Steelers and Browns 9/14/08

cpawfan · Sep 12, 2008

The Steelers face AFC North foe Cleveland on Sunday Night Football. As I find articles and notes, I post them in this thread

cpawfan · Sep 12, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08256/911718-66.stm

Cornerback Deshea Townsend did not practice for the third day in a row and is not expected to play in Sunday night's game in Cleveland, forcing Bryant McFadden to start for the first time since the final game of the 2006 season.

Townsend (heel contusion) has been listed as doubtful on the team's official injury report, meaning there is a 75 percent chance he won't play.

Also, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went through a full workout for the first time this week and is listed as probable. Roethlisberger has a sore right shoulder that has limited his preparation.
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cpawfan · Sep 12, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08256/911635-66.stm

Coach Mike Tomlin is proceeding cautiously with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, limiting his work in practice but still planning on him playing Sunday night against the Cleveland Browns.

Roethlisberger returned to practice yesterday but did little more than attempt handoffs because of a sore right shoulder that was injured against the Houston Texans. However, he is expected to do more today.

"He's pushing toward game-readiness," Tomlin said. "We have to take it day by day. Sunday we'll go out and play and he'll be a part of that and there will be no excuses."

While Roethlisberger and left tackle Marvel Smith (groin) returned to practice, cornerback Deshea Townsend (heel contusion) missed his second day in a row. Tomlin said he doesn't know if the 11-year veteran can play Sunday.

"I really don't have an answer to that right now," Tomlin said. "He wasn't good enough to go today. As of right now, he's not game ready."

Tight end dives in

Sean McHugh is getting a crash-course in the offense and is expected to dress as the third tight end against the Browns.

McHugh, who played at Penn State and spent the past three seasons with the Detroit Lions, was signed last week to the 53-man roster.

"We're not throwing the entire playbook at him, that would be unrealistic, but he is functional in terms of the packages we're asking him to perform," Tomlin said.

Cribbs returns

Backup linebacker Andre Frazier was one of the players who got to witness the elusiveness of Browns kick returner Joshua Cribbs. Not that he enjoyed the experience.

Frazier was the last player to touch Cribbs along the sideline when he scored on a 100-yard kickoff return at Heinz Field last season -- a play in which Cribbs initially muffed the squib kick and escaped from four players who seemingly had him penned inside the 5, near the pylon.

Frazier and his special-teams mates have watched film of that play this week as they prepare for Cribbs, who is expected to play after missing the past three games with a high ankle sprain.

"We've watched it a lot," Frazier said. "We have to do a lot better this year. Everybody has to focus in and do their job."

Cribbs also had a 90-yard kick return in that Nov. 11 game that set up a Browns touchdown. He finished the season with the league's top kick return average (30.7) and was picked for the Pro Bowl.

"He has great vision and he's a full-speed player," Frazier said. "You don't see many stutter steps or too much reading with Josh Cribbs. That's why he's so dangerous."

Mendenhall a new Champion

Rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall has signed a three-year endorsement deal with Champion athletic apparel. He is the first professional athlete to sign with Champion in a decade, a company spokesman said.
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cpawfan · Sep 12, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08255/911205-66.stm

The offensive linemen did not get 48 hours to bask in their first-game success when Steelers coach Mike Tomlin rubbed the glow off their mugs.

On Tuesday, before the first question was fired, Tomlin pointed smack to the middle of his offensive line to present the biggest challenge of the next game.

He called new Cleveland Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers "a very big, powerful and athletic man," then put the onus square on his own new center.

"We will get to know a little bit more about Justin Hartwig pretty quickly here this weekend," Tomlin said. Rogers "is going to be a force to be reckoned with."

Hartwig's reaction?

"I'm not going to worry about what people say. I'm just going to concentrate on what I'm doing. That's all I can do."

Yet Hartwig, 6 feet 4 and listed at 312 pounds, agreed with his coach that blocking the 6-4 nose tackle, who is listed at 350 pounds, will put him and the line to a test.

"Typically, a lot of teams do a lot of double-teams on him and for good reason. He gets vertical push on centers and that's going to be the challenge. We'll have to try to get a couple guys on him."

So many nose tackles got vertical pushes -- a k a beat him like a drum -- on Sean Mahan last season that he's back in Tampa Bay today. Mahan, who began the season weighing about 300 pounds and proceeded to lose weight, could not handle the big nose tackles. That is why they signed Hartwig, who was a good center in Tennessee when he faced Rogers, then with Detroit, in 2004. Hartwig and the Titans held Rogers and the Lions sackless in a 24-19 victory that day.

"It went all right," Hartwig said of that meeting.

It won't just be Hartwig's job, the entire line will have to repeat their boffo opening-day performance. Hartwig will get help from his guards on Rogers, acquired in a trade from Detroit by the Browns to play in the middle of their 3-4 defense.

"You have a guy that big, you're not going to leave one guy on him unless you find a center his size," guard Kendall Simmons said. "You double-team him."

The Steelers' offensive line took its own bows after their 38-17 victory against Houston. They easily were the biggest question coming into this season, especially after Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 47 times last year, second most in franchise history.

"It's one of those things, you have to take it," tackle Willie Colon said of the criticism. "You see Ben get hit, you see little things here and there, sometimes you have to look in the mirror and say maybe this is us, maybe we have to clean it up, maybe we have to do whatever we can to be better."

They did that since the end of last season. Most linemen reported to training camp having lost a few pounds and in better shape.

