4 biggest causes for concern for Steelers vs. Browns Week 6

The game becoming a shootout

While it is likely to be a high scoring game this Sunday, the Steelers have to make sure that the game doesn’t turn into a shootout. If both defenses fail early and suddenly both offenses are tasked with scoring every drive, it’s hard to imagine the Steelers winning on Sunday.  This isn’t because the Steelers have an inherently worse offense, but it will be because Roethlisberger may not be able to match pace.

Now, to be fair, Roethlisberger has looked incredible since returning from his elbow injury. Despite some long ball issues, he has made smart decisions with the ball in his hand and has helped guide the Steelers offense to a strong start to the season. That said, he has benefited from a defense that has given him some short fields and key turnovers en route to these victories.

If that goes out the window and suddenly it becomes offense vs. offense, Roethlisberger will shoulder almost all of the load. He won’t be able to throw the ball 50 plus times and expect similar results as he has seen earlier in the season. The Steelers will need their defense to make a couple of key stops and hold the Browns in check in order to win. If every offensive possession suddenly requires a score from the Steelers, Sunday could end in a bitter loss.

While there should be plenty of hope that the Steelers beat the Browns this week, there is far less certainty in this matchup than in the previous weeks. While neither team seems like a lock to win if any of the concerns above materialize, then the odds could tip in the Browns favor and the end result could be a Steelers loss.