That said, much like last year's game against Miami, the weather, to some degree, leveled the playing field. As John Madden told us… and told us… and told us, the after-effects of Hurricane Ike created swirling gusts of fifty mile-per-hour winds. Ergo, throwing conditions were less than optimal. In fact, during several kickoff and punts, the ball sailed around so haphazardly that the Steelers returners looked like the Keystone Kops chasing after the errant balls.
Speaking of which, due to the high winds (which Madden referenced more times than he mentioned Brett Favre) James Harrison played on kickoff and punt coverage. Normally, starters of Harrison's caliber are not expected to play on special teams: coaches rarely ask, because the players would likely snub those requests. But not Harrison. Instead, he did what he does best: destroy opposing players. One particular play, the ever elusive Joshua Cribbs tried to juke Harrison, and Harrison, unfazed by Cribbs' maneuvers, drove him into the ground (where Cribbs stayed for several moments). Similarly, on a running play, Harrison had been pushed to the ground. Yet, when Jamal Lewis tried to run by him, Harrison wrapped his arms around Lewis' legs, pulled both of them towards his chest, and decleated the Cleveland running back. In other words, Harrison epitomizes the word "tenacity." Simply, if you gave me ten clones of Harrison, I will win you a championship. And, Yes, I realize that I only said "ten"... because, eleven Harrisons would be an unfair advantage.
Mind you, Harrison was not the only Pittsburgh player earning his paycheck; he was just the one who stood out the most. Troy Polamalu stuffed Kellen Winslow one yard short of a first down, intercepted a Derek Anderson pass to end the first half, and was blitzing all over the place. Essentially, Polamalu has returned to his 2005 form. Bryant McFadden had some difficulties in his first start, but when push came to shove (almost literally), McFadden batted away a pass on a critical third-down attempt. And, Ike Taylor's name was never called… which is a good thing when one is a cornerback.
Aaron Smith was Captain Dependable: he recorded two sacks and solidified his side of the line. Alas, on the opposite end, Brett Keisel injured his calf, and the Browns pushed around his replacement, Nick Eason, all game long. Similarly, the inside linebackers ran the same banal stunt, where they criss-cross… only to be stuffed by the Cleveland linemen. While I have never been a big fan of Lawrence Timmons, I can now admit that his younger and significantly faster legs might be able to more effectively run that play than the two guys ahead of him. And, by "might" I mean absolutely.
Speaking of young players, Chris Kemoeatu looked great, once again. I realize that Shaun Rogers pushed his way through the line a few times, sending Ben Roethlisberger to the ground. Yet, at the same time, Kemo's run-blocking was superb, as best evidenced by Willie Parker's 105 yards rushing.
Oh, and by the way Willie, I know that it is not in a running back's nature to drop to the ground, but with a little over two minutes left in the game, if you had fallen to the ground (instead of getting pushed out of bounds), the game would have been OVER (after three kneel-downs). In other words, while the Steelers gave the ball back to the Browns without enough time for them to realistically do anything, three kneel-downs would have given the Browns zero chance to do anything. Again, I understand that it goes against your instincts, but please Google-search "Brian Westbrook stops on the one yard line" from last season… and learn. That said, another great game from Fast Willie.
Similarly, Ben Roethlisberger was accurate, poised, and showed great leadership… even despite the gale-type winds and a separated shoulder (both of which, Madden discussed more than he talks about turducken on Thanksgiving). The nay-sayers will point to the statistics; to which, I am ubiquitously pointing out that there is more to Ben than the mere box-score could ever explain. For example, statistics do not tell one that Ben nearly connected on a fifty-yard pass to Willie Parker. The scroll at the bottom of one's television does not mention that Hines Ward dropped two balls in key situations (Note: both of which he atoned for, with a touchdown and a key grab… which I will mention now). The box-score does not explain the significance of the thirty-one yard completion to Ward… with Ben passing out of his own endzone. I could go on and give seven or eight other examples, but I think that you get the point. It was not just that Ben was completing passes; it was that the passes which he was completing had great significance to the outcome of the game. In other words, I am positive that Roethlisberger's performance will go unnoticed this week (especially with shoot-outs taking place in Dallas and in Denver). But, if I had to choose one quarterback to lead this team, it would be… James Harrison. No, wait… I meant Big Ben.
In summation, it was a hard-fought game, in inclement weather, against Pittsburgh's eldest (while not necessarily most significant) rival. In the end, it is simply another win. And, much like Roethlisberger's box-score, it was not very impressive. Yet, just as Ben's throw late in the fourth quarter to Heath Miller (which netted a first down) was significant for the outcome of the game, so too was this game important towards the outcome of the entire season. Furthermore, while it is still early, the Steelers already have a two-game advantage and own the tiebreaker over the Browns. Of course, considering the recent history of these two franchises, no one (outside of Cleveland) expected anything less from this so-called rivalry.
