The Steelers went into Green Bay and took care of their business last week. Along the way all the teams they needed to lose, lost.
Now, they must have the same fortune happen again this week and they may just slip their way into the playoffs. The team must beat the Browns and then have the Ravens, Dolphins and Chargers all lose.
There are a lot of things that have to happen but they faced a similar situation in 1989 and it all panned out. While I wouldn’t advise you hold your breath in this case, you can certainly hope and see how things go.
Here are the Keys to A Steelers Victory:
1. They need to avoid turnovers. The Steelers are the better team here but the one thing they can’t do is give the Browns field position. If they can avoid the costly turnovers, they should be more than ok.
2. The O line needs to keep Big Ben clean. The Browns can create pressure and if they are able to get to Big Ben, it could make it for a much harder game than it needs to be. Additionally, Ben must continue to release the ball quickly to avoid the big hits and sacks.
3. The defense must find a way to stop Josh Gordon this time around. Earlier in the year he torched Ike Taylor and the rest of the secondary for 14 catches and 237 yards. They cannot be allowed to happen again.
4. They can’t let the Browns hang around. The worst thing the team can do is let a bad Browns team hang around and keep their confidence. If the Steelers can get up big early, they should be able to coast to an easy win.
Here are a Few Things to Watch:
1. Troy Polamalu-He’s a Steeler legend and having his best season since 2010. He’s got 1 year left on his contract but at 10 million per year, the team may not bring him back. It’s possible he’ll be playing in his last game as a Steeler.
2. Brett Keisel-The Diesel is in almost all likelihood playing in his final game as a Steeler. The Beard has been an all-time Steeler and will be missed.
3. Ryan Clark-He’s also in the final year of his contract and while he’d like to come back and finish his career as a Steeler, it’s quite possible he won’t be re-signed either and is playing in his final game in Pittsburgh.
4. Ike Taylor-Taylor is a guy who has one year left on his contract as well but he’s due about 10 million next year and with him appearing to have lost a step or two, it’s very possible he’ll be released this off season as well.
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