NFL Week 17 Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns, 1 PM

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (12-3)
AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (10-5)

WEEK 17 // SUNDAY, JAN. 3, 2021 // 1:00 PM ET // FIRSTENERGY STADIUM // REFEREE: JEROME BOGER

ON THE AIRWAVES:

TV: CBS (1:00 PM ET): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn (field reporter)
SIRIUS: 133 (Pit), 82 (Cle) | XM: 382 (Pit), 227 (Cle)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER: Steelers lead all-time series, 75-59-1
STREAKS: Steelers have won 3 of past 4
LAST GAME: 10/18/20: Browns 7 at Steelers 38
LAST GAME AT SITE: 11/14/19: Browns 21, Steelers 7

PITTSBURGH STEELERS LEADERS

W 28-24 vs. Indianapolis LAST WEEK

Mike Tomlin: 22-4-1 COACH VS. OPP.

26.3/19.2 PTS. FOR/AGAINST

330.6 OFFENSE

Ben Roethlisberger: 399-608-3804-33-10-94.1 PASSING

James Conner: 160-683-4.3-6 RUSHING

JuJu Smith-Schuster: 91-776-8.4-8 RECEIVING

302.3 DEFENSE

T.J. Watt: 15 (1L) SACKS

Minkah Fitzpatrick: 4 INTs

+10 (27/17) TAKE/GIVE

Jordan Berry: 45.9 (40.4) PUNTING (NET)

Chris Boswell: 91 (34/38 PAT; 19/20 FG) KICKING

STEELERS NOTES

• STEELERS clinched AFC North division for 1st time since 2017.
• QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER has 33 TD passes, 2nd-most in career
(34 in 2018). Has 3,804 pass yards, his 10th-career season with
3,500+ pass yards. QB MASON RUDOLPH expected to make 1st
start of season. Passed for 221 yards in last road meeting.
• RB JAMES CONNER had 65 scrimmage yards (45 rec., 20 rush)
& rush TD with 5 catches last week. Rushed for 101 yards & TD
in Week 6 meeting. Has 100+ scrimmage yards & rush TD in 3
of his past 4 vs. Cle. Has rush TD in 2 of his past 3 vs. division.
RB BENNY SNELL aims for his 3rd in row vs. Cle. with rush TD.
• WR JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER had 9 catches for season-high 96
yards & TD last week. Has 50+ rec. yards & TD catch in 2 of
his past 3. WR DIONTAE JOHNSON aims for 3rd in row with 8+
catches, 50+ rec. yards & TD catch. Has rec. TD in 3 of past 4.
Rookie WR CHASE CLAYPOOL aims for 3rd in row with 50+ rec.
yards. Had 4 catches for 74 yards in Week 6 meeting. Has 50+
rec. yards in 4 of 5 career games vs. division. Leads rookies
with 8 rec. TDs. TE ERIC EBRON had TD catch last week.
• LB T.J. WATT had 2 sacks & FF last week, his 4th game with 2+
sacks this season, most in NFL. Aims for 3rd in row with sack.
Has sack in 6 of 7 career games vs. Cle. Aims for his 5th in row
vs. division with sack. Leads NFL with career-high 15 sacks. DE
STEPHON TUITT aims for 3rd in row with sack. Had FF in Week
6 meeting. Has sack in 2 of his past 3 vs. division. DT CAMERON
HEYWARD had sack last week. Aims for 3rd in row with TFL.
Had 8 tackles & TFL in Week 6 meeting. Aims for his 4th in row
vs. Cle. with TFL. CB MIKE HILTON had 2 PD, INT & FR in Week 16.

CLEVELAND BROWNS LEADERS

LAST WEEK L 23-16 at New York Jets

COACH VS. OPP. Kevin Stefanski: 0-1

PTS. FOR/AGAINST 25.6/26.5

OFFENSE 370.3

PASSING Baker Mayfield: 288-459-3367-25-8-95.8

RUSHING Nick Chubb: 176-959-5.4-11

RECEIVING Jarvis Landry: 67-789-11.8-3

DEFENSE 356.1

SACKS Myles Garrett: 12

INTs B.J. Goodson, Denzel Ward: 2

TAKE/GIVE +4 (20/16)

PUNTING (NET) Jamie Gillan: 43.9 (37.9)

KICKING Cody Parkey: 94 (40/44 PAT; 18/21 FG)

BROWNS NOTES

• QB BAKER MAYFIELD aims for 5th in row with 285+ pass yards.
Has 2+ TD passes in 4 of past 5. Has 640 pass yards (320 per
game) & 8 TDs (7 pass, 1 rush) vs. 2 INTs for 113.2 rating in his
past 2 vs. division.
• RB NICK CHUBB had 66 scrimmage yards (38 rec., 28 rush) &
rush TD last week. Aims for 6th in row with rush TD. Aims for his
4th in row vs. Pit. with 75+ scrimmage yards. Aims for his 3rd in
row vs. division with 100+ scrimmage yards & 2+ rush TDs. Has
554 rush yards (110.8 per game) & 7 rush TDs in 5 home games
this season. RB KAREEM HUNT rushed for TD last week & has
rush TD in 2 of past 3. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. division with
100+ scrimmage yards & TD catch. Chubb & Hunt are 1st pair
of RB teammates each with 1,000+ scrimmage yards & 10+ TDs
since MARK INGRAM & ALVIN KAMARA in 2017.
• WR JARVIS LANDRY aims for 5th in row with 5+ catches. Has
rec. TD in 3 of his past 4. Had TD catch in last home meeting.
WR RASHARD HIGGINS has 75+ rec. yards & TD catch in 2 of his
past 3. Had rec. TD in Week 6 meeting. TE AUSTIN HOOPER set
season highs in catches (7) & rec. yards (71) last week. Aims for
3rd in row with 5+ catches. Had 52 rec. yards in Week 6 meeting.
• DE MYLES GARRETT had sack & PD last week. Had sack in Week
6 meeting & has sack in 4 of 5 career games vs. Pit. Aims for his
4th in row vs. division with TFL. DE OLIVIER VERNON had sack in
Week 16 & has sack in 2 of past 3. Aims for 4th in row with TFL.
Had PD in Week 6 meeting. Aims for his 3rd in row at home with
2+ sacks & PD. CB DENZEL WARD aims for 4th in row with PD.
Has 2+ PD in 2 of past 3. Had PD in Week 6 meeting.

GAME PREVIEW COURTESY NFLmedia.com

Posted in NFL

1 COMMENT

Comments are closed.