"I think each guy took it individually, with a chip on his shoulder, and made us better as a whole," Colon said.

They followed with a good opener. They weren't perfect. Roethlisberger was sacked twice by Mario Williams and did not practice yesterday because he has a sore shoulder from one of those hits. They were "mental" mistakes, they all said.

"I thought we played pretty good," Simmons said. "We still have some communication things going on but that's part of it. I think every line, no matter if you played together five or six years, you'll have some issues."

The good issues far outweighed the bad, as evidence by Roethlisberger completing 13 of his 14 passes and Willie Parker running for 138 of the team's 183 rushing yards with three touchdowns.

Yesterday, the NFL named Parker its offensive player of the week, and he thanked his blockers.

"By me winning AFC player of the week honors, they should get a little more respect than what they did," Parker said.

More awaits them if they handle Shaun Rogers and Co. Sunday night in Cleveland.
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cpawfan · Sep 12, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08255/911202-66.stm

Everywhere he looks this week, Romeo Crennel sees a bad number.

Like 487.

That's the number of yards his Cleveland Browns allowed against the Dallas Cowboys four days ago. A quarter ton of yardage, if you will.

Like 320.

That's the yards allowed by his alleged pass defense downrange from Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, meaning somebody's obviously off to a miserable start in the all-important Romeo/Romo ratio.

Like 22:31.

That's Cleveland's time of possession while losing the opener at home, 28-10. Barely enough time to prepare a pizza. What's that? Large pepperoni? You gonna pick it up?

OK, give us 22 minutes, 31 seconds.

Crennel found the right word for all this yesterday in a conference call with the Pittsburgh media.

"We're underwater," he said, and frankly, he sounded like a man preparing to be handed an anchor.

"We haven't done very good against the Steelers," he said. "We have to play a lot better just to be respectable. We're trying not to dwell on negative things that have happened in the past."

The thing is, Crennel can't figure out what to do with that big bag of bad numbers he's lugging around, other than to throw it on the mountain of haunting numerology that is the always fresh history of Steelers-Browns, and hope to torch the whole thing back toward that ever-elusive respectability.

Evidently, even when the Browns go 10-6, as they did last year, these biannual 60-minute sessions with the Steelers remain crippling to that franchise. Few know the very, very bad numbers better than the suffering Browns audience. The Steelers have won nine in a row in this series, 15 of 16, 22 of 25.

"I know it's the biggest game of the year for them," said Steelers defensive tackle Nick Eason, who spent three seasons with the Browns through 2006. "They might not say it, but this is the game. If they lose, it's catastrophic for the city, catastrophic for the players. The fans, I know they're still sick from last year's game up there, and sick from the second game too. I remember in one game, I had Ben [Roethlisberger] for what should have been a sack, but he ran this fake and I let him go. He still had the ball. He wound up completing a pass and it kept the drive alive that won the game [24-20]. I stayed at home after that. Didn't even go to the grocery store, you know? Out of sight, out of mind.

"Hey, this is their Super Bowl; I know because I've been there."

The pressure on the Browns to beat the Steelers is as much external as internal, where the pressure is merely explosive.

"The city puts a lot of pressure on the team," said Keith Butler, the Steelers' linebacker coach who spent four years with Cleveland beginning with its 1999 expansion team. "It's all they talk about, and I know the owner [Randy Lerner] would like to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers as much as any team in the league. It's a lot like a playoff game to them, because it kind of gets you a boost up in the division. All that said, do they put more emphasis on it than we do? No.

"It's just that the systems that are in place here have been in place a long time. This is my sixth year here. Coach [John] Mitchell's been here a lot longer than I have. The defensive system has been taught for a long time. The offense has changed somewhat under [offensive coordinator Bruce Arians]. But when you have players who teach it to other players, it gets to be part of the culture. James Farrior's become a great coach. Larry Foote's become a great coach. That kind of culture has been very hard to establish for them, especially when they keep firing head coaches and firing coordinators."

Nine consecutive victories by one club over a familiar opponent isn't by itself worthy of undue inspection. Buffalo has done it to Cincinnati, New England has done it to Buffalo, San Diego has done it to Oakland, and all those streaks are current. None of it's all that hard to explain, not even this somehow singular Browns-Steelers relationship.

"They've won nine in a row because they've played better," said Crennel, who is only 0-6 personally in this series. "If we'd play better we'd have a chance to do something about it."

Given a favorable reaction of talent and desperation, Sunday in prime time might be Cleveland's best chance to do something about it in a long time. While the talent gap has ostensibly narrowed between these two, the specialized psychometry of the series has only hardened.

"I don't think we have any big edge in talent; they've got pretty good talent," said Mitchell, the Steelers' assistant head coach whose first pro job was with the Browns in the early '90s. "Sometimes I think with them it's like a baseball player, you get into a slump and sometimes it just takes a long time to come out of it."

There's some wisdom in that, obviously. I mean if the Browns played baseball, they could easily be the Indians, provided they took Crennel's advice and, you know, played a little better.
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cpawfan · Sep 12, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08256/911636-66.stm

Santonio Holmes has added 11 pounds, thickened his shoulders and forearms and strengthened his upper body, all to stay healthy for a 16-game season and tolerate the bumps and bruises he incurs in the NFL.

It's not because he's carrying the pride of the Ohio State University on his back.

It just seems that way every time he plays a game in Ohio.

"Not many guys get the opportunity to go back where they played college ball or where they played high school and have family and friends around," Holmes said. "They get a chance to see what you can do and what you did for those guys when you were playing there."

