First and 10:The Pittsburgh gap has gotten no smaller

1)      Another game, another loss to Pittsburgh. It would be nice to think after one of these games that the Browns are getting closer to Pittsburgh. But they're not. They're … just … not.

2)      Spent some time talking to Bruce Arians after the game Sunday. He's the Steelers' offensive coordinator, but he's also a former Browns offensive coordinator. He's a good example of the Browns struggles. He is a very good coach who deserves some consideration to be a team's head coach, but he was fired in Cleveland. He knows football, knows people, knows how to act. He did a very good job with the Browns. His role in leading them to almost win a playoff game in Pittsburgh can't be underestimated. But he was dumped, unceremoniously, by Butch Davis a year later. Arians went on to coach the Steelers receivers before becoming offensive coordinator for Pittsburgh. Last season, he got a ring when the Steelers won the Super Bowl. A guy who couldn't coach in Cleveland has had much to do with Ben Roethlisberger growing into an elite quarterback. So I asked Arians the secret was to the Steelers getting so many receivers running open on Sunday. He did not diminish the skills of the Browns secondary. In fact, he said they're good players and that corners Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald are "solid." But he and the rest of the Steelers noticed on film that the Browns like to blitz a safety on first and second down. So they figured if they protected Roethlisberger they'd have a chance for some big plays because the Browns were vacating an area of the defense on early downs. Lo and behold, the Steelers completed nine passes for longer than 20 yards, two for 19 yards. Nine of the 11 big gains came on — you guessed it — first and second down. When the Browns didn't blitz and rushed three or four, Roethlisberger had more time than any quarterback deserves. This is called good coaching — find something that can work, tell the players to make it work and then call it.

3)      Arians reflected back on that Browns playoff loss in Pittsburgh about 37 years ago and thought about his situation with Roethlisberger and the Browns with Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn going back and forth in the position the past two years. That shuffle-the-quarterback theme has been constant since he left. "It's a shame because they've had some quality quarterbacks," he said. "Go with one and he's your guy and live with it and build a football team around him. Quit pretty much playing roulette with that position." Want to bet Brett Ratliff gets some starts before the season ends? And that there's a new quarterback next season? And another new one when the next coach is hired?

4)      Arians was asked about the constant change and upheaval with the Browns. A pretty lengthy list of changes since he left was mentioned to him. "There's a word missing there," he said. "It's called patience." The difference between the Steelers and Browns? He used one word: "Continuity." Continuity means two coaches in 17 years. It means the same offensive coordinator for three years. It means a quarterback starting for six years. And a receiver starting for eight years. And a running back who has been there for five years. It means finding a way to do things, finding players to fit that approach and making it work. It means riding out ups and downs, but not settling for less or making excuses for lack of success. It means signing a guy like Brett Keisel because he's a very good three-four end, and keeping him. Brett Keisel might not play for a lot of teams because he doesn't fit the NFL profile. But he fits the Steelers, and he's very effective there. It's why the Steelers are so far different from the Browns right now.

5)      I'm just thinking that Josh Cribbs might be earning his contract extension.

6)      So Brady Quinn's house is for sale. Let's see. Expensive house. Guy doesn't think he has a long-term future in Cleveland. So a guy figures he'll get a jump on a slow market and put the house up for sale now and hopefully, he figures, when he's traded after the season he'll have the house sold or close to sold. Quinn could get traded today. It's more likely he just put the house up now to save himself some trouble later. The misuse and near waste of this young quarterback's talent will forever hang over the Browns.

7)      Interesting how Chansi Stuckey arrives and suddenly displaces Mike Furrey. Furrey has barely seen the field since the trade, while Stuckey has even though he had no practice time at all with his new team — and even though he's not catching passes. Is it because Stuckey played for the Jets? Take a step back here and realize we're talking about Mike Furrey and Chansi Stuckey. It's not like either is Brandon Stokley.

8)      In the second quarter Eric Mangini challenged a call on a Willie Parker non-fumble even though there was no good replay that immediately showed it should be challenged. Even with that, Mangini threw the flag — and it made sense. Because if he had won the challenge, he could have changed the momentum of the game. This is the point of replay — to fix the error that is obviously wrong, and to give coaches the chance to choose what plays to challenge. Coaches then decide the risk vs. the reward. Mangini didn't win the challenge, but it was worth the risk — because the reward could have been great.

9)      I will never understand the NFL reception rule. Hines Ward catches a pass, falls, rolls over and has the ball. He rolls over again and is out of bounds, and the ball comes out. The official rules it incomplete because he did not get up with the ball even though he had the ball in the end zone. The official ruled it right because that's the way the stupid rule is written. I say stupid because this rule is stupid. And it's stupid for this reason: A running back can run to the goal line, trip, fall and have the ball knocked out of his hands when he falls. Doesn't matter. It's a touchdown. Because he "broke the plane." (Who comes up with these terms anyway?) A receiver, though, can catch a pass, break the plane, get two feet down, fall, roll over and then lose the ball. It's incomplete. This is not even close to being consistent.

10)  The Browns actually improved their 12-game, touchdown-to-possession percentage in the game. This is a new stat made up by me. Heading into the game, the Browns had scored on three of their last 128 possessions. That's 2.3 percent. By scoring on one of 12, they are now 4-for-140. That's 2.9 percent. Which means that on Sunday the Browns followed the coach's new dictum of "getting better every day."

Three and Out

Dear Pat,

How about we start to change things by going back to the old uniforms, all white with the orange helmet. Dark tops for away games. Not much else one can do short of gutting the organization and starting over.

Ken Price

Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Dear Ken,

Gutting the organization is not appealing to you? 

Dear Pat,

I went to the game Sunday. The Steelers had a man wide open on every play. How? Was it coaching and scheme? Or really bad players?

Tim Abraham

Dear Tim, 

Yes.

Dear Pat,

The more I watch Josh Cribbs play the more I am convinced the Browns have to re-do his deal. I am usually not a guy who thinks you re-do a deal but this is the exception to that rule.

Furthermore I think by not re-working a deal that has been so vastly underrated you hurt yourself in the eyes of other potential free agents. NFL contracts are not guaranteed and if he underperformed by the same degree he would be cut tomorrow.

Ed Miller
New Waterford, Ohio

Dear Ed,

Josh Cribbs might be the MVP not just of the Browns but of the league. Take him away and what does this team have?

And, because I like the letters, a bonus two …

Dear Pat,

Braylon Edwards might face formal charges for punching a guy out in Cleveland.

If he truly stands before a jury of his peers, they will probably "drop" the charges …

Eddie Vidmar

Dear Eddie,

Yes, I know … you're here all week.

Let's just drop the subject, OK?

Dear Pat,

Last week's First and 10 was headlined: A true statement could be made this week (against Pittsburgh).

Just the headline alone is cause for laughter. "A statement?"

Here's a statement: We stink.

Marc, from an online comment

Dear Marc,

I agree with you. That is a statement.

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