Lolley's Kickoff: This could be a memorable rematch

The Steelers haven't won a playoff game since the 2016 season, when they advanced to the AFC Championship only to lose to the Patriots.

That feels like an eternity for Steelers fans.

Imagine the feeling in Cleveland right now. The Browns haven't won in the postseason since 1994, or a road playoff game since 1969 in Dallas. Heck, they've only been in the postseason twice in the last 31 seasons. 

And, as it has been in each of their previous two trips, it will be their division rivals, the Steelers, standing in their way of getting what has been an elusive postseason win. In a place where they haven't won a game -- let alone a playoff game -- since 2003.

Those two teams will meet again Sunday at Heinz Field in an AFC Wild Card game. And only one fanbase can come away from this one happy.

Both teams have a lot on the line.

"It’s the only thing I have left in my career. I’ve made some good money, made a lot of great friends," said Steelers Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro. "The only thing I have left is a Super Bowl. What it would be like for the city, the team, the fans, I’d love to be a part of it."

To do that, you have to get the first victory. And that's not as easy as some might think.

Injuries often play a key role in who makes it to the Super Bowl and who falls by the wayside. At no point has that been more apparent than this season, when teams have been affected all year by COVID-19.

And the playoffs have been no different. While the Steelers will be without starting cornerback Joe Haden for this game, the Browns have been dealing with COVID-19 issues for the past three weeks.

They'll be without several players for this game. But perhaps more importantly, they'll be missing head coach Kevin Stefanski, who also doubles as the team's offensive play caller. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will handle Stefanski's head coaching duties, while offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will call the offensive plays.

The Browns also were unable to hold an on-field practice until Friday, leaving a team that has just 15 players with postseason experience perhaps woefully unprepared for what they're about to face.

"Coach Stefanski talks about it all the time, we have to hit the curveball, and we have been thrown another one," said Cleveland wide receiver Jarvis Landry. "The last couple of weeks have just been tough for us, but at the end of the day, we have to answer the call each and every time. We are ready to hit the curveball and guys are going to have to step up."

These teams met just last week in Cleveland. With the Steelers having already locked up the AFC North championship, they rested a number of starters, Ben Roethlisberger, T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward among them. Mason Rudolph got the start at quarterback, giving the Browns everything they could handle in a 24-22 loss. The Steelers defeated the Browns, 38-7, early in the season at Heinz Field.

This will mark the first time in eight years that two teams will meet in back-to-back weeks at the end of the season and in the first round of the playoffs. Since the NFL added a Wild Card round in 1978, it has happened 14 times. The team that lost the regular season finale has rebounded to win the rematch eight times, including each of the past two.

The Steelers aren't banking on that. But they do have a little different feeling about this game than they have perhaps some previous trips to the postseason.

A spot in the playoffs isn't guaranteed. And if they don't believe that, they need only look at the opposing sideline to see that.

"I think every player should approach this playoff game like it could be their last playoff game ever," Roethlisberger said. "We’ve used examples of players and coaches who have been in this league for a long time that have never been in the postseason, never been to a Super Bowl, whatever it may be. I think it’s prudent for every player to take that mindset and approach. I know I am because nothing is guaranteed in the game, or this world."

But they also have to be on top of their game. Though the Steelers are favored, the road team has won six of the last eight Wild Card games. Since 2017, road teams are 8-4 in the opening round of the playoffs.

And given the familiarity between the two teams -- and having played against each other just last week -- there won't be a lot of surprises.

Roethlisberger is 24-2-1 against the Browns in his career and his counterpart, Baker Mayfield, will be making his first career playoff start. Since 2002, quarterbacks making their first playoff start are 9-30.

But the Steelers won't be relying on history to beat the Browns. They know it will have to be done on the football field.

"It’s never a mismatch. This is the playoffs. I know they’re dealing with COVID. So are we," Heyward said. "I’m not going to gloss over that. We’ve got to take care of our business.

"I don’t really rely on (the past). I rely on the work we put in. It might not start off pretty. A lot of games don’t. We’ve been put in every situation possible this year. We can’t rely on the fact we’ve had success against them before."

