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October 17, 2010
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- I have a feeling that the Browns' 28-10 loss at Pittsburgh Sunday is the kind of game the fans will be watching the next few weeks.
The Browns will play hard. They won't back down physically, and they'll keep it reasonably close. But in the end, the lack of impact players will doom them to defeat.
John Kuntz / The Plain DealerThe Browns' Matt Roth (left) and Shaun Rogers (bottom) occasionally put pressure on Ben Roethlisberger, but the Steelers QB kept making enough plays -- and had the talented playmakers on his offense -- to help the Steelers easily dispatch the Browns, 28-10, Sunday at Heinz Field.
What was the difference in this game?
The Steelers had Ben Roethlisberger back from a four-game suspension, and he engineered a five-play, 96-yard drive in the third quarter putting Pittsburgh in charge, 14-3.
He was knocked down but still delivered a 50-yard pass to Mike Wallace. Roethlisberger never saw the completion, as he was on his back in the end zone. Two Browns blitzers were a shade of a second too late.
Then the Browns didn't blitz, and Roethlisberger threw a 36-yarder to Heath Miller.
When the Browns blitzed, they were too late. When they rushed three men and tried to cover with eight defenders, Roethlisberger stood in the pocket long enough to bake a cake -- and picked them apart.
The defense actually had a decent day, but they couldn't force a turnover that became a touchdown. In two games last season, the Browns sacked Roethlisberger 11 times.
Not once on this day.
No big plays for the Browns. Not on offense. Not on defense. Not on special teams.
The Browns are primarily a bunch of role players who care deeply and certainly have not tuned off their coaches or given up the season.
But there is not enough talent, period.
The Browns don't have a receiver such as Hines Ward who can wrestle the ball away from Eric Wright (who should be embarrassed on this play) and then turn it into an eight-yard touchdown. They don't have a runner such as Rashard Mendenhall, who is punishing and quick -- and will be around to torment the Browns for years.
Fans don't want to hear that the Browns are better than a year ago. That their 1-5 record is somewhat the result of a brutal schedule. Heading into Sunday's action, the combined records of their opposition was 15-7.
There were some good signs.
Colt McCoy made his first pro start -- in Pittsburgh of all places -- showing poise and grit as he was 23-of-33 passing for 281 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked five times, and suffered nine more quarterback hits. On more than a few plays, he ran away from the rush -- sometimes, a bit early -- but usually out of necessity.
Most of his best throws were in the fourth quarter, when the Steelers played some prevent defense, leaving receivers open for short passes. But McCoy was fairly accurate, and is a mobile quarterback. It was the best that can be expected, and it will be interesting to see if McCoy can improve as he's expected to play next week in New Orleans.
The Browns lost two receivers in the second quarter to helmet-to-helmet hits by Steelers' linebacker James Harrison. What must Harrison do to draw a penalty flag? Will the NFL have the guts to hit him with a major fine, and perhaps a suspension?
He wiped out Joshua Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi, both leaving the game with head injuries. There was no official word and both players left the field under their own power, but who knows if they will be able to play next week? Concussions often result from these kind of violent plays.
But in the end, the Browns are 1-5. They couldn't really run the ball -- Peyton Hillis had 41 yards on 12 carries, the team 70 yards in 22 tries. They couldn't connect on a deep passing play. They couldn't do anything to make the Steelers or their fans believe that an upset was coming.
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