Is Weeden the God-send that the Cleveland Browns really need? Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

Earlier this week, we looked at the QB’s of the AFC North and who has a chance of having a great statistical season.  So far, Ben Roethlisberger is leading that poll, and surprisingly Brandon Weeden is a far away second with Flacco taking third and Andy Dalton bringing up the rear.  Given the forum this blog takes place in, I’m not surprised that Ben is leading, but is Brandon Weeden really poised to have a better season than Flacco or Dalton according to our voters?  This surprising result got me thinking and led me to the question – How good are the Browns and how well will they do in the division?

Last season, the Browns had an atrocious offense ranking near last in every category, but they were better on defense.  They were 2nd only to the Steelers (ranked 1st) against the pass and were 5th in points.  However, they were 30th against the run by allowing an average of 147.4 yards/game… ouch.

Peyton Hillis, who made the cover of Madden, was cursed with a very luke warm season – one that was very different from his 1,100+ yard season the year prior.  He’s made his way over to the Chiefs, and the Browns will look to Montario Hardesty, Brandon Jackson and rookie Trent Richardson from the ‘Bama to step up and lead the running game for the Browns.  Richardson will more than likely fill that role immediately.  His stellar play his final two years on the Tide got him drafted 3rd by the Browns, and they will be on their knees hoping he will be the answer for a running game that ranked 28th in rushing yards/game.

We already know of Brandon Weeden and the drama bound to happen at camp between current QB Colt McCoy and the rookie.  McCoy wasn’t the answer for the Browns for the last two seasons.  Will Weeden be ready to even compete for the starting job?  My guess is yes given how poorly things have gone the way for the Browns.  Oh right, and the guy is 29.  If you aren’t going to have your 1st round pick investment, who happens to be a year shy of 30, taking the snaps, then why are you even trying to manage a football team?

The Browns defense looks to be good again this season.  They made good late round picks this year in DL Billy Winn out of Boise State and LB James-Michael Johnson out of Nevada.  LB Scott Fujita is suspended for the first three games of the season due to his ‘role’ in Bountygate, which may not be much of a concern against the Eagles, Bengals and Bills.  Jabaal Sheard will be looking to emerge again this season as the teams sack leader.  He had one hell of a rookie season, and at 255lbs, Sheard is quick off the snap even though he is undersized for a DE.

Their schedule is very similar to the rest of the AFC North.  And, while playing the Colts used to be a worrisome thing, the Horseshoes might be still finding their stride with rookie Andrew Luck and the rest of the almost entirely new offense by the time the Browns roll into town.

So, I can’t believe I’m saying this but…. the Browns actually have a chance to make a run at the North.  Gulp.  That was harder to say than you think.  The Steelers and Ravens, who usually duke it out for the top spot, have the potential of falling hard and early this season.  Their schedules are front loaded with some tough games, and the Steelers have an early bye that could cost them late in the season.  If the Browns can stay consistent and make it to say 9-7, then they have a shot of at least tying for the division.  It’s doubtful that things will play out that way (come on you Brownie Homers, you didn’t think I’d really commit myself to that level of disillusion?!), but there is always the off handed chance that the offense gets behind a rookie QB and an already good defense gets even better with their run stopping capabilities.

So where WILL the Browns end up in 2012?

After getting jacked by his own team during the draft, McCoy probably wished Harrison hit him now instead of last season to forget his woes. Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

During the offseason, I find it very easy to find ‘trinkets’ about the Steelers and delusions of grandeur because there’s not much in the way of real news going on.  I mean really, there’s only so many times one can reminisce about the Steelers amazing comeback against the Ravens in the AFC Championship back in January of 2011.  See?  Steeler fans don’t celebrate players like T-Sizzle getting injured.  We just think about beating them to get to the Super Bowl.  So what gem did I find today?

Someone actually believes that the Steelers have an ounce of interest in Colt McCoy of the Cleveland Browns.  Can I get an Ace Ventura ‘Reeeeheheheeeeaallly???’  In an article from the website Gather.com, author Erik Lambert, feels that the Steelers are just warming up to the idea of shopping for McCoy.  Well the Steelers are probably about as close to trading for McCoy as I am in starting as a walk on lineman for the Steelers – for emphasis let me tell you that I’m 6’2″ and weigh 170 lbs.  So, according to Lambert, why in the world are (or would) the Steelers ‘lure’ McCoy to join the Black & Gold?  Ben Roethlisberger, his reckless physical play and the potential of injury this season.

