Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Complete Week 1 Preview for Pittsburgh
It won't take much for the Pittsburgh Steelers to start the 2014 season better than they started any of the last three seasons.
All they have to do is win their season opener against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
The Steelers have lost three straight openers and will try to avoid losing four straight for the first time in franchise history.
No one needs to be reminded that the Steelers lost not only in Week 1 last year, but also in Weeks 2, 3 and 4. A win Sunday would prevent another 0-4 start, but a loss would be almost as humiliating as all four of last year's September defeats put together.
The Steelers haven't lost at home to the Browns since 2003, 33-13, in Week 5 of a 6-10 season.
Cleveland is coming off a 4-12 campaign. The quarterback the Browns drafted in the first round, Johnny Manziel, isn't ready to start. Brian Hoyer will make his fifth career start, and he can't throw the ball to Josh Gordon. The Browns' leading receiver last year with 87 receptions (no other receiver caught more than 42 balls), Gordon is suspended for the season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.
The Steelers, meanwhile, will have nine players starting who didn't start in Week 1 last year.
"There will be 9 new starters 2014 Opening Day compared to 2013 -- Beachum, Miller, Wheaton, Bell, Heyward, Thomas, Jones, Shazier, Mitchell.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) September 4, 2014"
Ryan Shazier will become the first Steelers rookie defender to start in Week 1 since Kendrell Bell in 2001. Bell was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Cameron Heyward started 13 games last year in a breakout season. Defensive end Cam Thomas and safety Mike Mitchell were the Steelers' two biggest free-agent signings on defense. Jarvis Jones had eight starts with just one sack in his rookie season.
Heath Miller and Le'Veon Bell both were injured at the beginning of the 2013 season. Their absence was a factor in the Steelers' 0-4 start. Kelvin Beachum won the starting job at left tackle in October. Markus Wheaton is expected to start opposite Antonio Brown at wide receiver in his second year.
Change was needed after a second straight 8-8 finish. The Steelers can take a first step toward a winning season by taking care of business Sunday against the Browns.
Steelers Preseason Week 4 Recap
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The Steelers closed out a 1-3 preseason with a 10-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers at Heinz Field.
This was the first time the Steelers were shut out at home in a preseason game since 1976, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Fortunately, the fourth preseason game usually is the one that least resembles what teams will look like during the regular season.
Starters Ben Roethlisberger, Cortez Allen, Troy Polamalu, Maurkice Pouncey, Heath Miller, Antonio Brown, Jason Worilds and Cameron Heyward didn't play.
Cam Newton, 2013 AP Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly, Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy and tight end Greg Olsen were among the Panthers' inactives.
Markus Wheaton saw the most action among the Steelers' projected starters on offense. He was on the field for 21 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Steelers gave him a long look because they need him to fill the second receiver role opposite Antonio Brown. Wheaton caught five passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in the preseason.
There's no guarantee Wheaton will emerge as a legitimate second option at receiver. He caught just six passes in an injury-plagued rookie season. Without someone else drawing the attention of defensive backs, Brown will be stymied by double-teams, and the Steelers offense will struggle.
On defense, Brett Keisel saw his first preseason action. The soon-to-be 36-year-old had a quarterback hit and a quarterback hurry and helped the Steelers tighten up against the run. The Panthers, albeit without Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, ran the ball 100 times on 35 carries.
Keisel, who was brought back days before the Steelers' third preseason game, is listed as a backup at right defensive end on both the Steelers.com and Ourlads depth charts, but the Steelers use their sub-packages frequently, so he'll see plenty of action.
News and Notes
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Steelers Extend Cortez Allen's Contract
Scratch another name off the list of Steelers contract concerns.
The Steelers and cornerback Cortez Allen agreed to terms on a five-year, $26 million contract Saturday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Once the season begins, the Steelers don't negotiate contracts with players. So they essentially signed Allen just in time to prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent after the 2014 season.
The Steelers apparently did not want to repeat history with their cornerbacks. They let Keenan Lewis play out the final year of his contract in 2012. He responded with 23 passes defended, second in the NFL according to ESPN.com. So his market value skyrocketed, the Steelers couldn't afford him and he signed with the New Orleans Saints.
Allen showed promise and paved the way for Lewis' departure by intercepting two passes and forcing three fumbles in the last two games of the 2012 season.
