NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

There’s plenty of talk in the Steeler locker room about how the Pats and Bengals are going to play Sunday, and one linebacker says that there’s no doubt that the two teams that the Steelers need to win Sunday are going to do quite the opposite.

"All of them lay down," LB LaMarr Woodley said today. "No one wants to see Pittsburgh in it. That's just how it is. Everybody knows we're a dangerous team once we get into the playoffs, no matter how we played the whole year. Once we get into the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers is a playoff team."

Maybe that is true, but LaMarr and company should remember this – you beat one of the following teams – the 6-9 Bears, 3-12 Chiefs, 5-10 Raiders or 4-11 Browns, you wouldn’t need teams to win this weekend so you could be in the postseason.

Nevertheless, Woodley took the time to make sure those in the locker room that would listen know that the Steelers are still a dangerous team.

"Cincinnati is probably going to go into New York and lay down for the Jets and not play them hard just because they're not going to want to see Pittsburgh in it," Woodley said. "We definitely wouldn't lay down because it's a pride thing with us, going out there winning ballgames and shutting teams down.”

If the Steelers would shut teams down when they had their chances, they wouldn’t need others to do it for them now.

With the Starting of a new decade in a couple days, there a lot of top 10 list for many NFL teams, but for Browns fans can we make that list up for this team, or have a all decade team,it would be more agony then anything else.

Instead here a some things I would like to see in the next decade. The Browns start winning on there home openers something they were only able to do once since they have came back. I have heard that Browns next year are going to unveil there Championship banners with all the All-time greats at the Stadium the day of the home opener what better way to start the season to with all the greats there to get a win and start the Holmgren era off right.

Also Michael Stanley Band playing Born and Raised on the Cleveland Browns as some added pregame festivities. The Stadium would be rocking (it will be regardless) but if this team ends a season on a four game winning streak it gives hope that this team his headed in the right direction.

How about regaining the overall record against Pittsburgh, All you hear from Steeler fans is how they are so much better then the Browns and how great Big Jen is. It took the Browns to be horrible for ten years for the Steelers to take the series over at 60-56.

The Cleveland Browns are THE CLEVELAND BROWNS remember that means something and hopefully this next decade we can get that feeling back out. How great was it to beat Pittsburgh in the Stadium under the lights? It was the best moment in the stadium this year and could go down as the best yet other the the Run William Run game.

The Browns have had some bad luck and with that comes some bad years but maybe Holmgren can turn this around. It looks like Mangini has us headed in the right direction and with some help with Holmgren we can do this in this decade.

How about beating AFC North teams on a regular basis, The Ravens Defense is getting old, I think the verdict is still out on the Ravens offense and overall as a team they are going to have many question marks in the coming future, the Browns are rebuilding at the perfect time to win multiple division championships if they do this right.

The Bengals are the Bengals and Carson Palmers health is always going to be in question. He is either going to be healthy and the Bengals are going to be good or not healthy and they are going to stink. Ocho Cinco is head case and you never know what you are going to get with him of if he is going to demand a trade anytime soon.

Is Cedric Benson and Larry Johnson the future running back duo in the AFC North, I don’t think so it worked this year and maybe next year also but after that I highly doubit it. The Squeelers are showing there age this year with Hines “CryBaby” Ward numbers down and calling out his quarterback. Worthlessburger has already has had at least six concussions in his life and also a Rape Trial coming in this next decade.

Troy Polamalu hasn’t been healthy for two straight seasons and they Squeelers tying up most of there money in Worlessburger and Polamalu this team has won two Super Bowls but could that be it for this era. Mike Tomlin is getting questioned for many of his coaching decisions and the Steelers look like they are running on fumes with this Cower built team. With all this going on in the AFC North the Browns need to get this right because this could be a special decade for us Browns fans.

How about a FLEX game, one Sunday late in the Season the Browns will be fighting for a home playoff game, AFC North Crown, Home field Advantage, or even an undefeated season. Wouldn’t it be nice to be thinking all year you are having a day game and then the week before you find out your CLEVELAND BROWNS are playing on Sunday night football in front of all the nation in a meaningful game.

I am looking forward to that night in Cleveland, when the Orange Helmets come out of the tunnel under the lights in front of a sold out Browns Stadium.

How about HOME PLAYOFF GAMES in this next decade, what would the new Stadium be like after all these years having a home playoff game. I bet you it will be the most intimidating place in the NFL if you are the opposing team coming into are Stadium are first playoff game.

I hope its Pittsburgh when it happens. I also hope there are Squeelers fans in the Stadium and they all leave half way through the game to put on there Browns jerseys those front running fans. The place is going to be rocking and rolling and it is going to be a glorious sight to see and hopefully you will be there when that day comes..

How about a HOME AFC Championship Game in this next decade, the Browns at home in a AFC Championship game would be the greatest thing to hit Cleveland since 64. This day is going to come and Cleveland is going to be the greatest place on earth that day when the Browns win the AFC Championship Home game. Another game that I hope its against Pittsburgh to see all those Squeeler fans put those urine colored towels between there legs leaving the Stadium.

Last but not least and you know what it is HOW ABOUT A SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If the Arizona Cardinals can go the Super bowl the Cleveland Browns can make it to one and win one. We have Mike Holmgren and the two teams that he has been with have gone to the Super bowl, now he is on his third team lets hope we get the same results.

As the year winds down, the Pats are – happily – bringing it up. They played superbly against the Jags on Sunday: Brady nearly perfect, Moss present and accounted for, Welker impossible to catch, the D coming up Big, and on and on: lots of presents under the Christmas tree. Best of all, they played like they were having fun. Ever fulsome, Coach Belichick summed it up: "Yep. We were pretty good."

Clinching the division title – the sixth in seven years – was just one of the goodies in Santa's bag. Nothing is ever so delicious as when it's sprinkled with a dash of schadenfreude (the guilty – or not so guilty – pleasure we take in others' misfortunes).

Indeed, I am speaking about the Saints and the Colts and the premature termination to two nearly perfect seasons. Even though it might have served the Pats in 2007 to lose a game or two and thus relieve the pressure (I think Patriots Nation would gladly have traded an 18-0 run for one more Super Bowl win), that record still comes with bragging rights and I, for one, am glad that we don't have to share the podium with those two.

This coming Sunday the Pats fly to Houston where two things are at stake. In order of importance, clinching No. 3 seed (less) and keeping healthy (immense). It'll be interesting to see what transpires: if the Pats take it easy and rest a bunch of starters, or build on their apparent peaking at just the right time. It might also be worthwhile to quiet the critics who continue to whine that the team has won only two away games all season (and that includes London).

For the Texans, who can smell the postseason for the first time in their history, it's do or die: they can clinch a wild card if they beat the Pats and then get some help – they still need two of the following teams to lose: the Jets to Cincinnati, Baltimore to Oakland, and/or Denver to Kansas City. Since the Pats-Texans game is the only early game of those four, the Texans, if victorious, will likely find themselves huddled around the locker room television into Sunday evening and maybe even on Monday, shouting, "Go Raiders! Go Bengals! Go Chiefs!" That has to stick in the craw.

But that's their problem, not ours. We've earned the right to avoid that particular humiliation. Till the playoffs begin, we simply need to stay uninjured and stay sharp, keep building on the spirit of fun and camaraderie that has blossomed over the last few weeks, and to keep eyes on the prize. If we do that, we can step boldly onto the playoff field and maybe, just maybe, fortune will smile.