Cavs Pound “Spurs” in Pre-Season “Home” Game
October 15, 2010WFNY Podcast: Cavaliers and Steelers Week
October 15, 2010It’s Week 6. The Browns Bus is up on the racks for repairs. Sadly, the Steelers probably don’t care. Thinks look grim, and there’s a guy back for the Steelers this week who won’t respect it if the Browns ask him to stop working them over on Sunday.
On the road. Against 3-1 Pittsburgh who’s one last-minute Baltimore TD away from being 4-0. Without their starting QB. Who is now back. With a bye week to prepare. For the Browns. Who are starting a rookie third-string QB. And whose #1 “weapon” this year is knicked up. Sounds freakin’ AWESOME!! Without further ado…
The Browns Will Win If…
Craig: …they have an outstanding day on defense and keep Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Wallace from connecting deep. In order for the Browns to compete with the Steelers this Sunday, I think the defense might have to produce some scores or a serious field position advantage. I am really concerned about the potential for a time of possession deficit that will wear down the Browns defense. Unless Colt McCoy has improved greatly in the first few weeks of the season in practice, I am concerned about his ability to accomplish much of anything in the passing game. If I was running the offense, I would use McCoy’s mobility on some rollout plays when I wasn’t attempting to pound the ball with Peyton Hillis and the newly acquired Mike Bell. Then again, we didn’t really see Daboll take advantage of Seneca Wallace’s mobility intentionally, so not much chance here with McCoy either, I wouldn’t imagine. Again, Josh Cribbs is an x-factor, but I have become increasingly tired of even saying it when the Browns’ special teams fail to deliver much of a punch this season.
Scott: …they can hold the Steelers to six points. The only chance that this offense will have to score is on special teams. Unfortunately, no one is kicking to Cribbs, so even that may be asking for too much.
DP: …a colossal logistical failure happens with Pittsburgh’s team bus/transportation. Or, Colt McCoy is Jesus. Possibly both. Really, on paper, this game is such a mismatch that it’s hard for me to think about “how the Browns can win” with a straight face. Of course, time of possession and control in the run game would help. McCoy not imploding would help. The Browns defense playing as well—probably better—than last week and forcing some turnovers from Big Ben and the Steelers’ offense would help. All of these things seemingly have to happen in concert for the Browns to even have a chance. In my head, though, I see this game ending up like the Christmas Eve Massacre from 2006 more than anything else.
Rick: …Big Ben is really rusty and makes two or three big mistakes. (Not out of the realm of possibility by the way.) The big problem is that the Steelers are one of the best teams (ok, statistically the best) against the run. Which is what the Browns will have to do. With a horse named Hillis with a bit of a gimpy leg. And some linemen that were limited in practice (4 of 6 that have started this season, but who’s counting?). Don’t forget a rookie QB seeing his first regular season action. Did I mention the Steelers had a bye last week? These are not factors that would lead one to believe a victory is in the cards for the Browns. But does that mean we should accept losing? We didn’t give ourselves much of a chance last year in a frigid Browns Stadium and we pulled out the win. What a story if young Colt leads the Browns to a victory over the hated Steelers in his first NFL game. Stuff of legends. Little boys all over Cleveland will be named Colt next year. Hutch uniform sales will skyrocket for Halloween. It can happen right! Right. Right?
Andrew: …Colt McCoy is the 2nd coming of Peyton Manning. As much as the Browns say they’re going to rely on their power running game and lean on their TEs in the passing game this week, I’m not sure trying to pound away at the Steeler’s rush defense is the way to win in Pittsburgh. I realize the Browns torched the Steelers’ rush defense last season for a combined 262 yards in the two meetings, but this year the Steelers lead the NFL is rushing yards allowed and the most they’ve given up in any game is 75 yards. When you combine that with the fact their defense has forced at least one turnover in every game they’ve played and you see why it’s so tough to win in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will hope to jump to an early lead and then force Colt McCoy to beat them with his arm. So it will be up to McCoy to do just that. I hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t see the Browns having any success running on the Steelers now that Troy Polamalu is back. For the Browns to win this game, I think they are actually going to have to get lucky and have Colt make some plays with his arm. Hopefully he’s up for the task, but this is the ultimate trial by fire facing a Dick LeBeau defense in Pittsburgh.
