By Shawn Clarke, NFL Contributing Editor -- (Sports Network) - Cellar-dwellers in the AFC North division square off Sunday afternoon, as the Cleveland Browns host the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 2006 season hasn't been so kind to the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers, who sport a 3-6 record with losses in six of their last eight games. Last week Pittsburgh ended its second three-game losing streak of the season with a 38-31 victory over the New Orleans Saints at Heinz Field.

Willie Parker played an instrumental role in the big win with a career-high 213 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns. Pittsburgh fiery linebacker Joey Porter promised a victory before the game, and Parker's legs answered the call.

Pittsburgh will now hit the road for two straight games and is 0-4 so far as the guest this year after going 9-2 on the road last season, including three straight road wins in the playoffs. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is starting to play better and will look to give the Steelers a much-needed road spark.

The Browns will do anything in their power to prevent that from happening, especially in light of the momentum the franchise has gained with two wins over the last three games. Cleveland marched into the Georgia Dome last Sunday and handed the Atlanta Falcons a 17-13 loss, its second win this season against a team over .500.

Charlie Frye threw for 165 yards and a touchdown to help the Browns to a 3-6 mark. Frye is questionable with a bruised left wrist for this Sunday. Luckily for the Browns, Frye is a right-handed passer. Cleveland, which will play three straight games at home, hasn't won consecutive games since October of the 2003 season, also the last time the Browns defeated Pittsburgh.

SERIES HISTORY

The Browns lead the regular season series with the Steelers, which dates back to 1950, by a 55-51 count. Pittsburgh has won 10 of its last 11 regular season games against Cleveland, however, including home-and-home sweeps in both 2004 and 2005. The Steelers earned a 34-21 home victory in Week 10, and went to C- Town for a 41-0 rout in Week 16. The Browns' only win over Pittsburgh since 2000 was a 33-13 win at Heinz Field in 2003. The Steelers have won five straight games at Cleveland Browns Stadium since the Browns last defeated Pittsburgh there during the 2000 season.

The clubs have also met twice in the postseason, with Pittsburgh winning both times. Bill Cowher's club picked up a 29-9 victory in a 1994 AFC Divisional Playoff, and won a 36-33 thriller in a 2002 AFC First-Round Playoff.

Cowher is 19-5 in his head coaching career against the Browns, for whom he played from 1980 through 1983 and served as an assistant from 1985 through 1988. Cleveland's Romeo Crennel is 0-2 versus both Cowher and the Steelers as a head coach.

STEELERS OFFENSE VS. BROWNS DEFENSE

Roethlisberger (2,043 yards, 10 TDs, 14 INTs) shook off two bad games with a strong showing against the Saints, passing for 264 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. In his previous two games, Roethlisberger threw seven interceptions with just two TD passes. "Big Ben," who has passed for more than 250 yards in three straight starts, has thrown for three touchdowns twice this season, and did so for the third time in his career last Sunday. It also marked the first time in his career he had consecutive games of more than 300 yards. Roethlisberger has had a passer rating of 125.0 or better in three of the past five games, and now owns a 24-9 career record as a starter. On the receiving end of many of the QB's passes has been Hines Ward, who needs five TD catches to tie Hall-of-Famer John Stallworth for the Steelers' all-time lead. Ward is second in Steelers history with 58 touchdown receptions, and posted one last week against the Saints. Second on the team in receiving is rookie Santonio Holmes (24 catches, 380 yards), while Nate Washington (21 catches, 362 yards, 3 TDs) is third on the team in receiving yards. Washington, though, dropped two passes Sunday, including one in the end zone. Tight end Heath Miller (22 catches, 262 yards, 3 TDs) posted three catches for 30 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Saints. Miller also blocks on a veteran offensive line which has nonetheless allowed 11 sacks over the last three games. The Steelers have played the last two weeks without Pro Bowl center Jeff Hartings, who is questionable for this week with a knee injury. Backup center Chukky Okobi made his second consecutive start for the injured Hartings last Sunday.

Hoping to penetrate the line and get to Roethlisberger are Browns defensive linemen Orpheus Roye (25 tackles, sack), Simon Fraser (11 tackles, 3 sacks) and Alvin McKinley (27 tackles, sack). Roye played against the Falcons after missing the previous two games and posted four tackles. If Cleveland doesn't have a strong push up front, the secondary will be busy chasing down Ward, Holmes and Parker. Cleveland has a banged-up defensive backfield with featured ex-backups Daven Holly (29 tackles) and Ralph Brown (16 tackles) at cornerback rather than for the injured Leigh Bodden (18 tackles), Daylon McCutcheon or Gary Baxter. McCutcheon and Baxter are on season-ending injured reserve, while Bodden (ankle) is questionable this week. Safeties Sean Jones (49 tackles, 5 INTs), Brodney Pool (31 tackles, INT) and Brian Russell (37 tackles) make up the rest of the ninth-ranked passing defense. Jones picked off a Michael Vick pass in the win over Atlanta, and is tied for second in the NFL with five INTs. Pool also intercepted Vick, doing so at the goal line on fourth down to preserve a 14-3 cushion. The Browns have an interception in three of their last four games.

Losing the football doesn't happen too often for Steelers RB Willie Parker (847 yards, 8 TDs), who is coming off the best performance of his career in which he rushed for a career-best 213 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. It was the second-highest rushing total in Steelers history, second only to that of Frenchy Fuqua, who posted 218 yards against Philadelphia in 1970. Parker is fourth in the NFL in rushing, and his eight touchdowns are double what he had last season. Parker ran through holes wide enough for a dump truck, and ripped off runs of 72 and 76 yards against New Orleans. It marked the first time a running back had two runs of more than 70 yards in a single game since former Detroit Lions star Barry Sanders had two against Tampa Bay in October 1997. Backing up Parker is Najeh Davenport (98 yards, TD), who had two carries for three yards against the Saints.

