Sweet.
I say we "waxed" the Steelers. ESPN chose to use the word "rout" to describe what the Browns did to the Steelers tonight. Upon reflection, I think maybe "stomped" may actually say it best. No matter. Insert a word of your choosing.
What happened was that Tim Couch played like a quality NFL starter, the defensive line rushed the passer, and the team played tough for 60 minutes instead of 45 or 50.
As a result, Butch Davis got a gorilla off his back that he has been carrying around for two years. He had to be fuming if he read the newspapers this morning, since both the Beacon Journal and the Plain Dealer (with 9 pictures of the guy on one page) were running "Cowher is God" features. Alongside the Cowher-worship were sidebar opinion columns in the BJ and PD with the common theme of "Butch Davis can't beat the Steelers".
Butch insisted on continually attempting to run the ball, against all the advice, even exhortation, of noted NFL strategic genius, broadcaster Paul McGuire. The result was a 115 yard rushing total for William Green, and better protection for Couch's passing game. And Couch was the story of the game, completing 16 of his first 17 throws with two TD's, and rushing for a third score, all in the first half. The Steelers helped out by throwing interceptions (one for a 75-yard TD) and generally playing like they had some place they'd rather be.
I watched the game with a group of 15 guys, and at various points along the way we wondered aloud if perhaps we had entered a parallel universe in which, not only is the game pretty much decided before the fourth quarter, but the good guys are on top.
I've decided on that word. It was a stomping.
This item was cross-posted at Sportsblog.
Posted by dan at October 6, 2003 01:34 AM