Browns at Steelers(-9.5)

[BuckNutty]

How does Joe Thomas look? Better NFLer than Robert Gallery I hope.

Haven't seen every Cleveland game but I believe during the Seahawks game last week they said Thomas hadn't given up a sack all year. He's looked like a worthy top 5 NFL draft pick every time I've seen him.

 

[billmac91]

Browns took one in the ass today.......refs swallow their whistle all day on holding, yet give Dinkins a holding call that puts us on our own 33 instead of Pitt's 38

How does Big Ben score a 20 yard touchdown run? Defensive end gets horse collared thats how. How does Pittsburgh covert 3rd and 9 inside our 20? Same offensive tackle horse collars again. We're talking about an OT completely beat who reaches for a handful of shoulder pad underneath the jersey in both instances. Both times our players got off the ground asking for a flag, both times denied. How does that happen?

I wouldn't be nearly as pissed if it weren't for the fact that Dinkins got snagged on a questionable holding penalty. Either swallow the whistle or don't, just don't let Pitt get away with that shit the whole second half only to throw it in the most important part of the game.

As a sidebar, is Willie McGinnist the slowest OLB in the NFL? Dude looked fatigued, slow, and got beat more than several times today

 

[LitlBuck]

Couple thoughts:

I would like to know how many penalties have been called Dinkens (#87) since the beginning of the season on special teams alone. I'm pretty sure I would need both hands to count them.

On Lewis's fumble, I wondered when the refs were going to blow that play dead. The pile must have moved 5 yards before the fumble occurred. That fumble was probably the turning point of the game.

I do not blame Dawson for the missed FG. If he was kicking into a breeze that kick probably would have been good. It was dead on.

Finally and probably most controversial is that while DA throws the long ball very nicely, he seems to have problems throwing the 5-10 yard routes accurately. Even though I am happy with the Brown's record, I would like B. Q. to see some action.

I think it is also time for Willie to see less playing time. He is reminding me of Washington and I think Romeo almost plays him because he thinks he owes him something for coming from New England. He whiffed on Ben a couple times and provides no pass rush at all.

Why would Romeo challenge that last call if he knew it was going to cost him two timeouts especially when every play is reviewed in the last five minutes. The chances of winning that review was slim, at best, and it might have cost the Browns the game.

 

[iambrutus]

Browns took one in the ass today.......refs swallow their whistle all day on holding, yet give Dinkins a holding call that puts us on our own 33 instead of Pitt's 38

How does Big Ben score a 20 yard touchdown run? Defensive end gets horse collared thats how. How does Pittsburgh covert 3rd and 9 inside our 20? Same offensive tackle horse collars again. We're talking about an OT completely beat who reaches for a handful of shoulder pad underneath the jersey in both instances. Both times our players got off the ground asking for a flag, both times denied. How does that happen?

I wouldn't be nearly as pissed if it weren't for the fact that Dinkins got snagged on a questionable holding penalty. Either swallow the whistle or don't, just don't let Pitt get away with that shit the whole second half only to throw it in the most important part of the game.

As a sidebar, is Willie McGinnist the slowest OLB in the NFL? Dude looked fatigued, slow, and got beat more than several times today

sour grapes?

 

[billmac91]

sour grapes?

Yeah, maybe. It's been a rough weekend. It doesn't excuse two obvious penalties not called, and a questionable holding call made that changed field position by close to 30 yards

The holding calls I pointed out are very obvious though...it isn't as though I just saw it and am bitching..both times, players got up off the ground waving their hands at the official looking for a call

One resulted in a long TD run, the other gave Pitt 1st and goal at the 5 and it was on a 3rd down

Whatever, as the saying goes, holding can be called on every play

I guess today, it was just on Cleveland

 

[kartaron]

You guys are looking at this the wrong way. The Browns just played the hardest game on the remainder of their schedule and Pit squeaked by. Every game left on the schedule looks like a potential or probable win. 10-6 looks like a distinct possibility.

 

[LitlBuck]

You guys are looking at this the wrong way. The Browns just played the hardest game on the remainder of their schedule and Pit squeaked by. Every game left on the schedule looks like a potential or probable win. 10-6 looks like a distinct possibility.

