Sep 6, 2014 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – The pain and anguish involved with an 0-4 start last season is still evident inside the Steelers’ locker room.

Despite rebounding to win eight of their final 12 games, the Steelers missed the playoffs because of the poor start.

Avoiding a similar beginning will be on the players’ minds as the Steelers open the regular season today against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field.

“It’s said a bunch. It’s almost said too much,” Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward said with a sigh. “As much as we want to think about last year, it’s a new year. Of course, we can’t start like we did. I don’t think anybody wants to start like we did.

“Everybody’s talked about it. If you were here last year, that’s all that’s on your mind, getting that taste out of your mouth of having that 0-4 start. It really puts you behind the 8-ball, and we don’t want to do that again.”

But there’s another streak on the line.

Including last season’s 16-9 loss to Tennessee at Heinz Field, the Steelers have lost their last three season opening games. Despite last season’s low-scoring affair, Pittsburgh has been outscored 82-35 in its past three openers.

The NFL schedule-maker might have provided the perfect opponent for the Steelers to avoid a slow start and end their streak of losses in openers. Pittsburgh is 13-1 against Cleveland at Heinz Field, including the last 10 in a row, and has won 26 of the past 31 meetings since they came back to the league as an expansion team in 1999.

The dominance displayed by the Steelers in the once-heated rivalry hasn’t been lost on first-year Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine.

In a recent team meeting, Pettine showed his players a slideshow titled “Rivals,” which emphasized just how lopsided things have been.

“From the Steelers’ standpoint, it’s not much of a rivalry,” Pettine told the team’s website.

“It’s brutal when you truly look at it, but that’s something that’s a big part of our prep, understanding that has nothing to do with us. That has nothing to do with this game.”

To that point, Pettine brought in 24 new players this year. Just two members of the 2013 draft class – first-rounder Barkevious Mingo and seventh-round selection Armonty Bryant – are still with the team.

By comparison, the Steelers, who had 21 new players start the 2013 season, have 15 new faces this season.

One of Cleveland’s new players will be ultra-hyped rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Brian Hoyer, who spent two games with the Steelers in 2012 when Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich each went down with injuries, will get the start ahead of Manziel, but the Steelers prepared for both.

Hoyer is more of a pocket passer, while Manziel is a scrambler, giving the Steelers two different looks to scheme against.

“No matter what, there’s only going to be one quarterback at a time,” Heyward said. “So we look forward to playing both and getting after it.”

The Steelers have a much-heralded rookie who will be making his professional debut today in inside linebacker Ryan Shazier, their first-round draft pick.

Shazier will be the first rookie to start the regular season opener on defense for the Steelers since Kendrell Bell in 2001. Bell went on to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Shazier is not concerned with that as much as he is playing well and helping the Steelers avoid a fate that has befallen them the past three seasons.

“I’m not really thinking about that,” Shazier said. “But it means a lot. It means the guys trust me. The coaches trust me. I’m going to go out there and do what I can do, play and have fun.

“The more fun I have, the better I play.”

With wide receiver Lance Moore (groin) out, second-year receiver Justin Brown will see more playing time as a slot receiver for the Steelers. … Also out for the Steelers is cornerback Brice McCain (groin), while rookie wide receiver Martavis Bryant (shoulder) is doubtful. … Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown needs four receptions to pass Plaxico Burress (264) for eighth-place on the team’s all-time receptions list. … The Steelers are 10-0 in home games against the Browns when Ben Roethlisberger starts at quarterback.