The Steelers embark today on yet another attempt to satisfy a 22-year itch to get one for the thumb with a new motto: Just one.
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(Illustrated by Daniel Marsula, Post-Gazette) |
Just one, the Cleveland Browns at 1 p.m. today at Heinz Field. There hasn't been talk of a Super Bowl or even of a trip to Nashville, Tenn., if they beat the Browns in the opening round of the playoffs today.
Uncharacteristically, these Steelers enter the playoffs by refusing to look ahead.
"We can't," cornerback Dewayne Washington said. "We only beat Cleveland by six points total in two games. They're a good team and I feel they have the same mental makeup we have. It's going to be a dogfight."
Said linebacker Jason Gildon, "I feel coming into this game they'll have a sense that it's their time for a victory."
Years ago, a fifth Super Bowl ring seemed predetermined for the Steelers, and when it did not arrive and a new generation came close, they got cocky. There was the Super Bowl rap video audition in January 1995 that so ired the San Diego Chargers, and the Super Bowl planning day Coach Bill Cowher gave his team before the title game last year that angered the New England Patriots.
It's tough to act brazen when, as preseason favorites in the AFC after a 13-3 season, you go 10-5-1and earn a third seed to face a long road trip to the Super Bowl.
"Looking back on it," Washington said, "I think it's going to help us now that we're in the playoffs the way the season went. We didn't just blow through everybody and we're not sitting here 16-0, 15-1 or something like that, full of ourselves.
"We're still hungry. We still feel like people outside this facility don't think we can get it done, and I think we play better as that type of team. I just feel the makeup of this city, always being that fighter, with us being on top, I don't know how well that serves us."
So, they enter today's game 7 1/2-point favorites who would like to think of themselves as underdogs, although Joey Porter wasn't buying it. The Pro Bowl linebacker was asked by a Cleveland television reporter this week about the Browns having momentum because they lost twice to the Steelers this season.
"How do they have the momentum?" an incredulous Porter replied. "They lost twice.
"If you lost twice, you think 'I lost twice, I got to find a way to get a win.' We won twice already, so the pressure's not on us; we go into the game confident. We know what we did already. They haven't beat us the last five times we played them."
True enough. The Steelers have won 12 of the past 14 against Cleveland, the new Browns and the old Browns, including a three-game sweep in the 1994 season, the only other time the franchises have met in the playoffs in their 101 games. The Browns haven't won a playoff game on the road since 1969.
Most of those dozen Steelers victories since 1993 were procured by their defense, including two shutouts among seven games in which the Browns did not score 10 points. The Steelers' defense enters this game having slipped some from last year, when they ranked No. 1 and allowed just 212 points. The Steelers' defense ranked seventh this year, and the opposition scored 345 points, but Porter believes they will flex their muscles in the playoffs.
"Offense wins games but if you want to win a championship, it's going to have to be our defense," Porter said.
To do that, they must stop halfback William Green, who was not a factor in their previous two wins, and quarterback Kelly Holcomb, who will replace injured starter Tim Couch.
"It's at that time of year," Porter said, "you have to stop the run, first and foremost, and make the quarterback beat you. They have a young quarterback over there, and we're going to throw everything at him and we're going to see how good this guy really is."
Holcomb played so well early in the season for an injured Couch that fans cheered when Couch was hurt at home in a game, and some Steelers have said there's not much difference between the two quarterbacks.
"I don't know, I guess he's a good quarterback," Porter said. "I've also seen him throw some bad balls, too. You have to think that Couch is their franchise and they would go with Couch if he's healthy. Holcomb was still the backup. He's never played in a playoff game. The intensity level steps up another notch in the playoffs. We're going to find out if he can handle the pressure."
Their defense has been winged by injuries to cornerback Chad Scott, who probably will not play because of a broken right hand, and linebacker Kendrell Bell, who will try to go on an ankle that was sprained last Sunday. Deshea Townsend would replace Scott at left cornerback and rookie Larry Foote will play if Bell cannot.
"With Kendrell in there or without Kendrell," safety Lee Flowers said, "we all have to step it up. This is the playoffs."
Some Steelers expect to see dirty play today, and many of them suspect Browns Coach Butch Davis intentionally put 12 men on defense early in their previous meeting so Courtney Brown would get a free shot at quarterback Tommy Maddox. Davis denied that.
"If they want to play a dirty game, so be it," Flowers said.
Who would get the advantage in that department?
"Us, all day long," Flowers said. "They don't have anyone on their offense, other than talking to you, who can play dirty. Our offense is dirty guys. Ask Tampa; Tampa will tell you. Warren Sapp can tell you how dirty our offense is."
Said Browns cornerback Corey Fuller: "They're from Pittsburgh. They like to play smash-mouth on you. If they can't do that, then they'll have their bag of tricks ready."
The Steelers used some gadgets and a no-huddle offense to thwart some early pressure the Bowns put on Maddox in their previous game Nov. 3 in Cleveland. The Browns led, 14-3, at the time, and the strategy helped the Steelers pull out a 23-20 victory.
"They've played very well against us the last two games," Maddox said, "and we've been able to find ways to win those games. I think it's going to be important that we just somehow, some way find a way to win the game. That's what the playoffs are all about. It's not always pretty, it's not flashy sometimes but you have to find ways to win games."
They have four to win, but right now it's just about the one.
Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3878.
Steelers going one at a time as Super Bowl quest begins 
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