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CLEVELAND BROWNS VS PITTSBURGH STEELERS (OFFICIAL GAME THREAD)

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12/21/05

Steelers have a lot riding on Cleveland visit

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER [/FONT]


STEELERS AT BROWNS
Saturday, 1 p.m.

Cleveland Browns Stadium
TV Channel 19


In an eternity of not quite three years, the Steelers crashed and self-repaired.

Meanwhile, the Browns crashed and junked a regime.

On Jan. 5, 2003, Cleveland had a statement victory in its clutches. Dennis Northcutt needed to make a simple sideline catch with time almost gone, and Pittsburgh would be toast in a playoff game.

Northcutt dropped the ball. The Steelers forced a punt and overturned a 33-28 Cleveland lead.

Pittsburgh fell to 6-10 the next year, but rebounded to 15-1 in 2004 and is 9-5 heading into a Christmas Eve game at Cleveland.

The Browns are 14-32 since that snowy day.

Pittsburgh Head Coach Bill Cowher champions the Browns-Steelers rivalry as much as any Pennsylvanian. It’s doubtful his team will look past Cleveland.
“This may be the stiffest challenge we’ve faced,” Cowher said. “It’s a divisional rivalry, an away game on a short week.”

Romeo Crennel’s Browns are 2-3 since getting manhandled at Pittsburgh in November.

“Any time you’re looking at a first-year coach,” Cowher said, “you don’t look at the record as much as what they’re trying to build.”

The Browns’ tenuous optimism after Charlie Frye’s first NFL win butts with a reality check against Pittsburgh.

For the last time, perhaps, it’s a butt against “The Bus.” Power back Jerome Bettis is running on fumes, but could be busy against the Browns’ soft run defense.

GRAND AGAINST BROWNS

Going on 34, Bettis can become the only man to personally rush for 1,000 yards against Cleveland. He has 935 yards in 12 previous games against the Browns.

In last year’s game at Cleveland, in mid-November, Bettis ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

The teams’ first 2005 meeting was in mid-November at Pittsburgh. The Steelers repelled an early threat and won convincingly, 34-21. They were 7-2, had won at Cincinnati, and looked like championship material. That excited Bettis, since Super Bowl XL will be in Detroit, his hometown.

Then Pittsburgh plunged. Consecutive losses at Baltimore (20-19), at Indianapolis (26-7) and at home against the Bengals (38-31) left them at 7-5.

They rebounded against Chicago and its rookie quarterback, Kyle Orton, winning 21-9, then cooled off Minnesota, 18-3, on Sunday in the Metrodome.

Speedy Willie Parker missed mid-season time due to injury, but has resumed being the main runner. He needs 63 yards at Cleveland to reach 1,000 for 2005.

FRYE’S OLD FRIEND

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is back from an injury, and eager to face his Mid-American Conference pal, Frye, for the first time.

Friends? Frye was Roethlisberger’s guest at a Steelers home playoff game in January, before the Browns drafted Frye.

“Every game now is like a playoff game,” Roethlisberger told Pittsburgh writers. “If we do make the playoffs, it’s going to be on the road.
“It’s a one-game season ... this week at Cleveland.”

Roethlisberger is 52-of-76 for 708 yards in three games since returning from a thumb injury. Frye is 56-of-88 for 620 yards in three starts and parts of two other games.

“Charlie’s been able to handle everything that’s come his way pretty well,” Crennel said.

Steelers wideout Hines Ward is having a below-average year. He caught two passes for 11 yards at Minnesota and has 61 catches for 830 yards on the season. Former Pitt star Antonio Bryant, the Browns’ No. 1 receiver, has 56 catches for 836 yards.

Browns General Manager Phil Savage said Heath Miller was the only tight end he’d have considered drafting in this year’s second round. The Steelers made sure he didn’t get there, picking the Virginia star at No. 30. He had a 50-yard catch Sunday and has six touchdowns on the season.

BET ON SMASH-MOUTH

Mouthy Joey Porter is back as the ringleader of Pittsburgh’s defense. Porter got shot in the buttocks before the 2003 season, then had an off year. At Minnesota on Sunday, he recorded his eighth 2005 sack, picked off a pass at a key time and was in a tackle that produced a safety.

The Vikings got suffocated after falling behind, netting 25 yards in the second half. Linebacker James Farrior, who had a career year in 2004, led the Steelers with nine tackles.

