Nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin finishes up a breakout season in the Browns’ final game Sunday against Pittsburgh. He said his goal next year will be to make the Pro Bowl.
BROWNS INSIDER
The Browns' defense against the run was one of the notable areas of improvement early in the season. But it's fallen to 26th in the rankings after a seven-game stretch in which it has allowed an average of 160.2 yards rushing. That's almost 50 yards higher per game than the league average.
Nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin, here sacking Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard, has played at a high level all season for the Browns.But don't point fingers at nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin for that slump. According to Browns figures, Rubin leads all NFL defensive linemen in tackles this year with 79. Buffalo's Kyle Williams (75) and the Giants' Justin Tuck (74) are close behind.
"The level of improvement [Rubin's] had is impressive," coach Eric Mangini said. "The thing that I love about him is his effort. I've shown some clips from the last [Pittsburgh] game. On [Rashard] Mendenhall's run where we had him backed up and he bounced out, Rubin is flying to get over there 25 yards down the field.
"The last game against Baltimore, he's showing up on the screen every play. This is a big man. His effort is outstanding. He's strong, he plays with good technique, he cares, he's tough. It's not an accident he's leading all linemen in tackles."
Rubin was used strictly on running downs in his previous two seasons. As a full-time player this year, he has recorded the first interception and sacks (two) of his career.
They weren't enough to win him Pro Bowl recognition. The interior defensive linemen named to the AFC Pro Bowl team were Baltimore's Haloti Ngata, New England's Vince Wilfork and Oakland's Richard Seymour -- all repeat winners.
"It's always motivating if you don't get picked. That'll definitely be one of my goals next year," Rubin said. "The guys you see on the list are great names. Hopefully, I can continue my work and try to get nominated next year."
Because Shaun Rogers and Kenyon Coleman regularly take days off from practice because of injuries, Rubin gets more reps at practice and in games than any Browns lineman. He doesn't buy the theory that he may be wearing down from all the work.
Mangini attributes the run breakdowns to a combination of factors -- the loss of injured linebacker Scott Fujita, the inability of the offense to stay on the field and convert third downs, and the lack of available linemen.
"Sometimes what happens, you want to be multiple with different fronts and different ways to attack an offense and sometimes you can't rep those things," Mangini said. "So we have to cut back on that and play the things better in our base defense."
Under the roof: You won't see this very often -- the Browns practicing indoors the week of a home game against the Steelers. They moved into their fieldhouse on Thursday because players had trouble negotiating the frozen field outdoors on Wednesday. Lots of slipping and sliding. "We'll get a little bit more work done [indoors]," Mangini said.
Rivalry talk: Despite the domination of Pittsburgh since 1999, both coaches are talking up the Browns-Steelers rivalry. The Steelers have won 20 of 24 meetings in the Browns' expansion era.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he takes the rivalry "very seriously."
"It's such a unique game because of a number of factors. The close proximity. I can't say I've been involved in a bus trip in any other city I've been in. The history of the two organizations and the success they've had in history make it a unique matchup," Tomlin said.
Mangini said his players -- many of whom are new to the rivalry -- are aware what the game means to Cleveland fans.
"It's everywhere. It's in every newspaper, on every TV, on every person's lips," Mangini said.
He related an experience quarterback Colt McCoy had before the first Pittsburgh game this year, when a father asked him to sign some hats while McCoy pumped gas at a local station. Mangini said the father had two kids in car seats wearing T-shirts that said, "Steelers suck."
"It starts at birth," Mangini said. "You have your Browns shirt and your 'I hate Pittsburgh' shirt."
Browns fans in Baltimore: While the Ravens play the Bengals Sunday, they'll sneak peeks at the scoreboard to see if the Browns can take care of the Steelers. A Cleveland win would help the Ravens win the AFC North title and the perks that come with it.
"When the score comes up, I'm sure all of us are going to take a look," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said to reporters. "We're going to know by the crowd's reaction. I don't have a problem with that. We're going to play the game. We'll have all focus on Cincinnati. It'll be interesting to see how that game plays out. The fact that we have a chance to accomplish something as far as playoff seedings, that's pretty important."
Injury report: Running back Peyton Hillis (ribs), guard Floyd Womack (knee) and defensive end Kenyon Coleman (knee) missed practice on Thursday. Mangini said he expected each to be able to play on Sunday.