2008 · Week 17 · Division

Final

Browns

Cleveland

QB Bruce Gradkowski

0·31

Steelers

Pittsburgh

QB Ben Roethlisberger

Heinz Field · outdoors · dessograss · 48°F · wind 22mph

Closing spread

PIT -11

Total

33.5

Model margin

+9.5est.

PIT perspective

Push chance

1.7%est.

Win probability

  • Steelers
  • Browns

How each play moved the game.

Steelers winsBrowns wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Brownsedge mapSteelers
  • -0.155EPA / play-0.031
  • 36.2%Success rate42.9%
  • -0.205EPA / dropback+0.022
  • -0.086EPA / rush-0.103
  • 6.7%Explosive rate7.8%
  • -11.69CPOE+0.13
  • 33.5%Third-down rate41.3%
  • 29.2%Red-zone TD rate54.8%
  • 1.05Points / drive1.61
  • 2.6%Turnover rate2.3%

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

PIT lead 42–13–1 since 1999

Meetings average 38.9 points. PIT are 29-25-2 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W17PIT @ CLE613CLE
2025 · W6CLE @ PIT923PIT
2024 · W14CLE @ PIT1427PIT
2024 · W12PIT @ CLE1924CLE
2023 · W11PIT @ CLE1013CLE
2023 · W2CLE @ PIT2226PIT
2022 · W18CLE @ PIT1428PIT
2022 · W3PIT @ CLE1729CLE

Box score

Individual performances

Browns

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Bruce Gradkowski5/161802
Josh Cribbs1/2800

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Jamal Lewis23944.10
Josh Cribbs273.50
Bruce Gradkowski122.00
Jerome Harrison210.50

Steelers

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Ben Roethlisberger9/1411001
Byron Leftwich7/128000
Dennis Dixon1/1300

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Willie Parker231165.01
Mewelde Moore4235.80
Gary Russell4215.31
Carey Davis11111.00
Byron Leftwich188.01
Dennis Dixon2-3-1.50

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +115.1%6.8%3.1%4.9%3.5%3.5%2.9%2.6%

Positive margins favour Steelers; negative favour Browns.

Half-point at risk

1.70%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

73.4%

Expected total

39.7est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+5.17
  • Home-field advantage+2.49
  • Quarterback adjustment+1.88
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+9.54