However, Allen was inconsistent last year with two interceptions (including a pick-six) and 13 pass breakups in eight starts. But he's shown more in his first three years than Lewis did, and now the Steelers don't have to worry about losing him if he has a breakout year.
The Steelers already have extended the contracts of Maurkice Pouncey, Shaun Suisham and Marcus Gilbert during the offseason.
Where's Johnny?
Even though he's not starting at quarterback, the Steelers expect to see Johnny Manziel on the field Sunday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Brian Hoyer, who spent three weeks with the Steelers in 2012, will start at quarterback. The Steelers enter the season with a lot of young players on defense who are still learning. So facing a journeyman like Hoyer might seem like a nice way to ease into the season. But the Steelers shouldn't take him lightly.
"Want to know how much Brian Hoyer prepares? The other day he was glancing over notes on the Steelers he took with the Patriots - 3 years ago
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) September 3, 2014"
When it comes to preparation the Steelers must do plenty of it for Manziel and the gadget plays the Browns have designed for him.
Bell and Blount Will Play
Running backs Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount won't be suspended for the season opener after their marijuana arrests last month.
Any discipline they face likely won't be meted out until 2015, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Bell rushed for 860 yards last season and broke Franco Harris' franchise record for rookies with 1,259 yards from scrimmage, according to ESPN.com.
The 6'0", 250-pound Blount is expected to be used in short-yardage situations and to keep Bell fresh. He ran for 772 yards with the New England Patriots last season, averaging five yards per carry, with seven touchdowns. He amassed 166 yards with four touchdowns in a playoff win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Bell and Blount will be a sight for sore eyes. The Steelers started Isaac Redman in last year's season opener and re-signed Jonathan Dwyer out of desperation after that game.
Talk about an upgrade.
Antonio Brown to Return Punts
The Steelers want to get Antonio Brown on the field as much as possible after his 110-catch, 1,499-yard season in 2013. So he'll share punt return duties with rookie Dri Archer, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in Tuesday's press conference.
""He is a pro bowl caliber return man, so that's how you play him" - Coach Tomlin on @AntonioBrown84
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 2, 2014"
Brown has returned two punts for touchdowns in his career. He was fourth in the NFL last season with 12.8 yards per punt return.
Archer and LeGarrette Blount will split kickoff return duties.
Steelers Name Four Captains
Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, Shaun Suisham and Robert Golden were named the Steelers' captains for the 2014 season, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. This is Polamalu's first season as captain in his 12-year career.
Golden and Suisham are the special teams captains. Golden enters his third season as an undrafted safety. He led the Steelers with 11 special teams tackles last year and received the team's highest overall special teams grade from Pro Football Focus.
Steelers to Honor Noll with Helmet Decals
The Steelers will honor the late Chuck Noll this season by wearing oval-shaped helmet decals with the initials "CHN" in yellow on a black background, according to Steelers.com. The Steelers coaches will wear pins.
Noll, who coached the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories in the 1970s, died June 13 at the age of 82.
Browns a Familiar Foe, Except in Openers
The Steelers will host the Browns at home in Week 1 for the first time since 1989. The Steelers lost that game 51-0 and lost 41-10 at Cincinnati the following week.
Speaking of Chuck Noll, he led the Steelers back from that abysmal start to a 9-7 record and a playoff victory at Houston.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Martavis Bryant | WR | Doubtful (shoulder) |
| Brice McCain | CB | Out (groin) |
| Lance Moore | WR | Out (groin) |
| Matt Spaeth | TE | Probable (hamstring) |
| Sean Spence | LB | Probable (knee) |
| Cody Wallace | C | Questionable (finger) |
| Greg Warren | LS | Probable (knee) |
Even though the Steelers kept six wide receivers on their 53-man roster, it looks like only four will be healthy Sunday.
Justin Brown will take over for Moore as the slot receiver. The 6'3" Brown, drafted in the sixth round last year, spent 2013 on the practice squad and beat out former Penn State teammate Derek Moye for a roster spot this summer. Moye won that battle last year.
Darrius Heyward-Bey will see the field in four-receiver sets. The No. 7 overall draft pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2009, Heyward-Bey is trying to revive his career with the Steelers.
Spence, who was injured in the Steelers' third preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, hopes to make his professional debut two years after suffering a knee injury that nearly ended his career before it started. A third-round draft pick in 2012, Spence is likely to see action on special teams. It will be a milestone moment when he steps on the field.
The knee Spence hurt against the Eagles was his right knee, not the one that was injured in the final preseason game of 2012.
