Pregame

Has there been a less meaningful game in the Browns revival since 1999?

First quarter – The Browns lead with the score tied

People are going to get mad at me today because I'm going to talk about the Steelers and how good they are. … But it can't be helped. … Hines Ward, for instance. Is there a Hines Ward on the Browns roster? I don't think so. Nor is there a Troy Polamala, a James Harrison. … Glory hallelujah, the Browns force a punt. … Chris Mortensen tells us Bill Parcells can walk away with another $9 million from Miami if the Dolphins are sold. … This tells us two things: If Parcells is remotely interested in the Browns, Randy Lerner should call him. … And Parcells is a genius for writing the contract that way. … Direct snap to Jerome Harrison, who runs up the middle against the league's best defense. … OK. … News flash: The Browns offense just crossed the 50. … A 53-yard field goal attempt? On what is probably your last game as head coach? Wow. … Does that decision sum up the season? … Shaun Rogers spent a timeout jawing at the Steelers bench, for some unknown reason. … On first down Ben Roethlisberger finds Wards for 21 yards, giving him 1,000 yards (again) for the season. … Keep jawing. … When you're 4-11. … Sean Jones stops the drive with an interception. … Hoo hoo. … The Browns are using lineman Scott Young a lot as a tight end. … The quarter ends and the Browns are now 21 in a row without an offensive touchdown. But they did cross the 50. … Pittsburgh 0, Cleveland 0.

Second quarter – Pittsburgh scores twice; it's over

Now FOX reports that Bill Cowher will not coach in 2009. … It's what's been rumored all along. … Randy Lerner will try to talk to Cowher, of course, but the general feeling is that Cowher will not coach next season. … Almost nine minutes into the second quarter and the score is still 0-0. … Heath Miller gets a big catch over the middle and Willie Parker bursts through a hole and missed tackle to score the game's first touchdown. … Troy Polamalu just single-handedly destroyed a Browns possession. Jumped the snap and forced a hold on first down. Forced a Martin Rucker interception on second down. Blew up a wide receiver screen on third down. What a player. … And I still do not see a Troy Polamalu wearing an orange helmet. … Ben Roethlisberger has been on the ground for a couple minutes here. … This is the exact reason Tony Dungy played backups last season in the season finale. … Hate to see a guy get hurt that way. … Roethlisberger gives a thumbs-up as he's taken off on a stretcher. … Byron Leftwich comes in and completes a third-down pass. … A few plays later Leftwich avoids the rush and scores a touchdown. … Cripes. … The Browns may need an act of Congress to beat the Steelers. … It just does not matter who plays for the Steelers. They will beat the Browns. … The Browns have now gone 22 quarters without an offensive touchdown, and Bruce Gradkowski has thrown for 20 yards the first half. … Pittsburgh 14, Cleveland 0.

Third quarter – Make it 23 quarters and counting

Scott Young is flagged for holding. … At this point I think two things matter a lot to the Steelers: They do not want to see their winning streak over the Browns end, and they do not want to be the first defense to give up a touchdown to the Browns. … I've just been told that the Browns and Steelers have played 26 times since 1994, and the Browns have won three of the games – two in the Chris Palmer era. … Mike Tomlin still has starters on the field. … Willie McGinest is relentless out there today. … A Steelers interception sets up a Pittsburgh field goal. … This game is over. … Josh Cribbs threw a pass and completed it! To Martin Rucker. … But the Browns punt. … I'm running out of stuff here folks. … Pittsburgh 17, Cleveland 0.

Fourth quarter – The embarrassment continues

Hines Ward continues to show the Browns how to play football. … So do the Steelers. … There's one team on the field today. … The Browns just got flagged for having 12 on the field for a Steelers extra point. … How in the world? … It's turned into a party for Pittsburgh in Heinz Field. … A pass goes off Jamal Lewis' hands and Pittsburgh intercepts and returns for a touchdown. … 31-0. … Which illustrates as well as anything the gargantuan gap between the Steelers and the Browns. … Good luck to whoever takes over this team. … With 7:00 left, the Steelers are up 31. … And that's a wrap for this live blog.

The latest loss to Pittsburgh had barely ended before the e-mails started rolling in.

"I dare you to defend Crennel," one wrote.

"Romeo has got to go," said another.

"When you have the ANNOUNCERS criticizing the coach's decision, it is not good," said a third.

First, announcers make their living criticizing coaching decisions. They can get away with it – unlike us newspaper mopes – because their networks pay godzillions of dollars to broadcast the games.

Second, if Romeo has to go, there are bathrooms in the locker room.

Finally, I will defend Crennel the man. Steadfastly. This is a good man, a good father, a good grandfather. His steady hand had much to do with the team's success a year ago. He is worthy of respect because of the way he lives his life and conducts himself. He's the kind of coach you wish would win, because not all coaches have the same quality of character. Personally, there's not a better place to start when choosing leaders.

But good men do not always make decisions I think are the best. Sometimes they're right, sometimes they're not right.

Crennel's decisions with every key field goal/touchdown situation in this short season have been different from the ones I'd have made.

We've already discussed Dallas. End of the first half against Pittsburgh, I'd have taken the points – and there are witnesses in the press box who heard me say it before the interception.

Late in the game, I wasn't as sure. Crennel seemed to have his reasons for making the score 10-6 with 3:24 left. He was counting on his defense.

In one sense, this is the way Crennel coaches.

He trusts his players. He asks them to do something, and they either do or don't. It's a reason his players like him so much. Players appreciate trust.

Sunday night his players did not return the trust. They let Pittsburgh just about run out the clock. Same with the pre-half time decision to go for the end zone. He trusted his quarterback, and his quarterback did not respond.

But the more I think the more I think I would not have tried for the field goal in the fourth quarter.

Because no matter what, the Browns needed a touchdown. They were down seven. If they make the field goal, they're down four and need a touchdown to win. If they don't get the first down, they're down seven and need a touchdown to tie. And if they get the first down and go on to score a touchdown, they're tied and win with a field goal.

In every scenario, they need a touchdown.

And the worst situation is that if they get a touchdown the Browns are tied.

No matter what happened offensively, the Browns defense had to stop the Steelers and the Browns had to score a touchdown.

So me, sitting in the booth, not being on the sideline, not being in meeting rooms, I'd have gone for the first down in the fourth quarter and the field goal in the second.

Crennel didn't.

And the thing about sports is that decisions are sometimes played out on national TV with millions watching and announcers commenting. Ultimately, he'll be judged on these decisions.

I find it interesting today, though, that Mike Shanahan is being feted as a hero and for his guts for going for two to beat San Diego.

Clearly he deserves some credit.

But Shanahan went for two because he had no confidence in his defense. And he got to go for two because of a gift call and another quirk in the replay system that negated a turnover that would have won the game for San Diego.

He went for two; bully for him.

But his players backed him up by making it.

Browns players did nothing to help their coach. Through two games all we've seen from this team is hype and talk.

If Braylon Edwards wants to be an elite receiver, he doesn't drop key passes – most especially the third-down slant prior to the field goal.

If the Browns want to win, they recover the botched kickoff return and they don't let Ben Roethlisberger stand in the end zone for 10 seconds before he throws.

If they want to win, they don't give the other team 20 yards in penalties on a night when offenses need every yard, they line up properly on onside kicks and they manage a two-minute drill with a sense of professionalism.

If this, if that. If, if, if, if … if.

Crennel did not make decisions I would consider wise.

But he had a lot of help in losing that game.