Playoff Preview -- Steelers will run over Browns and head to Tennessee

Cleveland Browns' fans were praying Sunday afternoon after their win over the Atlanta Falcons, and it worked again.

After the Jets won the AFC, the Browns earned a playoff spot in the wildest scramble of teams ever seen in contention during the last week of the regular NFL season.

The Browns' prayers have been answered a lot lately.

They were answered in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars a couple of weeks ago when they won the game with a Hail Mary pass, and they were answered in Baltimore in week 16 when Tim Couch took them for a 92 yards TD drive with little more than two minutes to go. It was a drive that kept them alive in the playoff hunt.

This Sunday the Browns will need more prayers to keep their improbable run to the Super Bowl alive, as they must visit their hated north division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers in a wildcard game.

Having played against each other twice this season, both three point victories for the Steelers, these two teams know each other pretty well. This time, however, the Browns will have a weapon that wasn't as developed the last time they cranked helmets. They have an explosive running back in William Green, who is able to give them the ball control they lacked in both of the previous meetings.

To be able to attack Pittsburgh's defense, which is No. 1 in the league against the run and No. 10 against the pass, Cleveland must set up their passing game, first to spread out the Steelers' defense into their nickel package, and then use their quick receivers against a vulnerable secondary that usually gives away some room for long passes down the middle.

QB Kelly Holcomb, who played four games for Cleveland this season and who completed 60.4 percent of his passes with a 92.9 rating, will also have to use quick passes when the Steelers come blitzing. This will help his offensive line, which has had problems in the middle containing the pass rush.

It won't be a surprise then, when Cleveland shows up with three receivers sets and with William Green and Jamel White, both in the back field. That will give them freedom to spread the defense even more using screen passes to White, and maybe run Green a couple of times to change the pace until the Steelers buy out on the passing game.

Cleveland, which has one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, also must stay mistake free and use as much clock as they can to control the ball. Otherwise, the Steelers' Jerome Bettis and Amos Zereoue will run right over them.

Even though Pittsburgh QB Tommy Maddox might have trouble passing against a good enough Browns' secondary, he also will be able to take advantage of the windows Cleveland's zone play will have for his receivers.

That's why the key match-up when the Steelers have possession of the football will be their offensive line against the Browns' defensive line, and there is no way Cleveland can win that battle without a lot of rest on the sidelines, which they won't get unless their offense controls the ball.

While I don't think this will be a field position game, the Browns should be able to take advantage of their good kicking game, as their punt returners rank fifth in the league with an average of 13.2 yards.

Also keep in mind that the Steelers' Heinz Field is one of the most difficult stadiums to kick field-goals in because of it's strong winds.

One final point to note is that the weather forecast for Sunday's game in Pittsburgh is for a "few snow showers," with a maximum temperature estimated at 33 degrees (F), which will make it difficult to pass the freezing ball around, adding another advantage to the Steelers strengths.

So it won't do any harm if Browns' fans ask Santa for some more presents, light a few more candles to their favorite saints, and keep on praying, because this one seems like a very unfavorable matchup.