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Browns ready for rival Steelers
JEFF SCHUDEL, Morning Journal Writer
11/15/2006
The game to be played between the Browns and Steelers Sunday in Cleveland Browns Stadium would probably be getting a lot more attention were it not for that other game being played in Ohio this weekend.
Here are two teams, one supposedly going nowhere and one supposedly good enough to rally and defend its Super Bowl championship, yet the Browns and Steelers have identical 3-6 records. What's more, the Browns beat the Raiders and the Falcons -- two teams that beat the Steelers.
Even before some of his teammates had stripped out of their uniforms in the Georgia Dome, Braylon Edwards used some colorful language to announce the Browns were out for revenge after being humiliated 41-0 on Christmas Eve last year.
''You don't beat somebody 41-0 at their own house,'' Edwards said. ''We're coming for the Steelers. That's point-blank, period. We're coming after their (butts).''
In the good old days when Jack Lambert and Mean Joe Greene played for Pittsburgh, such taunting by a Browns player would have drawn wrath and scorn.
Then Browns cornerback Ron Bolton would have worked up a good amount of spit and released it in the face of Steelers receiver Lynn Swann.
This is the age of political correctness, though, so in Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward politely declined when reporters gave him a chance to fire back at Edwards.
''I can't comment on that,'' Ward said. ''What happened last year was last year. It's Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland. We hate each other. But I won't get into a war of words. We'll do our talking on the field.''
Fans might shake their heads and silently scold Edwards for popping off like he did. After all, he didn't even play in the 41-0 drubbing. Three weeks earlier his rookie season crashed and burned when his right ACL was torn while trying to make a leaping catch in the Jacksonville game.
Since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, there has been a noticeable lack of extra enthusiasm to play the Steelers. The Arizona Cardinals might as well have been the opponent. It's not that the Browns weren't motivated to play football, but it was like, ''Game 10 on the schedule -- who do we have? Oh, Pittsburgh. We have to be ready. That's a pretty good team.''
The Steelers are still a good team, even if their record does not reflect it. They are four games behind the Ravens in the AFC North with just seven to play. They do play Baltimore twice, so they are not out of the race yet. The Steelers and Ravens play in Baltimore a week from Sunday and then in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve.
The Browns would be the first to tell the Ravens not to expect any holiday cheer in Pittsburgh.
Edwards remarks and vows of other players not to forget being embarrassed at home in a stadium taken over by Steelers fans is an indication maybe Browns players are coming around to the idea there is something to this rivalry.
Players had Monday and yesterday off. They get down to work today preparing for the Steelers.
''41-0. That's all the guys are going to remember this week,'' running back Reuben Droughns said before clearing out Sunday.
Unlike Edwards, Droughns did play in the Christmas Eve game. He just did not play effectively. The Steelers led 20-0 at halftime and 27-0 with nine minutes to play in the third quarter. Consequently, Droughns carried the ball only 10 times for 36 forgettable yards.
JEFF SCHUDEL, Morning Journal Writer
11/15/2006
The game to be played between the Browns and Steelers Sunday in Cleveland Browns Stadium would probably be getting a lot more attention were it not for that other game being played in Ohio this weekend.
Here are two teams, one supposedly going nowhere and one supposedly good enough to rally and defend its Super Bowl championship, yet the Browns and Steelers have identical 3-6 records. What's more, the Browns beat the Raiders and the Falcons -- two teams that beat the Steelers.
Even before some of his teammates had stripped out of their uniforms in the Georgia Dome, Braylon Edwards used some colorful language to announce the Browns were out for revenge after being humiliated 41-0 on Christmas Eve last year.
''You don't beat somebody 41-0 at their own house,'' Edwards said. ''We're coming for the Steelers. That's point-blank, period. We're coming after their (butts).''
In the good old days when Jack Lambert and Mean Joe Greene played for Pittsburgh, such taunting by a Browns player would have drawn wrath and scorn.
Then Browns cornerback Ron Bolton would have worked up a good amount of spit and released it in the face of Steelers receiver Lynn Swann.
This is the age of political correctness, though, so in Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward politely declined when reporters gave him a chance to fire back at Edwards.
''I can't comment on that,'' Ward said. ''What happened last year was last year. It's Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland. We hate each other. But I won't get into a war of words. We'll do our talking on the field.''
Fans might shake their heads and silently scold Edwards for popping off like he did. After all, he didn't even play in the 41-0 drubbing. Three weeks earlier his rookie season crashed and burned when his right ACL was torn while trying to make a leaping catch in the Jacksonville game.
Since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, there has been a noticeable lack of extra enthusiasm to play the Steelers. The Arizona Cardinals might as well have been the opponent. It's not that the Browns weren't motivated to play football, but it was like, ''Game 10 on the schedule -- who do we have? Oh, Pittsburgh. We have to be ready. That's a pretty good team.''
The Steelers are still a good team, even if their record does not reflect it. They are four games behind the Ravens in the AFC North with just seven to play. They do play Baltimore twice, so they are not out of the race yet. The Steelers and Ravens play in Baltimore a week from Sunday and then in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve.
The Browns would be the first to tell the Ravens not to expect any holiday cheer in Pittsburgh.
Edwards remarks and vows of other players not to forget being embarrassed at home in a stadium taken over by Steelers fans is an indication maybe Browns players are coming around to the idea there is something to this rivalry.
Players had Monday and yesterday off. They get down to work today preparing for the Steelers.
''41-0. That's all the guys are going to remember this week,'' running back Reuben Droughns said before clearing out Sunday.
Unlike Edwards, Droughns did play in the Christmas Eve game. He just did not play effectively. The Steelers led 20-0 at halftime and 27-0 with nine minutes to play in the third quarter. Consequently, Droughns carried the ball only 10 times for 36 forgettable yards.
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