TD: …Colt McCoy turns himself into Peyton Manning overnight….If Peyton Hillis magically is 100% healthy and runs the ball down the throats of one of the best run defenses in the league….if Josh Cribbs actually becomes a true factor on offense and breaks at least one, lets say two, returns for TD’s on special teams…..If Ben Roehtlisberger is SEVERLY rusty…..If they Browns D completely stifles Rashard Mendenhall and the Steelers rushing attack…If the Browns create at least two turnovers….. Then, MAYBE, the Browns will have a chance in this one. Maybe.
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Normally we reach out to other bloggers. But I don’t like Steelers fans, so I didn’t do that this week. So, I’m leaving the rest up to you, WFNY readers. How are you feeling about this game?
41 Comments
If our LB’s and RB’s are allowed to wear Legion of Doom shoulderpads.
I think no matter what we always have a chance against the Steelers. Every player, and every fan of both teams, knows what this rivalry means. I just hope we see Colt play decent, and I really hope Cribbs can get a big return. I would also love to see Peyton be the first RB in a LONG time to get over 100 yards on this D.
Then again I am a Browns fan and we will probably get rolled.
One thing I know is win or lose Steelers suck, and only queers wave yellow towels around..
The Browns will win if… the teams trade uniforms before the beginning of the game.
“Normally we reach out to other bloggers. But I don’t like Steelers fans, so I didn’t do that this week.”
Well played, sir.
Jesus, you guys are letting the Steelers psyche you out. Good thing Mangini is putting together a locker room full of mentally tough football players that won’t be scared by the sight of yellow and black jerseys. The Browns in reality are a long shot to win, but I think it will be a close, hard-fought game no matter what. Nothing like the blowout embarrassments against the Steelers like under the Crennel.
My Prediction…. PAIN!!
/Clubber Lang’d
That said, go Browns! i really hate the F-ing Steelers
You guys realize the Browns have already played 2 very good games against Baltimore and Cincinnati, right? Any particular reason why this will be the game they get slaughtered in?
The Browns can win if:
– They commit no turnovers, and eliminate stupid penalties
– The Offensive line & Vickers remember the end of last year
– Peyton Hillis continues his runaway train impression – if he can knock out Troy P. like he did Roy Williams, that would be a huge help.
– Colt can show that competitive nature that won more college games than anyone, and hopefully get outside the pocket, give the WRs time to break down the secondary, and make a big play or two
– The Steelers have an identity crisis between the team they are so far this year (power running) and the team they have been over the past couple years (throwing way too much)
– Big Ben lets his ego take control, while showing some rust, and trying a little too hard to leave his off-season trouble behind him.
It’s a long shot, but I think it’s possible. Go Browns!
“Normally we reach out to other bloggers. But I don’t like Steelers fans, so I didn’t do that this week.”
Well played, sir.”
I agree…I loved it! Just made my day and the impending doom on Sunday a little better!
We will win if Big Ben gets caught raping another female this weekend!
Maybe Mangini should watch this, take notes, and paraphrase as needed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwpTj_Z9v-c
The Browns will win if Colt McCoy can channel Kurt Warner or Tom Brady. I want to see a Browns QB take their chance and run with it. No one talks about Trent Green or Drew Bledsoe anymore. I am tired of always looking to the college ranks hoping to find the next franchise QB.
I’m going to invite Rapelisberger to our college party tonight and see how things go.
The Browns can stay competitive if they play mistake free football. No bad penalties. No pick sixes. No botched pitches/hand-offs. All of those things contribute to field position. Back the Steelers up and let Rob Ryan and the D go to work.
1. Brady Quinn + Chris Jennings Ben in 1st game of season
3. ’09 Browns secondary < '10 Browns secondary
4. '09 Browns LBs < '10 Browns LBs
So, yes, the Pitt D has been stellar so far this year with Troy healthy. But, he's due for an injury, isn't he? And, we just beat this team last year.
I understand Pitt should be favored. But, there is WAY too much doom and gloom for a divisional game against an opponent that is not immortal.
The defense needs to really step it up on third downs. I think they will be pumped for this and there will be a lot of 3rd and 8’s. That’s usually when #7 pulls something out of his butt.
Get their offense off the field and keep ours on. Win 12-9 our something like thast. Maybe even throw in a defensive or ST TD for 19-9.
Hey, here’s a thought. Why don’t we, oh, take some chances! Be creative. Throw a flea flicker. How about a half back option pass? Hillis is a great athlete. You don’t think he can throw one? Fake punt or field goal. A healthy dose of wildcat.