Chris Gardocki punted like he was 25, not 35, in the Metrodome, averaging 47 yards. There’s no domeball on Lake Erie, but Gardocki was a Brown from 1999-2003, and he knows the witch winds.

The game could boil down to the Frye factor vs. the Steelers’ love of smash-mouth — they do that well with or without Bettis.

Pittsburgh is near the league lead with 129.6 rushing yards a game. The Browns have one of the worst run defenses, allowing 133.1 yards a game.
The Browns can finish no better than 7-9.

“Nothing would satisfy them more,” Cowher said, “than if they knocked us out of the playoffs.”

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



Pitt points

The Steelers ...
Can finish with a 6-2 road record by winning at Cleveland.
Are 147-91-1 in 14 years under Bill Cowher, including 8-9 in the postseason and 17-5 vs. Cleveland.
Are 98-1-1 under Cowher after building at least an 11-point lead.
Are 95-21-1 under Cowher when they score first.
Hadn’t won in a dome since 1996 before beating the Vikings, 18-3, on Sunday. Are 21-4 with Ben Roethlisberger as their starting quarterback, 7-3 this year. Trail the Browns, 55-52, in the all-time series but lead, 43-24, since 1970.


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12/22/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>A Tale of Two Quarterbacks

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Fred Greetham

Date: Dec 21, 2005

The paths of Charlie Frye and Ben Roethlisberger have crossed more than once in the last four years, with the Steelers quarterback getting the best of it so far. Fred Greetham talked to Frye and Head Coach Romeo Crennel today, and here's their take on the continuing saga of two MAC quarterbacks...
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Berea – This weeks game signifies the matchup of two young kids who grew up in northwest Ohio, played each other in high school and in college and now are about the play against each other in the NFL.
Ben Roethlisberger grew up in Findlay and went to Miami (Oh) University before being a first-round draft choice of the Steelers in 2004.
On the other hand, Charlie Frye grew up about 50 miles from Roethlisberger in Willard and went to Akron before becoming a third-round draft choice of the Browns in 2005.
Romeo Crennel said the two young quarterbacks are similar, but have different supporting casts.
“They’re both similar,” Crennel said. “Ben can run the ball. He usually doesn’t unless he has to. (The Steelers) have a lot of weapons around him. They have good running backs, receivers, tight ends and an offensive line. All of the pressure isn’t on his shoulders.
“In Charlie’s situation, we don’t have as many weapons as Ben does or when he stepped in last year,” Crennel said. “They both stand in the pocket and can roll out. They both can make plays.”
Frye was 0-3 against Roethlisberger when Akron played Miami in college.
“Ben’s a great player,” Frye said. “He makes plays. He led his team and I think that’s one of the most important roles of the quarterback.”
Frye said although much is made about the quarterbacks battling, it’s really not what he worries about.
“I’m more worried about the Steelers’ defense,” he said. “They’ve been hyping us up since we were freshmen in college, but I’m going up against their defense.”
Frye respects the fact that Roethlisberger stepped in when Tommy Maddox was injured last year and led the Steelers to 14-straight wins at the helm.
“What he did last year was something special,” Frye said. “He did a great job last year and continues to this year.”
Frye will be making his fourth start in the NFL with a record of 1-2. He is 56-of-88 for 620 yards (63.6 pct.) with three touchdowns and four interceptions. His QB rating is 76.9. In his three games as a starter, Frye’s rating is 89.9, second only to Otto Graham’s performance in his first three games.
Roethlisberger is 148-of-232 for 2024 yards (63.8 pct.) with 16 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He has a QB rating of 102.0.
Frye doesn’t think coming from the Mid American Conference hurt him in the least.
“What you can do when you’re on the field is what counts,” Frye said. “I’ve had people doubting me my whole life. It makes me work harder.”
Crennel was asked what he thought about quarterbacks coming out of the MAC.
“It says these two players are pretty good,” he said. “You might say you look at the MAC if you’re looking for poise. I don’t know if you could say all are poised, but these two are.”
Crennel said this will be the biggest test thus far for Frye.
“It’s a harder test for Charlie because they are an overall better team,” Crennel said. “They have a good defense and they pressure the quarterback. It will be a good test for him.”
Frye agrees.
“This is a big game because it’s a division game,” he said. “It’s also a rivalry game. Growing up being a Cleveland fan, I know how much it means to the state of Ohio.”
Frye said he never attended a Browns/Steelers game as a kid, but was diplomatic about his feelings for the Steelers.
“This will be my first Browns/Steelers game in Cleveland,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I disliked the Steelers, but I was a Cleveland fan. You can read into that.
“This game means a lot to the city,” he said. “I expect to see a lot of orange and brown just like I saw all the terrible towels when I was in Pittsburgh. The fans will give us a big lift.”
Crennel said Roethlisberger and Frye both have leadership qualities.
“Ben has a certain amount of leadership and confidence he brings to the team,” Crennel said. “In what he brings to the table, he makes plays and helps them win.”
Why did Roethlisberger get drafted in the first-round and Frye in the third?
“Evidently, the guys who do the evaluating saw more in Ben than in Charlie,” Crennel said. “We’ve said Charlie’s mechanics aren’t great, but he makes plays when he’s out there.”

