The good news for Browns quarterback Thaddeus Lewis is that he will be playing his first NFL regular season game on Sunday. The bad news is that it will be in Pittsburgh against the intimidating Steelers, who boast the NFL's top-ranked defense.
Starter Brandon Weeden and backup Colt McCoy have both been ruled out with right shoulder injuries.
"This is part of my childhood dream," Lewis said. "Who it was going to be against, I didn't have a visual of that. But it's a challenge and if you don't like challenges, you don't belong in sports."
Lewis doesn't consider facing the Steelers a negative. If he's going to launch his career in earnest, he believes it might as well be against the best.
"I wouldn't say I'm being thrown into the fire, it's more about getting an opportunity to show what you can do," he said. "It's one of the loudest stadiums I've ever been in. It's going to be a great atmosphere. That's what you want as a football player, to play in an atmosphere like that."
Lewis, who was active for five games this season and will be backed up by just-signed Josh Johnson, took all the first-team snaps in practice this week. Coach Pat Shurmur expressed optimism about Lewis based on how he prepared for the game.
"He's done great," Shurmur said. "He's been preparing himself all year, even though he wasn't on the active roster. We anticipate -- and what we expect -- is that he goes out and plays winning football."
So does wide receiver Greg Little, who worked with Lewis extensively in the offseason. Little praised the quarterback's "tempo" and understanding of blitzes and progressions as signs that he will play well against the Steelers. He also jokingly compared his situation to that of Seattle backup Matt Flynn, who parlayed one sensational start for Green Bay in 2011 into free agent gold.
Little, who has been easily the most productive Browns wideout in recent weeks, indicated a belief that he can take advantage of Lewis' talents.
"He's a very capable, very cerebral guy," he said. "He knows how to play football and knows how to play quarterback. Maybe since we're both ACC guys (Lewis from Duke, Little from North Carolina), he will show me some love."
That won't be easy if Steelers pass-rushers are breathing down his neck and with safety Troy Polamalu returing to the lineup, seeking to wreak havoc.
"I think there's enough evidence of how they play," Shurmur said. "We have that first game against them, plus their style of defense hasn't changed in years. What's important for Thad is to execute progressions and get the ball off on time and not rush things, just be urgent and go play his game."
Start Sunday to be hard for Hardesty: Running back Montario Hardesty has averaged a yard per carry more than featured back Trent Richardson (4.6 to 3.6) this season. He will have a chance Sunday to prove his impressive statistics are not a fluke.
It won't be easy to perform with equal effectiveness at Pittsburgh, which ranks atop the NFL in run defense and is coming off a game in which it held Cincinnati 1,000-yard back BenJarvus Green-Ellis to just 15 yards on 14 carries. Hardesty was particularly praiseworthy of nose tackle Casey Hampton and Polamalu in assessing the Steelers defense.
"Montario is excited," Shurmur said. "I've been happy with what he's done this year. He obviously doesn't have the number of carries that he would have liked, but the ones he has had have been meaningful."
Brandon Jackson, who enjoyed a strong preseason but has spent most of the year inactive and has yet to run the ball, will serve as the backup to Hardesty. Both he and Chris Ogbonnaya will likely get reps on Sunday.
The streak is over: Cornerback Sheldon Brown has played in 175 consecutive games, which ranks fifth in the NFL among active players, but he will not make it 176 on Sunday. He simply ran out of time in the recovery process from a concussion.
"It's probably disappointing for him," Shurmur said. "Unfortunately, he had a concussion and there's protocol. That's kind of out of our hands."
Embattled Buster Skrine, who has struggled in coverage and with pass interference penalties, will start for Brown, with Trevin Wade playing in nickel packages. Injuries to starting safeties T.J. Ward and Usama Young have thrust Tashaun Gipson and Eric Hagginto the starting lineup.
Stay dialed in on the Cleveland Browns on Twitter at @CBSBrowns throughout the season with on-site updates from CBSSports.com RapidReports correspondent Marty Gitlin.
