Steelers won the 2008 season Super Bowl but were already struggling when they visited Cleveland to face the 1-11 Browns last season. Pittsburgh's repeat hopes all but ended when Browns' defense keyed a stunning upset win.
Linebacker Marcus Benard getting one of the Browns' eight sacks of Ben Roethlisberger during Cleveland's 13-6 win over Pittsburgh last season.Cleveland, Ohio -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are not going to feel sorry for the Cleveland Browns and their injury problems when the teams meet on Sunday.
The big story going into the game at Pittsburgh has to do with quarterbacks: Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger will play for the first time this season, his four-game suspension for violating NFL conduct policy finished.
On the other side of the football, the Browns' quarterback situation is a mess. Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme will almost certainly miss the game with badly sprained ankles, and as The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot reports, rookie quarterback Colt McCoy might start, playing in a regular season game for the first time.
Despite all of that, the underlying factor to how the game might be approached by Pittsburgh goes back to last December, when an awful Browns team all but ended the Steelers' chances of repeating as Super Bowl champions with a stunning defensive performance.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recalls that game and writes, looking to Sunday:
Under normal circumstances, the Browns would be a dress rehearsal for Roethlisberger in preparation for the next three grueling games on the road at Miami, New Orleans and Cincinnati.
Except for one thing. That one loss to the Browns in their past 13 meetings occurred in their most recent one, Dec. 10, on a bitter, cold, windy night in Cleveland. The Browns, 1-11 at the time, upset the Steelers, 13-6, to provide the final blow to their playoff hopes that had hemorrhaged during a five-game losing streak.
Thanks to that game (and other losses to some of the worst teams in the league such as Oakland and Kansas City in that five-game skid), the Steelers missed the playoffs. And, thanks to that game, they will look at their contest against the Browns a whole lot differently Sunday at Heinz Field.
"That was the fifth straight game we lost. That was like really the bottom of the barrel there," linebacker James Harrison said. "That was a big letdown. We hit the bottom. We didn't think we could get any lower, but we could have. That was like the lowest of the lowest point. All we could do was go up from there."
The Steelers go into Sunday's game with a 3-1 record and coming off their bye week. The Browns are 1-4.
Roeth's return
Although the Steelers played well in Roethlisberger's absence, they clearly move the football better with him behind center. Pittsburgh ranks 31st among the NFL's 32 teams in passing.
Pro Football Weekly's Dan Arkush spoke with an NFL scout and writes:
Clearly, the stage is set for Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians to open up his entire playbook again.
"Big Ben creates plays," said the pro scout. "He is a little bit of a bonehead and he hangs on to (the ball) too much, but he can wing it now. The guy has won two Super Bowls. Having him back will be a huge boost to their offense.
"He'll beat you with his arm. He is tough. He gets the (crap) knocked out of him behind that line. It is not very good. But he still finds a way. Remember the TD he threw last year to beat Green Bay? He is clutch. It was a perfect back-shoulder throw, just like the one he threw to Santonio Holmes in the Super Bowl."
Rashard's running
Running back Rashard Mendenhall helped carrry the Pittsburgh offense with Roethlisberger out. With the QB back, Mendenhall might be just as productive, or even moreso, with fewer carries.
Scott Brown wrote on the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's "View From The Press Box" blog about Mendenhall:
The question of whether Ben Roethlisberger’s return to the Steelers benefits Rashard Mendenhall elicited a chuckle from Hines Ward.
“I don’t know if it helps Rashard,” Ward said Tuesday, following Roethlisberger's first practice with the Steelers since Sept. 1. “He’s still running the ball like crazy.”
Indeed, Mendenhall is second in the NFL in rushing (411 yards), and he is averaging a robust 4.6 yards a carry -- this despite the fact that the Steelers’ passing game ranks 31st out of 32 teams.
But there is no disputing that running room for the third-year back should be more plentiful assuming Roethlisberger quickly shakes off the rust from his four-week layoff and again plays like one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
Steelers stories
How Roethlisberger could affect the Steelers' mix of the pass and run, by Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Video of Yahoo! Sports analysts discussing the Steelers with Roethlisberger back.
How the Steelers benefited from their bye week, on the "Nice Pick, Cowher" blog.
Some questions about the Steelers, on SBNation.com's "Behind the Steel Curtain" blog.