Browns scheming to deny Steelers a bye

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Before the Pittsburgh Steelers can think about any road to the Super Bowl, they have to first take a bus trip on the turnpike across the Ohio border.

Watch out for potholes!

With a chance to win a division title, clinch a first-round AFC playoff bye, the No. 2 seed and assure themselves of at least one postseason home game, the Steelers have everything to play for today when they visit the Cleveland Browns, their long-lost rivals, who, as usual, are stumbling toward another offseason of uncertainty.

“It’s serious, it’s really serious,” Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace said. “Guys are real focused.

“We know this is a big significant game for us and we know it’s just like a playoff game because these guys are coming in and trying to knock us out of the 2-seed.

“We know that and we’re not going to let it happen.”

The Steelers (11-4) are certain to be backed by thousands of their rowdy, Terrible Towel-waving fans, who will descend on Cleveland Browns Stadium, where tickets have been available all season and where the Browns (5-10) dealt Pittsburgh’s fading playoff hopes a final blow with an upset last season.

There’s always bad blood between these teams.

This time, some of it is still freshly oozing.

In Pittsburgh’s 28-10 win on Oct. 17, Steelers linebacker James Harrison delivered two pulverizing hits on Browns wide receivers Joshua Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi, concussive blows that sent both players to the sideline for medical attention.

Those hard knocks came on a weekend of several other cringing blows around the NFL, prompting the league’s crackdown on helmet-to-helmet hits. Harrison was fined $75,000 (eventually reduced to $50,000) for the hit on Massaquoi but got away scot-free for ramming headfirst into Cribbs, his former college teammate, who was running the ball out of the wildcat.

Wallace, one of the league’s scariest deep threats, is thankful he’s not on the receiving end of one of Harrison’s hard hits.

“I tell our defense that all the time,” said Wallace, who has nine touchdown catches and is averaging 20.2 yards per catch. “I’m happy I’m not going against them because they’re one of the most vicious I’ve ever seen.”

For the Browns, today’s game concludes another tough season that could lead to another coaching change.

Eric Mangini may not be back, and if he isn’t retained by president Mike Holmgren, it will be part because of his inability to beat division foes. He’s just 2-9 against the AFC North, but this week Mangini dismissed any talk about his future.

“It’s Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh,” he said, “and it’s a great thing to have.”

Colt McCoy is getting his second up-close look at Blitzburgh.

Cleveland’s rookie quarterback made his professional debut against the Steelers when the teams met nine weeks ago, a baptism by the banks of the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers that went better than expected. McCoy finished 23 of 33 for 281 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown.

He was sacked five times, but McCoy showed unforeseen toughness by standing tall in the pocket and delivering passes.

At least this time, McCoy knows what’s coming.

“They pin their ears back and come after you,” he said. “That’s what they do, that’s what they’ve been doing and that’s what they did against us. I watched the tape when we played earlier in the season and thought, ‘Man, I’ve come a long ways from that. I’m playing a lot better.’ ”

McCoy, though, is coming off a three-interception performance last week in a 20-10 loss to Baltimore. He was twice picked off by Ravens safety Ed Reed, who like Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, has made a career out of forcing quarterbacks, rookies and veterans, into mistakes.

McCoy understands he, and the Browns, can’t afford to make them.

“You look at all of the guys that have played against Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, they’ve all had those kinds of games,” he said. “At the same time, I’ll never accept that. I’ll accept the fact that if you turn the ball over three times, you don’t give your team a chance to win. Those are things that I’ve got to improve, I’ve got to learn from and what a great opportunity to go out and play against the No. 1 defense in the league this week.”