Browns vs. Steelers: Breaking Down Pittsburgh's Game Plan

[GBMelBlount]

Wow. Very similar defensive stats


The Pittsburgh Steelers enter Week 17 of the NFL regular season with a singular goal: beat the Cleveland Browns. Back in Week 12, the Steelers handed the Browns a 27-11 loss even after allowing Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon to haul in 14 catches for 237 yards and a touchdown.....

The Steelers produced an injury report on Wednesday, even though they did not practice. If this holds true and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders cannot play on Sunday, the game plan that has worked so well in recent weeks could need a makeover.

Ideally, wide receiver Markus Wheaton is healthy on Sunday and can fill that third wide receiver role, permitting the Steelers to continue to use more three-wide sets and spread out the Browns defense.

Worst case scenario, Wheaton is limited, and therefore wide receivers Antonio Brown and Jerricho Cotchery are the only viable receivers on the roster. If this happens, the cogent decision would be to add tight end Matt Spaeth into the offense in a much more prominent role.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1901605-browns-vs-steelers-breaking-down-pittsburghs-game-plan

[Hawkman]

Is there no chance of Moye ever getting on the field again? Caught one TD passed and dropped another. Not a great determiner of potential.

[GBMelBlount]

Is there no chance of Moye ever getting on the field again? Caught one TD passed and dropped another. Not a great determiner of potential.

Agreed. It would be nice to see Moye get some more playing time.

6' 5" & a 4.5 40.

He's pretty fast & shifty for a tall receiver.

[Psycho Ward 86]

i want to see moye play. if we need sanders and wheaton to beat the browns, we just suck and honestly dont deserve to win or have a chance at the playoffs anyways. the browns have gone from pretty good to still respectable to just awful just this past month

[Chidi29]

Moye should be active if Sanders can't go. We dress four and Moye would be the #4. Can't dress three. Based on what Wheaton got as the #4, would see 4-7 snaps.

But still, caution of who you fall in love with. Each fan of their team fall in love with guys that probably aren't that great. But everyone wants that diamond in the rough. Fans still cry over letting Alan Baxter and Adrian Robinson go. Sorry, they're not Unitas and Dawson.

[steeldawg]

Moye should be active if Sanders can't go. We dress four and Moye would be the #4. Can't dress three. Based on what Wheaton got as the #4, would see 4-7 snaps.

But still, caution of who you fall in love with. Each fan of their team fall in love with guys that probably aren't that great. But everyone wants that diamond in the rough. Fans still cry over letting Alan Baxter and Adrian Robinson go. Sorry, they're not Unitas and Dawson.

Hey chidi, whats the story with wheaton, even when he is on the field he is invisible?

[Chidi29]

Hey chidi, whats the story with wheaton, even when he is on the field he is invisible?

Well before this past week, he had only been getting 4-7 snaps per game when he did see the field. So catches hard to come by. And last week, when he did see a lot more snaps with Sanders out, I realy think he was being used as a decoy. He broke his finger in the 3rd quarter. Played through it but I doubt he could really catch.

Three big factors why he's been quiet.

1. Being the #4 WR. Don't use 4 wide very often so on that alone, wasn't going to produce much.
2. Missing OTAs. Critical learning opportunity. Had to wait until after graduation. You play catch up the rest of the season. Don't get your hand held in training camp. It's full speed ahead.
3. The injuries. Add up and take away your practice time. Valuable reps.

He has progressed nicely this year. Earned his hat, became the starting gunner, and has seen an increase in snaps on offense. For as much as the deck has been stacked against him, he's on schedule. Catches will come.