Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns: What Are Experts Saying About Cleveland

After a historic come-from-behind victory on the road in Tennessee, the Cleveland Browns (2-2) return home to battle their AFC North archrival, the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2).

Despite any momentum rolling off of last weekend, the Browns are in tough against a Pittsburgh team they lost to back in Week 1.

History is against the orange helmets in this one.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 18-1 over his career against Cleveland. Wide receiver Antonio Brown has owned the Browns since entering the league, and running back Le'Veon Bell popped out 197 all-purpose yards during the two clubs' first encounter this year.

Last week's Browns win was extremely similar to their defeat to Pittsburgh in the opener.

The first half was a complete disaster, while the last two quarters provided heart-stopping scoring drives. The key difference is that the Titans had to rely on QB Charlie Whitehurst and the Steelers got to lean on Super Bowl champion Roethlisberger.

Cleveland's 27th-ranked passing defense and 30th-ranked run defense will tell the tale of how this meeting at FirstEnergy Stadium plays out.

Let's see what a variety of experts and analysts are saying about the Browns leading into Sunday.

Pat McManamon, ESPN: Hoyer Backs Up Coach's Belief

Associated Press

The quarterback competition of this past training camp seems like a distant, fuzzy memory following another Brian Hoyer-led comeback last weekend in Tennessee.

Shirts, posters, billboards and songs welcomed the Browns' second 2014 first-round pick Johnny Manziel to town, as he was heralded as the franchise's savior.

Johnny Football is still the future at quarterback for Cleveland, but he is certainly not the present.

The here and now belongs to the hometown boy, Mr. Hoyer. Through the spring and summer months he quietly and patiently put up with all the Manziel hype, relentlessly working his way back from ACL surgery all the while.

Work ethic is great, but a QB needs his head coach to be in his corner if he has any hope of longevity. The Browns' new sideline general Mike Pettine believes in Hoyer, and has since he officially won the job over Manziel in camp.

ESPN's Pat McManamon explains more:

"

To hear Hoyer and coach Mike Pettine, Manziel mania died the day the Browns made Hoyer the starter in August. 

'From the very get go when coach Pettine named me the starter, he told me: 'Don't worry about getting pulled; go out and play. I have your back.,'' Hoyer said Monday. 

And when the Browns fell behind 27-3 in Pittsburgh and 28-3 in Tennessee, Pettine never wavered. There was discussion around America that perhaps Manziel might see the field, but Pettine didn't budge. 

Hoyer backed up his coach by scoring 24 points in a row to tie Steelers and 26 in a row to beat the Titans. His name -- with Pettine's -- now goes in the record books as being part of the greatest regular-season road comeback in NFL history. 

Hoyer has won two close games and lost two. He has a 97.7 passer rating and is 12th in yards per attempt at 7.54. 

But his poise and presence and even-keeled demeanor have mattered most, and have the Browns poised for a home game against Pittsburgh with Jacksonville (winless), Oakland (winless) and Tampa Bay (one win) next on the schedule. 

"

When was the last time that Browns fans had confidence in one quarterback for multiple weeks in a row?

The team's only double-digit win season since returning to the league comes to mind. That 2007 campaign had a high-flying offense and was led by Derek Anderson under center. That success didn't last the following season.

Hoyer has a real chance to solidify a position in dire need of some consistency. It looks like coach Pettine has his back and will not be pressured into playing Manziel unless absolutely necessary.

The next challenge comes in the friendly confines of FirstEnergy Stadium this Sunday afternoon against the always difficult Steelers.

Hoyer came up short on a late rally in Pittsburgh Week 1, but he would reach hero status with the fans if he could help vanquish the hated rivals at home.

Conor Orr, NFL.com: Smiling Johnny

Wade Payne/Associated Press

The most famous backup quarterback in the NFL resides in Cleveland. That man is, of course, Johnny Manziel.

As the national media itches for any sort of Johnny Football story, the Browns, and No. 2 himself, have just gone about their business. Any QB controversy talk at this point seems ridiculous as Brian Hoyer has been remarkably efficient through four games.

Yet the cameras remain firmly locked on Manziel as he sits on the bench wearing a baseball cap. Then the smile seen round the world happened.

