No. 3: Taking Advantages of Other Matchups Not Involving Antonio Brown

The NFL is all about matchups, plain and simple. And Antonio Brown has a great one against Cleveland cornerback Terrance Mitchell, to which Pro Football Focus gives a 50-percent advantage rate for Brown — the most lopsided among all wide receiver-cornerback one-on-one matchups in Week 1.

If Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is smart, though, he’ll cheat safety Damarious Randall over to Brown’s side to provide added help to Mitchell. Randall, whom Cleveland acquired in the trade for quarterback DeShone Kizer with the Green Bay Packers, had four interceptions and nine passes defended last season. And if Ben Roethlisberger runs into some of the overthrow issues we’ve seen from time to time, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Randall with a couple of takeaway opportunities.

Brown will get his targets, sure. Why wouldn’t he? But, perhaps, the bigger one-on-one advantage might be on the opposite side of the field with fellow wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Smith-Schuster will find himself lined up Cleveland nickel corner Briean Boddy-Calhoun, who didn’t replicate his three-interception rookie campaign to his zero picks last year. This, largely because he was targeted 21 fewer times in 2017 than 2016 and allowed nearly just over half the number of receptions he gave up his first season as a pro.

One might also look for Roethlisberger to take advantage of matchups, such as targeting tight end Jesse James when being covered by Browns safety Jabrill Peppers, who allowed quarterbacks to post a 128.4 passer rating when targeting him in coverage last year.

These factors will open things up for Brown on the opposite site, which will ensure Cleveland’s ascending defense still won’t match up against the offensive weapons the Steelers still have to offer sans Le’Veon Bell.

The Steelers and Browns kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 9 from FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.