Oct 11, 2014 5 min read

There was a great deal of angst among Steelers fans following Pittsburgh’s 17-9 victory last weekend at Jacksonville. It had to do with the poor performance of the offense, which produced only 10 points against a Jaguars defense allowing an NFL-high 38 points per game.

There also was plenty of second-guessing of the coaching staff’s decision to throw a pass to Antonio Brown coming out of the two-minute warning that allowed the wide receiver to extend his streak of consecutive games with at least five receptions and 50 yards to 21 games, an NFL record.

The two issues are tied together.

Plenty of people were enamored with the fact that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed passes to 11 different players against Jacsonville – apparently tight end Matt Spaeth, the only eligible receiver on the roster who did not catch a pass, must not have taken Roethlisberger his coffee that morning.

And Roethlisberger using so many different receivers is great. But not at the expense of getting the ball to the team’s playmakers.

Who would you rather have the ball, Brown or third-string tight end Michael Palmer?

Nothing against Palmer, but Brown is one of the most dynamic players in the league.

Yet, with two minutes remaining, the Steelers had gotten the ball in Brown’s hands only four times.

The same thing could be said of running back Le’Veon Bell. Entering the fourth quarter, Bell, the AFC’s leader in total yardage, had 10 rushing attempts and two pass receptions.

Backup running backs LeGarrette Blount and Dri Archer had 11 combined touches, one fewer than Bell.

That’s all wrong.

If you want to consistently score touchdowns, your best players have to be the guys who have the ball in their hands the majority of the time, especially in the red zone.

But the Steelers seemed so enamoured with spreading the ball around against the Jaguars they forgot Bell and Brown were on the team. Those two have combined for six of the Steelers’ 12 touchdowns. Last season, they combined for 17 scores. If the Steelers want to get the ball into the end zone more consistently, then Bell and Brown should be the guys getting the majority of the touches.

All of this leads to today’s game at Cleveland.

When the Steelers played the Browns in the season opener Sept. 7, Bell and Brown each scored first-half touchdowns and were dynamic. Bell had 69 rushing yards and a touchdown on 11 carries and 58 receiving yards on three catches, and Brown caught five passes for 116 yards and a score, as the Steelers built a 27-3 lead.

In the second half, when the Steelers were outscored 24-3, Bell and Brown combined for 61 yards, all coming from Bell. Brown did not have a catch.

Last week should be a good reminder to the Steelers about how important those two players are in this offense.

They’ll take that thought with them to Cleveland, where they are one-point underdogs, the first time since 2003 the Steelers are underdogs to the Browns.

Pittsburgh’s other major factor on offense is Roethlisberger, who is 18-1 in his career against the Browns, the best record for a quarterback against one team in the past 60 seasons.

After learning a lesson in Jacksonville, the Steelers will get the ball to Bell and Brown early and often in this one.

Take the Steelers, 27-24

The Jets got shut out last week in San Diego

Take Denver, 38-13

The Jaguars aren’t going to go winless. Seems like a spot for a win.

Take Jacksonville, 20-17

The Eagles are not playing well on offense but are tough at home.

Take Philadelphia, 27-23

Arizona’s choices at QB this week are Drew Stanton coming off a concussion or rookie Logan Thomas, who completed 1 of 8 passes last week.

Take Washington, 20-13

The Falcons are more healthy than the Bears.

Take Atlanta, 30-24

The Seahawks are almost unbeatable at home.

Take Seattle 28-17

Talk about your Monday night dog games. Snooze.

Take San Francisco, 23-10

The Bucs have played some good football, but the Ravens are coming off a loss.

Take Baltimore, 24-20

The only thing that happens more regularly than the Steelers beating the Browns is the Patriots beating the Bills. New England has won 20 of last 21 meetings.

Take New England, 27-20

I would have picked Cincinnati big if A.J. Green was playing. He’s not.

Take Carolina to cover in a 24-20 loss

The Raiders stink.

Take San Diego, 28-16

The Packers are just 1-2 on the road. This could come down to a field goal.

Take Miami to cover in a 24-21 loss

The Vikings are without Adrian Peterson, but the Lions could be without Calvin Johnson.

Take Detroit, 20-16

Last Week: 9-5 ATS; 12-2 Straight up

Overall: 33-37-1 ATS; 44-27 Straight up

F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.