Deny the Illini: Ohio State – Illinois Preview
November 13, 2015Claim Illibuck: Ohio State releases trailer for clash against Illinois
November 13, 2015One week before the bye week, the Cleveland Browns (2-7) have failed to live up to pre-season expectations. Coming off a Thursday night loss to Cincinnati, the Browns are heading to Pittsburgh to play the arch-rival Steelers (5-4). We may not see any orange helmets in a postseason game, but could beating the Steelers partially salvage the season? Let’s take a look.
Familiar Faces
S Will Allen, Ohio State: The thirteenth year safety played four seasons for OSU. He appeared in all games of the 2002 National Championship season and recorded 32 tackles on the year. A first-team All-Big Ten player as a senior, the Tampa Bay Buccanears drafted him in the fourth round in 2004.
CB Doran Grant, Ohio State: A rookie from Ohio State, Doran jumped from the practice squad to the active Pittsburgh roster on November 4. Grant lettered all four years with the Buckeyes and finished first-team All-Big Ten as a senior. He recorded five interceptions during the Bucks’ National Championship 2014 season.
DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio State: A team captain and four year starter at Ohio State, Heyward created chaos in numerous Big Ten backfields. He finished his Buckeye career with 163 tackles and 15 sacks.
S Mike Mitchell, Ohio University: Mitchell graduated from Ohio University in 2009 and ranks eighth in school history with 140 interception return yards. Mitchell specializes in turnovers and already has two picks and a fumble recovery this year for Pittsburgh.
FB Roosevelt Nix, Kent State: Nix earned first-team All-MAC honors all four years at Kent State. In 49 career games as a defensive player he recorded 182 tackles and twenty-four sacks. With the Steelers Nix has started two games this year and sees most of his playing time on special teams.
RB Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati: A fourth year tailback from Cincinnati, Pead signed with the Steelers on November 2. As a Bearcat, Pead ran for 3,288 career yards and 27 touchdowns. In 2011 the Big East named him Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Big East selection.
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Miami (OH): You know who Ben is. The Findlay native dominated at Miami Ohio in his three years as a starter. Over ten thousand passing yards and 84 touchdowns. He holds the records for most career offensive yards with 11,075. Arguably Roethlisberger is the greatest Redhawk of all time.
LB Ryan Shazier, Ohio State: A second year linebacker from Ohio State, Shazier is playing well for the Black and Gold. Shazier led a strong Silver Bullet defense while in Columbus. His nine forced fumbles are a school record. He recorded 316 career tackles and earned 14 sacks. His finest moment may have come in 2012. The Buckeyes led Wisconsin late when he forced Montee Ball to fumble at the goal line. Ohio State proceeded to leave Madison with an overtime victory and an intact perfect season.
Last Win: 2014: Week 6, 2014: Browns 31 – Steelers 10
Pittsburgh jumped to a 3-0 lead after one quarter, but proceeded to give up twenty-one points to the Browns in the second quarter. The Browns ran all over the Steelers allowing Isaiah Crowell to rush for a touchdown and Ben Tate to add two more. Brian Hoyer tossed a touchdown to Jordan Cameron before Pittsburgh managed a garbage time touchdown with less than three minutes to go. Cleveland enjoyed one of their most comfortable home victories in recent history.
Last Loss: Week 1, 2014: Browns 27 @ Steelers 30
The 2014 season did not start especially well for the Browns. Opening on the road at Pittsburgh is difficult enough. Heading to halftime down 27-3 is an impressively tall order. Cleveland refused to relent, however, as Isaiah Crowell scampered for two touchdowns, Billy Cundiff kicked a field goal, and Travis Benjamin caught a touchdown pass to tie the game in the fourth quarter. With forty seven seconds to go the Steelers take over at their own 43 yard line. In only three plays Ben Roethlisberger advanced the team to the Browns 24-yard line where placekicker Shaun Suisham knocked in the game-winning 41-yard field goal.
This Week…
Browns fans looking for hope going into Sunday need to only look at the Steelers’ injury list. All-NFL running back Le’Veon Bell tore is MCL and was placed on Injured Reserve. Quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Michael Vick are officially listed as Questionable. If neither is able to play then third year signal caller Landry Jones would be the next man up. Jones has appeared in three games during 2015, going 28-of-47 for 456 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Unfortunately for the Browns, Antonio Brown is completely healthy. The star wide receiver is having a year for the ages. Through nine games Brown already recorded 69 receptions for 1,002 yards and three scores. He can break away from coverage with easy and is a threat to score any time the ball goes his way. Browns DB Tashaun Gipson knows the threat Brown poses, “He’s just everything you want in a receiver and I respect his game.” With so many injuries on offense, Pittsburgh has leaned on the defense to keep them in games. The Steelers rank eighth in the NFL with 182 points allowed (20.2ppg). Antwon Blake leads the club with 47 tackles.
Last week Browns quarterback Josh McCown complained of rib pain when engaged in such stressful activities as “sleeping” or “breathing.” With him out, Johnny Manziel played against Cincinnati. Manziel showed moments of fine play, but mostly underwhelmed. With McCown still on the mend, Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine still does not know who will start on Sunday and might not for a while. “I think we’ll have enough information by the end of the day with still a full practice tomorrow and our walk through on Saturday.” In other offensive injury news, rookie Cam Erving will make his first professional start at left guard for the injured Joel Bitonio. Pettine believes Erving is up for the moment. “He might be the most excited guy in the building. Just looking forward to this week finally get a chance, after all the time he’s put in to get a chance to go out and start.” On the injury topic, Gipson feels that the Steelers won’t pull one over on him. “He can fool y’all. He’s not fooling me. I don’t believe he’s [Roethlisberger’s] playing.” Considering Big Ben’s run of success against Cleveland, most Browns fans would hope that the defensive back is correct.
When I was thirteen years old the Browns and Steelers met on a nationally televised Sunday night game in Pittsburgh. During the pre-game show hype video a rapper whose name I don’t know sang a song I no longer remember as images of long-retired players showed on screen. The camera cut to quick sound bytes from Browns and Steelers fans. One Clevelander said, “I don’t care if we go 2-14 so long as those two wins are against Pittsburgh.” That moment stuck with me and fueled the joy of that 33-13 victory. I don’t know if I would really be happy if that hypothetical came to pass, but the notion behind it resonates deeply. Even in a lost season a win (or two) over Pittsburgh would certainly keep us warm during the coming winter. The Browns will get that chance on Sunday. No one knows who is playing quarterback for either team. The game is there for the taking.
3 Comments
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