Sunday, December 23, 2007
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
CLEVELAND — One of the main reasons the Browns have awakened from their slumber has been the stabilization of their offensive line. So the $49 million that general manager Phil Savage spent to sign guard Eric Steinbach looks like money well spent.
The Browns signed Steinbach from the Bengals, so in addition to improving themselves, they weakened a division rival. Sunday the Browns can clinch their first playoff appearance in five years if they beat the Bengals when Steinbach plays his first game in Cincinnati since leaving the team that chose him in the second round of the 2003 draft.
“We miss him a lot,” Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. “He was probably the most productive offensive lineman we had. He brought a lot of attitude to the game and, obviously, athleticism and good feet. We ran screens with him very well and a power play with him very well. He’s missed here.”
Steinbach grew up in Lockport and won four state championships at Providence Catholic as a tight end and defensive end. He has been a rock on the Browns’ offense even though he had an appendectomy in the off-season, a knee sprain that kept him out of most of the preseason and a back injury. The Iowa alum was voted as a Pro Bowl alternate last week.
At 6 feet, 6 inches and 295 pounds, Steinbach brings rare athleticism to the Browns’ ground game.
“He allows you to do some things in the running game that you can’t do with a lot of the [heavier] guys,” Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski said. “He’s not the biggest guy in the world and he has kind of an uncanny way of adjusting because he’s so athletic. He can use his athleticism to pull, on screens and those kinds of things.”
The Browns are averaging 5.1 yards per carry on runs to the left, or in Steinbach’s direction, compared with 4.1 yards per carry to the right. But because of his quickness, he helps the Browns running to the right side as well.
“Either way you can take advantage of him because he’s so athletic,” Chudzinski said. “He can cut guys off if we’re running the other way.”