Week 17: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns

• BR1986FB

  LOL...can see this game is showing a lot of interest with the game thread popping up on Wednesday.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  AP goes down with a major injury, LBJ and rapeistfucker....still healthy. SMH, I hope the rapist plays and the Browns pwn him ending his season.
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  Commander of Awesome;1028770 wrote:AP goes down with a major injury, LBJ and rapeistfucker....still healthy. SMH, I hope the rapist plays and the Browns pwn him ending his season.

  +1. Best case scenario is a few ligament tears.
• DeyDurkie5

  

  browns better lose...
• ts1227

  

  As a reminder, this abortion was flexed to 4:15 PM
• thavoice

  Probably was changed to 415 (I think what they call flexing a game is reserved to changing it to the night game on NBC, time changes of games happen normally on occassion) under the NFL master plan of doing what they can within reason to make sure games are still competitive.
  
  If this game was at 1pm and the steelers lose.....the Ratbirds could choose to sit guys and giving the bengals and advantage.
  
  This last week is still very important.....I cannot rmemeber a week 17 with so many teams with something to play for.
• BR1986FB

  thavoice;1028934 wrote: If this game was at 1pm and the steelers lose.....the Ratbirds could choose to sit guys and giving the bengals and advantage.

  Same could be said if the Rats played and won at 1pm, the Steelers could sit their starters in the late game.
  
  Glad that's not the case in that this is the one year I won't be hurt if the Browns lose to put themselves in the position to get their franchise QB so they can hopefully compete a lot quicker in this division. One step back to take a giant leap forward...
• THE4RINGZ

  

  BR1986FB;1028959 wrote:Same could be said if the Rats played and won at 1pm, the Steelers could sit their starters in the late game.
  
  Glad that's not the case in that this is the one year I won't be hurt if the Browns lose to put themselves in the position to get their franchise QB so they can hopefully compete a lot quicker in this division. One step back to take a giant leap forward...

  
  Who in your opinion is that franchise quarterback? RGIII, Do they make a play for Luck, or wait to see if they can swing a trade for Bradford, or is there another guy you have your eye on?
• BR1986FB

  THE4RINGZ;1028963 wrote:Who in your opinion is that franchise quarterback? RGIII, Do they make a play for Luck, or wait to see if they can swing a trade for Bradford, or is there another guy you have your eye on?

  I really think Holmgren's going to go hard after Luck. Don't necessarily want them to mortgage the farm to get him but if that's what it takes to get competitive in the division, gotta bite the bullet. I also like RG3.
  
  They do need weapons/playmakers but we've seen too many Charlie Frye/Brady Quinn/Colt McCoy types running this offense over the past 10+ years. All the other teams in the division have their franchise guy. Time for the Browns to stop messing around.
• bigdaddy2003

  

  For some reason I think the Browns may win.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  That is a tough argument to make, it's like the chicken and the egg story. Do the other teams in the division have all or a majority of the other parts in place thus making their QB appear better, or does the QB make the rest of the O better? I think the bengals have the other pieces assembled or at least the foundation started which has made Dalton look better than he is. Flacco, is so off and on, I can't ever get a true read on him, although they dumped some vets to pick up some younger talented recievers, I'll call that one a push. Ben, I do believe, makes his O better by being the QB. Stretching plays,better at calling the audible at the line, and I am not a Ben fan by any strectch of the imagination.
  
  
  I hate to see Cleveland being the place where young QB talent comes to die. Say they do get Andrew Luck in the draft, and don't get any other picks in the first three rounds (due to trading up), how much better percentage wise are the browns next year, by simply replacing the QB?
  
