Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

BROWNS SCOUTING REPORT

Steelers at Browns
Kickoff: 1 today, Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Records: Both teams are 3-6.
Broadcast: WOIO (Channel 19); WMMS (100.7-FM), WHBC (1480-AM), WONE (97.5-FM), WQKT (104.5-FM).
Injury report: Browns -- CB Leigh Bodden (ankle) is out. KR Joshua Cribbs (thumb), RB Reuben Droughns (foot), S Justin Hamilton (ankle), LB Willie McGinest (ankle), CB Jereme Perry (ankle), TE Kellen Winslow (knee), LB Leon Williams (ankle) are questionable. QB Charlie Frye (wrist) is probable. Steelers-- WR Willie Reid (foot) is out. LB James Harrison (ankle), C Jeff Hartings (knee), FB Dan Kreider (hip), S Troy Polamalu (concussion), CB Deshea Townsend (ankle), LB Clint Kriewaldt (back), WR Sean Morey (toe), C Chukky Okobi (calf) are probable.
Key stat: 52 -- The number of games the Browns have played since they won two games in a row.
Matchup to watch: Browns C Hank Fraley vs. NT Casey Hampton. The Browns signed LeCharles Bentley to block Hampton, then lost the center for the season in training camp. Fraley steps in with a big task in front of him, literally and figuratively.
The Browns win if . . . : The Steelers continue to turn the ball over and the Browns don't. Turnovers are the reason the Steelers are losing this season.
McManamon's pick: The Browns had a nice win against the Atlanta Falcons, but the Steelers own them. The Steelers are 3-6 but are the defending Super Bowl champions and drubbed the Browns badly on Christmas Eve. Until the Browns win one, it's impossible to pick them to win one. Steelers 30-21.

-- Patrick McManamon​

​

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Now it?s time to get physical
Sunday, November 19, 2006
By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER


CLEVELAND The Steelers are bullies. The Browns aim to punch out their dimples today.
?They?re gonna see (today), man. We?re very physical,? linebacker Andra Davis said. ?We?ve been playing physical all year. I mean, they ain?t intimidating us.?
On Christmas Eve, the Browns got bashed on the head with a 22-ton lump of Pennsylvania anthracite. Eleven months later, a 41-0 loss is fuel.
?They say those who don?t study history are doomed to repeat it,? tackle Ryan Tucker said. ?That last time we played ?em, it couldn?t get any worse. We did everything wrong.
?We have a whole new team. You can?t even compare it. The line is different. The continuity is totally different. The quarterback?s older.
?(Kellen) Winslow?s back. Braylon (Edwards) is back. New outlook. New play caller.?
Enough toughness?
?You can ask any team we?ve played,? Tucker said. ?We?re a physical football team. We take people out.
?We have big hitters on defense. We have a really aggressive offense. I mean, there?s nobody that comes in saying we are trick-play, finesse guys.?
You never know what the mouths of Monongahela might say, such as a chatty linebacker who sacked Charlie Frye three times last Dec. 24.
?If you tape Joey Porter?s mouth shut ...? Tucker said, not letting the rest of the thought pass his lips.
Porter and the Steelers have a reputation for being tough.
?What does that mean, being tough?? Browns defensive end Alvin McKinley said. ?I?m asking you.?
Hitting harder than the other guys, maybe?
?That?s more scheme,? McKinley said. ?That ain?t tough. Tough comes from within you.?
On Dec. 24, the Steelers smacked the Browns silly. But that game didn?t include Ted Washington?s grunt, Willie McGinest?s scowl, Sean Jones? pop, D?Qwell Jackson?s vinegar ... and no one is saying the Browns? brightest newcomer, Kamerion Wimbley, is wimpy.
The Browns had an undersized, inexperienced injury replacement, Mike Pucillo, at center then. Now, they have Hank Fraley, a fixture with Philadelphia teams that kept reaching the NFC finals.
Fraley admits the Steelers have a certain aura.
?I first came out with the Steelers,? said Fraley, an undrafted rookie in Pittsburgh?s 2000 training camp who was cut and claimed by the Eagles. ?They pride themselves on defense. The Steel Curtain. ... Watch their offense, too. The line, the receivers. ... They pride themselves on being physical and intimidating.
?Look at our games this year. ... We?ve taken everybody?s punches, and we?ve punched back. I think teams have felt our punches.?
Who knows what Frye felt Christmas Day after getting sacked eight times by Pittsburgh. That was his fourth NFL start. This is his 15th.
?I think we?re more mentally tough,? Frye said. ?I think that comes from experience.?
Are the Browns tough? Certainly, times are tough.
Frye is 0-4 against Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, including 0-3 in college.
The Browns haven?t had a winning streak since 2003, when they beat the Steelers and Raiders in October.
They?re 0-5 against Pittsburgh since. They haven?t beaten the Steelers in Cleveland since 2000.
Since losing to the Steelers, 36-33, in a Jan. 5, 2003, playoff game, the Browns are 18-38.
But for one shining Sunday, they can have the satisfaction of standing up to the Steelers.
?They have three wins this year,? Tucker said. ?We have three wins. We?ve been just as successful as they?ve been without the barking.?
Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[Cornerback6]

A Browns win today would just be the icing on my weekend. Let's go Brownies!

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

TheMorningJournal

Rivalry still runs deep, hype or not
JEFF SCHUDEL, Morning Journal Writer
11/19/2006


CLEVELAND -- Peal away all the braggadocio coming out of both locker rooms, Romeo Crennel's look of exasperation and Bill Cowher's scowl, all the orange flags and all the Terrible Towels, and what remains today is Browns vs. Steelers on a gray November afternoon in Cleveland.


