Allow me a moment to talk about the late, great Burt Reynolds, before we get to Sunday's clash between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium.
I grew up on Burt Reynolds movies. From Smokey and the Bandit, The Cannonball Run, and Hooper, to Deliverance, The Longest Yard, and Boogie Nights.
Burt was just cool, man.
And of course, he loved football. He played college ball at Florida State and was a partner with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL in the early 1980s when he was at the peak of his popularity.
Speaking of football, let's get to Sunday.
We have built this game up since April when the schedule was released. The Browns must somehow find a way to beat the Steelers, for a multitude of reasons:
- They've lost 34 out of 35 games, including all 16 last year
- They've lost 17 of 18 season openers since returning in 1999
- They have an experienced quarterback at the helm
- They have practically everyone on the roster healthy
- This is a home game and a division game
Need I go on?
I asked Jim Donovan to point out a couple of things he'll be watching for on Sunday. Keep an eye on the pocket around Ben Roethlisberger. If he has to double-pump and reload, it means that the Browns defensive backs are doing their jobs. It also means that he'll likely be getting chased by Myles Garrett and company. Also, we didn't see much of Tyrod Taylor flashing his elusiveness as a runner during the preseason, but watch for that if Pittsburgh gets a little blitz-happy.
The world won't come to an end if the Browns lose on Sunday. I still think they can accomplish everything they need to this fall if they wind up on the short end of the scoreboard on opening day.
But just imagine if they win.
Watch the Donovan Live Postgame Show in the player above