Steelers to have ‘Killer B’s’ at their disposal
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Steelers 34, Browns 7
Sept. 9, 2007, at Cleveland Browns Stadium
The Steelers have opened up against their turnpike rival six times. The earliest was 1959 and the most recent was 2014. The Steelers are 4-2 in these games and 2-1 on the road. Mike Tomlin鈥檚 first game as Steelers coach was in Cleveland. The tone was set early with all three units when Aaron Smith鈥檚 sack forced a three-and-out and the Browns committed four penalties on the ensuing punt. The short 22-yard scoring drive by the Steelers culminated with Ben Roethlisberger鈥檚 5-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward. The Steelers were off and running as Willie Parker ran for 109 yards and Roethlisberger threw touchdown passes to four different receivers. The Browns rebounded to match the Steelers鈥� 10-6 record, but two head-to-head wins by the Steelers gave them the division title.
TALE OF THE TAPE
鈥淲hen you look at their quarterback, DeShone Kizer, the first thing that jumps out at you is his arm. He has a cannon. I had a chance to see probably all of his preseason throws and when they鈥檙e spreading it out and he鈥檚 just playing that West Coast offense, three-step drop, back step hits, when he鈥檚 in rhythm, he鈥檚 pretty good. One of his faults is that he tends to stare down his receivers and he turns his shoulders so you know what side of the field he鈥檚 throwing to. But he鈥檒l get that ball there in a hurry. He can throw that 12-yard out on a frozen rope. The thing about that rhythm offense, though, it doesn鈥檛 take defensive backs too long to figure out the rhythm as well, and I鈥檒l bet Joe Haden, being that he faced Kizer in practice all those weeks during training camp, has a real feel for his rhythm. But you can鈥檛 be too anxious because they鈥檒l run a lot of hitches, and then run a hitch-and-go, so you don鈥檛 want to get into nose trouble.鈥� 鈥� Steelers Radio analyst Tunch Ilkin.
TOP QUESTION
Can the Steelers defend the deep ball?
It鈥檚 not just that Haden鈥檚 alleged loss of speed is the reason the Browns cut him, but he, Mike Mitchell and reserve safety J.J. Wilcox only got on the practice field this week. Throw brand new slot corner Mike Hilton in with second-year players Artie Burns and Sean Davis and there鈥檚 potential for communication issues and blown coverages. At the least, the Steelers must be wary of Kizer鈥檚 arm, the speed of Corey Coleman and the big, deep target of Kenny Britt. As Ilkin added of Kizer, 鈥淲hen he avoids the sack and keeps himself alive scrambling, he has the arm strength to get the ball over all the coverage. 鈥� If you鈥檙e playing for him as a wide receiver, and he鈥檚 scrambling, you take off long and you know he can get the ball to you. He鈥檒l just lay it up there and let you run under it.鈥�
THREE QUESTIONS: With LG RAMON FOSTER
Q: Their best pass-rusher, Myles Garrett, is out. Are you disappointed?
RF: 鈥淚鈥檝e been seeing that but you can never trust those things until you actually see somebody else in his spot.鈥�
Q: You said there鈥檚 been a lot of talking out of Cleveland. Wasn鈥檛 he the guy who said he鈥檚 going to get Roethlisberger?
RF: 鈥淗e was doing some yapping. He needs a little humbling if that is the case for him.鈥�
Q: Or maybe he鈥檚 really, really good?
RF: 鈥淎hhh. We鈥檒l see. That鈥檚 the thing about this league: You鈥檝e got to pay the toll sometime. We鈥檒l see.鈥�
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers at 1 p.m. today at FirstEnergy Stadium:
ON OFFENSE:
The Steelers have the Killer B鈥檚 going for them today. The last time Roethlisberger, Le鈥橵eon Bell, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant played together was 2014. They played the final 10 games of that season and went 8-2 and averaged 31.2 points per game together. With at least one of them missing in the last three seasons, the Steelers are 24-14 (.632) and average 24.9 points per game. When all are playing, Roethlisberger has a passer rating of 109.0 compared to 94.6 the rest of the games in that three-year span. Injuries to key members of the Browns鈥� defense 鈥� rookie pass-rusher Garrett and possibly nose tackle Danny Shelton (questionable) 鈥� could make it easier for the Steelers鈥� healthy offense.
ON DEFENSE:
The Steelers might be without their best pass-rusher, too, although Bud Dupree (shoulder) said on Thursday that he will play. If not, Anthony Chickillo would replace him and give the Steelers six new starters in their primary (nickel) defense than what started in the AFC Championship Game last season. They鈥檒l be tested by a Cleveland run game that鈥檚 led by a solid offensive line highlighted by Joe Thomas at left tackle and guards Joel Bitonio and Kevin Zeitler. Running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson are effective inside and outside runners, respectively. Kizer and his aforementioned receivers are the wild cards for Cleveland.