We need to try and WIN the game and not just keep it close. I have less worries about our D but we will need some big plays out of our offense to win. Watching the Metcalf highlights here the last 2 weeks made me realise how little chances we take. Time to change that.
Might the Steelers be looking past us and play flat?
Are the upset odds worse than 2009?
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Shock. The. World.
(But just in case: Colt, better write your letters, lad)
Put some undercover cops dressed as teenage girls on the sidelines.
When “big” ben attacks, have them break his arm.
I don’t know if we win. But I would like to see the following:
– We can still establish the run, even against their defense;
– Colt shows some good things amongst the inevitable rookie mistakes
– We effect a number of defensive stops
Worldwide Harv beat me to it — we’re gonna shock the world, baby!
Harv I’d say the ‘looking past us factor’ took a big hit because we beat them the last time we played. Beat them up in fact. I don’t think that is lost on them.
@17
“Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?”
FAIL
@22 – Shhhh, he’s on a roll.
People who are going to participate on sport blogs should have to watch animal house before they get their posting license.
The only thing funnier now than the actual Pearl Harbor line is watching the list of people that don’t get it chime in.
@ #24 – Kevin
So true, so true…
@Kevin, there’s always one.
Rick: re Steelers looking past us, I agree, but that’s all I got so leave me my cliches.
Any given Sunday. That’s why you play the games. Those guys are all in the NFL for a reason. Self-inflicted wounds. The coaches drew up a good plan, but we as players have to execute it.
Let me dream if I have nothing else, sir.
@22
Movie quote identification – FAIL
On topic: the only question I have about the game is if Pittsburgh can score the 223 points needed to set the record for largest margin of victory in a football game.
There’s really no reason to think about anything other than that…it’s not like we beat them the last time we played them with a worse team or anything. It’s not like we played even with the team that beat them for 3.5 quarters a couple weeks ago and damn near beat them on the road.
Will we win on Sunday? The odds are against it. They were last December, too. On paper, the Squealers are the better team. But people are acting like this is going to be Georgia Tech/Cumberland part 2. It’s pretty ridiculous, really. It’s going to take the best game of the season from the defense, a TD from our defense or special teams, and enough offense to get a couple of FGs or maybe even a TD. We do that, and we’ll be there in the 4th quarter.
Cleveland fans have a better shot of seeing LeBron James go on national TV the day before the NBA season starts saying that the past two months were all a joke and that him and Dan Gilbert are best friends and have formed the best “friends forever club”.
No shot in this one.
I hate the Steelers, but we need to take this beating like a man and just lick the wounds when it’s over.
Colt won’t keep the team on the field to let our defense rest, Ben will light our defense up with 10+ play drives converting on numerous 3 and short situations with the backyard football passes like they ALWAYS do, minus last year when the Browns caught Pittsburgh in the midst of a 4 game losing streak.
Hate to say it, but I refuse to let myself get hyped up and disappointed this year with this team.
@24- agreed.
Everything else, meh. I have no expectations for Colt so if he goes #2 on the field, o well. I do agree with a poster who said we need to take our chances on O. 1st offensive play of the game wildcat pass Cribbs to MoMass deep. I dont care if its incomplete. Come out firing. If it blows up, who cares? According to 99.9999% of the world this game is a W already for the steelers. I want to see King Kong knocking ben to the ground again. Lets get creative with these blitzes like last year (NO CB blitzing tho!!).
Another interesting note: Since we last played (beat) the Steelers the Browns’ record is 5-4, with the 4 losses coming by a combined 22 points. The combined record of the 4 teams that beat us is 12-5. We were beating 3 of those 4 teams in the 4th quarter, and the other team didn’t put us away until they scored a defensive TD with 5 minutes to go.
My glass is half full. We’re not that far away, folks.
Correction: the record of the teams that have beaten us is 14-4, not 12-5.