It could be Joe ''Turkey'' Jones planting Terry Bradshaw in the Municipal Stadium sod or Jack Lambert trying to cut Brian Sipe in half. The actors change, but the script is always the same when the Browns and Steelers play.

''I first started playing and coaching there,'' Cowher, in his 15th year coaching the Steelers, said during a conference call. ''It's a city a lot like Pittsburgh. There's a lot of passion and pride in the football teams. This is a rivalry that has stood the test of time.

''We're walking into a hostile environment and that excitement will be in this game. I think too much has been made of last year. We don't want to live in the past. We know it's going to be a big challenge and very hostile when we come in there (today).''

The ''last year'' reference was to the Steelers pasting the Browns, 41-0, on Christmas Eve. But it also could have been a reference to the Steelers winning the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XL will be remembered as the game determined by controversial calls by officials, but in the end the Steelers are still champions, as Joe Jurevicius said Thursday.

Much has happened to the Steelers since beating Seattle 21-10 for their fifth Super Bowl championship. Running back Jerome Bettis retired, wide receiver Antwaan Randle El signed with the Redskins in free agency and defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen signed with the Jets in free agency.

All teams have to contend with free agency. The Steelers have that and more to deal with.

Rumors persist Cowher will walk away after this season. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger escaped with his life in a motorcycle accident in June and he needed an emergency appendectomy in July. He was knocked out of a game with a concussion last month, and though he did not miss any time because of it, he was not sharp in the next game.

On top of all that, the Steelers are fighting through a Super Bowl hangover. It's something Browns coach Romeo Crennel experienced after the Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2001.

''In 2001, we were a team that wasn't expected to do anything,'' Crennel said. ''We won the Super Bowl and then in 2002, we were the champs and everyone was ready for us. We weren't ready for those shots that came.

''We didn't make the playoffs. We came back refocused and re-energized and were able to do it back-to-back after that.''

The Browns and Steelers are 3-6. The game today is huge for both teams. The Browns believe they will gain respect and erase the Christmas Eve loss if they win. The Steelers believe they can stay in the playoff race, but they have the attitude they cannot slip.

The accumulative affect of the concussion, appendectomy and concussion has made Roethlisberger a different quarterback. He managed games his first two years. He has had to win them this season and has failed. He has thrown 14 interceptions.

Much has been written about how Charlie Frye has struggled in the fourth quarter. He is ranked 32nd in the NFL with a 56.3 fourth quarter passer rating -- up about 14 points from two weeks ago.

Roethlisberger has been awful in the fourth quarter. He is ranked 36th. He has only one touchdown pass and has thrown seven interceptions in the fourth period.

''A lot of the scrutiny was there,'' Cowher said of Roethlisberger. ''After he got done with one thing, another popped up.

''I do believe that through the course of the last few weeks, he's getting back into the flow of things. I think he's performed well. (Turnovers) is an ongoing thing with our football team, not just with Ben. We've had fumbles on punt returns and with our running backs. The turnover bug is something that we've had a hard time overcoming this year.''

Cowher started making a name for himself 21 years ago as a rookie special teams coach with the Browns. He could have been the Browns head coach in 1991, but Art Modell was trying to recover from the Bud Carson disaster of 3-13 in 1990, a year in which the Browns allowed 462 points. Modell hired Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick instead, dismissing Cowher as not yet ready to be a head coach. The Steelers hired Cowher a year later.

Now, the thinking goes, Cowher might be the Browns head coach in 2008. According to a television report, Browns owner Randy Lerner is enamored with Cowher.

Cowher is under contract with the Steelers for 2007. People close to him expect him to retire after this season, settle in North Carolina and watch his daughters play basketball. Then, the theory goes, Cowher would come out of retirement after one year and take over the Browns. That would mean Crennel had failed.

''I'd say the odds of Bill Cowher coaching the Browns are 10 to 1 against,'' said Ed Bouchette, a reporter who has covered the Steelers for 22 years for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Cowher's response was canned during the conference call when asked about coaching another team in the future.

''I talked about all of that in the off-season and my focus right now is really on this game and this year,'' he said. ''I haven't even really thought about that. I really don't speculate on those things.''

So which team is under more pressure today? It depends on one's definition of pressure.

Tim Couch is the only Browns quarterback to beat Pittsburgh in the expansion era. He did it in 1999, 2000 and 2003. The Steelers have won 11 of the last 12 games in the Turnpike Rivalry. The Browns want to rid themselves of the hex the Steelers have on them. That is certainly pressure.

The Steelers are four games behind Baltimore in the AFC North, but only two games behind the Jets, Chiefs and Jaguars, all 5-4, for the second wildcard spot. Cincinnati, 4-5, is the only other team ahead of them.

The Steelers believe they can still make the playoffs, but they know they cannot slip again. That is pressure, too.

