Pittsburgh's game on Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns was the 110th meeting between these rivals. During the 50s and 60s, the Browns prevailed. Then, during the 70s, the Steelers owned the series. The Browns regained power in the 80s, but then ceded control in the 90s...and Pittsburgh has dominated ever since. So much so, that last season's walloping of the Browns by the Steelers (41-0) looked pale in comparison to Thursday night's trouncing.
While the score might not indicate how badly the Steelers dismantled the Browns (27-7), the following statistic is quite indicative of the butt-kicking: Pittsburgh out-gained the Browns in rushing yards, 303 to 18.
And, Willie Parker did not even play in the fourth quarter.
Speaking of which, Willie had 223 yards after only three quarters. Had he and his 7.0 yards per carry average played in that fourth quarter, I am positive that he would have eclipsed the single game rushing record (which is 295 yards, currently held by Jamal Lewis). For example, if the 78 yards that his back-ups posted had been added to Fast Willie's total, he would have had 301 yards. And, that is if he had only rushed for the number of yards that his back-ups earned...because, Willie was actually on pace for 328 yards.
Again, the score does not display how thoroughly the Steelers figuratively and literally ran over the Browns.
Add to Pittsburgh's score, two dropped touchdowns by Nate Washington. No, this is not a copy of a report from a few weeks ago; Nate dropped yet another pair of touchdowns. In fact, if my math serves me correctly, if Nate Washington had actually caught all of the touchdown passes that he has dropped this year, he would have nearly 75 so far. Hyperbole aside, Nate could realistically have 10 or more touchdowns right now...and, furthermore, maybe one or two of those extra touchdowns might have translated into one or two more wins for the Steelers.
Speaking of missed opportunities, the Steelers might be out of the playoffs due to their loss to Oakland. As it stands, the Steelers need the Jaguars and Bengals to lose all of their games. (Note: Jacksonville beating Indianapolis makes this a lot tougher.) Also, the Chiefs, Broncos, and New York Jets all need to end up 9-7 or worse. And, of course, the Steelers must win out. Even then, there is a ton of tie-breaker scenarios, and nothing is guaranteed.
Again, a win against the Raiders would have made a playoff berth a lot easier to earn.
Regardless of what happens with the playoff hunt, the Steelers appear to be improving. The offensive line blocked extremely well against the Browns. The young wide-outs, Santonio Holmes and Nate Washington, made some nice catches (even despite the dropped touchdowns).
And lastly, Pittsburgh's young secondary played extremely well. They smothered receivers (aside from a Braylon Edwards touchdown, due to Anthony Smith being a tad over-zealous), and in turn, the defensive backs made the entire Pittsburgh defense regain some of that old Steel Curtain swagger...and now is a perfect time for the Steelers to reach their peak, because the possibility of the playoffs are in the not too distant future.
In short, regardless of what occurs with any other team and/or whether or not the Steelers make it into the playoffs, Pittsburgh is laying the groundwork right now to be a contender next year. My only hope is that at this same time next year, Pittsburgh is going for the three-peat (as opposed to merely winning two out of three). Thus, here is to the Cardinals, Chargers, Colts, Titans, and Vikings winning this weekend.