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12/22/05

Browns-Steelers: Frye and Roethlisberger renew their acquaintance

Thursday, December 22, 2005

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Steve Doerschuk Repository sports writer[/FONT]


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Head to head
Charlie Frye (left) went 0-3 against Ben Roethlisberger (below) in college, as Miami won three in a row against Frye’s Akron Zips:
2001 Miami, 30-27
2002 Miami, 48-31 2003 Miami, 45-20
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<HR align=left width="80%">Related Stories
BROWNS NOTEBOOK: Pucillo says he’s ready to play in place of injured center Faine

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STEELERS AT BROWNS
Saturday, 1 p.m.
Cleveland Browns Stadium
TV Channel 19


BEREA - Finally, it’s Ben Roethlisberger week.
A surprise question hits Charlie Frye in the face: “Are you as good as him?”
A few days before his first NFL showdown with Roethlisberger, Frye sprouts a grin that says “a thousand times yes” and thinks up an audible.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” he says.

Roethlisberger was 3-0 against Frye when they were Mid-American Conference quarterbacks at Miami and Akron, respectively. Now, “Big Ben” and the 9-5 Steelers are 7-point favorites to put Frye and the 5-9 Browns in their place.
Roethlisberger, after all, is the former first-round pick who was 13-0 as a rookie starter in the 2004 regular season. Frye is a mere rookie third-round pick with a 1-2 record as a starter.
Presumably, Frye’s head is still swimming along the lines of the rookie in the NFL-based film, “Any Given Sunday.” Did Frye see that depiction of chaos?
“Willie Beamon!” Frye said, meaning yes, and referring to the in-too-deep quarterback played by Jamie Foxx.
Is stabbing at nightmarish blitzes accurately portrayed by Foxx?
“It’s not like that,” Frye said. “That’s a movie.”
Funny ... Frye vs. Roethlisberger is better than most football scripts Hollywood has drummed up.
The protagonist outline:
Two kids born five months and 50 miles apart, growing up in the Ohio towns of Willard (Frye) and Findlay (Roethlisberger).
Ohio State knew Frye existed, but that’s about it, so he went where somebody knew his name, Akron.
Roethlisberger attracted Big Ten interest late, when it became obvious he was an all-the-tools physical specimen.
The late interest traced to the fact he didn’t start for Findlay until he was a senior; before that, he backed up the coach’s son.
Miami had courted Roethlisberger before the big guys. “Big Ben” told the big guys to take a hike.

‘YOU CAN’T DO THIS’
Meanwhile, if Willie Beamon is fiction, so was the thought a kid from Akron could function right away in the NFL.
Former Florida quarterback Doug Johnson, who spent the summer as Frye’s Cleveland teammate, suggested the SEC and MAC are separated by a million-mile divide.
Such talk annoys Frye, but he’s used to it.
“You get in the NFL,” he said from his locker stall Wednesday, “and the playing field evens.
“The thing about guys in the MAC ... we’re always getting looked down on. ‘You can’t do this ... you can’t do that.’ It makes you work harder. That’s what been driving me.”
Frye and Roethlisberger are from different wings of the MAC.
Miami is associated with famous coaches, including Paul Brown, and upsetting bigger schools. Akron isn’t.
Roethlisberger has perfect size and ideal mechanics. Frye is kind of quirky.
If there was one game in which Frye indicated he is at least the equal of Roethlisberger, it was the first of their three meetings in college, in 2001. But Roethlisberger won.
“We kicked a field goal with nine seconds left to take the lead,” Frye said. “They came back with a Hail Mary.”
Roethlisberger’s memory of the 30-27 win:
“We were controlling the game most of the day, and then they go down and score to take the lead late ... next thing you know, we throw a 70-yard Hail Mary.”

