Steelers at Browns, Season Opener

I�m liking this match-up for the Steelers. That�s not because I expect an easy win, but because I think it gives the Steelers a good chance to test some of their changes. The Browns match-up favorably against the Steelers offense. Colon and Mahan in particular drew good match-ups to judge them on. Rookie TE Matt Spaeth, though, has the most to prove.

The Browns defense isn�t all that much different than the Steelers. They often leave their corners out on islands, with Sean Jones playing underneath like a LB or a corner. He�s very good at it. It allows him to come up and play the run, but also puts him in a position to read the QB. He�s not quite as athletic as Polamalu and not used in quite as many roles, but both are very important to their respective defenses.

Jones works well with their athletic inside backers, Jackson and Davis. The Browns were one of the best teams in the league against TE�s last year. These three are the reason. I don�t expect a big day from Miller in the pass game. I would work him into the flat to test LOLB Peek some (not at his best in space), but that�s the best match-up I can envision.

I expect the Steelers to screen and draw to the left to try and catch Wimbley getting up field. It�s going to be hard to get the TE�s and backs heavily involved given the inside guys. Davis and Jackson can move too well. We�ve seen the TE�s get vertical a few times in the pre-season. Spaeth has great size and speed. Pool is a good sized FS. There will be some one-on-one match-ups there for him(in both the run and passing game). If he goes out and wins them, he�ll gain the favor of some skeptical fans.

You can expect some one-on-one match-ups outside, as well. Eric Wright is a big, fast corner. He should end up on Holmes frequently. Last season, the Steelers worked the Browns over going deep on fades and deep crossing patterns. I would expect to see a lot of the same tried. Much like the Steelers, it�s where they are most vulnerable. Wright is an interesting draw for Holmes, given his size and speed combination. He�s young, but so is Holmes. This will be one to watch in the AFC North for years to come.

Protection is going to be key if you want to attack a team deep. That shouldn�t be a big issue. Colon draws Antwan Peek, a guy who has played 4-3 DE and 3-4 OLB. Peek�s not explosive. He isn�t a threatening edge rusher. Colon has struggled most, though, with those who try work inside on him. Peek is strong if not fast and can do this if Colon gets careless.

Wimbley, though, is the real threat. He�s an elite pass rusher. What he is especially good at it is getting low, and ripping outside. He understands leverage. He also understands that you need to mix it up (something Porter never really learned). Once he gets tackles thinking about that outside rush, he will cut across their face. Smith and him battled hard in first meeting last season. If there�s one thing to say it�s that Wimbley gets worn down. Being their only real pass rusher, they rush him often. They frequently put him in a three point stance, especially on third down. By the fourth quarter last season, the no-huddle had him (and the rest of the Browns defense, for that matter) running on fumes. This is going to an interesting match-up for several seasons. Wimbley will have his moments. It�s unavoidable. I have high hopes for both Smith and Colon, though. Both should be overall victories for the Steelers.

But Smith isn�t the only one who has to worry about Wimbley. They like to stunt him inside when he lines up in that three point stance, and occasionally will line him up as an inside backer and blitz him up the middle. Faneca has to be prepared to have his share of match-ups with the OLB. These instances could be disastrous for the Steelers. As stated, Wimbley knows how to use leverage to his advantage. Faneca is sloppy in pass protection, as we all know. He gets stood up and knocked around.

There isn�t much I worry about in terms of blitzes. The Browns don�t throw that much at you until third down. They don�t get all that exotic or hide where the pressure is coming from much. It should mostly come down to winning the match-ups up front.

All in all, the Browns defense has shown that they can keep their anemic offense in the game. There really isn�t a reason to force the issue against them. Roethlisberger needs to watch the football, because turnovers are the only way the Browns win this game.

The Steelers have two interesting match-ups on the front. Willie Colon against Orpheus Roye in the run game is a hell of a first test for the new starter. Roye is one of the stoutest 3-4 DE�s in the league. He was the biggest difference between the first Browns game and the second. Colon is a tougher run blocker than Starks was. That isn�t a popular opinion, but I firmly believe it. He has a chance to show that this week. Colon�s height works to his advantage in the run game. I expect a real battle between these two, and I expect Colon to win more than some people expect him to.

Sean Mahan draws Ted Washington in the middle. Mahan won the job from Okobi, as we all know. He moves better than Okobi, for sure. Okobi was stronger at the point of attack than Mahan, however. Washington was knocked around by Hartings last year. This first game against a fresh Washington is a good measuring stick for the new starting center. Shaun Smith was brought in from Cinci to spell Washington, but he�s more of a pushover. The Browns are relying on him to provide a bit more depth to their DL, but it remains a big time question mark.

I expect the Steelers to run at the left side of the Browns for most of the day. Robaire Smith is no pushover, but he�s not Roye, either. You also avoid Sean Jones. Wimbley, however, is the key. As a pass rusher, he�s elite. He sacrifices a bit too much against the run, though. He gets caught going up field and gets knocked out of plays on a regular basis. Spaeth hasn�t been dominating people in the run game this pre-season, but he�s done a nice job sealing off his man. Miller has been getting beat. That isn�t a problem for Spaeth. I think he shows his worth in this game.