But it's likely much better to be the team who has had that success against the other than to be the one who is still searching to find ways to win these kind of games.

Either way, both teams, both fan bases, should have plenty of excitement going into this game. Somebody is going to advance in the postseason for the first time in some time.

"If you can’t be excited for this, there might be something wrong with you," said DeCastro.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Who: Steelers (12-4) vs. Browns (11-5)
• What: AFC wild card playoff
• When: 8:15 p.m. Sunday
• Where: Heinz Field
• Forecast: 25°, 3 mph wind
• TV: WPXI, NBC (national)
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Streaming: Steelers Nation Radio
• Satellite: Sirius XM 225, online 826
• Boxscore: NFL Game Center
• Media notes: Steelers | Browns

THE INJURY REPORT

Steelers: None

Browns: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (concussion, questionable), RT Jack Conklin (knee/illness, questionable), DE Myles Garrett (shoulder, questionable), CB Terrance Mitchell (not injury related, questionable), DT Sheldon Richardson (neck, questionable), CB M.J. Stewart (calf, questionable), G Wyatt Teller (ankle, questionable).

GETTY

The Browns' Baker Mayfield walks off the field after a 38-7 loss to the Steelers earlier this season at Heinz Field.

THE KEY VARIABLE

Teams get new play callers every year. In fact, Mayfield has had four different people calling the plays for him in his first three NFL seasons.

Sunday, he'll make it five offensive play callers in three seasons as Stefanski handled those duties for the Browns.

With Stefanski out, Van Pelt takes over play calling duties for Cleveland's offense. It might not seem like that big of a deal. After all, Van Pelt has been with the team all season helping draw up game plans and schemes with which to attack opponents.

Van Pelt, who was originally drafted by the Steelers out of Pitt in 1993, has been an assistant coach since 2006, but spent just one season as quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator with the Bills in 2009. The Bills ranked 28th in points scored and 30th in yards that season and the entire staff was fired at the end of the season.

The Browns had planned on getting Van Pelt back into the flow of calling some plays in the preseason, giving him at least a game to do so. But the preseason was cancelled.

So, Sunday will mark his first chance to call plays in more than a decade.

"Just try to do it as well as I can. I really do not have an approach," Van Pelt said. "Obviously, I have a good feel of Kevin and how he has called it throughout the course of the season. I want to stay true to his beliefs in the offense, and I feel the same way. Obviously, it will be a little bit different just because of the nature. Nobody calls it the same. Hopefully, it will be very similar. 

"We have had a lot of success offensively. My hope is at the end of the game there are not too many times where he is yelling at his TV going, ‘What the heck are you doing.'”

The Steelers don't know how Van Pelt will call a game, either. But with the Browns not having an opportunity to practice most of the week because of their COVID-19 situation, they also don't expect a lot of crazy wrinkles, either.

"We’ve had a library on these guys for a long time. I am sure the head coach directs the team in terms of what he wants done," Keith Butler said. "He might not specifically have a play on this particular situation and stuff like that. But they like to do things. I don’t think they are going to change up from the things they like to do because of the people they have. I think he will try and put those guys in the best position to try and beat us and there’s a lot of plays they’ve run against us, they’ve been successful on some, some they haven’t. In terms of how he’s going to call, or what he’s going to call, I am sure he’s going to call the plays they know because if I was doing that, I would do the same thing. I am not going to put something in that the whole team has got to learn and they’re going to be slow in doing it because they’re not quite sure in what they’re doing."

That will mean plenty of running back Nick Chubb, who missed four games earlier this season with a sprained knee. Chubb missed the previous trip to Heinz Field with that injury but was back for the rematch in Cleveland last week, rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. That included a 47-yard run for a score in the first quarter.

But Chubb has gotten 20 carries in just one game since his return, as the Browns rotate him with Kareem Hunt. Now, it will be up to Priefer and Van Pelt to decide who is in the game and at what time.

The Steelers feel they'll see a lot of Chubb.

"There’s going to be plenty of Nick Chubb. They didn’t want to show their whole hand," said Heyward, who sat out last week's loss to the Browns. "He’s the engine that gets them going. They’re going to give him a lot of carries to get them going."

