95-1-1

There is an incredible statistic that follows Coach Cowher every week - if the Steelers get ahead of an opponent by 10 points or more at any point in the game then the Steelers are 95-1-1. 95-1-1! That is obscene - nobody is better than that when it comes to playing with a lead. It's almost perfect. It isn't hard to understand how this comes about - the Steelers run the football, and that eats up the clock, leaving the opposition with precious little time to mount a comeback against a defense that is already blitz-happy and sends quarterbacks to the whirlpool faster than the angel of Bethesda.

Therefore, the Steeler strategy would seem to be simple against Cleveland this Sunday - score twice quickly while stifling the Browns offense and then sit on the ball, giving them a heavy dose of Deuce with occasional peeks at the back of Fast Willie's jersey.

The importance of accomplishing this strategy is highlighted by the other end of the 95-1-1 statistic: in games where the Steelers under Cowher were never ahead of the opponent by 10 points or more the Steelers are 35-76 since 1992. Don has pointed it out to me several times that Cowher does not coach well in a dogfight, that Cowher doesn't manage the game very well from behind or when tied, but Cowher is indeed unstoppable with a comfortable lead. Understanding our weaknesses is essential to overcoming them, and knowing what it means for this team to be up by a comfortable margin should be more than enough motivation for the offense to kick it up a gear and for the defense to stop the Browns' initial drive cold.

One can hope.