Lambert feels the backup QB situation in Pittsburgh is in sad shape.  Batch is old, Troy Smith is angry, and rookie Jerrod Johnson is fat…. I’ll wait…. yes reader, you’re right – what about Byron Leftwich? Aside from missing completely that the Steelers currently have FOUR backup QB’s on their roster, Lambert mischaracterizes the majority.

Though Charlie is a proven vet and has been one of the most dependable back ups you can have somehow he can’t hold the team for even a few weeks should Ben need to recover from an injury.  At age 37, Batch started for only the 7th time since 2002 as a Steeler and wiped the floor with the Rams.  His play was so crisp and his scrambling superb, one would have thought Big Ben had lost his #7 jersey in the locker room and put on Batch’s #16 instead.  Though Batch is entering his 15th season, he is healthy and has taken few hits while in his backup role.  Should Ben have to sit, I don’t think there is one soul of Steeler Nation who believes Charlie can bring the Steelers to victory.

I have to admit that I am skeptical of Byron Leftwich as a backup.  He can play as solid as Batch and has a canon (even though his release is as slow as Ochocinco solving 2+2=4).  However, the guy can’t stay healthier for more than a few weeks of the season over the past few years.  Maybe that’s why Lambert forgot about him.  And no matter how many times the media drudges up the ‘controversy’ as to who is #2 – Batch or Leftwich – it will always be Batch.

Troy Smith is one shade away from a garbage pickup.  He played six games for the 49′ers in 2010 and threw up some very uninspirational  numbers.  He played for the Omaha Nighthawks for the UFL in 2011, and again nothing impressive.  Former Texas A&M Aggie, Jerrod Johnson, is not really a rookie as Lambert puts it.  He’s a rookie to the NFL, though he was signed then released by the Eagles in 2011 as an undrafted free agent.  But he is not a rookie to football outside of college.  He did play for the UFL (I’m seeing a creepy trend) during 2011 after being released from Philly.  As with Smith, there’s not much to expect from this guy.  He’s only signed a futures contract and will more than likely remain as part of the practice team, or will get cut before camp is over.

So that’s 2 out of 4 QB’s who could realistically back up Ben Roethlisberger if (and more likely WHEN) he gets injured enough to not play.  Kinda necessary to put it in those terms, right?  Last time I checked, most teams… as in all teams… only keep three QB’s on their roster.  If my math serves me right that makes Ben #1, Batch #2, and Leftwich #3.  There’s no room for the others, so they aren’t worth talking about when sizing the ‘competition’ and notion of the Steelers somehow trading away Super Bowl talent for a backup QB like McCoy. That’s like trading your huge oreo brownie for a piece of string with ketchup on it at lunch time.  It just ain’t happening.

There’s no use for McCoy on the Steelers, and there’s no way the Steelers have the cash to cover his current contract with the Browns.  Why go through all that trouble of losing a decent player for a washed up one who is costing you millions more than he’s worth???  Oh that’s right, they won’t.  I’ll eat James Harrison’s jock strap if the Steelers are dumb enough to trade within their own division for a BACKUP PLAYER.  McCoy will more than likely see himself go to another team outside of the division and even conference like the Rams – I can agree with you on that Lamby.

Ugh.  I think I need to stop talking about the absurdity of this before my wife tells me for the third time that my ‘face will stay that way’ if I ‘keep making that stupid look.’

Don’t make James Harrison angry.   You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.

Displaying a balanced attack missing most of the first month of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers crushed the hapless Cleveland Browns by a final score of 28-10.  Of course, the main storyline was the return of Ben Roethlisberger from his unjustified four game suspension.   Prior to the game, Ben was introduced to a rousing ovation from the Heinz Field crowd.  I have to admit to getting a little lump in my throat seeing the hero of Steeler Nation receive such a warm and appreciative reception from the people who love him.

Ben got off to a rough start, throwing a terrible red zone interception on his fourth pass of the game.  He would recover from this early setback to finish an impressive 16/27 for 257 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon.  Ben, who told reporters he’d grade his performance “a B- or C+,” clearly had some rust to work off.  Several of his throws were way off-target or poor decisions which against a less pitiful team might have added another pick or two to his stat line.   But by the same token, he also could have easily had two or three more touchdown passes.  The most notable was when Mike Wallace, who seemed to be wide open all game (3 catches, 90 yards and TD), was standing all by himself on the 5 yard line late in the fourth but Ben sailed his pass out of bounds.

