Pittsburgh Steelers: A Look Ahead to Week 2
Steelers travel to Cleveland to face rival Browns on Sunday night
The road trip to Cleveland is circled every year on the Steelers’ calendar. This year is no different. In fact last year this trip came on opening day. The Steelers got Mike Tomlin his first NFL win by beating the Browns 34 - 7. The Steelers then finished the season sweep of Cleveland in Pittsburgh winning 31-28. Both teams went on to have identical 10 and 6 records in 2007.
This year the first match-up should be a Steelers win. For one the Steelers are coming off of a tune-up win over the Houston Texans in which the Steeler machine was just getting broken in. And the Browns were just plain broken in half by Dallas. However as is the case most of the time last week is probably irrelevant when it comes to these 2 teams clashing. Divisional games have a way of defying logic.
However here is the way I see it this week. Cleveland in my view overachieved last season and didn't do much to improve over the off season. Dante Stallworth is injured as usual and teams have now seen Derek Anderson under center for basically an entire season. Jamal Lewis is there workhorse and he did have a respectable first game against the Cowboys. The Steelers though are very efficient at stopping the run. And I believe they will get to Anderson often. I see Anderson going down at least 4 times for a sack. Like last year, the Browns seem unorganized and have no identity out of the pre-season. I do think by week 5 or 6 the Browns will be a solid competitive team. By then they might decide to go ahead and start the Brady Quinn era. And Derek Anderson will have his agent calling potential teams for 2009 that he could start for. There will be a few, there always is.
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When the Steelers have the ball they will take a different approach then Dallas did last week against Cleveland. Of course I should remind everyone that Dallas could have taken any approach it seems. The Browns couldn't stop anything and anyone. And I suspect the same when Pittsburgh strolls into town. I look for Willie Parker to rack up about 125 yards and Rashard Mendenhall to add 45 yards this week. After watching the Dallas film and knowing Cleveland as they do, I also believe that Ben Roethlisberger will chuck it a few more than 14 times. I see Ben going 13 for 20 and 220 yards with one long strike to Santonio Holmes. All in all I am expecting the Steelers to control the tempo and methodically put the Browns out of their misery.
Steelers 27 - Browns 9
By Andy Natalie
ProFootball-fans.com Pittsburgh Steelers Correspondent