[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

DEFEATED, DEJECTED

Browns glum after win gets away

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

Bob DeMay/Akron Beacon Journal
Browns receivers Joe Jurevicius (from left), Joshua Cribbs and Braylon Edwards look bewildered after a 24-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
More photos

CLEVELAND - The Browns continue to find new ways to define gut-wrenching.
Sunday in Cleveland Stadium, it went like this: Lead Pittsburgh 10-0 in the second quarter, 10-3 at the end of the third quarter and 20-10 with 9:21 left.
Then let the Steelers score two touchdowns in the game's final 4:24, the last on a Ben Roethlisberger flip with 32 seconds left.
What seemed like an uplifting win turned into one more difficult defeat.
And this one cut deep. The Browns thought they had taken a step to erasing the Christmas Eve debacle from last season. Instead they were left to describe the indescribable.
``Devastating,'' Joshua Cribbs said.
``I'm speechless,'' tight end Kellen Winslow said.
``We wanted to win this game so bad,'' quarterback Charlie Frye said. ``A lot of emotion went into this game.''
Mainly because of the 41-0 loss last season.
But the 24-20 Pittsburgh win meant the Steelers were left to chatter. Again.
``If you talk and lose, you're still losers,'' linebacker Joey Porter said. ``They talk like they're a different team, but in reality they're not.''
For the first three periods, the Browns bottled up the Steelers and Roethlisberger. The defense intercepted him three times and held him to 48 yards passing.
In the fourth period, Roethlisberger took over, completing 18-of-29 for 229 yards with two touchdowns.
Roethlisberger's play led to inexplicable dominance by the Steelers in the final quarter, as Pittsburgh ran 37 plays and had 19 first downs.
Most of the time, the Steelers went from the shotgun with a spread formation. Roethlisberger would drop back, look, avoid the rush and complete a pass.
Both his touchdowns came on broken plays.
The first time, he ran right, threw across his body and found Santonio Holmes for a 20-yard score.
The second time, he was avoiding Kamerion Wimbley when he flipped the ball to Willie Parker for the game winner.
The Browns got a 92-yard kickoff return from Cribbs in the fourth period, but that didn't faze the Steelers, who just kept right on spreading the field and completing passes.
The one Browns possession midway through the period was three-and-out, and took 1:04 off the clock.
``They had all the breaks, all the bounces,'' Porter said. ``But when it was nail-biting time and you've got to make plays, who made them?''
And who made the big mistakes?
Phil Dawson missed a field goal.
Simon Fraser was penalized for blocking Roethlisberger illegally after an interception, meaning the Browns' return inside the Steelers 10 late in the half was negated.
The Browns allowed Roethlisberger to somehow find Holmes for 21 yards on third-and-20.
Wimbley was penalized for a face-mask violation on a sack.
And Nick Eason inexplicably backed off from sacking Roethlisberger because he thought the ball had been thrown.
``That would have been a sack, and they probably would have kicked a field goal,'' Browns coach Romeo Crennel said.
``In this league, they protect the quarterback too much,'' Eason said. ``When I saw his (pump fake), I was trying to not shove him off. I know when you push off of him, they call the penalty. Obviously, he still had the ball. Next time I'll hold on.
``But they've been trying to protect the quarterback so much in this today. Next time I'll run through him.''
Instead of a sack, Roethlisberger threw the ball away, and the Steelers went on to a Willie Parker one-yard touchdown run. On that 17-play drive, Eason backed off the sack, and the Browns were penalized three times on defense.
On the Steelers' final drive, the Browns used their second timeout after a Pittsburgh timeout. Crennel said the defense was tired and need the timeout.
But it meant that when the Browns took over at their 43, they had one timeout and 27 seconds to work with.
Frye moved the Browns to the Pittsburgh 22, but his last-gasp throw to Braylon Edwards was tipped by Troy Polamalu.
Edwards got his hands on it, but the officials said Edwards was out of bounds when he touched the ball, and the pass would have been incomplete.
``I was just putting it up there to give Braylon and Joe (Jurevicius) a shot at it,'' Frye said.
Teeth will be gnashed over that play, but the Browns might look back to the first half, when they missed chances and kept the Steelers in the game.
A Frye fumble on a sack ended the Browns first drive at Pittsburgh's 33. Dawson's 44-yard field goal hit the crossbar. A drive to the Steelers' 9 ended with a field goal, not a touchdown. And Fraser's penalty cost the Browns field position inside the 10.
The offense scored no touchdowns: the Browns' touchdowns came from Cribbs and cornerback Daven Holly, who returned an interception 57 yards in the first period.
``We had our spurts like we always do,'' Frye said. ``We look real good at times. We don't look real good at times.''
Measuring the bitterness of the defeat was nearly impossible in the Browns' locker room.
``We should have beat them,'' Holly said. ``Handily.''
``We wanted to beat these guys as badly as we possibly could have,'' linebacker Andra Davis said, referring to 41-0.
``All the work you put in,'' Frye said. ``All the time you spend watching film, practicing.
``You want to see the reward of it.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