Holmes has certainly done that.

Maybe it's the juice he gets when he hears "Hang on Sloopy," the official rock song of the state of Ohio, being blared at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Holmes gets so animated when they play the song, his teammates tease him because he thinks he's back at Ohio State, where he was a three-year starter.

"They think I'm cheering for the Cleveland Browns," Holmes said.

Holmes returns to the state of Ohio Sunday night when the Steelers (1-0) play an AFC North game against the Browns (0-1), and, if recent history is any indication, the third-year wide receiver should have another red-letter performance.

In four games in Ohio since he left Ohio State -- two against the Browns, two against the Cincinnati Bengals -- Holmes has 17 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns. In last year's 34-7 victory in Cleveland in the season opener, he caught two passes for 55 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown.

If he keeps that up, pretty soon they might let him dot the "I" in "Script Ohio."

"I never look at it as being successful going back there," Holmes said. "It's the way the game plays out for me. I never go into a game thinking, in the back of my mind, 'OK, I'll show these guys.' It's the way game plays out."

Then he added, "But a lot of them wish I were with the Browns and not with the Steelers."

The Steelers did not use Holmes much in their 38-17 victory against the Houston Texans, but, then, they really didn't have to.

He caught only two passes for 19 yards, though the first one -- a 9-yarder over the middle on third-and-3 -- kept alive the first scoring drive that resulted in Willie Parker's 7-yard touchdown.

That could change against the Browns, a team with a tattered secondary.

Before the season, they traded their best cornerback, Leigh Bodden, to the Detroit Lions for nose tackle Shaun Rogers, and lost nickel back Daven Holly, a projected starter, to season-ending knee surgery. That forced the Browns to sign nickel back Terry Cousins as a free agent and trade a seventh-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for cornerback Travis Daniels at the end of training camp.

On top of that, strong safety Sean Jones had arthroscopic knee surgery this week and will not play against the Steelers, and free safety Brodney Pool hasn't played since the second preseason game because of a concussion, his third in four years. Poole is expected to return Sunday night.

"That's a tough deal," Holmes said. "Maybe the more players they have out, the better we can perform.

"With the balance of running the ball and passing the ball that we have, that's been the biggest concern for them -- to cover us. It's hard for those guys to be in the right place at the right time."

Holmes had 52 catches for 824 yards and eight touchdowns last season, and his 18.1 per-catch average led all NFL receivers with more than 20 catches. But he also missed three games because of injury, which is why he decided to bulk up and get stronger in the offseason.

Holmes added 11 pounds with weightlifting and running and now weighs 197.

"I think that's the main key for me to stay healthy for 16 games -- put on a little more muscle and be able to withstand the little nicks and bruises here and there throughout the season," Holmes said.

Or maybe just play in the state of Ohio.
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cpawfan · Sep 13, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08257/911922-66.stm

More details on the DB's and Big Ben

The Cleveland Browns aren't the only team with some issues in the secondary.

Cornerback Deshea Townsend (heel contusion) did not practice for the third day in a row and is not expected to play tomorrow night in Cleveland, forcing Bryant McFadden to start for the first time since the final game of the 2006 season.

Townsend has been listed as doubtful on the team's official injury report, meaning there is a 75 percent chance he won't play.

"I went out there and tried it and I didn't like it," Townsend said. "It's been getting better, but we have guys who are ready to play."

Also, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went through a full workout for the first time this week and is listed as probable. Roethlisberger has a sore right shoulder that has limited his throwing.

The injury to Townsend, an 11-year veteran, also means cornerback William Gay will be the nickel back against the Browns, lining in the slot on third-down situations and, at times, covering wide receiver Braylon Edwards or tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. Townsend is usually in the slot in the nickel and dime defensive packages.

Townsend bruised his heel in the first quarter against the Houston Texans and continued to play, even though he said the injury got worse as the game went on. He was moved from right cornerback to left cornerback this season because the position requires a better understanding of combination routes.

That shouldn't be a problem for McFadden, who has started 10 times in his previous three seasons, including the final seven games of the 2006 season.

"I've been playing both sides since I've been here," McFadden said. "It's no different."

Browns' receivers hurting

The Browns are having some problems at wide receiver, too, not just their secondary.

Donte Stallworth, acquired in free agency from the New England Patriots, might miss his second game in a row after injuring his groin in pre-game warmups against the Dallas Cowboys. He has not practiced all week.

Joe Jurevicius, who had 50 catches for 614 yards last season, is on the physically unable to perform list and can't play until at least Week 7.

On top of that, Edwards, their top receiver, dropped four passes against the Cowboys.

If Stallworth can't play, that means the Browns might have to use kick returner Joshua Cribbs as their second or third receiver. Cribbs is expected to return after missing the past three games with a high-ankle sprain.

Strong pass protection

Browns quarterback Derek Anderson passed for a touchdown, was sacked only once and did not throw an interception against the Cowboys, numbers that would appear to indicate an efficient performance.

But he passed for only 114 yards and produced just 11 first downs in a 28-10 defeat.

The Browns were so concerned about protecting Anderson they often used six and seven players to block on pass plays. The Cowboys did not get a sack until the fourth quarter, but they still generated a lot of pressure on Anderson.

"They do a lot of max protecting, so I'm sure well get a lot of that," said defensive end Brett Keisel.