MONTANA vs. KOSAR
The two quarterbacks became friends, but not best friends.
“It was pretty cool,” Frye said. “He’s with Pittsburgh now. I’m with Cleveland.”
Observed Roethlisberger, “We’ve talked a couple times (in 2005), but it’s hard to say that we’re the best of friends and we talk every day.
“I don’t hate him because he’s on the Browns.”
It’s possible Roethlisberger hated the Browns a little for passing on him in the 2004 draft.
Cleveland had quarterback issues and owned the No. 7 overall pick. Butch Davis flew to Oxford days before the draft to review Roethlisberger, but wound up engineering a trade up to No. 6, where he picked Kellen Winslow Jr.
The Steelers grabbed Roethlisberger at No. 12.
“I don’t know how close I was to going to Cleveland,” he said after the draft.
Findlay is Browns country, but Roethlisberger grew up a 49ers fan, because he related to Joe Montana. Frye, on the other hand, grew up with Bernie Kosar posters on his bedroom wall. He loved the Browns.

SECOND-GUESSING DRAFT
NFL scouts didn’t like Frye as much as they liked Roethlisberger.
Do they view him differently now, based on his NFL preseason and five regular-season appearances?
“They would probably wait to see how he does next year,” Head Coach Romeo Crennel said. “If they had to do it over again, I don’t think they would rate him a first-round draft choice, because of all the things that made him a third-round choice.
“We’ve said that Charlie’s mechanics aren’t that great. When Charlie gets on the field and the ball is snapped, he can make plays.
“People thought that Ben could make more plays.”
Roethlisberger is a resourceful type. In his first game against Cleveland last year, he carved up Davis’ defense by completing passes on the run.
“All the plays that Ben made last year out of the pocket and running around ... I think you’ve seen a little bit of that in Charlie Frye,” Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher said.
“They’re two different quarterbacks in two different systems, but we feel good about Ben, and it looks like Charlie is going to have a promising career. “There’s a lot of intrigue with Charlie Frye.” Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail [email protected]
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12/23/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Browns-Steelers: Game Preview

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Greg Hensley

Date: Dec 22, 2005

See the big gruesome fellow wearing #36? Greg Hensley says to expect to see more of him - plus the speedier Willie Parker - this Sunday as the Steelers try to steamroll the Browns. Here's Greg's weekly game preview...
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In a Christmas Eve rematch of week 10, the Steelers will enter Cleveland Browns Stadium this Saturday looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Steelers are holding on to the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC and nothing would make Browns fans happier than eliminating the Steelers from the playoffs.