It will be up to the defensive front to stop that and force Mayfield into some passing situations. If they can do that, it could make things more difficult on Van Pelt, as well. Mayfield averages 4.5 yards per pass attempt when pressured this season, one of the worst in the NFL.

The Steelers have to force the Browns out of their game plan, which would include plenty of Chubb and Mayfield throwing around 25 passes. Mayfield has never had a 200-yard passing game in five starts against the Steelers.

"Obviously, there are going to be a few little different nuances with (Van Pelt) calling it, but Kevin and him are still talking and we are all still having those conversations throughout the week, just like a normal game plan week would go," Mayfield said.

THE HISTORY LESSON

If you missed Tom Reed's excellent review of the Steelers' 36-33 win over the Browns in the playoffs in 2002, you can check that out here.

But that was not the only time the two teams have met in the postseason. The first occurred in 1994. And that's where this week's history lesson will take us.

Much like this season, the Steelers and Browns were 12-4 and 11-5 going into the postseason in 1994. But the Steelers were the AFC's top seed, while the Browns were relegated to playing in the Wild Card round after finished second to Pittsburgh in the AFC Central Division.

The Browns had lost both matchups during the regular season, with the Steelers winning 17-10 in Cleveland in Week 2 and 17-7 in Week 16 in Pittsburgh.

This one, just a few weeks later, would not be that close.

The Browns, under then-head coach Bill Belichick, upset, ironically, the Patriots in the Wild Card round, 20-13, in what is the last playoff win in franchise history.

But the Steelers were well-rested and dominant in this one.

After a slow start that saw the Steelers lead just 3-0 after one quarter, the Steelers heated up, as Neil O'Donnell threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Eric Green and John L. Williams scored on a 26-yard run to give the Steelers a 17-0 lead.

Darren Perry intercepted Vinny Testaverde on Cleveland's next possession, but the Steelers took over at the 2 and couldn't move the ball, giving it back to the Browns to set up a 22-yard Matt Stover field goal that cut the lead to 17-3.

Ernie Mills fumbled at the conclusion of a 50-yard gain to give the ball back to the Browns, but Testaverde was again intercepted, this time by Tim McKyer, to set up a 9-yard touchdown pass from O'Donnell to Yancey Thigpen for a 24-3 halftime lead.

The Steelers tacked on another Gary Anderson field goal in the third quarter to stretch their lead to 27-3, and the Browns turned the ball over on downs on their next possession after driving to the Pittsburgh 29 late in the third quarter.

Testaverde made it 27-9 when he threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Keenan McCardell, but the two-point conversion failed and the Browns attempted an onside kick with 5:53 remaining in the game that was recovered by Green.

The Steelers were unable to move the ball and Mark Royals pinned the Browns back at their own 4, where Carnell Lake sacked Testaverde for a safety to make it 29-9 and the Steelers ran out the clock from there to move on to the AFC Championship.

It remains the second-largest playoff defeat for Belichick in his career.

O'Donnell only threw for 186 yards, but had two touchdown passes, and the Steelers rolled up 238 rushing yards on 51 bruising carries. Barry Foster had 133 yards on 24 carries, while Bam Morris gained 60 yards on 22 attempts.

Mills had five catches for 117 yards as the Steelers held a 424-186 advantage in total yards.

Testaverde completed just 13 of 31 passes for 144 yards with two interceptions, and Earnest Byner was held to 43 rushing yards on nine carries.

THE MAIN MATCHUP

Roethlisberger has had plenty of success in the postseason. In fact, just a handful of quarterbacks in NFL history have more wins than the 13 Roethlisberger takes into Sunday's game.

But he also knows that, at 38, he doesn't have many chances remaining in his career to get back to the Super Bowl for a fourth time, something just seven other quarterbacks in history have done.

The fact the Steelers haven't been in the playoffs the past two seasons -- including 2019 when Roethlisberger was out for most of the season -- drives that point home.

