Steelers live blog: Steelers vs. Browns

Wow. If somebody would have asked me 5 years ago last year during week 1 if this game between the Browns and the Steelers would have any meaning? I would have laughed in your face. Instead, the Steelers (6-2) are playing to solidify their first place standing against the Browns (5-3). Football is crazy.

1:04: The announcer just said the Browns are giving up about 29 points a game. I think that says a little something about how good their Derek Anderson led (what?) offense has been.

1:05: On a third and three…did we really just run a reverse pass? Yeah, we did. So we’re obviously punting.

1:10: Looks like we’re using our “look great on 1st and 2nd down, but give up a 3rd down conversion defense”. The Browns should have punted two first downs ago, as they continue to drive into/through Steeler territory

1:14: The third down conversions continue. Right now, I’m just hoping that at some point we stop them for the field goal attempt.

1:17: See the previous post. The Browns now had first and goal, after another 3 & 7 dumpoff first down.

1:18: TD Browns. 16 play drive. Four 3rd down conversions. If this happens the whole game, we will get embarrassed like we were the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night football. 7-0 Browns.

1:25: Willie Parker spun off of the rugby scrum and broke off a 31 yard gain. We’re inside the Browns 15 (which was in part because of a great kick return by Rossum)

1:27: The Browns Eric Wright made a great tip-away on third down, and we’re forced to settle for a field goal. 7-3 Browns. Let’s see if the defense can keep from getting embarrassed…

1:30: Joshua Freakin Cribbs. I don’t see many Browns games, but I see Josh Cribbs with so many great kick/punt returns, that its retarded. He just had another one, which wasn’t helped by some missed Steelers tackles (Jeff Reed showed that kickers aren’t athletes, as he slid across the turf). First and goal for the Browns.

1:33: Well, any chance to keep the Browns to a field goal was just ruined by a taunting penalty by Anthony Smith….at the end of second down…on the one yard line. Automatic first down for the Browns at the 1.

1:35: The first quarter is over. The Steelers stopped the Browns first down run. 2nd down and goal for the Browns at the 3 yard line. As we move to the second quarter, 7-3 Browns.

1:36: The Browns run a play action pass, and get a TD similar to the first TD…Anderson to Vickers. 14-3 Browns. The Cribbs run back hurt…the Anthony Smith taunting penalty hurt more though. I hope a coach is telling him that all taunting needs to be done at midfield and further back.

1:45: Looks like we’ve taken a page out of the Browns playbook. Roethlisberger just ran 10 yards for a first down on 3rd and 8.

1:45: Then followed it up with a pretty pass to Heath Miller on a deep out, good for another 15 yards.

1:48: Big stop by the Browns on 3rd and 1…We’re forced to settle for a 35 yard field goal by Sweet Hips. 14-6 Browns with about 9 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter. If the defense and special teams can keep the Browns out of the end zone on this next possession, maybe we can get in the endzone and make a game of this one.

1:51: Cribbs just got the Devin Hester treatment, as we short kicked it. Looks like it worked fairly well, as the Browns will start from the 30 yard line.

1:55: Okay, we’ve done it again. 3rd & 9 for the Browns. Lets get a stop here…please? Got it. very lucky. Anderson threw the ball too high for Edwards, and he still probably should have caught it, but I’ll take it anyway we can get it. Funny side note…The Royals (Chiefs) vs. Rockies (Broncos) score is 3 to 5. I think Matt Holiday hit a 2 run home run in the 3rd inning.

2:00: Crap. all of that defense we finally played was wasted on one play. Roethlisberger got picked by Rodney Pool, and the Browns are in the red zone already.

2:07: 3rd down…as usual. Bralyon Edwards made a pretty impressive catch in the end zone against some pretty good defense by Ike Taylor. The play is being challenged by the Browns (it looks like it might be a TD). Crap, it is. Nice catch. We’re kinda getting pummeled right now. By the Browns? at home? what is going on? 21-6 Browns. 5 minutes to go in the first half.

2:13: We start off the drive with a 10 yard penalty. Follow it up with a 10 yard Parker run that is called back because of another hold. Yes, we are playing against the team with the worst pass defense in the league.

2:15: Nice conversion on third down. Ben to Hines. 12 yard pick up on third and 9 (after the first and 20). Some momentum would be nice, please.

2:17: Another nice 3rd down pick up by Roethlisberger. This time it goes to Washington. As we hit the two minute warning, we’re driving. A TD would be very nice here to end the half.

2:20: There have been a couple of slip-ups today. I’m starting to wonder about field quality. Parker just slipped up on an 8 yard run that could have gone for about 12.

2:22: 1:04 left in the half. Roethlisberger just found Miller on a nice pitch and catch down to the 9 yard line. Time out Steelers.

2:23: Shovel pass to Ward…followed by another time out…57 seconds to go. 2nd and goal Steelers.

2:25: Roethlisberger got sacked on third down, the Browns rusher beat Colon off the ball, Another kick by Reed. 21-9 with 4 seconds in the half.

2:28: Halftime. 21-9 Browns. Derek Anderson has 80 yards passing…3 TD’s. Yes, field position may be playing a small part in this game. That, and our inability to put the ball in the end zone.