"Unless they get him flush, with three wide receivers, we have seen a lot of max protection."
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cpawfan · Sep 13, 2008

Time to check out the enemies papers

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2008/09/chudzinski_works_with_parts_he.html

Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski kept an eraser handy all last week, not knowing until Sunday which of his playmakers would be available for the opener.

But he never dreamt he'd have to pull the eraser out during pregame warm-ups and scratch off the team's biggest offensive off-season acquisition, receiver Donte Stallworth, who pulled a quad muscle just before the game.

"It was fast and furious there right before the game, trying to make some adjustments," Chudzinski said. "We marked up the game plan quite a bit and I think the other guys that came in did a nice job. But that's tough when that happens. I've actually never been in that situation where it's happened in pregame before."

It might not have been so bad for Chudzinski if two of his other prized weapons, receiver / returner Josh Cribbs and receiver Joe Jurevicius, weren't already standing on the sidelines in street clothes. As it was, Chudzinski had to play two youngsters in who had never started an NFL game, leaving Braylon Edwards as the only experienced receiver.

Luckily for Chudzinski, he's had a full week to prepare for the Pittsburgh Steelers without Stallworth, who is doubtful for Sunday. Problem is, Chudzinski is not 100 percent certain how much Cribbs can handle because of his high ankle sprain and how much rust Edwards has knocked off after missing much of the preseason because of a foot injury.

"When you have a little bit better grasp of things, it's obviously easier," Chudzinski said. "We're still waiting to see what some guys are going to be able to do on Sunday. Even in the preseason, it's been a game plan with a lot of contingencies on it."

Because of injuries to key offensive players, Chudzinski -- known as the mad scientist to players such as quarterback Derek Anderson -- has had to tinker repeatedly with the offensive formula that produced 10 victories and 402 points last season. Instead of building on that success, his offense wasn't intact for even one preseason series -- and it showed in a woeful 28-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday.

"It's been a little bit of a revolving door," he said. "You have to overcome injuries, but offense is very much continuity, rhythm and guys getting in a groove. We're the type of offense where that's important. We just have to expedite the process of getting guys who've been out back on the same page."

Unluckily for Chudzinski, he'll have to try to do all of that against the Steelers and their complicated zone-blitz schemes, which are designed to disrupt timing. Last week, in a 38-17 rout of the Houston Texans, the Steelers had five sacks -- three by linebacker James Harrison -- three takeaways and allowed the Texans to convert only 3 of 10 third downs. It was a continuation from last season, when the Steelers finished No. 1 in the NFL in defense and surrendered an average of 16.8 points per game -- second-best in the league.

"They're an outstanding defense," Chudzinski said. "They get after the quarterback from all different angles and places. Fundamentally they're outstanding football players, well-coached, well-disciplined, physical, strong and tough. There are no weaknesses."

The Steelers feature playmakers across the board, including safety Troy Polamalu, linebacker James Farrior and new left outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who in his starting debut last week had three solo tackles, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.

"What sets the linebackers apart from other teams is they have a great football awareness and savvy," Chudzinski said. "Seeing them get to the ball, I don't know what their clock times are, but they know where the ball is, where it's going, and they have a great sense if it's a run or a pass almost at the snap of the ball."

On the flip side, the Browns are coming off a game in which they dropped at least five passes, converted only 3 of 9 third downs, committed five offensive penalties (one of which was declined), and produced only 205 yards and 10 points. What's more, they had some alignment issues because of helmet-radio problems.

"I hope we have them fixed," Chudzinski said. "We've been going through this for a little while. The toughest thing about it when it happens, it's intermittent because sometimes it happens and you're still able to get the play in but you've lost some time, and now you're rushed at the line of scrimmage."

The Browns will be rushed plenty by the Steelers without doing it to themselves.
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cpawfan · Sep 13, 2008

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2008/09/browns_d_to_walk_fine_line_wit.html

Browns linebacker Andra Davis has a plan for how to defend Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

"This game, we've just got to not worry about fines or late hits or whatever the referee is going to do," said Davis, who's 1-12 against the Steelers. "We've just got to go out and get him down because you know they take care of the quarterbacks in this league. But we've just got to put that behind us. If we get fined, we get fined. We've just got to make sure we get the job done."

Davis made it clear that he was advocating good, legal hits, not harming Roethlisberger, who suffered a shoulder injury last week on a sack by Houston defensive end Mario Williams. Roethlisberger is probable for Sunday.

"Not necessarily go out there to hurt him, but I remember one play a couple of years ago, Nick Eason [now a Steeler] was on our team," Davis said. "He had him, but if you slam him to the ground you get a fine, so he let him go and they kept the play going. [Roethlisberger] made a big play on third down. That's what I'm saying. In a situation like that, you've got to make sure you get him down and worry about whatever's going to happen later."

Eason, concerned about NFL fines during that game in 2006, let Roethlisberger slip out of his grasp to avoid a flag and the quarterback hit receiver Santonio Holmes for a 20-yard touchdown pass en route to a 24-20 Steelers victory.

Linebacker Willie McGinest was docked $7,500 this week for "impermissable use of the helmet" for a hit on Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo last Sunday.

Willie or won't he? The Browns know a key to the game will be containing Steelers running back Willie Parker, who rushed for 138 yards and a career-high three touchdowns last week against the Texans.

The 138 yards were the fourth-most by Parker and the most since he had a team-record 223 yards against the Browns on Dec. 7, 2006.