  
  Let me throw you another curve in this example, because I honestly believe this could be a very real possibility...the club is unable to sign any current big name play makers via free agency this offseason, and if they do, they have mortgaged their future even further. Without a big time play maker, how much better is the club percentage wise by simply replacing the quarterback?
• like_that

  

  THE4RINGZ;1028982 wrote:That is a tough argument to make, it's like the chicken and the egg story. Do the other teams in the division have all or a majority of the other parts in place thus making their QB appear better, or does the QB make the rest of the O better? I think the bengals have the other pieces assembled or at least the foundation started which has made Dalton look better than he is. Flacco, is so off and on, I can't ever get a true read on him, although they dumped some vets to pick up some younger talented recievers, I'll call that one a push. Ben, I do believe, makes his O better by being the QB. Stretching plays,better at calling the audible at the line, and I am not a Ben fan by any strectch of the imagination.
  
  
  I hate to see Cleveland being the place where young QB talent comes to die. Say they do get Andrew Luck in the draft, and don't get any other picks in the first three rounds (due to trading up), how much better percentage wise are the browns next year, by simply replacing the QB?
  
  
  Let me throw you another curve in this example, because I honestly believe this could be a very real possibility...the club is unable to sign any current big name play makers via free agency this offseason, and if they do, they have mortgaged their future even further. Without a big time play maker, how much better is the club percentage wise by simply replacing the quarterback?

  Luckily this year FA will be before the draft.
• BR1986FB

  THE4RINGZ;1028982 wrote: Let me throw you another curve in this example, because I honestly believe this could be a very real possibility...the club is unable to sign any current big name play makers via free agency this offseason, and if they do, they have mortgaged their future even further. Without a big time play maker, how much better is the club percentage wise by simply replacing the quarterback?

  No curveball. We'll know prior to the draft as to whether they have these FA play makers in place. Unlike this past year's clustf#ck offseason, free agency will be in February and LONG over before they draft in April. If the Browns come out of free agency without any legit WR's, it will kinda tip their hand as to what they'll need in the draft.
  
  EDIT: like_that beat me to the punch
• THE4RINGZ

  

  OK, but that is my question, if they are not able to acquire any talent in FA do they stick with the percieved plan of going and getting their franchise QB, or do they look for talent at the WR position?
• BR1986FB

  THE4RINGZ;1028998 wrote:OK, but that is my question, if they are not able to acquire any talent in FA do they stick with the percieved plan of going and getting their franchise QB, or do they look for talent at the WR position?

  If they can't get the WR's in free agency they likely grab a free agent QB (Flynn/Orton/Campbell...just names, not necessarily in favor of any), draft a QB to groom with a later pick and use the early picks on weapons. Not a fan of this course of action but McCoy's not their answer. This second option leaves them pissing in the wind, AGAIN. I think between the Bowe's, V-Jax's, Desean Jackson's (most likely), Colston's, Meachem's & Garcon's they get one of these guys by overpaying.
  
  Greg Little's gonna be a mother f#cker if they can get a #1 to go with him. Swap him with Julio Jones (Little would have Roddy White & Gonzo as other targets & Matt Ryan throwing him the rock while Colt McCoy throws to Julio) and I bet Little puts up similar numbers as a rookie. They aren't far apart right now and Little took a year off of playing. Right now, Little is a #1 with a crappy QB in a crappy offense. ALL of the focus is on him yet he still has 700+ yards as a rookie.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  What is your take on the rumor of the rams getting Luck with the #1 and shopping Bradford around and having him land in Cleveland to be reunited with Shurmer?
• Y-Town Steelhound

  

  IMO this game is a win-win for Browns fans. A win and its a win against the hated Steelers (regardless of who's playing for them), a loss and it's a better draft spot.
• thavoice

  BR1986FB;1028959 wrote:Same could be said if the Rats played and won at 1pm, the Steelers could sit their starters in the late game.
  
  Glad that's not the case in that this is the one year I won't be hurt if the Browns lose to put themselves in the position to get their franchise QB so they can hopefully compete a lot quicker in this division. One step back to take a giant leap forward...

  What time was the Cincy/balt game scheduled to be originally? Having both games at the same time def does help the NFL.
  
