The Cleveland Browns received all the offseason buzz as the team ready to dethrone the Steelers as kings of the division and finished what they left on the field at the end of last season. And then the Steelers bulldozed the Texans and put the rest of the division, and conference, on notice. Big time win for the Ravens and rookie Joe Flacco. And the Bengals, well, they’re back to being the bungals.
Pittsburgh Steelers. Smashmouth football at its finest. They steamrolled an inferior Houston Texans squad. Tremendous offensive balance. Ben Roethisberger missed just one pass and found his favorite guy, wideout Hines Ward, in the back of the endzone for two scores. Willie Parker ran as if he were mad at the grass. The Texans couldn’t catch or tackle him. Parker carried the rock for 25 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns. The line was their downfall last year, and it’s supposed to be their achillies heel this season, but aside from Mario Williams’ two sacks, they kept Big Ben upright. Defensively they were a nightmare for Houston. The Steelers picked off Houston twice and got to Schaub for five sacks. The next Steelers linebacking star? LaMarr Woodley. He had three tackles, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Baltimore Ravens. One start, one victory. Not a bad percentage for rookie QB Joe Flacco. His didn’t turn the ball over and he kept the Ravens in position to win the game. Impressive rushing attack without the services of Willis McGahee. Baltimore gained 229 yards on the ground as a team, including their two scores, a 42-yard double reverse score by wideout Mark Clayton and a 38-yard touchdown run by Flacco. The defense played at a stellar level, proving that this is still the backbone of this football team. The Ravens held the Bengals to 154 yards of total offense. They made Carson Palmer look like rookie, holding him to just 94 yards on a miserable 9-of-24 afternoon.
Cleveland Browns. The preseason North darlings were knocked down a peg or three by the Cowboys on Sunday, falling to 1-9 in their last 10 home openers. The Browns have scored a combined 17 points in their last two openers. Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards missed most of the preseason and it showed; the two were rusty as gates and never got on the same page. Edwards dropped passes, one that would have been an easy score and maybe change the complexion of the game. The supposed revamped and improved defense looked lousy. The secondary stunk and they still have no consistent pass rusher. Cleveland allowed 320 yards passing through the air by way of Cowboys QB Tony Romo, and 487 yards of total offense. Up next, their first prime time game of the year against the team that embarrassed them in their opener last season, and the same team head coach Romeo Crennel has never beaten: Pittsburgh.
Cincinnati Bengals. Chad Ocho Cinco. No, it’s not just a name change, it was a prediction to how many yards the Bengals offense would muster all day. Horrifying day for the offense. Carson Palmer had a hideous day, completing just 9-of-24 pass attempts for only 94 yards. It was easier finding Waldo than it was Cincy wideouts T.J. Houshmanzadeh was the best of a crummy bunch, hauling in three catches for 44 yards. Eight first downs all day. Give credit to the Baltimore defense, but that was one sorry ass, gutless effort by the Bungals offense. Though the defense gave up to big runs that resulted in the Ravens’ scores, they played well enough to get this win. The D showed up and the offense was nowhere in sight. How many times can you say that about this team. Another stiff defensive test in their opener coming against Tennessee.