"He's a home-run back," Davis said. "He's small, he's fast and they've got a big, physical offensive line. He's the type of dude, you've just got to continue to go out there and keep after him the whole game. He's proven why he's a Pro Bowl back. You can stop him and stop him and he can break one for 50 yards. You have to stay fundamental -- build that wall and set that edge and try to keep him inside, try to force him to our big guys. We've got our hands full."

Parker has rushed for more than 100 yards in four of the Steelers' nine straight victories against the Browns.

"If he gets a little crease, he's able to break for long distances," said Browns linebacker Kamerion Wimbley, who suffered a groin injury in practice on Thursday but is probable for Sunday. "He's fast and he's also strong. You just want to stop him before he can get to the secondary."

Nose to nose: Steelers four-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton, on his friend and former college roommate Shaun Rogers, to Pittsburgh reporters: "When he wants to play and puts his mind to it, I think he's the best in the league. You've just got to grab him and hold on."

Stallworth doubtful, Pool OK: Browns receiver Donte Stallworth sat out practice for the third day with a pulled quadriceps muscle and is listed as doubtful. He worked inside on his own during practice. . . . Safety Brodney Pool (concussion) is listed as questionable and was limited Friday, but said he'll play. "I feel a lot better than I did three weeks ago," he said. "I didn't want to rush it and miss another seven weeks, but I'm ready to be back." Reciver / returner Josh Cribbs (ankle) and offensive lineman Rex Hadnot (knee) are also questionable. Steelers cornerback DeShea Townsend (foot) is doubtful.
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cpawfan · Sep 13, 2008

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2008/09/clocking_big_ben_browns_know_f.html

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was limited at practice for a second day in a row on Thursday because of a sore shoulder incurred on a sack by Houston's Mario Williams in Sunday's rout of the Texans.

It's proof that some teams actually do knock down the Steelers' quarterback, who looks more like a linebacker at 6-5 and 241 pounds.

In truth, Roethlisberger is the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL over the past two years. He was taken down 93 times in 30 games the past two seasons. The Browns were credited with seven in four meetings in 2006 and '07.

But the key plays in two of those four Pittsburgh wins were Roethlisberger slipping away from the Browns' clutches and making big-time plays.

In 2007, Roethlisberger slithered out of Willie McGinest's grasp for a 30-yard touchdown run and a 24-21 Pittsburgh lead. The Steelers won, 31-28.

"That was the backbreaker," linebacker Kamerion Wimbley said of that third-and-9 play.

In 2006, Roethlisberger shook off three interceptions and Wimbley at the end, shoveling a little pass to Willie Parker for the winning touchdown with 32 seconds left. Steelers won, 24-20.

"Yeah, I had him," Wimbley said. "He frustrates a lot of defenses because whenever he does scramble and is able to break away from those tackles it's usually accompanied by some sort of significant play."

Roethlisberger chuckled on a conference call over the mention of Wimbley seemingly forever chasing him, wheels spinning, dirt flying, and Roethlisberger escaping.

"It always seems he's right there in my face," he said. "I see his number a lot. It's a credit to him as a player."

In discussing his team's 0-6 record against Pittsburgh as Browns coach, Romeo Crennel preaches "finishing" the job.

"In both of those games we had a chance to win," Crennel said. "We couldn't make a first down and couldn't get him on the ground. If we do either of those, we could win the game."

Since GM Phil Savage set about constructing the Browns, he has had Pittsburgh and Roethlisberger in his sights. Wimbley and McGinest, and now Shaun Rogers, were the key defensive players acquired for the distinct purpose of ravaging Roethlisberger.

"He gets away from a lot of people," McGinest said. "That's something we know we have to stop. Willie Parker, we know we have to stop him and make the game one-dimensional.

"Our best defense is our offense, so we have to get off the field on third down. Part of that is being able to cover well and get pressure on Ben, keeping him in the pocket. You can't stop really good players. I think you can just contain them and slow them down. I think that's our goal. We just don't want him to get loose and run around. Of course, we want to hit him and force him to make bad decisions."

Roethlisberger's long-term health has been a priority for the Steelers since he established himself, as a rookie, as a franchise quarterback. In March, they re-signed him to an eight-year contract for $102 million, including $36 million in guarantees.

By the end of that month, they fortified the troublesome interior of Pittsburgh's offensive line by signing free agent center Justin Hartwig. It was with big nose tackles like Rogers in mind that led to the pursuit of Hartwig.

Although Houston's Williams took down Roethlisberger twice in Pittsburgh's opening win, he had an easy enough time of it to depart after three quarters, throwing only 14 times and completing 13.

The Steelers entered the year answering questions about their line because of the departure in free agency of guard Alan Faneca.

"We all love it when people were talking bad about our offensive linemen because that just fuels their fire," Roethlisberger said. "I was hoping people would say that because I know how talented and athletic and determined they were. They've done a heckuva job thus far."

Mike Tomlin, the second-year Pittsburgh coach, conceded he is concerned with the pounding Roethlisberger took last season.

"But no more so than about anybody who plays the position," he said. "It kind of comes with the territory. This guy plays and plays to win. He's a competitor and some of the things that allow him to make splash plays also put him in harm's way. We do the best we can in terms of keeping him clean but the protection of our quarterback is an 11-man job for our offense."

Even when 10 of those men break down, the Browns know firsthand that Roethlisberger can still escape.