4th quarter shows what Browns lack

By Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND - Nineteen first downs in the fourth quarter.
That's why the Browns lost 24-20 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
The Steelers racked up 19 first downs in the final 14 minutes of the game. At one point, they had run 37 plays to three for the Browns.
All that in the fourth quarter.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 224 yards.
All that in the fourth quarter, too.
You don't beat the Steelers that way, even if you are at home.
``The fans were crazy; it was awesome,'' quarterback Charlie Frye said.
But when it was over, they were ready to cry.
Not because the Browns remain the same team that lost 41-0 to the Steelers last Christmas Eve. Just the opposite. The Browns are better, the Steelers are worse. Both teams came into this dreary Sunday with 3-6 records matching the relentless rain and a 38-degree temperature -- perfect for catching the flu.
To the fans, it also was a chance to go home with a dose of Browns fever because their team could have won this game.
Just a little offense at the end would have done it.
The Browns lost because they had the ball with 4:14 left on their 41-yard line -- great field position -- and a 20-17 lead.
Just get a couple of first downs, kick a field goal, put the game away.
Instead, it was three-and-out.
Frye was sacked, followed by a run for two yards and an incomplete pass -- then, the punt.
After the game, Steelers coach Bill Cowher told Frye: ``You've made great strides; keep working hard.''
Browns coach Romeo Crennel praised Frye for not throwing an interception for the second game in a row.
Clutch gains lacking
All those comments are true, but somehow, Frye has to make the plays to give his defense some rest in those final, frenzied moments. The Browns' offense has gained a legitimate sense of direction under new coordinator Jeff Davidson. But the next step after being organized is to develop some strategies to gain those tough, clutch yards.
They don't have them yet. Remember, the Browns scored two touchdowns, but one was on Devan Holly's interception, the other on a stunning 92-yard kickoff return by Joshua Cribbs.
The offense has only five touchdowns in the past four games.
The Browns signed veteran, sure-handed receiver Joe Jurevicius for these situations, but he's caught only six passes (for 96 yards) in those four games.
It would be an improvement to say he's an afterthought in the offense. The man who caught 10 touchdown passes a year ago for a Super Bowl team in Seattle is neglected, and there's no reason given for this.
Davidson needs to dig a little deeper in the playbook. The Browns threw only one pass to Kellen Winslow (incomplete) in the first half. They thought Braylon Edwards could have a big day (he did with seven catches for 137 yards), but it can't be all-Braylon, all-the-time.
Not when Winslow and Jurevicius both have better hands.
No pass rush late
The defense also deserves some blame. Yes, they were on the field long enough to collapse from fatigue. But the coaches should ask themselves why that happened.
This is painful for the Browns to admit, but when they examine the game films, they should see that they were checkmated by Cowher.
The Steelers went to the hurry-up, no-huddle offense in that final quarter. The Browns -- who had been consistently pressuring Roethlisberger -- suddenly couldn't come within screaming distance of the quarterback.
Many of the plays reminded you of those touch-football games played by kids, where the quarterback can stand behind the line and no one is allowed to rush until counting to 5-Mississippi.
In the final quarter, Roethlisberger was 18-of-29 passing! That's more passes than Frye (27) threw in the entire game.
At some point, why not blitz? Send three more guys? Do something different?
The Browns defense wasn't just tired; it was passive. Other than rookie Kamerion Wimbley, there seldom was a Browns defender in the same zip code as Roethlisberger in that final quarter.
In the final quarter, there was a sense that the Browns weren't sure if they were ready to win. Then, they committed that mortal football sin -- they began to play praying not to lose.
That prayer is seldom answered.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

His highs pale vs. team lows

Browns receiver has best numbers ever, but hurts with rest of team

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - His numbers were no consolation for Braylon Edwards.
The Browns' second-year wide receiver didn't get out of the locker room in Atlanta a week ago before he started talking brazenly about avenging the Browns' 41-0 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last Christmas Eve. He missed that embarrassment with a knee injury.
``This is not a situation where they say the past is the past. No. The hell with that,'' Edwards said after beating the Falcons. ``We're coming after their (butt). You don't beat somebody 41-0 at their own house. We're coming for the Steelers. Point-blank, period.''
On Sunday in Cleveland Browns Stadium, Edwards had career-highs with seven receptions for 137 yards and had a shot at a Hail Mary pass on the final play. But the Browns blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and fell 24-20 to the Steelers.
Asked if he thought the Browns earned the Steelers' respect after last year's blowout, Edwards said, ``I could care less about the Steelers. I don't care about us getting their respect or whatever.
``I've never been hurt after a loss and this hurts. There's no more you can say about it. We're hurting.''
Steelers linebacker Joey Porter didn't think Edwards backed up his braggadoccio.
``You have to win to back it up,'' Porter said. ``You can go out there and talk, if you lose, your answers don't mean nothing. Personally, he had a good game, but they lost.''
Edwards' big day included a 63-yard reception on third-and-13 in the second quarter that set up a Phil Dawson field goal. He was part of the game plan from the start, with four Charlie Frye passes thrown his way on the first two drives, along with a reverse that lost eight yards.
Porter might have felt differently if Edwards had come down with Frye's last-gasp attempt with three seconds remaining from the Pittsburgh 22. Frye lobbed the ball to the left corner of the end zone. Edwards battled with Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and they both had their hands near the ball as it was tipped. Edwards had another chance, but a league spokesman said it would have been ruled an incompletion because Edwards was out of bounds.
``I came real close,'' Edwards said. ``Charlie threw a nice ball. I tried to tip it back so it didn't go out of bounds. I tipped it, Joe (Jurevicius) might have touched it, somebody else touched it. I had another chance at it. It got knocked out of bounds at the last second.''
Asked if he thought he was in bounds on his second try at it, Edwards said, ``I think I was. I didn't look down because I didn't catch it. I was concentrating on trying to catch the ball. I didn't care about my feet.''
Edwards was also the target of a Hail Mary at the end of the first half on a Frye throw from the Steeler 37.
Asked if he had a shot at that one, Edwards said, ``Sorta, kinda, not really. I had a chance, but you know how those things get down there, people hold hands and all that.''
Although the Browns offense stalled in the second half, Edwards was still proud of their effort.
``We gave everything we had,'' he said. ``This is definitely a loss where I can finally say we put four quarters together. We didn't put up any points offensively, we put together one or two drives, but we played our hearts out. I'm proud of my teammates, I'm proud of myself and proud of the way we played. We grew as a team today in all facets.
``I guarantee if we play the Cincinnati Bengals like we played today, we'll win. Or the Kansas City Chiefs or whoever the hell else. We played hard today.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Notebook

Winslow's chatter fires up Porter

Tight end not afraid of Steelers linebacker

By Patrick McManamon and Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriters

CLEVELAND - Kellen Winslow wanted to send a message, and he did so before the Browns-Steelers game Sunday.
``Sometimes,'' Winslow said, ``you got to face the bully.''
Winslow did when he started jabbering at Steelers linebacker Joey Porter during warm-ups. Porter, never shy, jabbered right back.
``It's all love,'' Winslow said. ``Sometimes you got to face the bully.... You got to step up to the challenge and know that you're not scared of him. They beat us 41-zip last year and I damn sure wasn't having that.''
Porter seemed to enjoy the give-and-take.
``I said, `Whoa, who was that? I don't know him,' '' Porter said. ``But it's good. It got my rage going. I need that.
``I know I got my huckleberry now. I don't need to look for one the next time we play Cleveland. All I have to do next time is look for No. 80.''
Often when the Browns defense had a successful play, the defender mimicked Porter's leg-kick action. Clearly the Browns wanted to quiet Porter.
Winslow even threw Porter off him during a run after a catch.
``I was losing my footing,'' Porter said. ``I know it's going to be a highlight for him. He'll appreciate that. That's good though because I get to see him again.
``I don't like that. I don't like that a bit.''
``He got me a couple times, too,'' Winslow said. ``He's a great player. I love facing people like that because it makes you better.''
In the locker room, Porter said if a team talks and loses, it's still a losing team.
The Browns have now lost six in a row to the Steelers, and 12 of their past 13. The last time the Browns beat the Steelers was October of 2003, which was also the last time they won two in a row.
``I think both guys really sparked the rivalry today,'' Browns quarterback Charlie Frye said. ``(They) got everybody's blood going.''
Bad block
Simon Fraser attributed his penalty for an illegal block to the NFL's attempts to protect the quarterbacks.
Fraser was flagged for twice knocking Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to the ground during an interception return.
They were 30 yards away from the play on Fraser's second hit.
``He got up and I didn't know where the ball was and I blocked him again,'' Fraser said. ``He kind of dove to the ground. Exaggerated.''
The penalty wiped out a return that would have given the Browns the ball near Pittsburgh's 5-yard line.
Wright time
Reuben Droughns was inactive with a foot injury and second-year running back Jason Wright made the first start of his career.
Wright set career-highs with 18 carries for 74 yards (4.1 average) and also caught one pass for six yards. But he lost a fumble after an 8-yard gain in the third quarter that set up a Jeff Reed field goal for the Steelers' first score.
``The thing I need to focus on is not putting the ball on the ground,'' Wright said. ``I need to squeeze the ball.''
Wright said the intensity he showed was nothing unusual.
``People laugh because I always practice like that,'' he said. ``They call me `Running Machine' because I'm always going 100 mph.''
Winslow said, ``We did a great job running the ball with Jason Wright. I wanted us to run the ball more.''
Holmes makes mark
Steelers first-round draft choice Santonio Holmes of Ohio State caught the first touchdown pass of his career, a 20-yarder in the fourth quarter, and finished with five catches for 75 yards. His biggest might have been a 21-yarder on third-and-20 on the same scoring drive.
``I guess he was motivated by the Ohio State win,'' Roethlisberger said. ``It's good to get him on the board. I think it will do wonders for his confidence. I'm getting more confident in him every week.''
Brownies . . .
Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley brought down Roethlisberger in the first quarter, giving him 6 ? sacks this season. That broke the Browns rookie record of six set by Michael Dean Perry in 1988.... The Browns' first-half shutout was the first time they had held the rival scoreless in a half since the franchise's return in 1999.... Defensive back Daven Holly's 57-yard interception return for a touchdown was the first interception of his career and the Browns' first defensive touchdown at home since Anthony Henry returned an interception 97 yards Dec. 16, 2001.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Steelers QB has struggle, but gets job done

By George M. Thomas

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - Despite struggling against the Cleveland Browns in the first half -- as he has for much of this season -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger showed Sunday why he has remained entrenched as the starter.
In a game that the Browns led until the Steelers scored a touchdown to take the lead with 32 seconds remaining, Roethlisberger shook off his putrid start to lead the Steelers to a 24-20 victory.
By the end of the first half, Roethlisberger owned a minuscule QB rating of 6.4 on 4-of-11 passing with three interceptions as the Browns built a 10-0 lead.
For most of the first half, the Miami of Ohio alum looked confused, indecisive and out of sync. But it wasn't completely his fault. His receivers did him no favors by dropping passes or allowing them to bounce off their hands.
The first interception deflected off of wide receiver Santonio Holmes -- the rookie out of Ohio State -- into the waiting arms of Browns cornerback Daven Holly, who dashed 57 yards for a score. The next came courtesy of a hit by safety Sean Jones on a Steelers receiver that popped the ball into the air, where linebacker Willie McGinest gathered it in. The last glanced off the hands of Cedrick Wilson, again to Holly.
``The first half, we just couldn't get going, and that was my fault turning the ball over,'' Roethlisberger said. ``And the ball bounced in the air a couple of times.''
Despite the ball not bouncing the Steelers' way in the first half, Roethlisberger never thought that things were out of hand, even when his team was down.
``It wasn't going well early, but the funny thing about this game as compared to other games is you thought to yourself, `Here we going again.' But there was never a feeling of `We're in trouble,' '' he said. ``I never thought we were in trouble. I felt that we kept stopping ourselves.''
So what changed in the second half?
Coach Bill Cowher put it simply: Roethlisberger ``was a very determined young man. Ben made a lot of good plays out there, and we were fortunate to come out with a win.''
But the Steelers also shifted their offensive game plan, using the no-huddle offense more to spread the field and relying on crossing routes.
When Roethlisberger wasn't hitting his receivers on those pass plays, he played to one of his strengths -- elusiveness. On several occasions, he looked to be within reach of Browns pass rushers, only to escape and hit an open man.
``That's why I give those receivers a lot of credit, too, because when the quarterback is back there scrambling, they don't really know what's going on,'' Roethlisberger said. ``They can't go down the field. They can't hold. They can't block in the back. It's tiring.''
He finished the game with a 61.9 quarterback rating on 25-of-44 passes for 272 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
However, although he engineered two key drives -- one of 17 plays and 79 yards and the other of 11 plays and 77 yards -- he wouldn't take credit for turning his game around.
``The second half, we came out, and there was no quit in anybody, offensively, defensively, and I'm really proud of the way my offensive line played,'' he said.
It ``was a lot of fun. It was more nerve-wracking for me at the end of that game because they had the ball and there was nothing I could do. I'd rather have the ball in my hand.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Steelers continue to handle Browns
Monday, November 20, 2006
By STEVE DOERSCHUK


