Helmet-to-helmet hit sends Cribbs out of the game, without a penalty on James Harrison.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- The Browns clearly had a plan to support rookie quarterback Colt McCoy: throwing on first down early and putting the ball in Josh Cribbs's hands in the wildcat.
Half of that was still an intact strategy at the intermission after Pittsburgh's James Harrison knocked Cribbs out of the game with a helmet-to-helmet hit. Cribbs suffered a head injury and was done for the day, increasing the degree of difficulty for McCoy in his first start.
The only saving grace for the Browns was they were still in the game, trailing Pittsburgh 7-3. That happened in part because of Ben Roethlisberger's one rusty moment -- a poorly thrown ball intercepted near the goal line by Joe Haden. And because Rob Ryan's defense continued to hang in.
In the second half, the Browns are going to have to let McCoy continue to throw on first down.
A Browns win today with Cribbs figured to go down as one of the great upsets in Browns-Steelers history. Without him? Vegas doesn't have odds on that....