PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 7: Ben Tate #44 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on September 7, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) Ben Tate #44 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on September 7, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

CLEVELAND (92.3 The Fan) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are actually taking a game against the Cleveland Browns seriously.

No, seriously they are.

Forget the domination in the series that they’ve owned – 20-2 over the last 22 meetings and 26-5 since 1999 – head coach Mike Tomlin knows if they don’t show up Sunday and play well, they’re headed home 3-3. It’s a message that he’s delivered to his team this week in Pittsburgh.

“I think they’re serious this year,” Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. “You can’t take them lightly.”

Tomlin has been impressed with Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, who has completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 1,008 yards, 6 touchdowns, 1 interception and has a quarterback rating of 97.7 this season.

“He’s smart, he plays within himself, he’s going to be efficient, he’s going to move the offense and take care of the football,” Tomlin said. “His play over the last month has verified that. He’s making really good decisions…he doesn’t really have a lot of negative plays. He doesn’t get sacked, he doesn’t throw picks and he distributes the ball around to a variety of people.

“That’s a recipe for some really good football and I think it starts with Brian Hoyer.”

Aside from Hoyer, the Browns also have a running game. Ben Tate (5.9 per carry), Isaiah Crowell (4.8 per carry) and Terrance West (4.4 per carry) have combined to average 140 yards per game in 2014 which has Tomlin a little worried.

“We have to slow that down if we want to have a successful day,” Tomlin said. “All 3 backs are well over 4.0 per carry…We can’t allow that to happen.

“If you couple 143 yards rushing with the quick and efficient decision making of Hoyer, that’s a tough nut to crack.”

It took Tomlin nearly 7 minutes to break down his thoughts on the Browns on both sides of the ball mentioning key players and the challenges that they present. He’s not done that very often when it comes to preparing for the Browns because he hasn’t had to.

Pittsburgh enters the game at 3-2 while Cleveland is 2-2 and living on the edge with all 4 games being decided in the final 90 seconds.

“That’s the NFL,” Tomlin said.

Steelers receiver Lance Moore was not only impressed with the Browns’ wiping out a 25-point deficit to stun the Titans, but he remembers what happened in week 1 when the Browns rallied from 24 down to take them all the way to the wire before they were able to escape on a last second field goal with the win.

“It’s a credit to them and their heart and not ever giving up,” Moore said. “They’re a good team. They are definitely a good team and we got our work cut out for us this week as we did in week one.”

Tomlin spent part of his Tuesday press conference explaining what happened in the opener that saw them jump out to a 27-3 lead only to have the Browns score the next 24 points and they had to rely on a field goal as time expired to win.

“We fed off of one another in the first half offensively, defensively and on special teams in a positive way,” Tomlin said. “It was the exact opposite in the second half…and I think it snowballed negatively in a similar manner as it snowballed positively in the first half.

“I’m not worried about how things unfolded in that game or being the determining factor in terms of how this game is going to unfold. Every time you step in a stadium to play it has an opportunity for the game to have it’s own story so I’m not over-analyzing it.”

The biggest difference the Steelers see in the Browns over the last 4 weeks?

“I would say they’re a more confident bunch,” Moore said. “They have that confidence that they can go in places and win games and they definitely have really good players.”

When is the last time you heard an AFC North opponent say that about the Browns? Now it’s up to the Browns to show them how good they really are with a win Sunday.

(TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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