Simmons, Mahan, and Faneca should all have success at the second level. Jackson really struggles to take on blocks inside. He also takes bad angles getting to the ball carrier. Another good reason to stick to the left side this week.

Spaeth can set the edge and allow the Steelers to run on the perimeter. I think the Steelers are going to be using a lot of two TE sets this week (or, use Spaeth as a h-back on occasion). If Miller could get his act together and block someone, it would be nice to get a third receiver out there, as well. I don�t think the inside stuff will be there early on. It�s time to see how much Arians has actually changed.

Charlie Frye has gotten the nod from Crennel. The Browns have tried to stretch defenses a bit more this pre-season. Braylon Edwards is a real threat, though it�s reduced playing with Frye. He doesn�t have great speed, but he�s learning the nuances of the position. Routes are key to his game. Dre Bly learned this in the pre-season. At least three times Edwards beat him deep down field, though Frye missed him on two of those occasions. It got to the point where Bly was playing the deep ball and conceding the short stuff. Taylor is a faster and a better cover man than Bly. Taylor will shut him down.

Townsend on Jurevicius is a different story. Neither is a burner. Jurevicius clearly has the size advantage. He can work Townsend underneath. This is a match-up that McFadden would do better in. The Browns need to try and hit the Steelers deep. I expect them to be pretty conservative otherwise. Jurevicius has to be there go-to receiver this week in the pass game.

After seeing Colclough get beat deep by Jarrett, the Browns should try and test him vertically, as well. That�s if he dresses. This is one where they may just connect if the Steelers aren�t careful. I had hoped Colclough was coming around, but he�s shown that he just doesn�t have it and I can�t hold out hope any longer. I�m thinking that Gay gets the nod, though, due to his special teams play.

I expect the Browns to test Harrison in the pass and run game. They have to. They�re goal should be to get Winslow on him as much as possible and let him try and make plays. I try to get him on Clark deep and Harrison underneath as much as possible. If Frye can get the ball there, Winslow has a chance to make plays.

Joe Thomas is starting at LT. I was impressed with what I saw in the pre-season, at least physically. He still looks like a confused rookie frequently, however. When he knows who to block, he does a pretty good job. What hopes I had for him busting completely are gone. I don�t like this match-up for Harrison. If Thomas locks on to him from start to finish, and doesn�t hesitate, he will win. The problem is, he�s never seen anything like what the Steelers will throw at him. LeBeau should have some fun overloading the left side. I expect Thomas to struggle in this game, but I think he�s going to grow into a real nuisance down the road.

On the other side of the Browns line you have Kevin Shaffer. I expect Haggans and Woodley to eat his lunch. I�m hoping for 2-3 sacks from these two. Woodley couldn�t ask for a better way to start his career. Shaffer tends to get out of position and leave himself open to guys cutting back across his face. For a guy moving over from LT, I would expect him to look better in pass protection. He looks weak and gets knocked around.

The Browns use a zone blocking scheme. They have been running left for most of the pre-season, and I would again expect them to test Harrison (along with Keisel). They have the personnel to pull it off and be successful up front. I�m expecting their run game to improve this season.

They seem to be hiding Thomas a bit in the ground game. He just about always gets help with his man from either Heiden (#82, a very nice blocking TE) or the guard. Overall, they�ve gotten some nice push and had success going left. Jamal Lewis is slow, but he still runs like a truck. And he always saves his best for the Steelers.

I don�t think Harrison is as stout against the run as Haggans or Porter. He got out of position on a few occasions in the pre-season and he gives up more ground. I�m confident the Browns will want to test him. Keisel has looked a bit lighter this pre-season. They could end up struggling a bit more than usual. It�s rare that I think a team, let alone the Browns will run on the Steelers. I have some doubts at this point in time that the run defense will be quite as sturdy as in years past. The Browns will attempt run if only because they don�t trust Frye. This could help hide any weakness that may actually exist, as the Steelers will be keying in.

Hampton and Smith are complete mismatches for the Browns front, so there really isn�t much else for them to try.

The Browns pull occasionally in short yardage situations. They�ve been using the LG to do so. I�m thinking they are trying to make use of Steinbach�s mobility, but he hasn�t played. He remains a risk to miss this game, but practiced Monday. If he doesn�t play, his back-up can�t move worth a damn. However, he may just get more push in the ground game than Steinbach.

The Browns have kicking issues. For a team that�s going to be kicking a lot of FG�s, that�s a pretty damn big issue. It cost them against the Steelers last year. At the same time, they have a pretty good return game�and that hurt the Steelers last season. The pre-season has been disappointing, given how much talk and time Tomlin has devoted to it. I�m holding out hope that a lot of the problems resulted from mixing around personnel, and that we�ll see a solid unit throughout this regular season.

Watch out for Spaeth on offense. He could end up having a big day. When the Steelers run, they should do it to the left side. The Browns should be doing the same with their own ground game. Both teams will want to throw deep on the other. The Steelers have a QB who is actually competent, though. This game boils down to protecting the football on offense for the Steelers. I can�t imagine the Browns offense will be racking up the points any other way. I�m not expecting offensive fireworks from either team.