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| Steelers vs. Browns, TONIGHT |
Before the Baltimore Ravens became Public Enemy #1, before the Cincinnati Bengals became a legit opponent, before the New England Patriots employed a pretty-boy QB named Brady, the Cleveland Browns were the most hated enemy of your Pittsburgh Steelers.
A decade of domination over the Brownies has turned what used to be a major rivalry into a twice-per-season extended practice for the Steelers. The Browns are well into their 4th rebuilding phase since they returned to the NFL in 1999. The Tim Couch era......the Kelly Holcomb era......the Jeff Garcia era......now the Colt McCoy era, all of the Browns well-laid plans to become a force in the brutal AFC North have been met with a thud.
The Browns arrive tonight at Heinz Field at 4-8, last place, nothing to lose. The Steelers arrive home with a 9-3 record - a record that could easily become 13-3 by seasons end. Without a Ravens loss mixed in, the Steelers would simply become the best 13-3 wild card team in NFL history. The Steelers need to win out, and that includes two games against these Brownies, who would love nothing better than to throw a loss at the Steelers and cause a major shift in plans for Pittsburgh come the Playoffs. The Steelers have had a bad habit this season of playing down to the competition, as seen against Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and most recently Kansas City. In 2009, the Steelers visited Cleveland on another bitter cold Thursday night, thick in the AFC Playoff race. That night, the Steelers never showed up. They were beaten 9-6 by the Browns in a game that essentially ended the 2009 season for the team. That CAN NOT and WILL NOT happen tonight.
So, thanks to a call to the North Pole by yours truly, I have procured a "Naughty and Nice" list for tonights game, courtesy of the big man himself, Santa Claus. This is a list of Naughty things the Steelers need to look out for, and the Nice things the Steelers need to do to ensure the proper gifts are under the tree come Christmas.
The Naughty List
1. Joshua Cribbs is NAUGHTY - the Browns have a habit of being naughty with their versatile KR/PR/WR/RB Joshua Cribbs. The Steelers have - in the past - allowed Cribbs to impact games with long returns and big plays on special teams. The Browns have since employed Cribbs even deeper into their gameplan, using him as a WR and a RB at times. Cribbs is by far the most talented player wearing Orange tonight, and the Steelers must isolate him and keep the ball out of his hands. Cribbs is the only player the Browns have that could change the outcome of this game on his own. Kick away from him, and do not allow him to get open downfield in the passing game.
2. Peyton Hillis is NAUGHTY - the "Madden Curse" has stolen 2011 from the bruising RB of the Browns. Injuries, illnesses, and a subtle disagreement between player and franchise has turned him into a dangerous late season player. He has fresh legs, and needs a few big games down the stretch to justify the contract he was signed to. As if that wasn't enough motivation, Hillis is being pushed for carries by fellow RB Monterio Hardesty, and will be looking to lock down the RB1 slot for next season. The Steelers need to avoid allowing Hillis to get in rhythm. Expect the Steelers to get ahead early, forcing Colt McCoy to abandon the running game. If the score stays close, Hillis could be a major factor.
3. Joe Haden is NAUGHTY - The Browns top defensive player is CB Joe Haden. Haden is a top-level CB talent in his 2nd season out of Florida. He is the main reason the Browns currently hold the #1 Pass Defense in the NFL. Chances are he locks onto WR Mike Wallace and trys to take Wallace's big play ability out of the mix. The Steelers will need thge other "Young Money" crew members to step up, including Antonio Brown and old faithful Hines Ward. If Haden successfully covers Wallace all game, the Steelers will need to adjust on the fly and maybe even get TE Heath Miller more involved in the passing game.
The NICE List
1. Hines Ward is NICE - Hines Ward has become a distant 4th WR for the Steelers behind the Wallace/Brown/Sanders threesome, and is chasing personal records at this point. For Hines, the Browns offer an opportunity to relive his glory years against the team he has absolutely OWNED over his career. Cleveland will be spending a great deal of energy trying to contain Wallace and Brown, leaving Hines to do what he does best - score TD's against the Brownies. Tonight, expect Ward to turn back the hands of time and have the best game of his season.
2. Ben Roethlisberger is NICE - It has seemed over the years that Big Ben has made it his mission to continue to remind Cleveland that they could have had #7 in orange and brown if they would have selected him in the 2004 Draft. Instead, Cleveland drafted TE Kellen Winslow at #6, leaving the Steelers to scoop up their franchise QB at #11. After 2 Lombardi Trophies, multiple Pro Bowl trips, and a record breaking career, Ben has done everything to secure his place as one of the all-time elite QB's in NFL history. Ben always plays his heart out against the Browns, and tonight he will once again show why the Browns made the biggest mistake in their franchise history by passing him over in that long-forgotten draft.
3. James Harrison is NAUGHTY, but NICE - #92 is on his way to another Pro Bowl season, and he just loves matching up against Cleveland LT Joe Thomas. Harrison is the X Factor for the Steelers Defense against Colt McCoy, a QB who makes mistakes whenever he is pressured. If Harrison gets past Thomas a few times early, and hits McCoy, expect the young QB to start rushing his throws. The Steelers are back to ctor etheir turnover hawking ways in the last few weeks, and Ike, Troy & Co. will be out there waiting for those mistakes. Expect Harrison to dominate tonight, and to be the deciding factor early in what should be a blowout for the Steelers.
Although the Browns do not represent nearly as much as they used to, the hatred between these teams is still palpable. Intensity brings out the best in the Steelers, and on a night where the wind chill will be in the teens, expect the Steelers to flex their muscles and get to 10-3, heading into a long layoff before they go to San Francisco next Monday night for a Nationally televised game. There can be no letdown here, and the Steelers know it.
Sorry Brownies, please enjoy your bus ride home.
Steelers 42, Browns 10
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