Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
To get the 2014 NFL season kicked off this weekend, we’re treated to a match up between two of the most bitter rivals in the league, as the Cleveland Browns and first-round pick Johnny Manziel, who may or may not see some playing time, will go on the road to face Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in an early AFC North contest. Aside from Manziel potentially making his NFL regular season debut, this is the first game for Mike Pettine as the head coach of the Browns.
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Details for Sunday’s game are below:
Date: Sunday, September 7
Start Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Stadium: Heinz Field
TV Info: CBS
Live Stream: DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket or NFL Game Rewind following the game.
Radio: For Pittsburgh Steelers affiliates, click here. For Cleveland Browns affiliates, click here.
Ticket Information: For Pittsburgh Steelers ticket info, click here. For Cleveland Browns ticket info, click here
Keys to Victory
The Cleveland Browns are coming off a season in 2013 in which they finished 4-12, fired their head coach after just that one season at the helm, and once again had quarterback issues all throughout the year.
This season, they’re hoping to get things back on the right track with Pettine leading the charge in his first shot as a head coach in the league and with Brian Hoyer under center.
Right off the bat, Hoyer needs to get into a groove and get his confidence up. Cleveland should have no issue running the ball this season with the newly acquired Ben Tate back there and rookie Terrance West turning heads, so the passing game with Hoyer and the receivers that are actually on the roster need to set the tone early on in this one.
Pittsburgh went 8-8 last season and narrowly missed out on the playoffs, but there is supposedly a reinvigorated Roethlisberger under center this season as he aims to get a new contract with the team following the season, and he has a nice two-headed monster behind him in the backfield in the form of LeGarrette Blount, who came over in free agency from the Patriots, and Le’Veon Bell.
As the Steelers have shown many times throughout their stretch against the Browns in recent years, they need to find the perfect balance of run and pass to keep control of the ball and have the Browns defense on their heels throughout this one.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Steelers -7
Moneyline: Steelers -290, Browns 245
O/U: 41.5
Prediction
The Browns have a lot they still have to figure out, and it’s going to be mighty tough to start getting it all together in this opening game against a team like the Steelers that has had their number throughout the years recently. The Steelers defense should give this struggling Cleveland offense fits for most of the game, giving Pittsburgh the opening weekend win.
Final Score: Pittsburgh: 27, Browns: 10