BEREA — The Browns defense may have trouble applying pressure, but not general manager Phil Savage.
During his weekly radio interview Thursday, Savage raised the stakes for Sunday night’s game with the Steelers.
“Quite frankly, it’s probably the biggest game that we’ve played since I’ve been here,” said Savage, who joined the team in 2005. “It’s a critical game. It is almost a must-win if you can have one the second week of the year.
“Nothing would calm the waters better than beating the Steelers.”
The Browns have lost nine straight to the Steelers, including seven straight at home, which raises the magnitude of the game. So does the ugly
28-10 home loss Sunday in the opener that threw a wet blanket on all the preseason excitement surrounding the Browns.
Receiver Braylon Edwards paused when asked if the Browns “have” to win Sunday night.
“It’s a very pivotal game,” he said. “It’s a very important game. Have is a strong word, but it’s close.”
Coach Romeo Crennel knows the danger of placing too much emphasis on one game, especially one in mid-September.
“It’s a game we’d like to win. In some people’s eyes it’s a must-win,” he said.
Crennel pointed out that the Giants went 0-2 on their way to a Super Bowl victory last season.
“If they cashed it in after an 0-2 start, they never would’ve made it to the Super Bowl,” he said. “That’s why it’s a 16-game season.”
The Giants’ turnaround was keyed by the pass rush. It’s been a liability for the Browns for years.
Against the Cowboys, the Browns didn’t get a sack or within shouting distance of Tony Romo. They began the game dropping seven or eight into coverage, and by the time they changed tactics, it was too late.
Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger presents another challenge, one the Browns have yet to solve in seven meetings. Roethlisberger is a good scrambler, and at 6-foot-5, 241 pounds, is a load to bring down.
The Browns sacked him four times in the second meeting last year, but his 30-yard touchdown scramble helped the Steelers come back from a 21-9 halftime deficit for a 31-28 win.
“He gets away from a lot of people,” said linebacker Willie McGinest, who missed Roethlisberger on a third-down scramble on the winning touchdown drive. “That’s something we know we’ve got to stop.
“We just don’t want him to get loose and run around. We want to hit him and force him to make bad decisions.”
The Browns ranked tied for 26th in the NFL last year with 28 sacks, so they didn’t force too many bad decisions. Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley has a history of getting close to Roethlisberger, but more times than not Roethlisberger wiggles free long enough to complete a pass downfield.
“He has the ability to hurt you if you don’t get him down,” Wimbley said.
The Browns have blown two fourth-quarter leads against Pittsburgh in the last two years, and both have been marked by missed tackles of Roethlisberger.
“We couldn’t make a first down and couldn’t get him on the ground,” Crennel said. “If we had done either one of those things, we probably would’ve won the game.”
Crennel said the only personnel change this week to boost the pass rush will be more playing time for rookie linebacker Alex Hall. But it will be Wimbley who’s chiefly responsible for disrupting Roethlisberger.
“Wimbley down in and down out is a guy teams have to deal with when they drop back to pass,” Crennel said.
Roethlisberger was sacked 93 times in the last two regular seasons, so his offensive line was a popular target for criticism throughout the offseason. He was sacked twice in the opening 38-17 win over Houston and fell on his throwing shoulder, which limited him in practice Thursday. But he was 13-for-14 for 137 yards and two touchdowns.
“They loved, I loved, we all loved that people were talking bad about them because that just fuels their fire and made them work that much harder,” Roethlisberger said of the linemen. “I was hoping that people would say that because I knew how talented, athletic and determined they were.”
Because of his strength and escapability, Roethlisberger often hangs onto the ball longer with the hopes of making a big play. Coach Mike Tomlin is fine with that.
“This guy plays to win, he’s a competitor and some of the things that allow him to make splash plays also put him in harm’s way,” Tomlin said.
Roethlisberger has proved he can handle the pressure.
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.

NEXT UP

WHO: Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh
WHEN: Sunday, 8:15 p.m.
WHERE: Cleveland Browns Stadium
TV/RADIO: Channel 3; WMMS 100.7-FM

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