The Browns suck.

There are a few sure things in this world…The Steelers beating the Browns is one of life’s sure things. I found myself peeking at next week’s schedule to see who the Steelers play. Hopefully Mike Tomlin and the Steelers coaching staff don’t allow this team to make the same mistake I did. The Browns have some talent on the offensive side of the ball. The Browns defense looked horrible against the Cowboys. I’m of the opinion that the Browns are trying to fit square pegs in circular holes across the defensive line. If Ben’s shoulder is right the Steelers are injury free; I expect Cribbs to play this week for the Browns…This is a huge game for the Browns…The Browns season could be wrecked if they drop there tenth straight game against the Steelers and fall two games behind in the division.

Did you know?

-The Steelers are looking for their eighth straight win in Cleveland

-Willie Parker needs 48 rushing yards to move past John Henry Johnson into third place on the team’s all-time rushing list.

-The Steelers defense allowed three scores in three possessions (2 Td’s and 1 FG) in the red zone this year.  

Steelers with the Ball

The Cowboys mixed the run and pass; The Cowboys controlled the ball and the clock last week against the Browns, I expect the Steelers to have a similar game plan this week. The Browns showed different philosophies on defense last week…I believe it’s more panic to cover up liabilities in the defensive backfield than belief in particular players to make plays. I believe the Browns front office wasted money in Free Agency this off season. Shawn Rogers is not a 3-4 nose guard and Corey Williams is not a 3-4 defensive end, both players want to get up field and attack the ball carrier in the back field…That doesn’t fit the Browns scheme on defense…The Browns Linebackers don’t tackle well, they have limited range, and they fail to make plays. The Browns defensive back field is awful, Sean Jones was the best of the bunch prior to his knee injury…The Browns defense is a mess…Brodney Pool missed last weeks game with a concussion…He is expected back this week…His replacement Mike Adams takes over for the injured Sean Jones…This defense is being held together with duct tape and bong resin at this point.

I expect the Steelers to utilize a ton of formations against the Browns early in the game. I will give Arians credit for setting up plays in the Texans game…He showed certain personnel groupings early in the game; he gauged the Texans response to personnel and attacked later in the game…Arians was a step ahead of the Texans staff when it came to play calling. I expect the Browns to blitz the Steelers early and often…The Steelers will move the pocket…Run some play action passing and roll outs to counter the Browns pressure. The only way the Steelers offense can be stopped this week is if they stop themselves; blown blocking assignments, turnovers, dropped balls, or dumb penalties.

Matchups

The Run game

Justin Hartwig looked like a quality player last week…This week Hartwig faces his first true test with Shaun Rogers. The Browns played Rogers square over the center and cocked over the centers outside eye against Dallas…The Steelers will have to double Rogers every interior run play…Andre Gurode of the Cowboys is the best center in the NFL he needed help with Rogers. Hartwig must be technically sound…Rogers is hell on wheels the first few series of a half…As the game goes on Rogers will tire…His conditioning will eventually break and he will start playing patty cake at the line of scrimmage. The Steelers must punish Rogers with the double team…My biggest fear is Rogers blowing up Hartwig and Simmons on the double team. Kemo needs to start the game nasty and finish the game nasty…He had a few mental lapses against the Texans…He also made some nice blocks. I would love the Steelers guards to get to the second level to punish the Browns horrible inside linebackers…I believe blocking and punishing Shaun Rogers is the first step in that process…The Steelers run game may struggle early…As the game goes on, the guards will be able to slide off the double team of Rogers and pick up the inside backer…That leaves Parker or Mendenhall in space against defensive backs…That’s winning football in the run game. Kendall Simmons I want to believe you can get the job done…History tells me otherwise...Not to be repetitive the Steelers must pound and double the s@!t out of Rogers in the run game. Marvel Smith and Robaire Smith renew their yearly war…Marvel has handily won a majority of the matchups and I can see no reason why that will stop this year. Willie Colon and Corey Williams will be the key matchup of the week…Colon must win a majority of the matchups if the Steelers expect to the run ball to the right side of the formation. Colon played pretty darn well last week against Anthony Weaver…Hopefully Colon repeats that performance this week. Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth have big time tests this week…If the Steelers Tight Ends can draw stalemates or win matchups against the Browns outside linebackers this game will be over in the first half…The Browns defensive backs have to play off the ball…They have defensive backs whose last starting jobs were for the Pennsylvania school of The Blind and Deaf…The Steelers will run the stretch, the outside zones, and counters until the Browns show they can stop them.

