The Pittsburgh Steelers are on the verge of kicking off what is predicted to be a deep playoff run on Sunday. It'll all start with how they handle the Cleveland Browns.
The Steelers were one of the hotter teams throughout the season. They remained the only undefeated season coming into Week 13 before taking an unpredicted fall to the Washington Football Team. Even so, they were able to finish the season with a 12-4 record, giving them the best record in the AFC North.
On the opposite end, the Browns have had a humbling season. They were heading nowhere fast as the season commenced but briefly found their footing a while afterwards. The spearhead of that came from Baker Mayfield as he lead the Browns to a 11-5 record, giving them a shot in the AFC Wild Card round.
Here are a few predictions as to what could occur on Sunday:
4. Steelers crush Mayfield's playoff hype
Mayfield just met up with the Steelers for their final game of the regular season, allowing them to clinch a playoff spot with a 24-22 win. While the achievement can't be striped from the Browns, Mayfield didn't necessarily dominate the game in complete efforts for the Browns.
He finished the game throwing for 196 yards, his lowest in seven games. Why? The short answer is running into a top-3 defense team that ranks third in yards thrown and first in interceptions doesn't exactly spell out a field day for any quarterback, least of all Mayfield given the struggles he's seen at times this year.
The obvious takeaway also is that the Steelers are going to crank up the heat from an intensity standpoint given the weight on this particular match. With that in mind, Mayfield will walk away with worse stats than he did in Week 17.
3. James Conner gives a boost
The Steelers undoubtedly own one of the worst backfields in the NFL. That won't change just because the playoffs have come about from a personnel standpoint. Still, everyone is due for a breakout performance here and there, and this could be the one for Conner.
When it comes to playoff experience, Conner has never tasted such a feat. If spectators go off his numbers for this season, many wouldn't expect him to come out and dominante against the Browns, who rank third in rushing yards allowed on defense. They proved that much in Week 17 when they limited Conner to only 37 yards from nine carries.
However, if the dials are turned back to Week 6 against the Browns, the conclusion of the story is completely different. Conner finished with 101 rushing yards from 20 carries, his third highest of the season. If he's able to replicate that performance, it could benefit the Steelers, who ended up blowing out the Browns that week 38-7.
Conner will finish with 100-plus rushing yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.
2. Roethlisberger does Roethlisberger things
The Steelers haven't been to the playoffs since 2017, which definitely has left a sting on Ben Roethlisberger since. There's a very small chance that he doesn't come out ready to leave it all on the line in order to avoid losing in the Wild Card round against a squad that he's blown out once this season.
The 38-year old quarterback wasn't available for their last meeting against the Browns in Week 17, but he proved to be rather efficient in their first meeting, completing 63.6 percent of his passes for 162 yards and one touchdown.
There's a lot of pressure on Roethlisberger to get the job done on Sunday. He's nearing the golden days of his retirement, and a loss on Sunday won't make the fans of Steeler nation believe that he should stick around much longer versus developing or trading for a younger field general.
With so much on the line, Roethlisberger will live up to the hype and throw for 225-plus yards and three touchdowns.
1. JuJu backs up his talk for the Steelers
JuJu Smith-Schuster will be stepping into some hot waters on Sunday. He's had his fair share of troubles with opposing teams lately, now that friction shifts to the Browns.
Smith-Schuster made headlines during a press conference this week after referring to the Browns as “grayfaces”, signaling that there's real no challenge that'll be present. The defense will be sure to remember that when they take the field.
He backed up most of that talking already in the regular season, seeing as how he brought in 65 yards and a touchdown in Week 17. The Steelers have an array of weapons in the downfield area, Smith-Schuster is just one of many. Still, viewers from home will be watching to see if he can back up his bold claims and deliver a spectacular performance.
Smith-Schuster will end the contest with 85 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.
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