Tomlin on the Browns

Coach Mike Tomlin offers some insight on the Steelers' opponent this week – the Cleveland Browns.
 
Q. Can you comment on the game that Cleveland's Dave Zastudil had last week in Buffalo when he punted nine times, seven were inside the 20-yard line and two of those were downed at the 1-yard line?
 
A. He is an awesome red zone punter, but he also does a nice job of placing the ball in terms of locations on the field. He can put the ball on the numbers, outside the numbers. His directional punting is exceptional.
 
Q. Joshua Cribbs has seven career return touchdowns and two of those have come against the Steelers. How do you deal with him?
 
A. We've seen quite a bit of him, if you know what I mean. We have a level of respect for that guy and what he's capable of doing. He's a special player, and we have to be on our A-game Sunday.
 
Q. The Browns like to play their cornerbacks in press coverage. Can you make them pay for that?
 
A. Quite simply we have to win one-on-one situations, and we have to win them with urgency. They do a nice job of playing at the line of scrimmage, man-to-man coverage, accompanied with pressure on the quarterback. We can't let them destroy our timing. We have to come out of breaks and create separation, and win. That's going to be a big focus of the day. Guys like Santonio Holmes and Mike Wallace and Hines Ward have to do a good job of separating from people at break points.
 
Q. Comment on Browns OLB Kamerion Wimbley, who has four sacks on the season so far?
 
A. It's just that time for a guy like him in his career. He's a veteran player now. He's built a nice repertoire of rush moves, and nothing is foreign to him in terms of the things he's looking at. You expect a high-round draft pick like him, who has the type of work ethic that I hear he has, to be putting together some nice things on tape.
 
Q. What does Browns LT Joe Thomas bring to the table?
 
A. He's a guy who has Pro Bowl pedigree, they picked him very high in the first round, and he has shown them to be correct in that regard. This guy is ridiculously consistent. He's got good hand usage and balance, and he stays on his blocks. The guy beside him, Eric Steinbach, who they picked up in free agency, is pretty darn good, too.
 
Q. The Browns are utilizing two running backs – Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison. How do you evaluate them?
 
A. In like a lot of instances, you run across what people are capable of doing due to the misfortune of others. We all know what Jamal Lewis is capable of bringing to the table, but he had a hamstring for a couple of weeks. That allowed a guy like Jerome Harrison to prove that he's capable of moving chains and being a dynamic playmaker. Now they have the luxury of two healthy running backs.
 
Q. Does the fact that there are players in the game who have played for both the Steelers and the Browns – Nick Eason, Hank Poteat, Hank Fraley, Anthony Madison – add fuel to the rivalry?
 
A. Yes, and not that it needs any. Just the close proximity of the two cities – it's a bus trip. That lets you know what it is. It takes you back to the days of the high school rivalries when you ride down the road, and you're looking at the mascot along the way of the people you're playing. This is Cleveland, and we're excited about playing it on Sunday.