Steelers Offense
Quarterback
QB Ben Roethlisburger is wearing a protective device and glove in order to protect his injured thumb. Ben is having another stellar year, but with the injury, he is no longer able to stretch the field in the same fashion. The thumb seems to create a distinct wobble on those deep passes, which enables defenders time to recover and get under the ball. He still has the arm strength but a bit of the precision is lacking. The Steelers are offsetting this by relying on more crossing routes between the linebackers and safeties, and with the short curl routes.
Receivers
Hines Ward simply dominated the first meeting with the Browns. Neither Daylon McCutcheon nor Ray Mickens were able to cover Hines as he racked up 124 yards on eight receptions of which five were first down catches. Hines will look to repeat this performance Saturday as his physical style of play is a difficult match up for the Browns secondary. The key to keeping Ward in check is getting under his routes and forcing him to go over the defender. Ward can go over the top but if you can get on the inside, he is not nearly as effective as his bread and butter is using his body to seal the defender and become more of a possession receiver that is hard to bring down.
Antwaan Randle El is a multidimensional threat running, catching and throwing. He is the Steelers deep threat as he has the speed to stretch the field. He will take the occasional reverse and run with it but more often than not, as the Browns saw in the first meeting, he will look for Ward deep down the sideline.
Heath Miller is in the running for offensive rookie of the year. He gives the Steelers that big physical target over the middle. He has been than advertised speed, but tremendous concentration and a great pair of hands makes him special. Miller simply does not drop anything he gets his hands on.
Running Backs
"Fast" Willie Parker was absent from the first meeting but he will be looking to shine on Saturday. Willie needs 63 yards to join this year's 1000-yard rusher club. Willie is an explosive back with the speed to take it the distance anytime he touches the ball. If the Browns are to have any success against Parker, they must stop him before he gets going. He is not a back that you are going to chase down - once he gets past that first layer of defenders more often than not he is gone for huge yardage. He is an excellent compliment to Jerome Bettis' physical style of running but he has not yet learned the patience of veteran back. Willie can often become too fast and does not allow the play to develop in front of him. If he learns to give his offensive line and secondary wave of blockers time to do their job, he will become an elite running back. For now, he is relying solely upon his speed to beat defenders to the edge.
Jerome Bettis is out there for one purpose only, and that is to wear down the defense. His physical brand of football frustrates and breaks teams down both mentally and physically. Combined with Willie Parker, these two backs are truly thunder and lightning.
Offensive Line
The Steelers offensive line is back to doing what they do best, and that is powerful run blocking. They have battled a series of injuries but, at this time of year, no one has a healthy offensive line. Their pass blocking is becoming more and more suspect, especially at the tackle positions. This has forced rookie tight end Heath Miller, to stay in and block. Miller remains a serious threat in the passing game but his blocking has been a key ingredient, in the Steelers last two wins. The Steelers are running the stretch sweep to spread out the opposing front seven and when Miller gets a helmet on that inside backer, it is allowing Bettis and Parker the option of streaking down the sideline or cutting it back inside.
Steelers Defense
Defensive Front
This front three is having a spectacular year despite a lack of numbers. Nose tackle Casey Hampton has the ability to penetrate and disrupt, despite the constant double teams that he faces on a weekly basis. Hampton fires off the snap using that one arm hook, shoves to get the center off balance, and throws his back into the guard. This move creates opportunity for the blitzer to shoot that gap and create havoc in the pocket.
Defensive ends Aaron Smith and Kimo von Oelhoffen do a great job of occupying the tackles and funneling the play back into the middle. When they are able to get up field, it gives the defense options. This allows the outside backers the luxury of either shooting over the tackle or play that shifting zone, as they mimic the receiver while maintaining zone integrity and taking away the quick slant and curl routes. This is a tremendous benefit to the secondary as the short coverage can become lax and the focus is now on the mid to deep patterns.
Linebackers
Clark Haggans and Joey Porter are very experienced edge rushers that rarely loose run containment as they blitz. However, both are showing signs of slowing down. This makes them extremely vulnerable when asked to drop back into coverage. The Browns will likely target both with the tight end screen to the area they just vacated when they blitzed. This could be interesting to watch if Paul Irons gets into the game Saturday. His speed could present a serious problem for the Steelers linebackers.
The inside backers consist of James Farrior and Larry Foote. Both are solid run stuffers but neither will provide a great deal of pass rush assistance and their coverage is becoming more and more suspect. The Steelers are offsetting this by dropping the interior backers into short to mid range zones while allowing strong safety Troy Polamalu to take over their blitz assignments.
Secondary
Polamalu is becoming one of the most tenacious pass rushers in all of football. He is basically, an extra linebacker with amazing speed that will make plays all over the field. He should get strong consideration for defensive player of the year honors, even though his numbers are not spectacular. It is not the number of plays he makes but when he makes them and how vital those defensive stops are to the Steelers. He is a defensive game changer.
The corner combination of Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend are better than most give them credit for but they remain a vulnerable area for opposing offenses especially when teams can land that middle slant route. They are so concerned with the deep pattern that it makes them slow to react and you can have big plays with the run after catch but the quarterback must hit the receiver in stride, as both are much-underrated tacklers.

