'New' Browns to face Steelers

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Since being drubbed by the Steelers, the Browns have built a 5-2 record.

GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BEREA — Remember those sounds of September?

The cleaned-up version:

"Romeo must go!"

"Bra-dee! Bra-dee! Bra-dee!"

"Boooooooooooooooooooo!"

And finally, with the Steelers en route to a 34-7 season kickoff win and Cleveland Browns Stadium empty in the fourth quarter:

Silence.

There's a new sound as Sunday's rematch at Pittsburgh approaches.

Both teams are 5-2 since then. Life is good for Browns coach Romeo Crennel, pending how things look at Heinz Field.

"This is a different team," Crennel said of the evolution. "We'll play them this time. I think you'll get a better evaluation of where we are."

Anyone inclined to itemize the ways the Browns might be different in the second Pittsburgh game can point to a fairly detailed list.

Here's one version, contrasting the events of Sept. 9 to prospects for the rematch.

Then: Joe Jurevicius had an easy catch in his mitts with running room on the second play of the season. He dropped it.

Now: Jurevicius is catching everything in sight and ranks among league leaders in third-down catches.

Then: Charlie Frye was sacked on his second drop-back of the season.

Now: Frye watched from Seattle's sideline as Derek Anderson lit up the Seahawks to the tune of 364 yards, without taking a sack.

Then: In his final series as a Cleveland Brown, Frye was sacked on consecutive plays by James Harrison and Ike Taylor. After entering with 6:34 left in the second quarter, Anderson was sacked once in 29 drop-backs.

Now: In seven subsequent starts, Anderson has gotten off 229 passes and taken only seven sacks.

Then: Replacement punter Paul Ernster panicked and dropped a snap. He got off a 15-yard punt as four penalty flags hit the field. The Steelers needed just 22 yards for a 7-0 lead.

Now: Dave Zastudil has settled in after returning from a back injury.

Then: Frye's second pass of the season was picked off by Taylor, setting up a Pittsburgh field goal.

Now: Anderson has thrown one interception in 98 passes during the last three games.

Then: Kevin Shaffer was shaky at right tackle after moving from the left side to make way for rookie Joe Thomas.

Now: Ryan Tucker, who wasn't active against Pittsburgh, is rotating platoons at right tackle with Shaffer. Thomas has grown into the left tackle job nicely.

Then: New left guard Eric Steinbach came in cold after missing the preseason because of a sprained knee.

Now: Steinbach is doing what he was given a $49.5 million contract to do, playing at a Pro Bowl level.

Then: Rookie cornerback Eric Wright was starting his first NFL game.

Now: Wright has improved to the extent teams seem to be picking on the more experienced corner, Leigh Bodden.

Then: Right guard Seth McKinney was making his first start as a Brown after missing 2006 with a neck injury.

Now: McKinney was in a groove before suffering a shoulder injury against Seattle. If he can't play, Tucker might slide to guard. If not, Lennie Friedman is a veteran backup.

Then: Threatening to cut into a 10-0 lead, the Browns drove to Pittsburgh's 33, where the drive was killed by a pass interference call on Kellen Winslow Jr.

Now: Winslow has cleaned up push-offs and is pulverizing mismatches. He is coming off an 11-catch, 125-yard game.

Then: Still trailing, 10-0, after the defense forced a three-and-out, the Browns tried to get running back Jamal Lewis going. Lewis opened the series with a 4-yard gain. On second down, he ran to the Thomas-Steinbach side — and fumbled. Steelers wideout Santonio Holmes quickly scored on a 40-yard bomb.

Now: Lewis, coming off a four-touchdown game, hasn't lost another fumble. The team has lost two fumbles in seven subsequent games.

Then: The horrible loss put the depressed Browns in a 1-7 stretch going back to last season.

Now: Confidence rides an expansion-era high with the win streak at three.

Then: The Browns allowed 365 yards. Leading big and not needing to pass, the Steelers ground out 206 rushing yards on 42 carries.

Now: Here's the catch. The defense remains awful. Those 365 yards Pittsburgh gained? The Browns' seven opponents are averaging 418.2. Given Pittsburgh's dominance of Baltimore on Monday night, it's hard to conceive how the Browns can win unless the offense gets in a shootout.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007