KICKING IT AROUND ABOUT BROWNS-STEELERS

By STEVE KING

There has always been conversation about the difficulty of kicking in Cleveland and Pittsburgh – then and now.

It’s hardly a stretch to say that those two cities have long been – and continue to be – the hardest stadiums in the NFL in which to kick. There are those who have championed the opinion that Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field is the undisputed No. 1 stadium in that department now, mostly when field goals are attempted into the confluence end of the field, where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers join to form the Ohio River.

There is some evidence to suggest that is true. The Browns, especially former kicker Phil Dawson, know that all too well. His 50-yard attempt at that end of the field in 2007 fell just short in the final seconds, allowing the Steelers to escape with a 31-28 win. Had Dawson made it and the Browns would have gone on to win, in what would have been overtime, they would have captured the AFC North championship. As it was, the teams finished tied for first place at 10-6, but Pittsburgh earned the title based on the first tie-breaker, head to-head meetings, based on the fact it had swept the season series with the Browns.

We all remember just how good Dawson was, as the greatest kicker in Browns history. The week before the Steelers game that year, he kicked a field goal in the snow at Cleveland to give the Browns a 33-30 overtime victory over the Mike Holmgren-coached Seattle Seahawks. And the week after the Pittsburgh game, Dawson kicked the game-winning field goal as the Browns beat the host Baltimore Ravens 33-30 in overtime. That occurred after he made the famous “ping-pong” field goal at the end of regulation to tie the score and force overtime.

You’ll also recall that Dawson kicked a 39-yarder as time expired to give the Browns a 16-15 victory over Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium in that expansion season of 1999. The ball barely – only barely – went over the crossbar, because, as Dawson explained, the Steelers had just opened a big garage door at that end of the stadium, sending a thrust of air right toward him and killing the distance on his kick. He said – and continues to say – that the Steelers did it intentionally, but they have always denied it.

Where is all this going?

Find out in my next post as the two longtime rivals get ready to play on Thursday Night Football at FirstEnergy Stadium.