The Cleveland Browns have had issues with giving up the deep ball to several receivers so far this season. There's a threat that they may give up even more, especially when they face Steelers' wide receiver Mike Wallace on Sunday. Wallace has caught passes of 52, 46 and 41 yards this season. His average of 23.4 yards a catch is No....
Cleveland Browns' Abram Elam gets a hand on Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Wallace in a game last year. The Cleveland Browns have had issues with giving up the deep ball to several receivers so far this season. There's a threat that they may give up even more, especially when they face Steelers' wide receiver Mike Wallace on Sunday.
Wallace has caught passes of 52, 46 and 41 yards this season. His average of 23.4 yards a catch is No. 1 among NFL starting wide receivers.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Scott Brown writes:
"I've never seen anybody that fast that guys know he's going deep and still can't cover him," Steelers free safety Ryan Clark said of Wallace.
What the Steelers want is for the 6-foot, 199-pounder to become as hard to cover on short and intermediate routes.
Wallace will especially be motivated against the Browns because Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie were taken ahead of him in the draft.
And Wallace is having the better year.
"I always take it to heart, all those guys that went before me," Wallace said. "I think I'm better than all of them pretty much. (Teams) were sleeping on me like I was playing in my jammies."
Most improved
Steelers cornerback William Gay is the most improved player on the team, writes Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Ron Cook.
Gay was a key player on the Steelers' Super Bowl team in 2008 as a reserve, but he was a weak link on the defense last season when he started in place of Bryant McFadden.
Now McFadden is back, and Gay is in his better suited role as a reserve.
Cook is really impressed with Gay's story.
So does coach Tomlin.
"He's been a consummate professional, a team player," Tomlin said. "He's fallen back to a sub-package role and he hasn't muttered a peep. He works extremely hard, always is ready and is into the game. He's making plays. I'm happy for him. I'm excited for him."
No kick
Hopefully the Browns and Steelers game will come down to field goals. If it does, the Browns are in a good position, especially since Steelers' kicker Jeff Reed has been off the mark.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Scott Brown writes how Reed has missed four field goals this season, including two in the Steelers' loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Reed said his early misses have nothing to do with the unhappiness he voiced over his contract situation during training camp.
Reed said at the time that the Steelers didn't negotiate with him in good faith on a long-term deal.
"Everyone's thinking that I'm sandbagging, but that's not the case at all," said Reed, who signed a one-year, $2.81 million contract in July. "There's one thing I can't stand and that's not being perfect and losing."