It took a while for the scoreboard to show it, but the Pittsburgh Steelers were doing a lot of good things Sunday in their 27-11 win at Cleveland.
The Steelers (5-6) had won two straight but entered the game with fragile playoff hopes. Needing a win over the Browns to make the playoffs a more realistic possibility, they were mired in a 3-3 stalemate and losing the field-position battle for most of the first half.
However, the men in the white jerseys weren’t looking like the Fumblegate Steelers who lost at Cleveland last season.
Troy Polamalu had a spring in his step. He made a couple of tackles and broke up a third-down pass early in the second quarter.
Jason Worilds continued to reward the Steelers’ patience with him. He didn’t have a sack, but was in the face of Browns quarterbacks Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden all afternoon. He hurried Campbell into the third-down incompletion that Polamalu defended.
Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t in much of a hurry. For the first time in more than a year and for just the fifth time in the last five years, he wasn’t sacked.
Even though the Steelers weren’t moving the ball much in the first half, the offensive line’s work was evident. Instead of escaping pressure, Roethlisberger looked like a classic pocket passer. It was a rare sight.
All these efforts eventually converged to create the familiar sight of the Steelers beating the Browns.
Read the rest of this entry »
Follow, Like, or Share SteelerAddicts