Oh, that is a nice read. Here’s my outlook…
DP got hit by a hockey puck from tonight’s Penn’s game and he gets knocked out on the streets of pittsburgh. So the Steeler’s roll in on the party bus they decided to rent Sunday afternoon. DP’s body causes the bus to flip over, breaking 50% of the defensive line’s bones (i only say 50% cause i want the game to go on) & the kicker … so then we win the coin toss, we elect to receive …. the rookie kicker sends one soaring to Cribbs and he runs into a TD return. So then Ben comes out on the field for his NFL return… He gives off a few decent hand-offs and then passes to Wallace, … Big Baby Rodgers comes and tackles Wallace and his head gets plummeted into the ground and his tears kill the surrounding grass and a brown spot forms in the shape of a Dawg on the field. Then it is 3rd and long, and Ben with no pass options decides to run, he gets pushed out of bounds into Eric Man-gina’s face and all of a sudden has a combo venereal disease break out, they both swell up like a balloon, and are taken to be quarantined. It’s half time by now, we are up 10-0. They call me and my closest 2 friends to be life-flighted to the game and we fill in as coaches. Suddenly, things take a turn for the even better…. We realize, what the hell were the coaches thinking putting our rookie QB in for his first NFL game against these sleazy reelers? We put in Cribbs as QB and run the best secret weapon plays this sport has seen. We shut out the SOB’s on their home turf. All of a sudden it is two-minute warning for the end of the game, and these clouds roll in, but they aren’t normal clouds… some of them are golden and glittering, some of them are black and intimidating … the clock winds down and THE BROWNS WIN, THE BROWNS WIN !!! The team comes and lifts us up on their shoulders, chanting CLEVELAND ROCKS, CLEVELAND ROCKS! All of sudden, from the heavens, a far too familiar tune starts to play…………. I’ve paid my dues, time after time, I’ve done my sentence but committed no crime… and bad mistakes, I’ve made a few, I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face…. but I’ve come through……….. (GUITAR KICKS IN!) WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS MY FRIEND! AND WE’LL KEEP ON FIGHTING TILL THE END! …….. and Champagne rains down onto the team and the Browns fans, we lead a parade on the streets of Pittsburgh all the way back to Cleveland. The black clouds start raining down on the Steeler’s stadium, a bolt of lighting hits one of the goal posts and the entire place is set on fire, along with the entire stadium, fans, team, Eric Mangini…. (and oh yea, I forgot LeBron was in the stands too….. funny how that works out). The entire world does not feel remorse because they are too busy celebrating the best under-dawg win of the century….. Browns Town takes over as the capital of the United States…. the Browns win Super Bowl XLV …. and you know what, Colt McCoy actually is Jesus.
The Browns have scored 7 points combined in the fourth quarter this season.
To-ga! To-ga! To-ga!
maybe Ben mistakes his roofies for gatorade?
in all seriousness though, everyone was all gloom and doom before the blackbirds game and this team showed they aren’t just going to go out and get rolled.
If we play mistake free football, and get lucky enough that the stillers turn it over a couple times, AND we actually cash those turnovers in for points (this is a key, because we never seem to do it), then we have a very good chance to win.
I know, its a lot to ask. Im not optimistic, but I don’t think this team is an embarrassment any more.
I just hope McCoy walks out of the game in 1 piece. Feels like a hold your breath and hope we get out ok type game.
A lot of people are like Andrew and forget that Baltimore’s run defense was as highly regarded as Pittsburgh’s before they met Peyton Hillis. They bragged on the fact that you had to go well back in last season to find them giving up 100 yards. After the game, they were black and blue all the way to the bone. Hillis says he’s back to 100%, and this means we have a chance to shatter another defense’s myths.
The way to beat Pittsburgh is to pound them. Pound Hillis into their DBs until they can’t cover any more. Pound TJ Ward into their receivers until they’re too scared to lay out. Pound Benard and Roth into Big Ben until he squeals like a little girl, a sound he knows. We beat Pittsburgh last time with a far weaker team than we have now. There is no reason to cower in fear just because Colt McCoy is starting instead of Brady Quinn.
Only Browns fans could be so positive with a 1-5 record heading into Pittsburgh with a rookie QB making his first professional start. God bless you. Hopefully around 4-4:30 PM on Sunday the dream will be realized unfortunately I think you are in for another reality check but lets see what happens.
@ tikihat – that’s right. you don’t beat a bully by trying to get cute, dancing around him, hiding from him, and hoping he doesn’t hit you. You beat a bully by punching him square in the nose.
The Steelers have been pushing us around for the better part of a decade. We’re finally good enough to start hitting back.
Its not so much the Steelers’ offense that bothers me. Its the D. This game has pick 6 written all over it.
We win if that doesnt happen and we pull off 3 amazing plays (be it special teams, a bomb pass, or some 60 yd run). We also need at least 20 points.
[…] You can view Craig’s pre-game intel report here and WFNY’s keys to victory here. […]