Pittsburgh Steelers all favourites to thrash Browns second time this season – NFL Preview
The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Cleveland Browns into the last week of the National Football League (NFL) regular season at Cleveland Browns Stadium this Sunday.
While Browns are going into the game with nothing on stake a win can help the Steelers set hope for a playoff berth, a divisional title and even a bye in the second round of the league.
With their score tied with the Baltimore Ravens at 11-4 on the overall league’s points table and a must win is the first task on their hand in determination of their future course.
The scenario is such that a win over the Browns will confirm the playoff berth to the Pittsburgh Steelers irrespective to the outcome of their archrivals the Ravens game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
A loss by the Ravens to the Bengals and a win by the Steelers over the Browns will help the Steelers in claiming the American Football Conference (AFC) north title. They will lead on the points table with the score of 12-4 over the Ravens with 11-5.
They will get further help from the situation development on the overall wild card landscape. If all factors are turned into their favour and they finish as second seed on the league’s overall standings, the Steelers will even be able to claim a bye in the
playoff.
However, in case the Steelers lose against the Browns and the Ravens win their game, it will help the Ravens to win AFC north division and become eligible for a bye in the second round. The Steelers might then have to monitor results of other ties and fall
short of a playoff berth.
In a worst case scenario the Steelers will be regretting to have lost twice to the Ravens earlier in the season that has given their archrivals the tie breaker advantage.
The Browns meanwhile will be looking for a face-saving win over the Pittsburgh Steelers after having been roughed up by them about three weeks ago.
The side will be up against the linebacker James Harrison who is involved in inflicting head injuries to three of the Browns players over past two years.
Without their quarterback Colt McCoy who became a subject of the latest concussion involving Harrison some of the Browns players have pledged to play for a win and avenge their last defeat. Although, they clearly denied of thinking about going after Harrison
to revenge McCoy’s hit.
Colt McCoy has not played a single game or practice since his injury in the Steelers game and is still reported to have been experiencing the concussion like symptoms. It is for sure now that the injury has ended his current football season, there are also
fears it might prove a career-ending for him.
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