Browns vs. Steelers: 4 Things Cleveland Needs to Do to Upset Pittsburgh

It's definitely a long-shot and would potentially make a drastic affect on the playoff picture, but the Browns upsetting the Steelers basically seems unfathomable.

Nonetheless, we saw the Rams upset the Saints and the Jaguars upset the Ravens, so despite it being a slim possibility, there is a possibility.

That said, what must Cleveland do to pull off the upset? Well, here are four imperatives for the Browns to accomplish.

Pressure Ben Roethlisberger

The last time Cleveland beat Pittsburgh was at home, late in the 2009 season that was a big factor in costing the Steelers a playoff spot.

There, Ben Roethlisberger was sacked eight times in Cleveland's 13-6 victory.

And really, for anyone to beat Pittsburgh, a major part of that must come from pressuring Big Ben. We saw the Ravens do it twice this year and Houston early on as well.

Even the Colts got to him quite often, but Indy simply lacked the talent to sustain a lead. As for Cleveland, their defense has the capability to be in Roethlisberger's face all night.

Rookie DE Jabaal Sheard (ironically from Pitt University) leads the Browns with 5.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. Next to him on the interior is rookie Phil Taylor who has four sacks, not bad for a rookie DT.

These two guys must get pressure because with Big Ben's escapability, the play is never over, even with two defenders hanging onto him. Constantly hitting Ben and putting him on the ground is key.

That way, he's not just thinking about launching the rock deep down field to Mike Wallace. Speaking of Wallace...

Double Cover Mike Wallace

Wallace must be double-covered all game long. And not just the double coverage where the CB takes away the inside leverage and has safety help over the top.

We're talking jamming Wallace every play and keeping him at the line of scrimmage for as long as possible, even if it's just one additional second.

Then have the safety helping over the top at all times. He's arguably the NFL's fastest WR and you know the Steelers will be taking shots down the field. That said, preventing Wallace from stretching out the defense and keeping everything within a 15-yard radius is to Cleveland's advantage.

LB D'Qwell Jackson is tied for second in the NFL with 112 tackles, so if Wallace is held in check, then that makes defending the run a lot easier. Everything comes full circle when a defense can minimize their opponents most explosive player.

And it all starts will isolating Wallace in Pittsburgh.

Limit Turnovers

Whether it's on the ground or in the passing game, the Browns aren't good enough to beat anyone, especially Pittsburgh, when they turn the ball over.

It's already going to be hard enough to get first-downs, so playing it safe is really their best option. Now, obviously Cleveland has nothing to lose either, so putting the entire playbook out there wouldn't be surprising.

But, it's not even so much about forcing turnovers on defense because The Steel Curtain won't be allowing much, regardless of where any Browns possession begins. Keep the ground game between the tackles and use the outside sparingly.

As long as Peyton Hillis doesn't try to jump over anyone and Colt McCoy throws the ball away after 2.5 seconds, Cleveland's offense can restrict Pittsburgh winning the turnover battle and dominating the field position game.

The Browns best odds are to help their defense as much as possible, because that is their strength.

Keep It on the Ground

If there is a weakness on the Steelers defense, it's defending the run. Now, it's not much of weakness being that they rank No. 7 in allowing just 97 rush yards per game, but they are much better at pass defense and putting pressure on the opposing QB.

So, run the rock as much as possible and use up as much clock as possible. Cleveland may rank No. 30 in rushing offense, an average just under 94 yards per game, but their pass offense isn't much better—ranked No. 24 with an average 197 per game.

And with the Steelers being better at pass defense and getting QB pressure, the more favorable matchup for Cleveland is to run the ball. There's a slight chance that this could get established and if so, that keeps Pittsburgh honest.

Then, Cleveland can call a few passing plays here and there to try and catch the Steelers' secondary off guard. In some sense, lull their DBs and pass-rushers to sleep and then take some shots down field.

Colts McCoy is mobile enough to buy time with limited protection, but he can't do that every time he drops back. So continually attempting to run the ball is needed for that, and because it can limit turnovers and Pittsburgh's offensive possessions.

Follow John Rozum on Twitter @ Sportswriter27