Passing game

Does the phrase shooting fish in a barrel conjure up any thoughts? The Browns are in big trouble if the Steelers establish the run game. The Browns better hope they can get pressure on Ben with 4 rushers…They are going to need at least 6 in coverage. Eric Wright is a decent corner…Hines Ward abused him last year…Ward is just as physical and nasty as last year…I don’t see much changing in the match up. Brandon McDonald sucks…He is short and he can’t open his hips and run with a quality quick Wide Receiver like Santonio Holmes…McDonald has fine speed straight line…Football is not always played straight line…McDonald also struggles to start and stop…The Cowboys ran the Slant and Go and post corner at will against McDonald last week…I expect much of the same this week. The Browns nickel corner Terry Cousin would not make the Steelers roster…Cousin in coverage is a big play waiting to happen. Brodney Pool was out last week with a concussion…He has to play this week with Sean Jones out…Pool is not a very good player…He is an improvement over the other option former Virginia Tech Quarterback Nick Sorenson…Pool doesn’t read patterns or attack the ball in the air…He is a step slow reacting on every play. Former Delaware Blue Hen cornerback Mike Adams is expected to start at Strong Safety…Houston we have a problem…Expect a heavy dose of Heath Miller boys and girls.

The Browns pass rush does have me a little concerned. Shaun Rogers and Kemo should be a Sumo war…They could end up throwing punches before the end of the game. Corey Williams and Kendoll Simmons is the matchup that concerns me the most…Corey Williams sucks against the run…He is a very high quality pass rusher…One of the top interior pass rushing defensive linemen in the NFL last year…Simmons needs to be bring his “A” game. Kameron Wimbley is a one trick pony rushing the passer…he explodes off the ball and beats the tackle to the edge…Marvel Smith must get off the ball and keep his foot work…If Marvel locks on Wimbley its over. Willie Colon and the ancient Willie McGinest could be interesting. McGinest is a smart savvy pass rusher who could give Colon fits…Colon needs to be patient he can not lunge/over extend and he MUST move his feet.

Ben must continue to make quick reads…He looked patient and poised in the pocket…He made his reads and delivered the ball…#7 is the MVP of this league

Parker and Mendenhall need to attack the hole…Both must protect the ball and be patient…The runs that are not there in the 1^st quarter will be there in the 2^nd quarter. Both players ran the ball very well last week…Parker looked as good as ever.

Carey Davis and Mwelde Moore…The Unsung heroes of the offense. Both players made significant contributions that won’t show up on the stat sheet…Blocking is a tireless job.

Ward Holmes& Washington…Run clean routes catch the ball and realize you won’t be this wide open very often in the NFL.

Miller and Spaeth…I expect Miller to have a great day catching the ball…Miller needs to be a dominant player in the run game for the Steelers to win games in January. Spaeth may not touch the ball this week…His impact must be made in the run game. Miller and Spaeth did a fine job blocking last week…That is a trend that must continue.

The Browns with the Ball

Browns offensive coordinator Bob Chudzinski is a Norv Turner protégé. The Browns offense includes a ton of formations and shifting. The Browns utilize a Power run game and set up vertical play action passing off the run game. The Browns best chance to win this game is to keep the Steelers offense off the field…The Browns must establish the run early and control the line of scrimmage. The Browns offensive line is way over rated in my eyes…Derek Anderson was only sacked once against the Cowboys…He never was able to get comfortable in the pocket...The Browns run game was non existent…Jamal Lewis popped a 20 yard run late in the 3^rd quarter to make the stat sheet look more respectable. The Browns have some weapons on offense…Braylon Edwards is a dangerous target who makes a lot of plays on poorly thrown balls. Kellen Winslow Jr. is a fine pass catching tight end who will give a ton of effort in the run game…Jamal Lewis runs as hard as any back in the NFL…He has under rated vision and breakaway speed. Derek Anderson has a gun…He can pick a defense apart if he has all day in the pocket. The Browns will be missing some very important complimentary parts on offense this week if Donte Stallworth and Steve Heiden can’t dress. I have never been impressed with the Browns offense…I have zero fear of the Browns offense.