PREDICTION
This is the Super Bowl for the Browns, but the Steelers are aware. It鈥檚 a big game for them, too, of course, since the Steelers understand the importance of divisional games and are hoping to put one from the road in the win column. When the Steelers鈥� four star offensive skill players are on the field, the average score is 鈥� Steelers, 31-23.
BY THE NUMBERS
5: Dropped passes in one mid-week practice by new Steelers tight end Vance McDonald.
12: Consecutive opening-day losses by the Browns.
20: Career wins for the Steelers against the Browns with Roethlisberger (20-2) at quarterback.
24: New players on the Browns鈥� 53-man roster, as well as the average age (24 years, 305 days) of each rostered player. The Steelers have 16 new players.
143: Miles between Heinz Field and FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. The Steelers will log 6,694 miles this season, the fewest scheduled of any NFL team.
DOWNLOADS
n The Steelers finally got one big deal done this offseason. They extended DL Stephon Tuitt for five years at a total cost of $61 million. Tuitt, who won鈥檛 turn 25 until next May, is now signed through the 2022 season.
n 鈥淭uuuu-itt! Tuuuu-itt!鈥� is a call-and-response routine Ramon Foster goes through with teammates during stretch. He鈥檚 been doing it since Tuitt鈥檚 rookie year 鈥淏ecause Tuitt鈥檚 a player on the rise,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淲e give him a little extra shoutout there. As much as Cam (Heyward) is the old bull, Tuitt is the new guy. It鈥檚 kind of funny. I did it and then Joey (Porter) started making him doing pushups after I do the shout-out. It鈥檚 like 鈥榊ou haven鈥檛 arrived yet.鈥� But this will be a great year for him. We鈥檝e seen it. I鈥檓 excited for him. Him and Cam, they can wreak havoc. Tuitt has talent, he can run like a linebacker, and he鈥檚 still a kid.鈥�
n Number 40 appears to be headed for mothballs again after Hilton swapped it for the departed Ross Cockrell鈥檚 number 31 this week. The only starter ever to wear 40 for the Steelers was Myron 鈥淏oo鈥� Bell, who started 21 games between 1995-97 at strong safety when Carnell Lake was moved to cornerback. The only other Steelers to wear 40 for more than one season were reserves Dan Reeder (1986-87) and Rudy Tesser (1934-35). Number 31, of course, was made famous by strong safety Donnie Shell from 1974-87.
n Rookie T.J. Watt will start the opener for the Steelers at right outside linebacker. A Wisconsin native, Watt was selected by the Steelers one pick after the Green Bay Packers, who had lost two OLBs in free agency, traded their first-round spot to the Browns. The Browns took tight end David Njoku while the Packers drafted CB Kevin King and Watt鈥檚 bookend at Wisconsin, OLB Vince Biegel, with the picks they received. Watt said it didn鈥檛 bother him to be snubbed by the hometown Packers. 鈥淚 really didn鈥檛 have a favorite team growing up because my brothers were somewhere else,鈥� he said. 鈥淥n draft night I just wanted to be selected by a team that really wanted me, a team that believed I could be a really good player. When they traded their pick away, I was 鈥楢ll right, on to the next one. Let鈥檚 see who wants to take me.鈥� There are no hard feelings or anything like that. This is all a business and I鈥檓 just happy to be here in Pittsburgh doing what I love.鈥�
n In the locker room, Watt dresses to the immediate left of Roethlisberger, who鈥檚 in one corner. Two lockers to Roethlisberger鈥檚 right is James Conner, and to the right of Conner is a third rookie, wide receiver JuJu Smith Schuster. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of two-fold,鈥� explained Roethlisberger. 鈥淥ne, I wanted the young guys around so I could pass on some things that were passed on along to me. And (second) they鈥檙e rookies, so I never anticipate them being at their locker very much and I get more room.鈥� Roethlisberger said Jerome Bettis was the veteran who helped him the most as a rookie.
PARTING SHOT
鈥淥h, man, this is the game that they look forward to all the time. In our seven years, everybody, the fans, the players, the staff, they strive to have their organization like this. They want to maintain a winning organization, be able to make it to the playoffs, and this team makes it out of our division damn near every year. So they get up for Pittsburgh. They鈥檙e going to go out of their way to try to get the W. They haven鈥檛 won their season opener in 11, 12 years, so they鈥檙e just going to be hyped for that. I know, just being in that locker room and how they鈥檙e getting ready and prepared, this is like the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season: a divisional opponent, trying to get ahead, trying to get the season off right because if it gets bad a little early than it kind of shuts down. They鈥檙e coming out ready to go.鈥� 鈥� Joe Haden on his former team.