CLEVELAND Joey Porter has been running his yap since the Steelers stoned the Browns, 43-0, in Cleveland?s 1999 NFL comeback game.
Porter was jawing away after Pittsburgh put a 41-0 pounding on Cleveland on Dec. 24.
The Browns expected diarrhea of the mouth after the latest Pittsburgh win.
Cleveland players spoke confidently during the week and played with attitude Sunday, sometimes mocking Porter?s signature kick after a good hit.
After the Steelers? 24-20 win, Porter said, ?If you talk and lose, you?re still losers. They talk like a different team, but in reality they are not.
?They had all the breaks, all the bounces. But when it was nail-biting time and you?ve got to make plays, who made them??
Porter?s routine made the come-from-ahead defeat all the more bitter for some of the Browns? veterans. Fullback Terrelle Smith was one.
?Porter should show a little class,? Smith said. ?He?s a good player, but his act gets old.?
Smith said the Browns played with fire and toughness.
?It comes down to whether you win the game,? he said. ?We didn?t. That?s a big disappointment.
?You can talk about setting a tone for next year, but next year is always different. Five guys, 15 guys, however many guys, won?t even be here. I don?t know if I?ll be here.
?It isn?t about competing. It?s about winning. We need to win these.?
The Browns can?t beat Pittsburgh. Much.
They are 3-13 against the Steelers in the expansion era. They lost six straight to Pittsburgh before Tim Couch?s last hurrah, a 33-13 win at Pittsburgh in 2003. Now, they will head to Pittsburgh on Dec. 7 with another six-game skid against the arch-rival.
Do the Steelers have Cleveland?s number?
?I?ve been here five years, and I?m 5-0 in this building,? Pittsburgh linebacker Larry Foote said. ?So, that?s a yes.?
It was a no until Ben Roethlisberger ran away with his duel against fellow Ohioan Charlie Frye.
Frye passed for 224 yards in the game. After coughing up three interceptions in the first quarter, Roethlisberger threw for 224 yards in the fourth quarter.
?Frye can scramble to throw the ball,? Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. ?He and Big Ben are a little similar in that. (Frye) got better from last year to this year.?
Roethlisberger?s transformation between halves turned the game on its ear.
?I can?t say enough about Ben,? Steelers wideout Hines Ward said. ?He rose to the occasion and made the big play when it counted.?
Two late plays that defined the outcome:
Leading 20-17 with 3:18 left, on third-and-8 from his own 43, Frye had a chance to put the Steelers away. His pass was easily batted down at the line by Troy Polamalu.
Trailing 20-17 with 1:23 left, on third-and-6 from the Cleveland 23, Roethlisberger scrambled and fired an 8-yard strike to Santonio Holmes.
The game-winning touchdown pass came with 39 seconds left.
Despite trailing most of the day, some of the Steelers held on to the thought they have Cleveland?s number.
?Sometimes that does creep into your head,? Clark said.

Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Another bitter pill
Browns show improvement but allow 13-3 lead in fourth quarter to slip away

Monday, November 20, 2006

By James Walker THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> Browns players, from left, Joe Jurevicius, Joshua Cribbs and Braylon Edwards do some soul searching after another difficult defeat.


CLEVELAND ? It was nothing like the 41-point thrashing the Browns took at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Eve last year, but the loss yesterday was just as painful.
With 32 seconds remaining, running back Willie Parker?s 4-yard touchdown catch helped the Steelers overcome a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to steal a 24-20 victory before 73,296 fans in Browns Stadium.
Stunned would be the best way to describe the mood in the locker room after the Browns fell to 3-7. Reddened eyes welled, and a couple of players questioned what it?s going to take to turn their season around.
The Browns, who have lost 12 of 13 against Pittsburgh (4-6), hadn?t trailed, having frustrated the reigning Super Bowl champions until the fourth quarter, when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger began to click and led the Steelers to 21 points.
The Cleveland offense did not score a touchdown, but the Browns appeared on their way to victory with a 13-3 lead in the fourth quarter.
Even after Roethlisberger?s 20-yard touchdown pass to former Ohio State receiver Santonio Holmes cut the deficit to 13-10, the Browns seemed to be in control. Joshua Cribbs responded with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to restore a 10-point lead with 9:21 remaining.
"I want to cry right now," Cribbs said after the game. "It hurts because you know how hard we worked for this game. We prepared a lot. ? We?re crushed."
The Steelers? wide-open offense gave the tiring Browns problems in the fourth quarter. After holding the Steelers to three points in the first three quarters, Cleveland?s defense was on the field for 12 minutes and 2 seconds in the fourth quarter and gave up three touchdowns.
Roethlisberger, who threw three interceptions in the first half, picked apart the secondary with two touchdowns and 224 of his 272 passing yards in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland still had a chance to win with a last-second Hail Mary pass that tipped off the fingers of receiver Braylon Edwards three times before falling to the ground.
"I?ve never really been hurt after a loss," Edwards said, "but this hurts."
The Browns took an early lead on two field goals by Phil Dawson and cornerback Daven Holly?s 57-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Cleveland quarterback Charlie Frye played well with 224 yards and an 89.1 passer rating. Edwards caught seven passes for 137 yards, and backup running back Jason Wright rushed for 74 yards filling in for the injured Reuben Droughns.
The late collapse prevented the Browns from ending several streaks.
They have a six-game against Pittsburgh, have not beaten a division opponent this season and have not won two in a row since 2003.
The trash talk between these teams ended with another Pittsburgh victory, but the Browns think they have at least closed the gap with the defending Super Bowl champs.
"We were waiting on this game (all year)," Browns middle linebacker Andra Davis said. "We were ready to play. They won the game, but they respect us now. They know it?s not going to be easy anymore." [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BROWNS NOTEBOOK
Outcome dampens Holly?s big day