Matchups

Run game

Joe Thomas is a good young left tackle…He is not the franchise left tackle the mainstream media makes him out to be. Thomas will have his hands full with Brett Kiesel in the run game…Kiesel is every bit as big and explosive as Thomas…Kiesel is the better athlete…I actually like Kiesel in this matchup…Kiesel struggles in the run game with big nasty powerful offensive linemen…He tends to make plays and more than hold his own against finesse left tackles…I consider Thomas a finesse left tackle. Eric Steinbach is the best guard in space in the NFL…He gets to the second level and picks off linebackers at an alarming rate…I expect Steinbach to struggle to get to the second level this week…Casey Hampton will force double teams…If Hampton dominates the point of attack like he did last week…The Browns guards will not be able to release to the second level to block the Steelers inside linebackers. The Browns center Hank Fraley has managed to stick around the NFL far longer then I expected…Hank Fraley could not block Casey Hampton with a baseball bat in the run game…The Hampton 08 tour continues…Mike Tomlin may be crazy like a fox…Casey Hampton destroyed the interior of the Texans offensive line last week…I expect the same this week. Rex Hadnot is still struggling to return from a knee injury…Nasty old vet Ryan Tucker will get the start at Right Guard…Tucker is great at nothing…He just battles hard every play…Tucker is a dirty SOB…The Steelers front seven need to be careful around the pile. Right tackle Kevin Schaffer and Aaron Smith should be a war…Schaffer is the best run blocking linemen on the Browns roster…Aaron Smith may play the run better then any defensive end in the NFL. I expect the Steelers defensive line to play a majority of the game in the Browns back field…Penetration and gap integrity eliminates any offensive blocking scheme. The Browns Tight Ends and the Steelers outside linebackers should be interesting. Steve Heiden may play this week…Heiden may be the best run blocking tight end in the NFL…He destroyed Clark Haggans and James Harrison several times last year…Kellen Winslow Jr is a below average run blocker…When he is lined up across from a Steelers outside linebacker he must be punished and embarrassed…The Steelers outside linebackers and Ends must set the edge and force the Browns running game back inside to the pursuit. I will be amazed if the Browns can run the ball on the Steelers.

Passing Game

The Browns do a nice job of protecting Anderson…The offensive line is good… The Browns play design and protection schemes are very good. Joe Thomas was rarely left out on an island last year…The Browns lined up Steve Heiden beside Thomas…Or the Browns chipped with a back…In the Cowboys game Thomas was left out on an island with DeMarcus Ware and did a fine job…Ware is a fantastic player…James Harrison had success against Thomas last year because he was the stronger player…Ware is quick and explosive…He is a different type of rusher then Harrison…Harrison may not close the deal this week…I believe he will force the Browns to help Thomas. I don’t expect much from Brett Kiesel this week rushing the passer…Steinbach is a fine technician who is rarely beat…Ryan Tucker and Aaron Smith could be interesting…Smith may smell blood in the grass facing an injured Tucker who was thrust into the lineup out of need. Kevin Schaffer is an above average right tackle in pass pro…Lamar Woodley is an excellent pass rusher…I would not be surprised if Woodley gives Schaffer fits rushing the passer…Woodley sets up his rush moves like a ten year vet.

The Steelers will need to find a way to cover the Browns two main targets Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr. I don’t expect the Steelers to do anything special to cover either player. Winslow is a legit number one wide receiver…The Steelers will help Taylor/Townsend/McFadden with help over the top…I have a feeling Winslow Jr. sees a ton of Lawrence Timmons and Troy in coverage. Donte Stallworth was supposed to add another vertical weapon to this offense…He is once again injured and expected to miss the game. Josh Cribbs and Syndric Steptoe round out the Browns Wide Receiving core…Cribbs is expected to return from a high ankle sprain…He is known as a dangerous return man…He has never impressed me in his transition to wide receiver. A key element to stop in the Browns passing game is the backs out of the back field…Lawrence Vickers makes a ton of plays for the Browns…Jamal Lewis with a head steam on a swing pass is a scary sight for defenders.

If the Steelers play smart football (Tackle…No dumb penalties…maintain gap integrity…No blown coverage’s) I have no fear of the Browns offense.

Special Teams

Cover the kicks…Attack the returner. Return game protect the ball…Kicking game…No shanks.

I still don’t trust the Steelers special teams.

Score

Steelers 31

Stains 17