Browns Battle Plan
Offense
The Browns must use the pass to set up the run this week. The Steelers are going to load the box to stop Reuben Droughns and take their chances with rookie Charlie Frye and the Browns suspect offensive line. Charlie must be given a variety of quick options with the occasional screen to slow down the Steelers blitzkrieg defense. Charlie will also need to make the quick decision as he feels the rush at his back but avoid hurrying the throw. Keeping Charlie's jersey clean may be the number one key to this game.
One option will be to use more of the three receiver sets. Frisman Jackson can be very effective from the slot at attacking the area vacated by a blitzer. His wide body can shield defenders and he has the speed to gain yards after catch. If the Steelers safeties are forced to come up and help the linebackers cover that slot position, Antonio Bryant and Dennis Northcutt will find themselves isolated and in one on one situations. Antonio made a bold statement after the last game and must back it up this week.
The Browns will need to be patient running the ball and take some of the burden off the shoulders of Reuben Droughns. Reuben is a second effort guy that rumbles for most of his yards after that first contact. The Steelers will wear him down in similar fashion to the first game, if he is the Browns only running back option. Lee Suggs will need to see two or three series this week, to keep Reuben fresh. His speed can be useful in getting outside the tackles and forcing the secondary to provide run support.
Defense
The Browns front seven have been abused all year in the running game and this week the Steelers will look to run the ball 40 plus. I am not sure if there is a solution to the Browns inability to stop the run with the personnel that they have available but to be honest, I would see what OLB Nick Speegle has to offer, I don't think it would be possible for him to be any worse. He has also shown to be an excellent tackler in special teams.
After reviewing the first contest, one of my biggest concerns is the play of the Browns' safeties. During the second half of that game, the safeties did not seem willing to make a tackle on the Steelers running backs. Several times, they ran with the play and never made any commitment to assisting in stopping the run.
The Browns corners must show up for this game. With all the attention given to stop the Steelers running attack, it is vital for the corners to become very physical and take away the quick timing patterns. The key will be the bump and run coverage. I do not believe you can beat the Steelers by playing off the receivers the way we did in the first game but instead attack the receivers and disrupt the timing of the play.
Bottom Line
In the first meeting, the Browns were beat up physically and mentally after matching the Steelers intensity early in the game. The Browns made mental errors with penalties, dropped passes, overthrows, lazy blocking and lack of effort tackling. If the Browns are to have a chance, the mental game must improve and it has shown a great deal of improvement since that first meeting. I believe special teams star, Josh Cribbs will have a great game and if he can keep the Browns with a shortened field, Charlie will move the ball and put points on the board. Charlie has been blitzed by everyone and he may be more comfortable seeing the pressure than having to read zone coverage.
With my only prediction of the year, Browns win big 35-10.
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12/24/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>1PM EST: Browns Vs. Steelers

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Site Staff

Date: Dec 24, 2005

Here are details about today's big matchup between the Browns and Steelers at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Barry and Fred will be there, and will bring you all the details after the game. Join us in the chatroom at game time!!
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Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5) at Cleveland Browns (5-9)
KICKOFF: Saturday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 12/24/05
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS, Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker
SERIES: 106th meeting. Cleveland leads the series 55-50, not including two Pittsburgh victories in their only playoff games. The series began in 1950. Since 1970 with the NFL merger when these two franchises moved to the AFC, the Steelers are 43-24. They are 16-5 under coach Bill Cowher, including a 6-3 record in Cleveland. The Steelers have won 10 of their last 11 games against the Browns, including a 34-21 victory Nov. 13 at Heinz Field.
2005 RANKINGS: Steelers: offense 21st (8th rush, 24th pass); defense 5th (3rd rush, 17th pass). Browns: offense 23rd (19th rush, 20th pass); defense 13th (27th rush, 4th pass)

PREDICTION: Steelers 27-17

KEYS TO THE GAME: A pair of 3-4 defenses will attempt to disrupt the passing games. The problem for the Browns is their defense allowed 159 yards on 41 carries in the first meeting, and that was with Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger out of the lineup. Still, Pittsburgh's offensive line isn't as strong as in recent meetings and the Browns will attempt to contain RBs Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis and come after Roethlisberger. Just as important for Cleveland is their own running game. They need RB Reuben Droughns to be effective from the outset to help control the clock and to alleviate pressure on rookie QB Charlie Frye. Frye has shown tremendous poise, but the speed and aggressiveness of the Steelers' defense will come as a jolting shock if he's stuck in third-and-long situations.

FAST FACTS: Steelers: Have won the past four meetings by an average of 11.3 points. ... Rookie TE Heath Miller needs one touchdown reception to tie Eric Green's 1990 franchise record of seven touchdowns by a rookie tight end. Browns: Have a seven-game losing streak against the AFC North. ... Have a league-low 28.6 touchdown rate inside the red zone (10 touchdowns).




