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Steelers Notebook: No shake-up in secondary at the start
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Browns tight end Evan Moore fights off tackle attempts by Steelers linebackers James Farrior and Lawrence Timmons last night at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
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CLEVELAND -- There was no change to the Steelers starting lineup last night, despite coach Mike Tomlin's threats Monday to do so.
That included Hines Ward, who had a hamstring pull and was listed as questionable, and cornerback William Gay, who left Sunday's game against Oakland with a concussion.
Tomlin talked about his two young cornerbacks possibly playing or playing more during his news conference Monday. Not only did Joe Burnett not replace Gay as the starting left cornerback but cornerback Keenan Lewis did not even dress for the game.
Burnett did alternate with Gay and Ike Taylor. Burnett entered the game for the second series to replace Gay on the left side and played on the right side for Taylor on the third series.
On the third series, Gay and Taylor were back in and Burnett out. There was no telling after that. Deshea Townsend even replaced Taylor at one point at left cornerback.
The only other personnel adjustment Tomlin made, really, was to move Charlie Batch up to No. 3 quarterback.
Here are the inactives from last night:
Steelers -- Batch, Lewis, FB Carey Davis, S Troy Polamalu, G Kraig Urbik, OT Tony Hills, DE Sunny Harris, DE Nick Eason.
Browns -- No. 3 QB Brett Ratliff, DB Coye Francies, DB Gerard Lawson, LB David Veikune, OL Rex Hadnot, TE Greg Estandia, WR Jake Allen, DL Kenyon Coleman.
The temperature at kickoff was 15 degrees (minus 6 wind chill), the coldest kickoff for a Steelers regular-season game in 20 years. They kicked off in 5 degrees Dec. 17, 1989, against New England at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers won, 28-10.
They have played in a colder game since then, the AFC championship, also against New England, Jan. 23, 2005, at Heinz Field. It was 11 degrees at kickoff and the Steelers lost, 41-27.
Despite the frigid conditions, many players wore short sleeves. The only two offensive starters who wore long sleeves under their jerseys were quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Santonio Holmes.
Holmes topped 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his career when he caught a 24-yard pass from Roethlisberger late in the first half that led to a Jeff Reed field goal.
First Published December 11, 2009 12:24 am
