Steelers pound Browns, improve to 8-1
CLEVELAND – The game began with a late scratch, but the itch wasn’t gone until the Steelers had secured another win, a 24-10 win at Cleveland Browns Stadium Sunday that lifted Pittsburgh to an 8-1 record. Linebacker Joey Porter was ejected along with Cleveland running back William Green after a pre-game fracas between the two led to punches being thrown.
But consistent with how this season has played out, James Harrison stepped in for Porter and led the team in tackles. In short, the Steelers didn’t miss a beat without Porter in the lineup.
“This team has been very resilient and people keep stepping in,” Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. “James Harrison finds out 15 minutes before the game that he is going to start and plays a whale of a game. Our quarterback made a few plays today, our offensive line ran the ball effectively and defensively I think we did a very good job. I can not say enough about our defense.”
The defense forced three fumbles, recovered two, had two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown and sacked Cleveland quarterback Jeff Garcia four times in limiting the Browns to 228 total yards.
Cowher declined to comment on the pre-game incident, but said he supported Porter. As far as changes in preparation due to not having Porter available, Cowher said it was challenging.
“That is what this football team is all about,” Cowher said. “We have lost a lot of players and this has been a very resilient team. People have stepped up and they recognize it is going to have to continue that way. There is a lot of football left to be played.”
Oh, by the way, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in NFL history to win the first seven starts of his career. He passed former Steeler Mike Kruczak, who won his first six starts in 1976 before handing the reins back over to Terry Bradshaw.
Much like Kruczak in 1976, Roethlisberger managed the game well, even if his statistics are less than overwhelming. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 134 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. He also ran seven times for 38 yards.
But the game did not begin as Cowher or Roethlisberger had planned.
The Browns got on the board first, thanks to a 74-yard kickoff return by Richard Alston. Phil Dawson cashed in with a 31-yard field and a 3-0 Cleveland lead with 12:34 left in the first quarter.
Cleveland got the ball right back when Daylon McCutcheon intercepted a Roethlisberger pass intended for Ward. It appeared Ward was tripped on the play, but officials ruled the contact incidental.
“He made some clutch throws,” Cowher said of his quarterback. “He’s getting more comfortable every game. On that play, he threw down the field and Hines trips and falls and the ball gets intercepted. I have no problem with that because he was trying to make the right play.”
“There was no panic at all,” linebacker James Farrior said. “There was a lot of time left and we knew we just had to settle down and get back to playing our style of football.”
“The key for us was to maintain,” said running back Jerome Bettis, who gained 103 yards on 29 carries and scored two touchdowns. “Just take their best punch. We knew our offense would score points and the defense held them to three points. That was big, then we went out and took the ball down field.”
Bettis put the Steelers ahead, 7-3, with 41 seconds remaining in the quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run that capped a 13-play, 93-yard drive. Hines Ward had 3 catches for 42 yards and Plaxico Burress added a 13-yard catch on the drive.
“That was big because it felt like we couldn’t get in a rhythm until then,” Ward said. “Once we went down on that drive, we felt like we could win the ball game.”
Bettis scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run to make it 14-3 4:29 before halftime. The 10-play, 62-yard drive included a Roethlisberger scramble for 20 yards and two Burress catches for 25 yards.
Farrior set up another Pittsburgh score early in the fourth quarter. Farrior stuffed Lee Suggs on a running play. Suggs fumbled and Deshea Townsend recovered at Cleveland’s 23-yard line. Roethlisberger passed to Burress for 22, but three Bettis runs failed and Jeff Reed connected on a 20-yard field goal to extend Pittsburgh’s lead to 17-3 with 12:25 remaining.
The Steelers defense got on the board all by itself when Aaron Smith caused a Garcia fumble. The ball bounced right into the arms of Russell Stuvaints and he ran 24 yards untouched for a touchdown. The play was upheld on review and the Steelers’ lead was 24-3 with 9:14 remaining.
Kelly Holcomb replaced Garcia and promptly led the Browns into the end zone. He passed to Aaron Shea from 7 yards out for the score to cap an 8-play, 64-yard drive and cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 24-10 with 6:22 remaining.
Ward recovered Cleveland’s onside kick at the Cleveland 44-yard line. Bettis got over 100 yards for the day and Willie Parker ripped off a 24-yard run to the Cleveland 13. But a poor snap led to a bad hold and Reed’s field goal attempt was no good.
Troy Polamalu intercepted Holcomb on the next play to seal it for Pittsburgh.