*STEELERS AT BROWNS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2008 AT CLEVELAND BROWNS STADIUM - KICKOFF 8:15 P.M. *
Steelers (1-0) vs. Browns (0-1)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) at Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m., ET
Site: Cleveland Browns Stadium (73,300) • Cleveland, Ohio
Playing Surface: Grass
TV Coverage: NBC-TV (locally WPXI-TV, channel 11)
Announcers: Al Michaels (play-by-play) John Madden (color analyst) Andrea Kremer (sideline)
Local Radio: Steelers Radio Network WDVE-FM (102.5)/WBGG-AM (970)
Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play) Tunch Ilkin (color analyst) Craig Wolfley (sideline)
**A Look at the Coaches:
*Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin
Overall Regular-season Record: 11-6 (.647)/second season
Regular-season Record at Pittsburgh: 11-6 (.647)/second season
Playoff Record/Years: 0-1/one year
Cleveland Browns Head Coach Romeo Crennel
Overall Regular-season Record: 20-29 (.408)/fourth season
Regular-season Record at Cleveland: 20-29 (.408)/fourth season
Playoff Record/Years: n/a
*Series History
Series History: Series began in 1950
**Overall: Pittsburgh leads 57-55
At Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh leads 36-21
At Cleveland: Cleveland leads 34-21
Neutral Sites: n/a
Last Regular-Season Meeting: Nov. 11, 2007 (in Pittsburgh)
Pittsburgh 31, Cleveland 28
Postseason Series: Pittsburgh leads 2-0
*(postseason record included in overall series record) *Pittsburgh leads the all-time series 57-55 (includingpostseason) after sweeping the Browns for the fourth consecutiveyear in 2007...the Steelers are 48-24 against the Browns since1970, including a 31-6 record (including two playoff victories) inPittsburgh and a 16-18 mark on the road...the Steelers are 7-1(including postseason) against the Browns at Heinz Field...theSteelers are looking for their 10th straight victory over theBrowns...the Steelers are 8-1 against the Browns at ClevelandBrowns Stadium, which opened in 1999...the Steelers defeatedthe Browns, 43-0, in the first game at Cleveland's new stadiumon Sept. 12, 1999...Pittsburgh is 2-0 versus Cleveland in thepostseason, defeating the Browns, 36-33, in the 2002 AFC WildCard playoffs, and 29-9 in the AFC Divisional Playoffs at ThreeRivers Stadium (Jan. 7, 1995)...Pittsburgh has played more gamesagainst Cleveland than against any other team in the NFL...the112 games played between the Steelers and the Browns are themost between any two AFC teams...the Steelers have won 15 oftheir last 16 games against the Browns, and 22 of the last 25contests...Pittsburgh's last loss to the Browns came on Oct. 5,2003, ending a six-game Steelers' winning streak...that game isalso the last time these two teams met on Sunday Night...theSteelers have not been swept by the Browns since 1988 but haveswept Cleveland five of the past six years.
**Steelers-Texans Connections
*Steelers-Browns Connections: Several Steelers have ties to the Browns and the Cleveland area. Steelers with direct ties to the Browns and Cleveland/Ohio include assistant head coach/defensive line coachJohn Mitchell, who began his NFL coaching career as the Browns' defensive line coach from 1991-93. Linebackers coachKeith Butler *coached the Browns linebackers from 1999-02. Offensive coordinatorBruce**Arianswas the Browns' offensive coordinator from 2001-03. Steelers DE Nick Easonplayed with the Browns from 2004-06. DE Orpheus Royealso played for the Browns from 2000-07.
Steelers players from Ohio include QB Ben Roethlisberger(Findlay, played at Miami, Ohio), RB Gary Russell(Columbus), LB James Harrison(Akron, played at Kent State), WR Nate Washington(Toledo, played at Tiffin) and S Anthony Smith(Hubbard). WR Santonio Holmesplayed at Ohio State.
Browns with Steelers/Western Pennsylvania connections include TE Darnell Dinkins, who played at Pitt. OL Hank Fraley played collegiately at Robert Morris and originally signed with the Steelers as an undrafted rookie free agent while LB Kris Griffin played at IUP. Quarterbacks coach Rip Schererbegan his coaching career at Penn State (1974-75). Strength and conditioning coach Tom Myslinksiplayed for the Steelers for three seasons (1996-97, 2000) and was an assistant strength coach at Pitt. Assistant defensive backs coach Richard McNuttcoached at W&J (2004-05).
Team Notes
The Steelers have won nine straight games against their division-rival Cleveland Browns. The nine-game winning streak is the longest for Pittsburgh in the series history that dates back to 1950 and tied for the longest current streak in the NFL (Buffalo over Cincinnati, New England over Buffalo, San Diego over Oakland).
Additionally, Pittsburgh has won 15 of the past 16 games in the series overall. The lone loss was a 33-13 setback in Pittsburgh in 2003. In the past nine games, the Steelers have dominated the
Browns in nearly every facet of the game.
Additional notes on the Steelers' nine-game winning streak over Cleveland:
• Pittsburgh has four games in which it has totaled over 400 yards of total offense, including a high of 528 yards in a 27-7 win on Dec. 7, 2006.
• Pittsburgh has limited Cleveland to under 200 yards of total offense twice in the nine-game winning streak, including a low of 163 yards in a Steelers' 31-28 victory at Heinz Field on Nov. 11, 2007.
• RB Willie Parkerhas rushed for over 100 yards in four of the nine games during the streak, including a single-game franchise record by gaining 223 yards on 32 carries on Dec. 7, 2006.
• QB Ben Roethlisbergerhas posted four 100-plus passer ratings during the streak, including a 120.0 mark on Christmas Eve in Cleveland on Dec. 24, 2005.
Road Warriors:Pittsburgh continues to have great success playing away from Heinz Field. Since the beginning of the 1998 season, the Steelers are tied with the Tennessee Titans for the third best road winning percentage in the AFC.
