Roethlisberger aims to avoid turnovers

Trick or treat?

That's the question Steelers fans might be asking themselves as the team heads into its final game of October on Sunday against the Browns.

After all, for most of his career, Ben Roethlisberger has owned the month, but last year was an anomaly. While the Steelers went 4-1 last October, Roethlisberger wasn't his normal self, throwing just five touchdowns along with eight interceptions. Five of those turnovers came in a loss to the Jaguars, but even with that career-worst day, Roethlisberger has excelled in October over his career.

Now, with the Browns (2-4-1) coming to Heinz Field this Sunday, Roethlisberger will look to continue his strong play and avoid another October surprise against a team that forced him into three interceptions and two fumbles in a 21-21 tie Sept. 9 in the opening game of the season.

The Steelers can't afford to lose the turnover battle — certainly not as badly as they did in that opener — and expect to come away with a win.

"They made the plays. We didn’t first time around," Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "Credit them, they are a good defense. Going into that game, I said they might be the best defense we play all year. We’ll still say that."

Hyperbole aside — the Browns are good on defense but hardly the best team the Steelers will face this season — Roethlisberger has made a career out of beating the Browns.

The Steelers are 22-2-1 in the 25 games he has played against Cleveland. One of those games was not a start. Roethlisberger, recovering from an injury of his own, relieved an injured Landry Jones in the first quarter and threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-9 victory in 2015 at Heinz Field.

That set a record for the most yards by a quarterback who did not start the game. His 21-2-1 record (.896 winning percentage) as a starter against Cleveland is the third-highest for a quarterback against another franchise in league history. The Steelers have beaten the Browns 14 consecutive times at home and 16 of 17 overall at Heinz Field.

Last season aside, Roethlisberger's October numbers are the best of his future Pro Football Hall of Fame career. He's led the Steelers to a 38-12 record in 50 starts, posting a 100.4 passer rating with 92 touchdown passes and 40 interceptions.

But the Browns have been a very opportunistic team this season. Bolstered by a six-turnover effort against the Steelers, Cleveland has forced an NFL-best 20 turnovers already this season. Rookie cornerback Denzel Ward, who had two interceptions of Roethlisberger in the opener, leads the team with three interceptions and has forced a fumble. Defensive end Myles Garrett has forced three fumbles.

"What happened in our game was no lightning strike," Mike Tomlin said. "These guys are producing turnovers every stadium they step into."

It has kept the Browns, who were a league-worst minus-28 in turnover ratio last season, in games. Cleveland has played four overtime games, winning once and tying the Steelers. Six of the Browns' seven games this season have been decided by four points or fewer.

The only game in which they were blown out — a 34-14 loss to the Chargers — also happened to be a game in which they only forced one turnover, a season-low for the team.

"They're not the same old Browns," David DeCastro told me. "We can't go into this game thinking that, for sure."

But it seems if you take care of the football, you'll have a good chance to win — even more so than in most weeks.

Roethlisberger has turned the ball over just four times in the team's past four games. That's more palatable, but it's still a number upon which he would like to improve.

It was something stressed by first-year offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner throughout the offseason. For all of his accolades, Roethlisberger has been prone to turnovers at times throughout his career.

He's thrown 180 interceptions in 206 career games. By comparison, Tom Brady has thrown 167 in 260 career games, and Aaron Rodgers has 79 in 155. Drew Brees, meanwhile, has not thrown an interception in 220 passes this season.

Roethlisberger has done a good job of taking care of the ball in recent years in October home games -- the Jacksonville game aside. In his last five home starts in October outside of that game, he's thrown for an average of 338 yards with 19 touchdowns and no interceptions.

"Just getting better, not turning the ball over," Roethlisberger said of his evaluation of the offense coming out of the bye week. "I think that has been a negative for me for the first part of the season. I hate when we turn the football over."

MATT SUNDAY GALLERY