  
  I know they are making the last game or two a division matchup which is good for the games as well. There is no way to make all games in week 17 as important but I think division games do about as best as they could hope for because those games do pull weight in tiebreakers.
• ts1227

  

  thavoice;1029021 wrote:What time was the Cincy/balt game scheduled to be originally? Having both games at the same time def does help the NFL.
  
  
  I know they are making the last game or two a division matchup which is good for the games as well. There is no way to make all games in week 17 as important but I think division games do about as best as they could hope for because those games do pull weight in tiebreakers.

  
  Both were scheduled for 1, but to flex one they had to flex both for competitive reasons.
• BR1986FB

  THE4RINGZ;1029012 wrote:What is your take on the rumor of the rams getting Luck with the #1 and shopping Bradford around and having him land in Cleveland to be reunited with Shurmer?

  Earlier thought this might happen but, if anything, they shop the Luck pick and stay with Bradford.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  BR1986FB;1029028 wrote:Earlier thought this might happen but, if anything, they shop the Luck pick and stay with Bradford.

  
  The feelings I am hearing out of St. Louis though is that they are done with Bradford, and want a fresh start. And again those could all be rumors.
• Heretic

  

  BR1986FB;1029008 wrote:Greg Little's gonna be a mother f#cker if they can get a #1 to go with him. Swap him with Julio Jones (Little would have Roddy White & Gonzo as other targets & Matt Ryan throwing him the rock while Colt McCoy throws to Julio) and I bet Little puts up similar numbers as a rookie. They aren't far apart right now and Little took a year off of playing. Right now, Little is a #1 with a crappy QB in a crappy offense. ALL of the focus is on him yet he still has 700+ yards as a rookie.

  Little's been the one guy on your offense I've been impressed with this year. Seems like the real deal and gives you a guy with the potential to be a big receiving threat for a long time. Hillis SHOULD have been in the same category, but if you take out the parts of the year where he was either hurt and/or had too much sand in the vagina, you're left with about 2-3 games.
  

  THE4RINGZ;1029012 wrote:What is your take on the rumor of the rams getting Luck with the #1 and shopping Bradford around and having him land in Cleveland to be reunited with Shurmer?

  As a Steelers fan, I like this for Cleveland for many reasons.
  
  1. Bradford has a history of recent injuries. Missed most of his senior year (I think, or was it junior?) with a broken collarbone and has missed a decent chunk this year. It's a roll-the-dice deal as far as his health goes, especially considering how they have a couple revolving doors on the OL.
  
  2. Two years removed from being the top pick AND a guy who the current coach has ties to? That's the sort of thing that can lead to Cleveland overpaying to get him.
  
  3. He's been kinda uninspiring so far in his career. Not much talent around him, but you could say that about McCoy. Through this and last year, he averages 6 yards per attempt (poor) with mediocre completion percentages and a TD/INT ratio that's barely better than even.
  
  He could improve with age and be a capable-to-good starter OR he could wind up as an injury-prone pile of mediocrity who can't stretch the field. Either way, I don't see him as being much of a help in taking a bad team to a better level in the near future.
• thavoice

  As for rumors and the draft.........it is best to just not even pay attention to them. The very few people who actually have the authority to make the decision on whom to draft and trade arent going to be talking about it and there reall is nothing to even consider until the season is over.
  
  I think LUck has to go number one to whomever gets that pick.
  1. Many believe he is the best QB.
  2. this is a stretch and just my opinion, but luck is the safe pick. If you pick luck and he flops then, well, you picked the QB that most feel is the best suited for the NFL. If you pick someone else like that guy from Baylor and he flops....well..then ya have alot to answer to.
• GoPens

  

  Going to be lots of scoreboard watching in both Cleveland and Cincinnati while these games are going on. I think the Steelers will win by about 10, however I also think the Ratbirds are going to win in Cincy.
• like_that

  

  GoPens;1029169 wrote:Going to be lots of scoreboard watching in both Cleveland and Cincinnati while these games are going on. I think the Steelers will win by about 10, however I also think the Ratbirds are going to win in Cincy.

  If the Ratbirds make it ugly, I see Tomlin pulling his guys out.