY INJURIES
Antwon Blake – Missed the entire second half of the Steelers loss in Baltimore with a back injury and is questionable to play Sunday. Ross Cockrell is next up on the depth chart at cornerback if Blake can’t go. His secondary mate Mike Mitchell aggravated an existing shoulder injury last week and is day-to-day. The starting safety initially hurt himself against Denver in Week 14, but has played through the ailment.
Marlon Moore – Entered the league’s concussion protocol after sustaining a head injury last weekend. He had moved into the starting role with three other wide receivers already out for the season. He is questionable to play Sunday and will likely be replaced by Terrelle Pryor or Dwayne Bowe.
KEY MISMATCH
Steelers’ running back DeAngelo Williams is showing he can carry the load for the injured Le’Veon Bell. Williams is the perfect complement to the team’s high-flying passing game and is averaging 120.5 scrimmage yards per game this season. He ran for a pair of touchdowns and 100 yards on 17 carries in a losing effort last week, while adding catches on all six targets for 53 yards. Williams has rushed for 899 yards and 11 touchdowns, and is the seventh back in Steelers history to post at least 10 touchdowns and could become the first 32-year-old tailback to rush for 1,000 yards since 2009. After seeing his FedEx Ground nomination for his performance in Baltimore, Williams said on Twitter that he doesn’t want it after losing to the Ravens. Williams needs 101 yards to reach 1,000 for the season and has a good chance against Cleveland’s NFL-worst run defense that allows 135 yards per game.
KEY STAT
46.0 – Cleveland’s quarterback sacks allowed. The Browns have given up the third-most sacks in the league and face a Pittsburgh defense that ranks fourth in sacks accumulated.
BETTING ANGLE
After a massive letdown last week that saw them lose to the Ravens as an 11.5-point favorite, the Steelers will be fighting for their playoff lives when they visit the Browns. Luckily, Pittsburgh has a long history of completely demolishing the Browns, winning 21 of their last 24 games against them. Another thing Steelers’ backers have going for them is the team’s strong play in January games, as they’ve gone 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games in the month. The teams met earlier this season with Pittsburgh getting an easy 30-9 victory. Martavis Bryant and Antonio Brown scorched the Browns secondary for a combined 317 yards and three touchdowns.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Steelers are pissed after blowing an opportunity to move closer to the postseason. A horrible loss to the Ravens took the Steelers’ playoff chances out of their control and now they must rely on Buffalo to knock off the Jets. Of course, Pittsburgh still needs to take care of business on Sunday. It’s hard to imagine the Steelers having another letdown against a poor team, but in this business, you just never know. One thing is certain, though, Pittsburgh doesn’t lose to Cleveland. The Steelers have won 21 of the past 24 meetings. Plus, the circus is back in Cleveland with another video of Johnny Manziel doing more work on the dance floor than on the football field. Coach Mike Pettine has already thrown up his hands in disgust and probably won’t have to worry about the troubling antics of his quarterback because he may not be around much longer.
Pittsburgh 31, Cleveland 20
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