BIG BEN RINGS OUT

Over the past two seasons, no NFL quarterback has more sacks than the 93 befallen Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger. The Browns have gotten to him, but never defeated him in seven games. Here's how they've done:

Oct. 10, 2004: 16 of 21 passing, 0 sacks, 7 QB pressures, 1 int., Steelers win, 34-23

Nov. 14, 2004: 10-16, 2 sacks, 6 pressures, 1 int., win, 24-10

Dec. 24, 2005: 13-20, 2 sacks, 1 pressures, 0 int., win, 41-0

Nov. 19, 2006: 25-44, 2 sacks, 3 pressures, 3 int., win, 24-20

Dec. 7, 2006: 11-21, 0 sacks, 0 pressure, 0 int., win, 27-7

Sept. 9, 2007: 12-23, 1 sack, 7 pressures, 0 int., win, 34-7

Nov. 11, 2007: 23-34, 4 sacks, 2 pressures, 1 int., win, 31-28
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 13, 2008

http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/28342539.html

Steelers' offense presents problems

Browns will have to stop Parker, Roethlisberger and teammates Ward, Holmes on Sunday

If the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense hoped to grab the attention of the Browns' defense with their 38-17 win over the Houston Texans — mission accomplished.

The Browns' defense is fully aware of the task before them when they take on the Steelers on Sunday night.

Against the Texans, the Steelers had just 305 yards but still dominated the game, courtesy of the running of Willie Parker. He gained 138 yards and scored three touchdowns on 25 carries.

How much did Parker control the game? Ben Roethlisberger had to throw the ball just 14 times, completing 13 of them, two for touchdowns.

''He's a good back. He's a great complement to the offense. He's small, he's fast and they've got a big offensive line,'' Browns linebacker Andra Davis said of Parker. ''He's the type of dude you have to continue to go after. You have to keep after him the whole game because he's a home run back. You can stop him, stop him, stop him and then he can get you for 40, 50 yards.''

Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said that Parker's ability to cut back makes him dangerous.

''You have to keep an eye on him and wrap up on him. He uses the spin move pretty well,'' Jackson said. ''If you leave him any little bit of daylight or any opportunity, he's able to take it 90 yards or wherever it is on the field.''

The Steelers aren't one dimensional. Far from it.

With Roethlisberger at quarterback and two solid receivers in Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, they have the weapons to move the ball.

Additionally, Roethlisberger has the ability to make plays and to keep those that appear to have broken down going with either his arm or legs.

''They're very complementary of each other,'' Davis said of Roethlisberger and Parker. ''It all starts with the quarterback, but if the quarterback has a good running game like he has, it takes a lot of pressure off of him.''

Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar said the best way to beat the Steelers is to take away that running game.

''When he's throwing in the teens [in pass attempts], they have a high propensity to win, but when he's throwing for 300 yards and in the mid-20s, they have a high propensity to lose,'' Kosar said. ''Obviously you want to get them out of their comfort zone.''

Wimbley to play

Browns linebacker Kamerion Wimbley suffered a groin injury Wednesday and went through a limited practice Friday. He expects to play Sunday. ''I'm just resting it up a little bit, working with the trainers,'' he said. He'll work out before the game.

Ready to dive in

Safety Brodney Pool will return to the lineup after recovering from a concussion. He's eager to return to the field, especially against the Steelers.

''I'm ready to be back and I'm ready to play,'' he said. ''I'm excited to be back in there with those guys. We haven't beaten them since I've been here. We're ready to change the tide.''

Edwards talks tickets

The Avon Police Department has issued Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards a speeding ticket — for going 120 mph in a 65 mph zone — almost two weeks after the fact.

Police said they clocked Edwards as he was traveling west on Interstate 90 near Chester Road on Aug. 29.

After the officer saw that Edwards' passenger was visibly ill and because of his cooperation with the officer, Edwards received a verbal warning and was allowed to go. After a television station brought the incident to Chief Paul T. Romond's attention, a citation was issued Thursday, and a reprimand was placed in the officer's file.

''This incident was brought to the attention of my office on Sept. 11. After a review of the circumstances and speaking with the officer involved, it was determined that the appropriate course of action was to issue a citation,'' Romond said. ''Mr. Edwards came to the Avon Police Department and received a copy of his traffic citation.''

Edwards downplayed the incident.

''All it was was a speeding ticket. I'm not the first person to get a speeding ticket,'' he said. ''The officer let me off for good behavior and that was the situation.

''And because of Channel 19, it got brought back, resurfaced, and there it was. I got a ticket.''

Injury report

Safety Sean Jones (knee) and tight end Martin Rucker (knee) are out for the game. Wide receiver Donte' Stallworth (quadriceps) and tackle Ryan Tucker (hip) are listed as doubtful. Kick returner Josh Cribbs (ankle), guard Rex Hadnot (knee) and Pool (concussion) are listed as questionable. Linebackers Kris Griffin and Wimbley are probable.

Backers to meet

The Akron Browns Backers club will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the 356th Fighter Group restaurant near the Akron-Canton Airport in Green.

Former Browns defensive back Ben Davis will be guest speaker. New members are welcome to the free event.
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 13, 2008

http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/28124704.html

At times Sunday, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had enough time in the pocket to order dinner and eat it. He didn't have to worry whether receivers would be open. He just had to wait for when they freed themselves from coverage by defensive backs.

The Browns' defense paid for its lack of a pass rush to the tune of Romo completing 24-of-32 passes for 320 yards and a touchdown. The result: a 28-10 loss for the Browns.