But he also can look around these playoffs and see that the old guys aren't going anywhere, as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Alex Smith, Drew Brees and Philip Rivers also are in the postseason.

"All the old guys," Roethlisberger said. "It’s cool. It’s fun to be a part of it with them. If we were sitting at home and people were talking about the old guys that are still playing, why aren’t you a part of it, then you would be disappointed. To be a part of it, to be in this tournament as Coach (Mike Tomlin) calls it, it’s an honor and a pleasure to be able to do it. I am hoping that it’s not one and done. We are going to give it everything we have so I can be the last old man standing."

Roethlisberger has no plans to retire after this season. But he also knows how difficult it is to get into the playoffs, let alone make it to the Super Bowl.

Since their last appearance in that game at the end of the 2010 season -- a loss to the Packers -- the Steelers are just 3-5 in the postseason. They appeared in one AFC Championship in that time, losing at New England.

Roethlisberger was among the players the Steelers rested last week in their 24-22 season-ending loss to the Browns. He feels rested and ready.

"I feel it 100 percent," Roethlisberger said. "My legs feel a lot better. My knees feel fresher."

There is little doubt Roethlisberger wore down as the season went on. Perhaps the time off rejuvenated him. At least that's what the Steelers expect -- and the Browns fear.

"He is a rhythm thrower. The advantage with veteran quarterbacks who have seen it all, they kind of know and they can figure out what we are playing," Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods said. "That gives him an advantage of where he is going to throw the ball, and he does a great job of looking off coverage, moving coverage and throwing it on time. You can see that he still has the arm strength. He is making accurate throws down the field. Outside, we are going to have to make four or five plays one on one to have a chance to win this game.”

The Steelers hit some of those plays downfield last week with Rudolph subbing for Roethlisberger, completing three passes of 40 or more yards. And the Browns allowed 10 passes of 40 or more yards this season, tied for third-most in the NFL.

The Steelers went through a period in the last month where they just didn't throw the ball down the field. But Roethlisberger opened things up in the second half of the team's AFC North-clinching win over the Colts two weeks ago, showing he's capable of making those throws.

He has to take those shots against the Browns.

But they'll also continue to lean on the short, quick passes that got them here, as well. They just have to hope that they've shown enough capability in the past two weeks of hitting those long passes that the Browns have to respect it.

"When you’ve got playmakers on the outside you want to get it into their hands quick. It’s a way to pick up the pace of an offense. You are not sending the ball 50, 60 yards down the field, guys can get back to the line of scrimmage faster," Roethlisberger said. "Obviously, the line doesn’t have to protect quite as long. You can avoid blitzes when the ball is coming out. There are a lot of things you can attribute to why we’ve done it. I don’t think we are going to get away from it. 

"I just think we know when the time is right, we have to take our shots down the field like we saw last week. It doesn’t mean we have to revamp our offense. What we have done is we’ve been successful. We have won a lot of football games this year doing it. So, we’ll do it, but we’ll also take our calculated risks down the field."

THE TEN DATA POINTS

• The Browns are 11-20 all-time in playoff games. The Steelers are 36-25.

• Cleveland's 148.4 rushing yards per game were the team's most since the Browns averaged 155.5 yards per game in 1978.

• Roethlisberger ranks 5th in NFL history with 5,256 career postseason pass yards (250.3 per game).

• The Browns finished third in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage at 73.6 percent. The Steelers were tied for 10th at 63.5 percent. The Steelers were fifth in defensive red zone touchdown percentage at 55.6 percent. Cleveland was 14th at 60.7 percent.

• The Steelers are making their ninth playoff appearance in Tomlin's 14 seasons as head coach but first since 2017.

• Roethlisberger was in empty sets 28 times in the red zone this season. Ten of those plays results in touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions and was sacked once.

• Roethlisberger posted a passer rating of 109.8 in the fourth quarter this season. Mayfield's passer rating in the fourth quarter was 91.9. Roethlisberger's 12 fourth quarter touchdown passes was second in the AFC behind only Deshaun Watson. Mayfield had six touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

 • Half of Mayfield's four interceptions this season came on third downs. His passer rating of 75.8 on third downs was 10th in the AFC. But, he has 21 touchdown passes and no interceptions when throwing into the end zone.

