Reeling Steelers visit winless Browns
Memorable series moment
Browns 13, Steelers 6
Dec. 10, 2009 at Cleveland Browns Stadium
With the Steelers riding a four-game losing streak into winless Cleveland for a game on the blustery lakefront, it无毛视频檚 time to take another look at one of the worst losses of the Mike Tomlin era. On this Thursday night, the 6-6 Steelers 无毛视频� minus Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith 无毛视频� hoped to break a four-game losing streak against the 1-11 Browns. Ben Roethlisberger didn无毛视频檛 come out to warm up in the 48-mph gusts that caused a wind chill of -6 that night. Even then, OC Bruce Arians drew up a pass-first game plan that had Roethlisberger completing 18 of 32 passes and taking eight sacks, five of which came on third downs. The run-centric Browns kicked a couple of field goals, and after a fumbled punt return was negated by a holding call on Tyrone Carter they scored the game无毛视频檚 only touchdown to take a 13-0 lead late in the half. All the Steelers could muster were two Jeff Reed field goals in losing their fifth straight and falling to 6-7.
Tale of the tape
无毛视频淭wo Browns interest me. Danny Shelton无毛视频檚 a three-down nose tackle who is really fun to watch. He无毛视频檚 like a pachyderm. He无毛视频檚 armor-plated. He无毛视频檚 strong, has great feet and excellent power to take on the double-team or beat a center one-on-one on a pass rush. He reminds me of some of the guys in Baltimore who the Steelers无毛视频� inner three had problems with. Jamie Collins is also interesting. In between playing inside linebacker, outside linebacker and the stack, he无毛视频檚 a good pass-rusher. He looks like he无毛视频檚 feeling his way into this (since being traded by New England). But I saw that smirk on his face on 无毛视频Center when something not-so-good happened to Cleveland. He kind of laughed, and I had to think (Bill) Belichick got rid of him for a reason other than the contract. Be interesting to see what he comes up with.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Steelers Radio analyst Craig Wolfley.
Top question
Can the Steelers take the ball away?
The Browns are second in the NFL in interceptions thrown (11), fumbles (8) and sacks allowed (30). The Steelers, though, have taken the ball away only 10 times this season and are tied for last in the NFL with only 13 sacks. Pressure on the quarterback results in turnovers, so the Steelers need to get 无毛视频渉ome无毛视频� with James Harrison and Anthony Chickillo as the defense无毛视频檚 fourth different set of edge-rushing bookends this season. The two have a combined 4.5 sacks this season. Harrison is a half-sack away from tying Jason Gildon无毛视频檚 all-time team record of 77 sacks and Chickillo is a half-sack away from tying the injured Cameron Heyward for the team lead with three.
Game breakdown
What to look for from the Steelers at 1 p.m. today at FirstEnergy Stadium:
ON OFFENSE: The weather forecast in Cleveland calls for a high of 39 with 26-mph winds gusting to 38 mph. And it无毛视频檚 usually worse there on the lake. Ben Roethlisberger said the key to throwing the ball in the wind is 无毛视频淪pinning it. You无毛视频檝e got to spin the ball. And I无毛视频檓 not a guy who, when I throw it, spins it a lot. So I无毛视频檒l wear a glove this week in practice because if there无毛视频檚 going to be 30-mph wind, I无毛视频檓 going to have to wear a glove on Sunday.无毛视频� Roethlisberger has a history of playing well in poor weather, but do Cobi Hamilton, Eli Rogers and the tight ends? The Browns allow a wretched 12.7 yards per completion, and Steelers fans thought their defense couldn无毛视频檛 tackle the catch (11.6 ypc).
ON DEFENSE: In the 3.5 games the Steelers either played without Cameron Heyward or played with him using only one good arm, the Steelers allowed 27 points per game, 5.2 yards per carry and averaged 1.1 sacks per game. With Heyward, they allowed 20 points per game, 3.6 yards per carry and averaged 1.6 sacks per game. He will, of course, be a big loss for a defense that 无毛视频� at 4.32 yards allowed per carry 无毛视频� is on pace to surprass the 2013-14 seasons (4.31 combined), and the 1999 season (4.34) as the worst rushing defenses since the merger.
Prediction
The good news concerning the loss of Heyward is that the Browns have one of the worst left guards 无毛视频� Spencer Drango 无毛视频� in the NFL. He teams with one of the worst centers 无毛视频� Cameron Erving 无毛视频� while Browns left tackle Joe Thomas has been struggling with a bad knee. Browns WR Terrell Pryor will no doubt fulfill his promise of making a great play against the Steelers, but Ben Roethlisberger should outplay the popgun-armed rookie QB of the Browns, Cody Kessler, in the gusting winds. Steelers, 27-17.
Downloads
无毛视频� In his seven starts against the Browns, Antonio Brown has averaged 7 receptions for 114 yards. He needs five receptions for 600 in his career and 76 receiving yards for 8,000. So if Brown turns in his typical performance, he无毛视频檒l join Hines Ward as the only members of the Steelers无毛视频� 600-8,000 club.
无毛视频� With Markus Wheaton on Injured Reserve, the juggling for offensive coordinator Todd Haley continues. Haley said he无毛视频檚 never seen 无毛视频渢his many receivers in and out of the lineup无毛视频� in his coaching career. Yet, through nine games, the group opposite Brown has 58 receptions for 935 yards and 8 touchdowns. Last year无毛视频檚 group of WRs opposite Brown had 49 receptions for 753 yards and 7 touchdowns at the same point, and that was with Ben Roethlisberger missing four of the nine games.
无毛视频� Fullback Roosevelt Nix has played only eight offensive snaps all season, but Roethlisberger raved about one of Nix无毛视频檚 two snaps last Sunday against the Cowboys: 无毛视频淗e, in my opinion, helped get Le无毛视频橵eon (Bell) in the end zone more than anybody. He cleared out that hole, Le无毛视频橵eon split it. So we无毛视频檒l continue to use him as we see fit and I think we无毛视频檒l even use him more in the pass game because he无毛视频檚 a really good receiver as well.无毛视频�
无毛视频� DC Keith Butler on what he expects from the activated OLB Bud Dupree today: 无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 a double-whammy here now. This is his second year in the league. This is not his fifth year or sixth year in league where he can come back and automatically know everything that无毛视频檚 going on. So he无毛视频檚 still in a learning situation and he无毛视频檚 still trying to get back healthy. So we无毛视频檒l have to see if we go with him.无毛视频�
无毛视频� Sean Davis worked this week as the first-team strong safety and expects to replace Rob Golden in the starting lineup today. Said Butler: 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 got a lot of talent and he无毛视频檚 still learning. We无毛视频檙e trying to keep him in situations where we don无毛视频檛 ask too much of him in terms of the game, mentally. We无毛视频檙e not dumbing down things or anything like that, but we do want to give him a chance to be successful at what we ask him to.无毛视频�
Parting shot
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not really focused on reps or opportunities. I无毛视频檓 just focused on getting this win.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Ricardo Mathews, one of the DL replacing Heyward.