''I think it was pretty good. On some of the passes, short passes, they were quick throws. We were able to apply pressure and get to him a couple times to alter a couple of throws,'' linebacker Kamerion Wimbley said Monday. ''At one point me and Willie (McGinest) hit him. That's when he busted up his chin a little bit. Overall, I think it was a pretty good night.''

The numbers tell a different story.

No team can give up that kind of yardage and expect to win consistently. So where was the rush against Romo?

Given the Browns' 3-4
defense and the expectation that the rush will come from outside linebackers, it was often down the field in coverage in Wimbley's case.

''Early on, we were only rushing three and putting more guys in coverage. In the second half, we started rushing more guys. Now then, the question becomes, why did you only rush three?'' Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. ''You rush three to get more guys in coverage because they have some weapons that you have to cover, and even with that those weapons were pretty productive.''

The repair work needs to be fast for the defense: the Pittsburgh Steelers arrive in Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday night for a prime-time game.

It's unlikely that the Ben Roethlisberger-led Steelers will be a pushover. In fact, the Steelers looked to be in midseason form, walloping the Houston Texans 38-17 in their opener.

Roethlisberger completed 13-of-14 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. With Roethlisberger, however, it never has been about his ability to put up numbers.

He plays traffic cop in the Steelers' offense, which has always been built around a rock-solid running game, but that doesn't mean he doesn't possess the ability to beat you with his arm. At 6-foot-5 and 241 pounds, Big Ben can be a load.

On Monday, Crennel seemed resigned that his defense, with its reconstructed line courtesy of the arrival of Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams, will have its share of growing pains. Not only are Rogers and Williams, who is learning a new position, new additions, the Browns have two second-year corners in the defensive backfield in Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald.

''We can rush more guys. Everybody's been talking about our secondary and how we're not good enough on the back end,'' Crennel said. ''If you put more guys in the rush, and they don't get there, you expose those guys in the back end a little bit more.

''Now it becomes a chess match; you have to try to pick and choose your time when you want to rush more.''

They'll need to select that time on Sunday night against the Steelers, who made running their offense look all too easy this past weekend. It is too early in the season for must-win games, but given the winless preseason and the spanking by the Cowboys, it is close to that for the Browns.

''After the loss, we look forward to playing the Steelers and hopefully being able to redeem ourselves, start strong and stay strong throughout the game,'' Wimbley said. ''Hopefully we can give a better showing in the second round.''

Moves

The Browns signed recently waived wide receiver Paul Hubbard, their sixth-round choice from this year, to the practice squad. They also signed undrafted free-agent running back Allen Patrick and waived running back Omar Cuff to make room.
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 14, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08258/912060-66.stm

Game: Steelers (1-0) at Cleveland Browns (0-1).

When: 8:15 p.m.

Where: Cleveland Browns Stadium.

TV: WPXI.

Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970)
Game plan

When the Steelers have the ball: RB Willie Parker has 483 yards rushing in his past four games against the Browns, one of the reasons they acquired DTs Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams in offseason trades. The Browns play a 3-4 defense, but they don't blitz, preferring to drop players into coverage, and they don't have linebackers who can run and cover ground. What's more, Williams has been moved to left end and is playing different techniques than he did with the Packers. The Browns lost both their starting cornerbacks from last season. And S Sean Jones (knee) is out after having arthroscopic surgery last week.

When the Browns have the ball: The offense has been disjointed because QB Derek Anderson, WR Braylon Edwards and RB Jamal Lewis have not played together much because of injuries in the preseason. Lewis was one of the bright spots vs. the Cowboys because he had 64 yards rushing on 13 carries in his first appearance since injuring his hamstring. The Browns likely will try to get him more carries vs. the Steelers. Anderson was not sacked until the fourth quarter against Dallas because the Browns used six, and sometimes seven, players to protect him. He threw for only 114 yards, but Edwards had four drops.
Keep an eye on ...

Browns KR Joshua Cribbs: The NFL's top kick-returner in 2007 has missed the past three games because of a high ankle injury, but he is expected to play. In a 31-28 loss at Heinz Field last year, Cribbs had a 90-yard kick return that led to a touchdown and a 100-yard kick return for touchdown -- the highlight of a season that resulted in a Pro Bowl selection. The Steelers are hoping they have solved their coverage problems after the way they performed last week against Houston's Andre Davis, who had three kick returns for TDs in '07.
Intangibles

Every time the Browns have what they perceive to be a big game against the Steelers -- a game that will finally get them over the hump against their chief division antagonist -- they wither under the expectations. The Steelers have won the past nine meetings and haven't lost in Cleveland since 2000. What's more, they have won the past four there by an average of score of 31-9.
Keys to victory

To win, the Browns must ...

1. Send men at Ben. The Browns are not a blitzing team, and they have sacked Ben Roethlisberger just seven times in four games in Cleveland.

2. Have Thomas be no ordinary Joe. LT Joe Thomas, the No. 1 draft pick in 2007, needs to neutralize Pro Bowl LB James Harrison.

3. Hang on Sloopy. Patchwork secondary has to hang onto WR Santonio Holmes, the former Ohio State star who has big games in his former state.

To win, the Steelers must...

1. Give McGinest the willies. A lot of Willie Parker's big plays occur when he bounces inside runs outside. OLB Willie McGinest is the oldest LB in the NFL.

2. Take Rogers, over and out. This is the reason the Steelers acquired C Justin Hartwig, and even Mike Tomlin will be watching this matchup in the middle.