Despite some of the kinks which will be worked out in time, this was definitely a vintage Big Ben performance.   Shrugging off would-be tacklers, taking hits, scrambling away from danger to make a play…  The Steelers’ first two touchdowns were perfect examples of what Ben brings to the table.  First, he stood in the pocket and delivered a 29 yard strike to Wallace despite a Cleveland linebacker almost jumping on his back.  Then he zipped a crazy sandlot-style jump pass to Hines Ward, who broke through three lazy Browns to score.

Meanwhile, I don’t know who this guy standing on our sideline claiming to be Bruce Arians is but I like him.   Yesterday we saw pretty much the ideal fusion of Steeler Football with a modern day explosive passing offense.  The final pass/run split was 27/35.  And for those who didn’t see the game, you may think “Sure, we got up big and then ran the clock out.”   Actually, they ran quite a bit early in the game and, shockingly, stuck with it even when Rashard Mendenhall didn’t break off a huge run every third carry.   Despite falling short of another 100 yard performance (84 yards and 1 TD), Mendy provided nice balance while Issac Redman contributed a few short yardage pick-ups.

While the offense was shaping up, the defense were their usual dominant selves.  James Harrison was a one-man wrecking crew, making 10 tackles, notching two sacks, hitting the quarterback three more times, and registering two KOs.  I’m sure we’ll be hearing crybabies whining about Silverback demolishing Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi with clean UNPENALIZED hits but that’s just the way the biased anti-Steelers media works.  Here’s a newsflash for you:  Football is a contact sport.  If you put your head down diving for yards or run across the middle of the field, you’re going to get drilled.  I’m sick of these idiots moaning every time someone is laid out.  If vicious hits are so bad, either tie ribbons around their waists and turn the NFL into flag football or else let the players play.

Giving credit where credit is due, Colt McCoy played a pretty damn good game under the circumstances.  He was intercepted twice but both were deflections, one bounced off the receiver’s hands and the second was deflected by Ryan Mundy.   Considering he was missing his two best offensive weapons, sacked 5 times, and knocked around several others, a final stat line of 23/33 for 281 yards made for a surprisingly solid afternoon for young Colt even if many of those yards came after the Steelers were comfortably ahead.

The Steelers secondary continues to be something of a mystery to me as I just don’t feel entirely good about what I’m seeing.  Bryant McFadden, in particular, has moments but also looks lost at times.  Whenever they go to a soft prevent type D, guys get behind him almost every time.  And Ryan Clark, who was picked on a lot by the Ravens, needs to stop thinking he’s Troy Polamalu.   He tries to lay a smack down on receivers instead of just tackling them and many times they bounce off and keep running.

But those are issues to worry about another day.   The bottom line is the Steelers have played five games and given up a grand total of five touchdowns.  Mix in a balanced offense which is only going to get better as Ben gets more in synch and you have the most complete team in the NFL.   With the Ratbirds going down in glorious flames, the Steelers find themselves a half game up in the AFC North.  All in all, the week couldn’t have gone better for the Black and Gold.

The Cleveland Browns improved upon their pathetic total of four wins in 2008 by winning a whopping five games last year.  Baby steps, I guess.  They did, however, win their last four games in a row highlighted by one of the most embarrassing losses in Pittsburgh Steelers history, a 13-6 debacle on a frigid Thursday night.  Following the season, the front office was cleared out with Mike Holmgren being brought in to resurrect yet another franchise.  Coo Coo g’ joo.

STEELERS DEFENSE vs. BROWNS OFFENSE

Poor poor Colt McCoy.  He was on the verge of being cut during the preseason, but due to high ankle sprains to both Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme, he’s starting this week.  I’m sure it’s his dream to start an NFL game but that should quickly turn into a nightmare by about, oh, half past one.   They say that which doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

The Steelers defense will put this theory to the test.

The Browns ranked last in the league in offense last year.  This year, they’ve risen all the way up to 25th.  About the only area of strength on this team is their offensive line.  C Alex Mack and LT Joe Thomas are Pro Bowl caliber.  Their studliness no doubt contributed to RB Peyton Hillis running wild on the Ravens defense a couple weeks back.  Unfortunately, he’s battling a strained quadriceps and is questionable.

Not that it matters since the Steelers aren’t giving up anything on the ground to anybody.  Running the ball isn’t going to work and considering they only have one halfway decent receiver, I don’t foresee passing being much of an option either.  Nope, if the Browns hope to score, their offensive game plan boils down to one thing:

Get the ball to Josh Cribbs.