Monday, November 20, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




CLEVELAND ? Call it luck or being in the right place. Browns cornerback Daven Holly had two unusual interceptions yesterday.
Holly had the first two interceptions of his career off deflections from receivers in the Pittsburgh Steelers? 24-20 victory.
Holly took the first interception 57 yards to the end zone after a bad pass from Ben Roethlisberger bounced off the hands of Pittsburgh rookie receiver Santonio Holmes. Holly caught the ball in stride and went untouched the opposite way.
"I like to make plays," Holly said. "I?m trying my best to do it within this scheme and not trying to jump routes and do stuff like that. But when the ball is in my hands, I feel like I can take it home every time, and that?s what I try to do."
Holly?s second pick came after Pittsburgh?s Hines Ward bobbled the football and it popped into the air once he hit the ground. Holly returned that interception for 21 yards but was still disappointed after the game.
"Right now, I?m just trying to figure out what we need to do to win, period," Holly said. "I?m not here to just intercept the ball; I?m here to win. That?s all I care about, and unless that happens, I?m not happy."
Trash talk

The game featured two players who are as intense as they come.
Steelers linebacker Joey Porter and Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. began their trash talking during warmups; both players were jawing at each other as officials stood between them.
During the game, they went at each other. Winslow had four catches for 36 yards, including a catch on which he shoved Porter to the ground to break a tackle. And Porter had a stellar game with eight tackles and a half a sack for Pittsburgh.
"I love Porter, man; I?ll take him on my team any time," Winslow said. "But he?s on the opposite team, and sometimes you got to face the bully. He made some plays on me; I made a couple plays on him. But he?s an awesome player."
Droughns out , Wright in

The Browns were without starting running back Reuben Droughns, who sat out because of a strained foot.
Backup tailback Jason Wright filled in and rushed for 74 yards on 18 carries. His only mistake was a fumble in the third quarter that set up Jeff Reed?s 43-yard field goal.
Brownie points

Starting cornerback Leigh Bodden missed the game because of an ankle injury and was replaced by reserve safety Brodney Pool, who had five tackles. ? Holmes, a former Ohio State player, had five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. ? Browns rookie linebacker Kamerion Wimbley had a sack to set a team rookie record with 6 1 /2. [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Edwards still no fan of Steelers

Monday, November 20, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> TONY DEJAK ASSOCIATED PRESS Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor helps break up a pass in the end zone intended for Braylon Edwards on the final play of the first half.


CLEVELAND ? Braylon Edwards began "Steelers Week" with strong words for his rivals and ended it in the same fashion yesterday. He was as angry and disappointed as anyone after the Browns blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose 24-20.
"They?re not a good team," a frustrated Edwards said after the game. "What does it say? They?re 3-6, we?re 3-6. To hell with the Steelers and beating a championship team. They?re not doing anything right now. They beat us, and now they?re 4-6. And they?re still with a losing record just like us."
At the start of the week, Edwards said the Browns were coming after Pittsburgh because of Cleveland?s embarrassing 41-0 loss last season. He had one of the best games of his young career, catching seven passes for 137 yards.
He was close to making the biggest reception of the season on a Hail Mary pass from quarterback Charlie Frye in the final seconds.
With his team down four points, Frye heaved a pass about 30 yards to the back of the end zone, where Edwards outjumped a crowd of players to tip the football three times before it fell out of bounds to end the game.
"If I caught it and they said I was out of bounds, hell, I caught the ball," Edwards said. "If I caught it and was inbounds, it was a touchdown. But I didn?t catch it and it is what it is."
Teammate Kellen Winslow Jr. consoled Edwards after the game.
"I just said, ?You know, it?s going to be all right. We?re going to be all right, and let?s get ready for the Bengals. Keep our heads up,? " Winslow said. "I?m just trying to be a teammate."
The game was Edwards? first breakout performance in more than a month. The offense has primarily run through Winslow lately, but yesterday Edwards was the primary target. He beat the Steelers secondary on several crossing routes that he turned into first downs.
Edwards? best catch was a 63-yarder in the first half over cornerback Ike Taylor. He broke Taylor?s initial tackle and streaked down the sideline. Steelers safety Troy Polamalu had the angle and caught him, then Pittsburgh held Cleveland to a field goal.
The Browns moved the football, totaling 302 total yards.
"We played well today," Edwards said. "I?ll guarantee you if we play the Cincinnati Bengals (next week) like we played today, we will win." [email protected]