3. Have dibs on Cribbs. Anthony Madison, Donovan Woods and Lawrence Timmons need to have one target: No. 16.
Click to expand...

BasX · Sep 14, 2008

W #2

huevonkiller · Sep 14, 2008

Where were the fireworks?

Damn I got excited for nothing.

Mamba · Sep 14, 2008

Boring game.

Cleveland's pre-season hype really pissed me off. It's nice to see them fall against two top caliber teams to start the season. Maybe now the media will bring them back down to earth and start judging them like the .500 team they are.

cpawfan · Sep 15, 2008

Ben clearly wasn't close to a 100% and the weather sucked. But a win is a win and I don't care.

Hopefully Ben can make it through the season.

Vintage · Sep 15, 2008

Anyone trying to ascertain opinions about teams based on that game.... it far removed from reality.

The weather was the dominating aspect of that game. Pittsburgh won and is the better team. But anyone trying to judge QB performances based on that game..... lol.

cpawfan · Sep 17, 2008

Time to wrap up this game and get ready for the battle of Pennsylvania

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08259/912343-66.stm

Steelers Report Card: Game Two vs. Browns
Gerry Dulac grades the Steelers' effort in the 10-6 win against the Browns yesterday at Browns Stadium
Monday, September 15, 2008
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Quarterback

Playing with a sore shoulder and in extreme wind gusts, Ben Roethlisberger did a nice job to protect the ball and not try to force passes over the middle. The decision to come back to Hines Ward on an 11-yard touchdown, a play after Ward dropped a pass in the end zone, was a sign of his maturity. He also hit Ward for a 31-yard gain from their own 2 in the third to deflate the Browns.
Running backs

Willie Parker had 54 of his 105 yards on 14 carries in the first half and continues to display patience in waiting for his blockers to create some seams. His biggest carry, and longest gain, came on fourth-and-1 at the Browns' 40 when he gained 13 yards around the right side to keep alive the first scoring drive. Testament to his endurance. Carey Davis was the only other back with a carry (1).
Receivers

Santonio Holmes had another big game in Ohio, catching four passes in the first half and a 48-yarder early in the third to set up a field goal. One play after dropping a pass in the end zone, Hines Ward caught an 11-yard TD, his third in two games. TE Heath Miller finished with two catches for 33 yards, but he was utilized like a pulling guard on the run and made several big blocks for Parker.
Offensive line

The Browns blitzed a little more than usual and were able to sack Roethlisberger three times. But the offensive line got a good push against the Browns' three-man front, including NT Shaun Rogers, and created enough room to grind out 117 yards on 31 carries. Chris Kemoeatu continues to stand out as a pulling guard and LT Marvel Smith silenced OLB Kameron Wimbley.
Defensive line

DE Brett Keisel went out in the first quarter with a calf injury, forcing Travis Kirschke to play the right side and taking away the team's best rushing lineman. But the defense did a good job against the run, holding Jamal Lewis to 38 yards on 19 carries, including 15 in the first half. The Browns finished with 53 yards rushing on 25 attempts and their longest run was 8 yards.
Linebackers

The Steelers did not blitz as much as usual and did not register a sack until seven minutes remained. Outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, who had four sacks last week, did not have a sack against Anderson. James Farrior made a number of big plays against the run, but he was assessed a costly taunting penalty after an incomplete pass.
Defensive backs

Anderson didn't have a lot of open receivers, and when he did Braylon Edwards dropped the ball on at least two occasions. CB Bryant McFadden, starting for injured Deshea Townsend, had an interception and made a big breakup on third down with 3:24 remaining. Troy Polamalu was very active, disrupting several plays and making a big interception at the 3 at the end of the first half.
Special teams

The smartest plays were turned in by Mewelde Moore, who decided not to catch three punts because of the way the ball was floating and changing direction in the wind gusts. But the coverage units were outstanding again, particularly LB Keyaron Fox and RB Carey Davis, keeping Joshua Cribbs under control on kick and punt returns. Jeff Reed made a 48-yard FG in the third quarter.
Coaching

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians did a good job to limit Roethlisberger's attempts because of the wind and used Parker to set up some of the big plays in the passing game. But the offense used 2 timeouts in 5 plays near the end of the first half. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau elected to drop more players into coverage to prevent big plays. The longest play allowed was 23 yards.
<table style="font-size: 12px;" class="detailSummary" width="475" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" height="270"><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 204, 0); font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> <td colspan="14">Steelers' grade point average</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;"> <td>Position</td> <td>A</td> <td>A-</td> <td>B+</td> <td>B</td> <td>B-</td> <td>C+</td> <td>C</td> <td>C-</td> <td>D+</td> <td>D</td> <td>D-</td> <td>F</td> <td>GPA</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Quarterbacks</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>3.50</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(239, 239, 239);"> <td>Running backs</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>3.50</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Receivers</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>3.12</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(239, 239, 239);"> <td>Offensive line</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>2</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>3.00</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Special teams</td> <td>2</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>4.00</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(239, 239, 239);"> <td>Defensive line</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>3.00</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Linebackers</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>3.37</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(239, 239, 239);"> <td>Defensive backs</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>3.12</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Coaching</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>1</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>--</td> <td>3.50</td> </tr> <tr style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(255, 204, 0); font-weight: bold;"> <td colspan="14"> Note: Steelers' cumulative grade point average through Week 2 is graded
on a 4.0 scale
</td></tr></tbody></table>

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Steelers and Browns 9/14/08

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Steelers and Browns 9/14/08

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