MATCHUPS TO WATCH
Browns front seven vs. Steelers RB Willie Parker: Coach Romeo Crennel has been drilling his players about staying in their gaps. The job starts up front with nose tackle Jason Fisk. Fisk has not been very active this season, but he made nine tackles last week. Crennel's attitude is if a player could do it once he could do it again,
Browns LDE Orpheus Roye vs. Steelers RT Max Starks: A knee injury prevented Ben Roethlisberger from playing when the Browns and Steelers played Nov. 13. He'll play Sunday, and the Browns' best chance of getting pressure on him comes from Roye. Roye had nine tackles in the game against the Steelers last month, tying a season high.
INJURY IMPACT: There is not a big drop-off from Jeff Faine to Mike Pucillo at center. Pucillo played well against Raiders nose tackle Ted Washington, but this week he'll have to deal with Casey Hampton, who is more active than Washington.

INSIDE THE CAMPS
Steelers: Marvel Smith returns to start at left tackle Saturday against the Browns in Cleveland, and that's a very big deal for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Smith missed four of the five past games for the Steelers and left in the first quarter of the other, and the team has lost three of them.
Smith made the Pro Bowl last season and may have done so again if he had not sprained both ankles. He's more than a Pro Bowler to the Steelers; he's one of their most valuable players, especially since their backup tackles are not strong. In Smith's absence, rookie Trai Essex started.
Pittsburgh went 15-1 last season when Smith and the rest of the offensive linemen started every game. When Smith missed 10 games in 2003 with an injury, they were 6-10.
"Hopefully, it's going to help," line coach Russ Grimm said. "He's played in there a lot longer than Trai has. He's a lot smoother on some things out there; a lot smoother technique-wise. He's been there a lot longer, played in more games. You're talking about an All-Pro tackle; basically that's what it comes down to."
The Steelers have won the past two games against two of the NFL's better defenses, Chicago and Minnesota, but Ben Roethlisberger hasn't exactly had a comfortable existence in the pocket. The Vikings sacked him four times and three other times forced him to scramble across the line of scrimmage. The Steelers had him throw quick, short passes against the Bears so he could get rid of the ball before his protection broke down.
"It's tough sitting back watching your team, not being able to go out and contribute and help us win games," Smith said. "It was the toughest period I've been through in a long time."
Smith had a sore shoulder before his ankle injuries; and the one good thing that came from his inactivity was that the time off also helped his shoulder heal.
"I'm not as sore as I would have been normally at this time of year," Smith said. "I feel a whole lot better now than I would have if I wouldn't have gotten that unexpected rest."
No other offensive lineman has missed a game this season, much as all five of them started all 16 games last season.
The player who is happiest to see Smith return is Roethlisberger.
"It's good to get Marvel back because of his experience -- and it's your blind side," Roethlisberger said.


Browns: Charlie Frye's main problems Sunday against Pittsburgh could be right in front of him.
Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton is one of the better ones in the league, and he'll be lined up against a backup.
Mike Pucillo will start in place of Jeff Faine, who will miss the season's final two games because of a torn biceps in his right arm.
Pucillo has been an extremely valuable backup for the Browns this season. He has started both guard spots, and played center in Oakland after Faine's injury.
But he's not the most imposing physical specimen.
He will be challenged by Hampton. If he controls the middle of the field, that will hurt the Browns' running game, which would allow the Steelers to dial up their plethora of zone blitzes.
If Pucillo can hold his own, though, it could help Frye pull off what would be a monumental upset.

STEELERS PERSONNEL NEWS
  • WR Hines Ward is a second alternate for the Pro Bowl. That means two receivers must drop out from the AFC for Ward to make his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl game.
  • NT Casey Hampton is a first alternate to the Pro Bowl. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2003, but was injured in the seventh game of last season and did not play again.
  • LB Joey Porter lost half a sack and the team lead when Elias Sports Bureau split his sack of Brad Johnson Sunday, giving half to him and half to DE Kimo von Oelhoffen. Porter has 7 1/2 sacks, second on the team to Clark Haggans' eight.
  • QB Tommy Maddox does not even take many snaps with the scout team since he's fallen to No. 3 on the depth chart. Rod Rutherford, on the practice squad, handles most of those duties.
  • RB Willie Parker, trying to become the first 1,000-yard rusher in Pittsburgh since Jerome Bettis in 2001, rushed for 272 of his 937 yards in the first two games of the season.
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Holy crap. Did Roethlisberger really throw for 162 yards in the first quarter, or are my eyes deceiving me? I was actually kind of expecting the Browns to come out with a high amount of intensity this week, but I guess I was wrong.
 
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