The problem was today the majority of our offense came from kickoff returns not from "normal" offense.

 

[kartaron]

The problem was today the majority of our offense came from kickoff returns not from "normal" offense.

Steelers #1 in total defense
Steelers #1 in pass defense
Steelers #1 in rush defense
Steelers #1 in scoring allowed

Not a coincidence it would be the Browns worst offensive performance since the Browns pulled Frye

Steelers #4 in scoring offense (behind the Browns, Cowboys and Pats)

 

[testudo]

You guys are looking at this the wrong way. The Browns just played the hardest game on the remainder of their schedule and Pit squeaked by. Every game left on the schedule looks like a potential or probable win. 10-6 looks like a distinct possibility.

We are talking about the browns right? It would not suprise me as a browns fan to see them go out and play below .500 football the rest of the year.

 

[LitlBuck]

Steelers #1 in total defense
Steelers #1 in pass defense
Steelers #1 in rush defense
Steelers #1 in scoring allowed
Steelers #4 in scoring offense (behind the Browns, Cowboys and Pats)

I was looking for a measuring stick for our offense today against the best defense in the NFL and all I doubt was kickoff returns. That's not showing signs of improvement to me. Our wins before this were not exactly against what you would call top caliber teams.

Supposedly we had one of the best offenses in the NFL and it went nowhere today.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

Anderson continues to worry me... Inconsistent to say the least... How can you not complete 5 yard passes ... again... and again...

I love Willie McGinest... but I have seen turtles faster... poor guy is done...

Where has Wimbley gone? ever since the Vick incident it's like he's looking over his shoulder to see if he's the next one arrested in these dog cases

If Bentley ever comes back, I'd convert Fraley to NG... he's huge and I wonder how effective he'd be in there...

 

[NFBuck]

If Bentley ever comes back, I'd convert Fraley to NG... he's huge and I wonder how effective he'd be in there...

Can't be any worse than what's there now.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

My hind sight is always perfect...
but today would have been interesting to have Quinn in the second half...
He can complete 5 yard passes...

 

[kartaron]

I was looking for a measuring stick for our offense today against the best defense in the NFL and all I doubt was kickoff returns. That's not showing signs of improvement to me. Our wins before this were not exactly against what you would call top caliber teams.

Supposedly we had one of the best offenses in the NFL and it went nowhere today.

They had good numbers against NE, Baltimore and Seattle. Those are middling to very good Ds. I never said the Browns are winning the superrbowl. They may be good enough to make the playoffs though.

 

[buckiprof]

Browns first TD was a lengthy, time-consuming, drive where several 3rd downs were completed and it resulted in a TD. Personally, one of the most impressive drives I have seen all year! I wonder if a Steeler fan who watches every Steeler game could comment on how often that has been done to that defense this year.

Defensively, I thought the Browns did a pretty good job against the run (except for the QB scrambles). Look, we all know that the Browns defense is last in the league, but Parker did not run all over them. Again, I thought the Browns did one of the better jobs today defensing the run than they have all season (except for QB scrambles).

Did the Browns end the day with 4 sacks? Last I knew they had 4 sacks. First 8 games this year a total of 7 sacks and 4 today?!? Again, the Browns have the statistically worst defense in the league, so I guess they surpassed my sack total expectations.

Browns converted 2 short field situations in the 1st half into TD's. That I do expect from this offense. I didn't expect the Browns to continually march down the field like they did on the opening drive...Steelers defense is too good for that to happen.

Give Pittsburgh much credit for making adjustments at halftime. Lewis's fumble was huge. I knew that Pittsburgh would convert that into a TD and pull within 6 points. Unfortunately, that is where the Browns offense needed to come out and get a couple of first downs, not necessarily score, to stem the momentum swing. Instead, we saw what I believe was a somewhat "defensive" offense, some lack of confidence if you will, that was sidetracked then for most of the 2nd half.

Today was a big game for the Browns. Not so much as a must win game, more of a game to show them that they are contenders. A game upon which to build. I am not saying they will win out nor am I saying that they will make the playoffs. I do believe that today's game is one that will make them a better team in the long run.