Steve Heiden’s favorite memory of playing the Steelers involves a forgotten quarterback, a professional wrestler’s pose and an expletive from one of the rivalry’s greatest trash talkers.
Heiden is 1-12 versus Pittsburgh, but at least he’s got a good story.
“I just remember him running one in and (Joey) Porter saying something like, ‘What the beep, Tim Couch is running for touchdowns now,’” the tight end said. “It was a neat game, especially winning over there.”
That was Oct. 5, 2003, and the Browns won 33-13 on a Sunday night. It was Couch’s last great moment for the Browns, and he showed his excitement by following the touchdown with a big spike and Hulk Hogan-like flex.
It was also the Browns’ last good moment against their biggest rival. Heiden is one of only five players in the locker room who’ve beaten the Steelers as a Brown.
“It’s amazing. I guess when you lose that many in a row to a team, you just kind of like to forget about it,” Heiden said. “That’s what I’ve done.”
He’s had to forget a lot.
The Browns have lost nine straight to the Steelers and 15 of 16. They’ve dropped seven in a row at home.
The Steelers have won blowouts and nail-biters. They’ve taken huge leads and coasted, and they’ve rallied in the fourth quarter. They’ve turned a heated rivalry into a Sunday stroll.
“They’ve been on a roll and we haven’t,” kicker Phil Dawson said. “They’ve earned the right to have the bragging rights. They’ve played really solid football for a long period of time. We’re just trying to win a game.”
Dawson is the only Brown with multiple wins over Pittsburgh. This will be his 20th Steelers game, and he’s won three. His favorite moment is obvious.
“The kick at Three Rivers Stadium,” he said.
Dawson made a last-second 39-yard field goal in 1999 to win 16-15.
“Doug Dieken told me after the game all those years he went there he was never able to win,” Dawson said of the radio analyst, who played for the Browns from 1971-84. “That’s when it hit me we did something special. That was a fun one.
“Anytime you beat those guys, it’s a great feeling. Anytime you lose to them, it’s terrible.”
There’s been a whole lot of terrible lately, as the Steelers have dominated during their longest winning streak in the history of the 58-year rivalry.
Pittsburgh has six 100-yard rushing performances to zero for Cleveland. Pittsburgh has scored 16 touchdowns in Cleveland to the Browns’ four. Pittsburgh has outgained Cleveland by an average of 371-256 yards.
“They kinda run the division, which is no secret,” linebacker Willie McGinest said. “We want to change that.”
Plenty of prognosticators predicted such a change during the offseason. The Browns were the team on the rise, while the Steelers were set to take a step back.
After one week, the Steelers don’t seem in any hurry to give up control. They pounded Houston in the opener, while the Browns were handled by Dallas at home.
Yet Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin insists the Browns are his pick to win the AFC North.
“We have evidence that they are capable of putting what happens in Week 1 behind them and get better,” he said. “We were fortunate to beat them at their place in Week 1 last year and they came out and hung 51 points on Cincinnati in Week 2. That’s all the evidence we need.”
Running back Jamal Lewis beat the Steelers six times during his years with the Ravens, so he knows what it takes and has been advising his teammates.
“We just have to bring a physical approach to this game and we’ll be all right,” he said. “If anybody in this locker room can’t get up for a game like this, you’re not meant to play this game.”
Coach Romeo Crennel is 0-6 versus the Steelers, as is receiver Braylon Edwards. That’s no way to start a legacy.
“It’s a historic battle,” Edwards said. “You definitely want some W’s on your record. You don’t want to say, yeah, we got beat every time we played them.”
This meeting has even more weight because it’s the Browns’ first Sunday night outing since NBC took over the NFL’s spotlight game. It’s the first of Cleveland’s five prime-time games this season.
The Browns flopped during their Monday night debut in the preseason, then were embarrassed last week in a late-afternoon national-television game.
“I don’t think it affects anyone,” linebacker Andra Davis said. “Romeo’s got us well-prepared.
“But if we keep losing like we’re losing, there won’t be any prime-time games anymore.”
No matter what time the game is played, finally beating Pittsburgh is the top priority.
“We need to win this game bad,” Davis said. “It’s ridiculous. We need to win this real bad.”
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.
WHO: Browns vs. Steelers
WHERE: Cleveland Browns Stadium
TIME: 8:15 p.m.
RECORDS: Browns 0-1; Steelers 1-0
LAST WEEK: Browns lost 28-10 at home to Cowboys; Steelers beat Texans 38-17 in Pittsburgh
SERIES: Tied at 55 in regular season; Steelers lead 2-0 in playoffs
SERIES AT CLEVELAND: Browns lead 34-21
LAST MEETING: Steelers won 31-28 on Nov. 11, 2007, in Pittsburgh
COACHES: Romeo Crennel is 20-29 with Browns and overall; Mike Tomlin is 11-6 with Steelers and overall, 0-1 in the playoffs
TV/RADIO: Channel 3, with broadcasters Al Michaels, John Madden and Andrea Kremer; WMMS 100.7-FM
NFL RANKINGS (OUT OF 32 TEAMS): Browns — offense 29th (23rd rushing, 31st passing), defense 31st (27th rushing, 30th passing); Steelers — offense 19th (T-4th rushing, 30th passing), defense 6th (7th rushing, 10th passing)
BROWNS UPDATE: RB Jamal Lewis has 35 career 100-yard rushing games, but just one in 14 tries vs. the Steelers. He had 70 yards on 27 carries in two meetings last year.
• Cleveland is 1-8 in Sunday night games and 17-23 in prime time, including 11-12 at home.
• S Mike Adams will start in place of Sean Jones.
• NT Shaun Rogers will be playing his 100th career game.
• WR Syndric Steptoe will likely get the start in place of Donte Stallworth.
• K Phil Dawson has 793 career points, which ranks 13th among active kickers.
STEELERS UPDATE: WR Hines Ward had two touchdowns in the opener to give him 67 for his career. His 35 TDs in the red zone since 2002 rank second in the NFL, one behind Randy Moss.
• Pittsburgh allowed just 82 yards in the first half last week.
• DL Orpheus Roye, a former Brown, was inactive in the opener.
• LB LaMarr Woodley had three solo tackles, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery in his first career start last week.
• LB James Harrison had a team-high eight tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble.
BROWNS INJURY REPORT: Out: S Sean Jones (knee), TE Martin Rucker (knee); Doubtful: WR Donte Stallworth (quadriceps), OL Ryan Tucker (hip); Questionable: G Rex Hadnot (knee), WR Joshua Cribbs (ankle), S Brodney Pool (concussion); Probable: LB Kris Griffin (elbow), LB Kamerion Wimbley (groin).
STEELERS INJURY REPORT: Doubtful: CB Deshea Townsend (foot); Probable: QB Ben Roethlisberger (shoulder).
THE PICK: The Browns are six-point underdogs, coming off a thrashing by the Cowboys and still dealing with injuries. But they’re a better team than they showed in Week 1 and are due to beat the Steelers.
Browns 24-23.