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Browns continue to rally behind Frye
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

BEREA Ben Roethlisberger is back to proving he can put a team on his back. The monkey on Charlie Frye?s back gained another pound.
Roethlisberger passed for 224 yards in the fourth quarter of the Steelers? 24-20 win Sunday. Frye passed for 224 yards in the game; his record as an NFL starter fell to 5-10.
While Pittsburgh was seizing the lead in the fourth quarter, making 19 first downs behind Roethlisberger, Frye dropped back only three times.
He was sacked twice and threw one incomplete pass.
For the Browns, though, it still comes back to the theme of ?promote, protect and preserve,? the mantra behind nursing Frye through 2006 with the thought he can be a winning starter in 2007.
The front office hates the thought of having to procure, pay and groom a new quarterback, given needs elsewhere.
That means ?promote? mode prevailed Monday, even after Frye was a nonfactor in the fourth quarter until the desperate final seconds, ending with the ball glancing off Braylon Edwards? hands in the end zone.
Head Coach Romeo Crennel?s first words regarding Frye on Monday?
?Charlie didn?t throw an interception for the second week in a row,? the coach said. ?I think that is good progress.?
Frye has thrown 12 picks in 10 starts this year. Roethlisberger threw three Sunday, giving him a league-worst 17.
Crennel?s harshest Monday criticism of Frye: ?We have to keep working at that and try to get better.?
Obviously, there are lots of factors involved, but Frye?s offense has trouble finishing series. In a few examples of how drives stalled Sunday, Frye:
? Dropped the ball while getting sacked.
? Couldn?t find anything better on a third-and-6 than an outlet throw to Jerome Harrison, which was incomplete.
? Spun into Joey Porter for a maddening sack that turned a second-and-1 into third-and-7.
? Couldn?t avoid Clark Haggans on third-and-4 from the Pittsburgh 12; a sack forced the Browns to settle for a field goal. After that sack, Roethlisberger started going to town.
Frye has had some bright moments in 15 pro starts, but he has never lit it up for prolonged stretches, the way, say, Tim Couch did as a second-year pro in his 17th pro start, a 23-20 home win against Pittsburgh. That day, Couch was 23 of 31 for 316 yards, with two touchdowns and no sacks.
Frye had OK stats Sunday ? 17 of 27 for 224 yards ? but the offense delivered only two field goals.
As Couch went along, repeated batterings became a problem. Frye was sacked five times Sunday.
?One of them was a strip sack that they recovered,? Crennel said, avoiding a direct shot at his 25-year-old passer.
In promoting Frye, the Browns might note that his 73.8 passer rating as a second-year pro is better than Couch?s 73.1 rating in his third season. They might note that Frye is barely behind Michael Vick?s 74.3 rating.
They might avoid noting Frye is barely ahead of his former Mid-American Conference rival, Bruce Gradkowski. A rookie out of Toledo, Gradkowski has a 73.7 rating as a Tampa Bay rookie.
Frye and Gradkowski have thrown nine touchdown passes. Whereas Gradkowski has been picked off just four times, Frye has been intercepted 12 times, but, as Crennel is quick to point out, not at all in the last two games.
As Frye?s 2006 promotional tour continues, his teammates seem to have lined up behind him. Fan support is less universal.
Steelers Coach Bill Cowher told Frye to keep his chin up, that he is making good progress.
?You can tell he?s grown up since we played him the last time,? said Steelers safety Ryan Clark.
The last time was the infamous Christmas Eve game, when Roethlisberger won the battle of MAC QBs, 41-0.
In a holiday twist, Frye will get another All-MAC matchup if Gradkowski starts for the Bucs at Cleveland this Christmas Eve. In the interests of ?promote, preserve and protect,? that?s not one Frye wants to lose.
Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

BROWNS REPORT
Tuesday, November 21, 2006


The Monday after
Browns Head Coach Romeo Crennel sounded hopeful Reuben Droughns can return from a sprained foot and play against the Bengals on Sunday. Replacement Jason Wright?s decent performance (18 carries, 74 yards) was tainted by a fumble that led to a Pittsburgh field goal.
?(Wright) showed some burst, ran hard and blocked well,? Crennel said. ?(The fumble) was unfortunate because it gave them field position, and their first score resulted from it. He showed that he can step in and get the job done.?
Wideout Braylon Edwards came away from Sunday?s game with a bruised arm; precautionary X-rays revealed no breaks.
Crennel gave no indication of whether Leigh Bodden will be back from an ankle problem in time to cover Chad Johnson.
Nose tackle Ted Washington emerged from the X-ray room with decent news: nothing broken, just a hyperextended elbow.
Safety Brian Russell needed stitches in an elbow.

Extra points
n Crennel gave the Browns the next day off after recent wins over the Jets and Falcons. Why was Monday a day of rest for the Browns? players, despite a loss to the Steelers? ?Because they are tired, they worked hard, and this is past the halfway point in this season,? Crennel said. ?I have several guys who need to recover, and I want them to do that so we can have the same kind of effort next week.?
n Reggie Bush ranks second in the NFL in receptions. Kellen Winslow is one spot behind with 60, but he leads Bush in yards gained, 597-410.
n With his career-best 137 yards Sunday, Edwards moved up to 19th in the NFL with 612 receiving yards. Winslow is 21st. The Browns will see No. 1 on Sunday ? Cincinnati?s Johnson leads the league with 932 yards.
STEVE DOERSCHUK