• Chubb was 6-for-6 on third-and-1 runs this season, while Kareem Hunt was 6-for-7. James Conner was 5-of-7 in those situations for the Steelers.

• JuJu Smith-Schuster was second in the AFC behind Keenan Allen (33) with 32 third-down receptions this season. Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson were tied for sixth with 22 each. Landry led the Browns and was tied for 20th in the conference -- with Steelers tight end Eric Ebron and others -- with 16 third-down catches.

THE FANTASY CORNER

I hope you played my lineup last week, as Kirk Cousins, Jonathan Taylor and Antonio Brown all posted more than 30 points each as my lineup scored enough to put you in the money in any contest. We'll try to do it again this week with the 6-game slate for the weekend. As I did last year, I'm going to build a fantasy lineup using Draft Kings and a $50,000 salary cap.

Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers ($6,100) -- Roethlisberger is rested. I expect big things from him this week.

Running back: J.K. Dobbins, Ravens ($6,600), James Conner, Steelers ($5,000) -- Dobbins is on a roll going into the postseason and the Titans defense is soft. In the past two games, Conner has been targeted 13 times in the passing game, catching 10 of them. And I don't expect a rotation at running back this week. It should be all Conner for the Steelers. 

Wide receiver: Stephon Diggs, Bills ($7,700), Diontae Johnson, Steelers ($6,200), John Brown, Bills ($4,700) -- Diggs and Brown stack nicely with Allen, especially with Cole Beasley banged up. With Roethlisberger back, expect Johnson to be targeted heavily, especially after Chase Claypool lit the Browns up last week.

Tight end: Mark Andrews, Ravens ($5,200) -- Andrews is easily the top tight end play of the weekend. He had five catches for 96 yards and a score in the first meeting between the Ravens and Titans earlier this season.

Flex: Cam Akers, Rams ($5,100) -- Akers should get the bulk of the touches in the Rams backfield. And with Jared Goff dealing with a thumb injury, that could mean a lot of carries.

Defense: Buccaneers ($3,400) -- If you're picking a defense this week, the NFC games is the place to go. Alex Smith is questionable. If he doesn't play, Taylor Heinicke starts. This could be ugly.

Our football staff predicts the game:

Dale Lolley (13-3): Even if both teams were at full strength, the Steelers would have an advantage based on first-time quarterbacks being 9-30 in the playoffs since 2002. But given all of the issues with which the Browns have dealt this week, the Steelers should control this game if they weather what should be an early wave of emotion from the Browns. The Steelers should methodically take Cleveland apart. Steelers, 27-13 

Ramon Foster (11-5): The Pittsburgh defense is going to be lights-out. They'll contain Baker, and I think they'll stop the run on the way to the quarterback. But the key here is that the second half of the Colts game was a breakthrough for the offense. That's what I heard from inside the organization. That's how they feel. And that's where I feel Ben will -- and should -- pick up. Steelers, 24-14

Chris Carter (13-3): The Browns can use whatever motivation they want, but this game is about the Steelers. If the defense can take Chubb away and not allow chunk plays in the passing game, the Cleveland offense has a long day. And if Roethlisberger comes out the way he finished against the Colts two weeks ago, it puts the Browns behind. I see Mayfield committing several turnovers while attempting a comeback. Steelers, 27-20

Tom Reed (13-3): The Northeast Ohio guy picked the Browns last week, but not Sunday night in Pittsburgh, where they have lost 17 consecutive games and are 6-44 since 1970. The COVID-19 issues, hovering over the Browns the past month, will rob them of Stefanski and Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio among others. I don't expect the Browns will wait another 18 years to make the playoffs, but ... Steelers, 21-10   

Dejan Kovacevic (11-5): If the Browns could've been at full strength, or anything close to it, this would've been fun. But there's nowhere to escape from this: Mayfield was sacked four times last week in Cleveland by a defense half as good as the one he's about to face, and he had Bitonio blocking. This is not the quarterback anyone would want buzzing and bumping around. Steelers, 38-7