NFL Week 12 Thursday Night Preview: Steelers vs Browns

You know that meme of The Undertaker rising from his coffin? As he sits up with authority, the camera pans to his eyes. Rage is inside, as people thought he was 'dead' only to show up to the horror of his opponents. That is what I envision Mike Tomlin is feeling heading into Week 12.

First was the quarterback controversy involving embattled veteran Russell Wilson and the discarded, highly athletic Justin Field. Tomlin stayed the course, not resisting the temptation to tell the media and other NFL teams who he was leaning toward. Then, Wilson got hurt.

The calf injury sidelined Wilson and gave Fields the reigns for the first six weeks. Fields did a great job as the starter, going 4-2 with a QBR above 90, throwing only one interception, and rushing for over 230 yards. In essence, most pundits and fans thought there was no way Russell Wilson would win this job. Fields looked great, and the Steelers were winning.

But that's not Tomlin. He doesn't allow outside noise to bother him, and he decided to go with Wilson. For most, it was shocking. The upside was too great for Fields to put a washed-out Wilson into the starting lineup. Decisions like this, and getting them right, are why Tomlin is paid the big bucks and has been the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL at 18 years.

The decision to go with Wilson may have left many scratching their heads, but with the favor of hindsight, we see that moving off Fields was the right decision. Tomlin hired former Atlanta Head Coach Arthur Smith to run his offense. Smith created an offense that likes to run the ball use a forced loaded box to throw the ball deep and outside.

On the Steelers roster is George Pickens, one of the best deep ball receivers in the NFL. Wilson is accurate and throws an excellent deep ball. Then, in a trade with the Jets, Pittsburgh acquired Mike Williams, another Go-ball receiver. So far, it has been a perfect marriage.

Currently, the Steelers are 8-2, having gone 4-0 with Wilson at the helm. In the last two weeks, Pittsburgh has beaten the Commanders and the Ravens, future playoff teams, to take a stranglehold on the AFC North. But the season is still ahead of them. In a weird scheduling anomaly, the Steelers have only played one divisional game, their win last week against Baltimore.

The remaining schedule is demanding as they have to play the Ravens again, the Browns and Bengals twice, and the Eagles and Chiefs. Their second divisional matchup this Thursday will be against the Browns, who are 2-8. Cleveland has struggled due to poor quarterback play and injuries to its offensive line. The Browns' defense is still dangerous, and they have plenty of talent.

The Steelers' offense isn't lighting teams on fire, either. Though 11 weeks, the unit sits 22nd in DVOA. The catalyst for Pittsburgh has been its top-10 defense. Scores are close, but the offense isn't making mistakes to lose. Tomlin has essentially built an old-school playoff team that features the run, a quarterback who does not turn the ball over, and a stout defense against the run and pass.

The Browns are in a transition phase. What was once an elite roster has been anchored by abysmal quarterback play and untimely injuries. Deshaun Watson is on the IR, and Jameis Winston is now the starter. Though this Thursday Night matchup isn't the sexiest, it does have the potential to be a great defensive matchup.

One trend to keep an eye on is the weather. It could be snowy and cold.

When the Steelers have the ball:

The Cleveland defense is a shell of its former self. Some of that can be placed on the organization's dysfunction, but this unit should be able to play good defense. Pittsburgh will face off against a defense that plays the least amount of split-field coverage after the Steelers. This means both outside receivers will have plenty of opportunities to win their one-on-ones. Pittsburgh has proven it can be explosive in the passing game, but it will need a quality run game to keep the Browns from overplaying the pass. Myles Garrett still plays at a top-ten level and has seven sacks on the year, and with Za'Darius Smith off to Detroit will be relied on to create issues up front. Wilson will need to be able to target his receivers downfield against an underperforming secondary compared to last year.

When the Browns have the ball:

The Browns' defense will be the catalyst for a victory. Still, Winston has the potential to go off in the passing game. He doesn't have much talent around him, especially with Amari Cooper in Buffalo. Jerry Jeudy has stepped up in the last three weeks, accumulating over 70 yards each game. On the ground, Nick Chubb is back and getting his literally legs back under him. The issues within the offense with Winston at the helm are centered around the O-line, which has accumulated injuries. Analytically, looking at the Browns as a whole isn't worth your time. You have to focus on what they have been able to do with Winston at the helm. The offense has improved, but the run game has fallen. Pittsburgh looks to be a tough matchup, but as we saw with the Ravens in Week 8, they can surprise.

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