2:41: Alright…coming out of halftime, all I ask is that we just don’t let Josh Cribbs bust some 50 yard kick return.

2:42: Devin Hester treatment again. We kicked the ball to a lineman…Browns start at the 35.

2:44: Three and out by the Browns. Back-to-back nice plays by Polamalu and Keisel.

2:48: The Steelers go three and out. That’ll kill momentum pretty quickly.

2:54: The defense held the Browns to another 3 and out. Here comes the offense again.

2:55: Another funny Peyton Manning commercial. I wonder if he’ll try and do some sort of buddy comedy movie with Burt Reynolds once he leaves football? Yeah, probably not.

2:58: I’m not going to bother writing how we got to this point…but its 3rd & 23. Yes, we’re punting.

3:02: Nice defense guys. Larry Foote held up Lewis, James Harrison “the walking turnover maker” (c) Jim Nantz, caused the fumble. Steelers ball.

3:03: Our first play takes us into the red zone…Roethlisberger squeezed a highly unnecessary throw into Ward for a 19 yard pick up.

3:05: A little too nonchalant for Hines Ward on the TD pass from Ben, but it is a TD pass nonetheless. 21-16 Browns. We’re back in it, after the Harrison forced fumble.

3:09: Big 3rd & 3 for the Steelers defense…Anderson had Winslow open (he shook the crap out of Polamalu) but he threw it short. Another 3 and out for the Browns. Looks like momentum is changing (hopefully).

3:15: Steelers pick up a first down or two, but that’s it. Another Browns sack pretty much took us out of that drive. Lets see if the defense can hold again…

3:22: After a few penalties, which prolonged the Browns drive considerably, the defense holds. Browns put again, leaving us with decent field position (our own 35).

3:25: Great play. Roethlisberger eludes a sack (like he’s done all year), then throws a pass behind Ward, which he grabs and turns into a 19 yard gain. Welcome to Browns territory, Steelers fans.

3:28: Two straight drops by Holmes and Spaeth look to kill this drive quickly (3rd and 10 right now)…Until Ben Roethlisberger decides to play the hero! Right up the gut, 30 yard TD run. He didn’t have anybody open, and the Browns have consistently given him the middle of the field to run, so he took it. 2 point conversion to Hines Ward gives the Steelers a 24-21 lead.

3:33: WHAT THE HELL? We finally kick the ball near Cribbs. It bounces over his head, after he touched it, and rolls to the 1 yard line. Of course, Cribbs then picks it up and runs 100 yards for a TD. Tomlin decided to waste his time out before even seeing any replays, and the play is under review right now.

3:37: Cribbs is killing us. He has 190 yards on two kick returns. As I said earlier, he seems to kill the Steelers every time we play against them. 28-24 Browns.

3:41: Ben being Ben. Pressure on Roethlisberger, he breaks away from a sack, and finds Holmes for a much needed 3rd down conversion.

3:42: Two-for-two. 15 more to Holmes on a bullet pass by Roethlisberger.

3:43: Heath Miller coming up with the catch and the “Marion Barber-esque” stiff arm to get another first down.

3:45: 3rd and 18, huge conversion by Roethlisberger to Heath Miller (after the 4th sack by the Browns defense today, which put us in the 3rd and long situation).

3:47: Another huge 3rd down conversion by Ben. This time he broke free from Willie McGinest, and ran for the first down. First and goal Steelers, as the clock goes inside 4 minutes.

3:49: Touchdown Steelers. Ben threw a bullet to Miller, after avoiding the Browns rush. (Browns are challenging the TD catch)

3:54: Romeo Crennel was playing by college rules. The Browns wasted two time outs on the Miller TD catch because the Browns called a timeout to buy some time, then they challenged the play (in college, you call a time out in order to get them to review the play). 31-28 Steelers. Please don’t kick to Cribbs.

3:57: Big 3rd down for the Browns offense here, who haven’t had a first down since the first half. Sweet. Steelers defense holds, yet again, and the Browns are forced to put. 2:54 left in the game. The Steelers have a chance to put it away with a few first downs here, with the Browns only having one time out remaining.

4:03: This is it. 2 minutes left and a 3rd down for the Steelers. A first down here will effectively end the game, as the Browns are out of time outs.

4:04: I’m not really sure what play we ran. It looks like a QB draw…Even if we would have thrown the ball, Ben probably would have been sacked, as the Browns brought the house to try and force a bad play.

4:06: Huge Browns penalty on the punt, moves the ball back to the Browns 33.

4:07: DeShea Townsend almost made it through the whole game without getting embarrassed, until Jurevicius decided to hit him up for a 16 yard gain. 1st down Browns.

4:08: Back to back first downs…this time Anderson beat Polamalu and hit Kellen Winslow for another 14 yards. The ball is on the Steelers 39.

4:09: 11 seconds left, Polamalu just made a nice tackle keeping Jurevicius in bounds.  They’re going to bring Dawson out for a 53 yard field goal…MISSED! It was online, but fell short.  The Browns are going to lose, in part because of the horrible time out/challenge by Crennel on the Heath Miller TD.

4:10: Final Score 31-28 Steelers.  We move to 7-2 and the Browns (by far the second best team in the AFC North) fall to 5-4.  Next up for the Steelers is the lowly New York Jets (1-8).

Category: Football