Cleveland is 30th in the NFL at stopping the ground attack, but managed to contain one of the league's best running games last week against Atlanta. Mammoth tackles Ted Washington (27 tackles) and Ethan Kelley (14 tackles) played a part in preventing Vick and Warrick Dunn from reaching the 100-yard rushing mark. The two will face a similar task this weekend against Parker and company. Behind the front three are linebackers Willie McGinest, Andra Davis, D'Qwell Jackson and Kamerion Wimbley. McGinest (16 tackles, 2 sacks) returned to action against the Falcons after missing the previous game with an ankle problem. He had two tackles against Atlanta. Wimbley (34 tackles, 5.5 sacks) got the Browns' only sack of the day early in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Andra Davis (61 tackles, 2 INTs, sack) leads the Browns in tackles and fellow inside linebacker D'Qwell Jackson (54 tackles) is second.

BROWNS OFFENSE VS. STEELERS DEFENSE

Frye (1,730 yards, 9 TDs, 12 INTs) saved his job for the time being with his performance in a win over the Falcons, firing for 165 yards passing with a touchdown and a season-high 109.1 quarterback rating. As mentioned, Frye is listed as questionable against Pittsburgh with a wrist problem, but will most likely be under center on Sunday. Frye is lucky not to be more injured, having been sacked five times against Atlanta and 18 times over the last four games. Tight end Kellen Winslow (56 receptions, 3 TDs) is on pace to shatter Ozzie Newsome's team-record of 89 receptions in a season (1983 and '84). He had five catches for 90 yards against the Falcons, and is currently tied for second in the NFL in receptions behind only Houston's Andre Johnson (68 receptions). Wide receivers Braylon Edwards (470 yards, 3 TDs) and Joe Jurevicius (170 yards, 2 TDs) are also getting their chances this season. Edwards had three catches for 30 yards and a score against Atlanta, after which he gave the Steelers some bulletin board material related to the Browns' recovery from last year's 41-0 home thrashing at the hands of Pittsburgh last Christmas Eve. Reserve wideout Dennis Northcutt (15 catches, 121 yards) is the NFL's top punt returner, averaging 14.8 yards per return with 267 yards on 18 attempts.

Among those seeking to located Frye will be Steelers ends Brett Keisel (30 tackles, 3 sacks) and Aaron Smith (33 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks). Keisel recorded five stops against the Saints, while Smith was credited with two tackles for the 11th-ranked defense in the NFL. Along with Pittsburgh's omnipresent outside linebackers, Keisel and Smith both helped provided pressure on New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who is slightly more mobile than Cleveland's Frye. Frye will have an even easier day if strong safety Troy Polamalu (49 tackles, 3 INTs), who left last Sunday's win with a concussion, does not play. Polamalu is questionable on the injury report, and has not missed a start since he took over the job at strong safety to open the 2004 season. If Polamalu is unable to play at Cleveland, more responsibility will be handed to his backup Tyrone Carter (15 tackles, 2 sacks), free safety Ryan Clark (51 tackles, INT) and cornerbacks Bryant McFadden (21 tackles, INT), Ike Taylor (47 tackles, INT) and possibly Deshea Townsend (24 tackles, INT). Townsend is also listed as questionable with an ankle injury, perhaps making life harder for the 16th-ranked passing attack.

Looking to bust into the Pittsburgh secondary is Browns running back Reuben Droughns, who is questionable with a foot sprain, but is expected to be in the backfield on Sunday. Droughns (472 yards, 3 TDs) posted Cleveland's initial first-quarter touchdown of the season against Atlanta, and finished with 54 yards on 21 carries. He only has two games with 100 yards or more on the ground, but three straight contests with 19 or more carries. Droughns' numbers have dropped off since last season when he ran for 1,232 yards to become Cleveland's first 1,000-yard rusher since 1985. If he is unable to go against Pittsburgh, backups Jason Wright and rookie Jerome Harrison will share the load. Wright and Harrison have 39 yards rushing apiece this season, and filled in for Droughns in a Week 3 loss against Baltimore. Harrison started, but rushed just twice for 1 yard. Wright rushed 15 times for 31 yards versus the Ravens.

Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton (21 tackles) is (literally) a big reason why his team is 10th against the rush this season. Hampton posted six tackles last Sunday, and was a key ingredient in stopping Saints running backs Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister. Flamboyant linebacker Joey Porter (22 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 INTs) predicted a victory over New Orleans and came through with his promise. Porter, who had five tackles and one tipped pass, is 3-for-3 in predicting Pittsburgh wins. In last season's playoffs, Porter picked the Steelers to defeat both Indianapolis and Seattle, and backed up his words with wins, including a triumph in Super Bowl XL. Porter's prophecies are enabled by fellow linebackers Clark Haggans (51 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks, INT), James Farrior (68 tackles, 2 sacks, INT) and Larry Foote (50 tackles, 3 sacks). Farrior, who leads the team in tackles, recorded 11 tackles against the Saints along with Foote, while Haggans had six stops.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

If the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2006 pattern holds, then they will lose to Cleveland. Pittsburgh has followed every win this season with a three-game losing streak. Will a victory against the Saints precipitate a similar slide? Probably not. Even though Bill Cowher's team is going through a rough campaign, it does possess the personnel to rip off seven straight wins for a chance at the playoffs. The defense has been suspect over the last month, but Porter is starting to play at the high level he was once known for. In addition, Roethlisberger looks as if he is beginning to return to his rookie and second-year form, and coupled with the emergence of running back Willie Parker, should give Cleveland's banged-up defense a hard time in front of its home faithful.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Steelers 27, Browns 13