The Browns were getting blasted 28-3 by Tennessee in the first half last Sunday and Manziel was caught smiling and laughing on the sidelines.

Clearly this means he doesn't care about the team and is another example of his immaturity. Seems like a ridiculous thought, right? Not to several network analysts around the country that pounced on this "story" and tried to make it something newsworthy. 

Conor Orr of NFL.com explains more and gives Browns head coach Mike Pettine's reaction:

"

In what looks to be a smart move by the young head coach, Pettine made it a non-issue (because it is a non-issue).

'I don't (have a comment) because, again, I don't know what the context of that is,' Pettine said at his news conference Monday. 'Down 28-3, the way we were playing I think probably you could term it laughable, but I don't know the context of it.'

When asked if Manziel needs to realize that the cameras are on him at all times, Pettine again reiterated that he wasn't bothered by the gesture.

'Yeah, that's a lesson to learn, but still I don't consider it a big deal.'

With the team riding high, the worst thing Pettine could have done was criticize Manziel and, in turn, flood the locker room with reporters looking for a comment about the most talked-about backup in football.

"

If Cleveland ever trails Pittsburgh at home this weekend, then Manziel better be extra aware of his facial expressions, because the world will be watching him.

To be on the safe side, Johnny should be thinking sad thoughts and listening to depressing music from kickoff through all four quarters. We don't need a grin to sneak out.

Will Graves, The Associated Press: Steelers Bracing for Improving Browns

Wade Payne/Associated Press

The Pittsburgh Steelers know exactly what Tennessee was going through last Sunday...well, almost.

Cleveland pulled off the largest road comeback victory in NFL history when they rallied back from a 28-3 deficit. In Week 1 at Pittsburgh, the Browns trailed 27-3 after two quarters but fell just short as they were downed 30-27.

So what has changed for the Browns from years past?

Will Graves of The Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports) gives his take with help from Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons:

"

Having watched Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer and an inexperienced running game push Pittsburgh's defense around for 30 minutes - then see Cleveland do the same last weekend in a thrilling comeback win over Tennessee - Timmons became a convert.

The Browns (2-2), yes the Browns, look like they're for real heading into Sunday's rematch in Cleveland.

'I think they're serious this year,' Timmons said. 'You can't take them lightly.'

No chance of that. If anything, Cleveland provided the Steelers (3-2) with a much-needed wakeup call after using an uptempo no-huddle in the second half.

Pittsburgh rarely looked ready as the Browns reeled off 24 unanswered points behind unheralded rookie running backs Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell. Cleveland averaged 6.3 yards per carry while piling up 191 yards on the ground to nearly pull off a stunning upset...

'They have a running game now,' said Timmons, who is 11-2 against the Browns. 'That's the change for us. As we played them before they never really got a 100 yards rushing on us. So now that they did that, that's the game changer so we have to really be on our Ps and Qs.'

"

Pittsburgh actually got a taste of all three Cleveland running backs the first time around.

Before suffering a knee injury, Ben Tate rattled off 41 yards on six carries for an impressive 6.8 yards per carry. The Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell tandem did the rest, as outlined above by Graves.

Tate returned last week for the Browns full of fire and reclaimed his starting job. The veteran dominated on the ground to the tune of 124 yards on 22 attempts.

As good a job as rookies West and Crowell have done so far this season, the savvy of Tate in the backfield will benefit the Browns against a seasoned Steelers defense. No. 44 is superior in pass protection and more effective, to this point anyway, as a receiver, having caught 34 balls in Houston last year.

Since the defense has struggled so terribly to this point, Cleveland's only chance at nabbing a "W" might just be scoring 30 or more points. Getting into a shootout with Ben Roethlisberger is always a scary thought, but Tate and the Browns run game will at least give the orange helmets a shot.

Tony Grossi, ESPN Cleveland: Next Man Up for Defensive Line

David Richard/Associated Press

Injured Browns defensive lineman Phil Taylor

Cleveland's defense has struggled in all areas through the first four games of 2014.

The defensive line can't get enough penetration or stuff the run, the outside linebackers haven't been able to consistently take down the quarterback and cornerback play has looked dreadful overall.

An injury to the massive Phil Taylor was the last thing this D-line needed. 

ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi expands:

"

All that depth on the Browns’ defensive front? We’ll see now if it’s quality or just quantity.

Defensive end Phil Taylor will be 'shut down a couple weeks,' coach Mike Pettine said, after Taylor had an arthroscopic procedure on the knee he injured in the Tennessee game.

Adding to Taylor’s absence is the fact that backup end Billy Winn was held out of practice on Wednesday with a quad injury.

Joining nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin and end Desmond Bryant in early drills at practice was John Hughes. Pettine also said that Ishmaa’ily Kitchen would be active for the Pittsburgh game. Hughes was a healthy scratch in Tennessee; Kitchen has been inactive the past three games.

The Browns also will have pass rush defensive end Armonty Bryant active for the game.

"

Without Taylor, the Browns will certainly be leaning on Desmond Bryant to step up and make plays, something the high priced free-agent signing from two seasons ago hasn't done all year.

Like many of Cleveland's previous defensive standouts, Desmond Bryant has stalled coming out of the gate. Only six tackles and zero sacks over three contests is just not good enough—and definitely won't be Sunday with Taylor gone.

The other Bryant, Armonty, has been one of the few Browns defenders to look better this year than in 2013. The pass-rushing specialist will likely be called upon to expand his roll since Taylor is out and Winn is not at full health.

When he is on the field, Armonty has been a buzzsaw. In limited action this season, the sophomore end has delivered nine combined tackles, a sack and seems to always be around the quarterback.

This Pittsburgh matchup is a huge next-man-up opportunity for the likes of Armonty, John Hughes and Ishmaa'ily Kitchen. It's a chance for them to prove themselves in a game where they are desperately needed to perform.

Pittsburgh's offense is ranked eighth in the league in both passing and rushing yards per game. Keeping QB Ben Roethlisberger uncomfortable and star running back Le'Veon Bell in check are going to be their two top priorities. 

Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal: Browns Cornerbacks Looking for Answers

David Richard/Associated Press

The Browns may have pulled off the largest come-from-behind road victory in NFL history last week, but Tennessee's quarterbacks were Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst, not Ben Roethlisberger.

Pittsburgh's Super Bowl-winning signal-caller is 18-1 in his career against Cleveland and has seen all sorts of personnel combinations in the defensive backfield of his AFC North rival. Year in and year out, Big Ben dominates.

It's been a tough start to the season for the Browns secondary, as outlined by Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal:

"

Cornerback Joe Haden rode a stationary bike but didn’t participate in practice Wednesday because of a hip injury he suffered Sunday in a 29-28 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Coach Mike Pettine said he’s 'cautiously optimistic' Haden will play Sunday when the Browns (2-2) host the Steelers (3-2) in an AFC North rematch from Week 1.

But the secondary’s issues extend much deeper than Haden’s health. Through four games, the Browns’ defense is ranked 31st in the NFL (421.8 yards allowed per game), 28th against the pass (269.3) and tied for 29th against the run (152.5).

The secondary could use a shot of momentum.

Haden has struggled all season and failed to live up to the Pro Bowl status he earned last season.

Fellow starting cornerback Buster Skrine quietly had stellar performances in the first three games but took some lumps against the Titans. And rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert, the eighth overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, has had his playing time drastically reduced because of his poor play.

"

This Sunday looks like a daunting task on defense for the Browns. One X-factor that Cleveland may have on their side is the hometown fans.

Yes, the 12th Man will be needed more than ever. Especially if Haden cannot suit up or isn't at full health. Three rookies and Buster Skrine manning the secondary surely does not strike fear in the hearts of Roethlisberger and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.

So, as in the home opener, the Dawg Pound must step up. In the win over New Orleans, Drew Brees needed to call two early timeouts because of crowd noise. It made a difference then, and can be again this weekend.

However, turning up the volume won't correct the cornerbacks' sloppy tackling and taking poor angles, especially when matching up across from a receiver the caliber of Antonio Brown.

Nothing in the first four games suggests that much will change out of the corners versus Pittsburgh. Hoping that one more week of learning coach Pettine's system is enough to hold off the Steelers is what the Browns faithful must cling to.

Andy McNamara is an international sports broadcaster and journalist.

Follow Andy on Twitter @AndyMc81