MARQUEE MATCHUP

Some nicknames capture a player’s essence. “Fast” Willie Parker is one of those.
The Steelers running back has been voted to two Pro Bowls in four seasons because he’s faster than just about everyone else on the field.
“I mean, that’s Fast Willie Parker. He’s a guy that makes big plays, he’s an explosive back,” Cleveland defensive end Robaire Smith said. “On the drop of a dime, he can stop and cut back and run the ball for 67 yards. It’s going to be kind of hard to contain him, but we’re going to try.”
Parker got off to a fast start, rushing for 138 yards and a career-best three touchdowns in the opening win over Houston. The yardage was his most since a team-record 223 versus the Browns on Dec. 7, 2006. Parker (5-foot-10, 209 pounds) has owned Cleveland, rushing for 657 yards in six meetings, including four 100-yard efforts, and averaging 5.3 yards a carry.
“He’s a great complement to their offense,” linebacker Andra Davis said. “He’s small and fast and they’ve got a big, physical offensive line, so he’s the type of dude you’ve got to continue to just go after. He’s a home run back. You can stop him, stop him, stop him, but he can explode for 40 or 50 yards any given play.”
The Steelers go as Parker goes. They are 19-3 when he rushes for 100 yards, and he has the best per-carry average (4.8) in franchise history and three of the top eight rushing seasons.
“One day, they are going to talk about me as one of the best,” Parker told a Pittsburgh reporter. “They’ll have no other choice.”
The Browns added bulk to their defensive line in the offseason, but still allowed 167 yards and 5.4 a carry in a lopsided loss to Dallas. They’ll have their hands full again with Parker.
“Once he gets that crease, he’s gone,” linebacker D’Qwell Jackson said. “We have to be ready to wrap his behind up.”

NICKEL COVERAGE

Ben Roethlisberger may be an Ohio native, but he’s making a lot of enemies in the Buckeye State. The Steelers quarterback is 7-0 against the Browns, with three rushing touchdowns, one three-touchdown passing game and two fourth-quarter comebacks.
He’s getting better, too, as he threw for six TDs last year and ran one in.
He was 13-for-14 for 137 yards, two TDs and no interceptions for a 147.0 rating in Pittsburgh’s win last week.

Braylon Edwards’ week began with four dropped passes Sunday versus the Cowboys. On Tuesday, he questioned LeBron James’ fondness for Cleveland and the Cavaliers. On Thursday, he apologized. And on Friday, he was given a speeding ticket two weeks after being pulled over by Avon police and let go despite driving 120 mph.
Edwards was as excited as anyone when the Browns were awarded five prime-time games. He has the perfect chance to put a bad week behind him and show the world he’s a top-five NFL receiver.

Joshua Cribbs may not be 100 percent after suffering a high ankle sprain Aug. 18, but he’s desperate to play and the Browns need him. Cribbs should energize the special teams with his return ability and give coordinator Rob Chudzinski choices on offense.
Cribbs may not start at receiver, but he could see the most extensive playing time of his career. Don’t be surprised if he runs a reverse and/or throws a pass.

The Browns and Steelers both run 3-4 defensive schemes, but you couldn’t tell by the statistics. The Browns are consistently near the bottom of the NFL, while the Steelers are at the top. Since Dick LeBeau — in his 50th season in the NFL — returned as defensive coordinator in 2004, the Steelers are first in the NFL in points allowed and have given up the fewest total yards and fewest rushing yards.
LeBeau is the creator of the zone blitz, which Pittsburgh has mastered. Continuity in the system and better personnel, especially at linebacker, enable the Steelers to stuff the run, pressure the passer and make big plays. They had five sacks and three turnovers in the opener.

Cleveland fans have been looking forward to this game for years. It’s the Browns’ first time playing in the NFL’s spotlight game since 2003, and it’s against the hated Steelers. Of course, Pittsburgh has had the Browns’ number on the lakefront, winning seven straight. They’ve also had an increased presence in the stands, with thousands of black and yellow jerseys filling the orange seats.
Cowboys fans were quite visible last week, so it’s time for Browns fans to take back their stadium.

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