For those who remember that Thursday night game, Cribbs was an absolute Steeler Killer.  He returns kicks, he runs the Wildcat, and he plays receiver.   He’s a multi-purpose threat that needs to be accounted for on every play.  He’s far and away the Browns best offensive weapon.  Contain him and everything else will fall into place.

STEELERS OFFENSE vs. BROWNS DEFENSE

The Browns ranked 31st in defense last year, 28th against the run and 29th against the pass.  So they gave defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, Rex’s brother, some new toys by going secondary with their first two picks in the draft.  This has led to an improvement as they now rank 18th in pass defense, although they’re still 21st in total D.  Again, baby steps.

But let’s forget about the Browns as they’re nothing more than a bug on the Black and Gold’s windshield.  I’m more interested in talking about the Steelers offense.   The Steelers are averaging 136 pass yards per game and are currently last in the NFL in total offense.   All that is about to change.

Ben Roethlisberger returns from his ridiculous unwarranted suspension.   Last year, the Steelers produced an epic offensive performance.  They featured a 1,000 yard rusher, two 1,000 yard receivers, and a 4,000 yard passer in the same season for the first time ever.   Even with the loss of Santonio Holmes, I have seen nothing to make me think this group is any less explosive.   We just need a quarterback able to make the plays.

I’ve been a vocal supporter of Steeler Football.  And I still believe Bruce Arians got carried away with the Flying Circus last year.  But I also realize the NFL isn’t the same as it was in 1985.  It used to be that you ran the ball to set up the pass.   Nowadays, the opposite usually holds true.

Rashard Mendenhall is off to a fine season.  He’d be off to an even finer season if opposing defenses weren’t able to stack the box against him.   Teams have had little to no reason to fear being burned through the air.  With Big Ben under center, they should be terrified.

My problem with Arians and last year’s offense was his tendency to get greedy.  Big plays and explosive scoring are great.   But it seemed like for every bomb Ben hit, Arians would dial up six more which failed.  An all-or-nothing mentality doesn’t control the clock and doesn’t give the defense any time to rest.  The pass/run ratio was ideal these first four games.  Our quarterbacks simply didn’t have the fantastic playmaking ability Ben has.

Will we see the return of Ben chucking 35+ passes per game?   Or will we see a balanced attack which strikes down-field but also controls time of possession with a commitment to the run?

I don’t know but the answer will go a long way to determining how the rest of the season shakes out.  What I do know is we have a great defense.  If we can add a great offense, this team will be near impossible to beat.   And with a fresh, focused, and HIGHLY MOTIVATED Ben Roethlisberger at the controls, I like our chances.  I like them a lot.

James  Harrison makes a living hunting quarterbacks.   He spends his free time hunting buffalo. I’m not referring to the kind who roam Ralph Wilson Stadium in upstate New York.  I’m talking the big stinky 600 pound beasts who still populate certain portions of the United States and Canada.  While I spent the bye week sitting on my couch eating junk food, Harrison was hunting bison with a 50 caliber military sniper’s rifle.

This weekend, the Silverback and his Pittsburgh Steelers will be going after significantly smaller game when they face the Cleveland Browns.  Let’s face it, if the NFL were a lake, the Browns would be the guppy you threw back because it wasn’t worth your bait.  Although the Brownies have played shockingly well under the direction of quarterback Seneca Wallace.   His ankle injury was a huge blow to whatever slim chances they would have this Sunday.

Furthermore, the walking turnover machine that used to be known as Jake Delhomme also suffered a high ankle sprain last weekend.  It appears that neither quarterback will be healthy enough to start so the Browns will be turning the offense over to rookie Colt McCoy.

Sunday probably can’t come soon enough for Harrison and Mister Woodley.

Let’s take a look at what Dick LeBeau and his defense does to young inexperienced QBs.  I’ve looked over the past few seasons and found eight QBs with less than one year (16 games) of starting experience who started against the Steelers.  Here’s how they performed:

Not pretty, is it?   Needless to say, every one of those games was a win for the Steelers except against Clemens.  He and his Jets somehow managed to pull off an overtime win.

Throwing a rookie quarterback making his first career start to the Steelers D is like throwing fresh ground hamburger into a lion’s cage.  I would almost feel sorry for poor Colt except you see what his wife looks like.  Oh, and the fact he plays for the Browns.