Long-snapper Greg Warren, who tore his meniscus in practice on Aug. 13, will be ready to go Sunday.
*Injury-report information is from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Antonio Brown vs. Joe Haden
This is a matchup of two 2013 Pro Bowlers.
Joe Haden was drafted seventh overall by the Browns in 2010. Antonio Brown was picked 195th by the Steelers that year. But Brown has two Pro Bowl honors to Haden's one, and he got the best of Haden in their one matchup last season.
Brown caught six passes for 92 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' 27-11 win at Cleveland in Week 11. Haden did not play in the season finale at Heinz Field.
Brown was second in the NFL with 110 receptions last season. Haden intercepted four passes and broke up 20, including a season-high three against the Steelers.
Ryan Shazier vs. Jordan Cameron
The Steelers think enough of Ryan Shazier to make him the first rookie to start on defense in Week 1 since Dick LeBeau became defensive coordinator in 2004.
Shazier led the Steelers with nine tackles and added an interception in his preseason debut, a 19-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills. The inside linebacker was humbled in the next game. Shazier had a tough time against Eagles tight ends and allowed 70 receiving yards, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
It won't get any easier for this year's No. 15 overall draft pick on Sunday. He'll be going up against Jordan Cameron, who was third among tight ends last season with 80 receptions and second with 917 receiving yards.
Kelvin Beachum vs. Barkevious Mingo
Kelvin Beachum has gone from a utility man on the offensive line to Ben Roethlisberger's blindside protector.
A seventh-round draft pick in 2012, Beachum can play any position on the offensive line. But after Mike Adams' epic failure at left tackle in the first four games of 2013, Beachum moved to left tackle and kept the job for the rest of the season. He missed only one game because of an injury.
Beachum doesn't fit the typical mold of a left tackle. He's undersized at 6'3", 308 pounds. But he was part of a unit that allowed Ben Roethlisberger to be sacked just seven times in the final seven games of 2013. It's the best protection Roethlisberger has had in any seven-game stretch of his career.
Second-year outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo will be coming after Roethlisberger Sunday. He was second on the team last year with five sacks and led the Browns with two sacks during the preseason.
The Browns were tied for 16th in the league with 40 sacks last season.
Jarvis Jones vs. Joe Thomas
Browns left tackle Joe Thomas will be assigned to block Steelers right outside linebacker Jarvis Jones. All Thomas has done is make the Pro Bowl in all seven of his NFL seasons.
Jones, drafted No. 17 overall in 2013, had just one sack in his rookie season. He'll get a pass if he doesn't match that in this game. Thomas was responsible for two sacks last season. One of them came in the season finale at Pittsburgh, but it wasn't by Jones.
If Jones does beat Thomas for a sack or even if he can get in Brian Hoyer's face from time to time, it will be a sign of progress in his second season.
Steelers' X-Factor to Watch: Markus Wheaton
Markus Wheaton could be the Steelers' X-factor all season. If the Steelers' success this season hinges on one position on either side of the ball, it's No. 2 receiver.
Wheaton must make his presence felt to maximize the one-on-one situations between Haden and Brown. If not, the Browns star cornerback will get some help covering Brown.
The Steelers had enough faith in Wheaton to let Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery leave as free agents. He had six catches in his rookie season and will have to multiply that number a few times for the Steelers offense to click, whether it runs the no-huddle or not.
If Wheaton doesn't emerge, the Steelers better hope for production from 31-year-old Lance Moore, a 5'9" slot receiver, or Darrius Heyward-Bey, who caught just 29 passes for the Colts last season.
Prediction
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Not only did the Steelers lose Maurkice Pouncey for the season less than four minutes into last year's opener; they also lost Larry Foote and LaRod Stephen-Howling for the year.
As long as the Steelers avoid a similar calamity in this year's opener, they'll end their streak of three straight Week 1 losses.
The Browns have little offensive punch without Josh Gordon. They're trotting out Miles Austin, who caught 24 passes last season for the Cowboys, and Andrew Hawkins, who caught 12 passes as a Cincinnati Bengal last year.
The Steelers will contain Jordan Cameron and whatever gimmicks the Browns put in the playbook for Johnny Manziel.
Ben Roethlisberger has never lost at home to the Browns, and this is no time to start. Looming on the Steelers' schedule are road trips to Baltimore in Week 2 (on Thursday night) and Carolina in Week 3.
Prediction: Steelers 20, Browns 10
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