Preview: 2015 – Game 17 – Cleveland Browns

I’ve gotten used to disappointment, but wow do I feel deflated. I’m not sure if it’s a holiday hangover, or getting swept by the Baltimore Ravens… maybe a little bit of both. If I’m struggling to get up for a game against the Cleveland Browns, I sure hope the Steelers locker room isn’t having the same trouble.

For all intents and purposes, this team loses to bad teams. This team loses to bad teams on the road. And I have too many not-so-fond memories of walking outside of First Energy Stadium on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

Yet, those recent memories have to be washed away for a Steelers team that was in control of it’s own destiny, and now must win in order to see it’s postseason hopes stay alive (along with a little help from the Buffalo Bills.) But it seems nothing ever comes easy to the Steelers of the 2010’s. So I while I would expect a far superior Pittsburgh team, loaded with tons of potential, to walk all over a non-so-potential filled, 3-win Cleveland Browns team, I can’t expect it.

The Browns are on their 3rd string QB, Austin Davis, and while the Steelers are used to seeing a different name on the back of the starter’s jersey from this opponent, this is the same Steeler defense that made Johnny Manziel look like Peyton Manning… and allowed a 4th string, signed-from-the-street QB beat them the previous week.

This almost sounds like a eulogy for the 2015 season, and it could be: this could be it. And for that, I shed a tear, for not only would their season be over, but mine would be as well. But it wasn’t supposed to be this way, yet, at the tail-end of a season filled with it’s share of adversity, it’s incredible to think, if the Steelers win tomorrow, it will be their 10th of the year.

That’s a team who also went through 3 quarterbacks, lost linemen, lost an All-Pro running back, and still won 10 games.

And that’s why I feel cheated. Robbed. Disappointed. Deflated. Down… but maybe not out.

The individual stat lines will read like fiction. DeAngelo Williams, a 32-year-old free agent, steps into Le’Veon Bell‘s role for the first 2 games and the 2nd half of the season, and may have one of his finest seasons ever in doing so. Williams has 11 touchdowns this year, and is 101 yards from breaking 1000 on the season: against the league’s worst run defense.

Antonio Brown is 2 catches away from adding another “never in history” trivia question to his resume, as he seeks to be the first-ever receiver to top 125+ receptions in back-to-back seasons.

Ben Roethlisberger could very well go over 4,000 yards passing once again as well.

And yet, there’s that lingering feeling of this could be it.

And I say, if it is, it is. But let’s show the NFL what this team is capable of. Make this the game that last week’s should have been. And if the chips fall into place, a nice confidence boost may be all this team needs to make a serious run.