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By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 07:20 p.m. EDT, Oct 15, 2009
BEREA: Browns defensive end Corey Williams was still smarting from the $7,500 he was docked for roughing Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards last Sunday.
''Are you going to help me pay it?'' Williams asked. ''I'm taking donations now.''
But even as Williams planned to appeal his fine from the league, he vowed not to back off as the Browns visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Despite the growing debate this season over whether NFL quarterbacks are getting too much protection from officiating crews after the offseason revisions to the so-called ''Brady Rule,'' Williams won't change his style. His task Sunday will be to take down Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has led the Steelers to Super Bowl victories in two of the past four seasons and is 9-0 against the Browns.
''It's not going to slow me down,'' Williams said of the fine. ''I'm going to keep on rushing like I normally do and every chance I get to hit him, I'm going to hit him. If it takes for them to fine me every week, that's just what's going to happen.''
Williams wasn't directly threatening Roethlisberger, just discussing the quandary he's presented with each week.
Pressed on whether he really meant he would get fined to take a quarterback down, Williams said, ''Definitely. It will get you sometimes, make you think about it before you hit him. When you wrap him up, 'Do I want to finish him or do I want to just stop? What am I supposed to do?' I'm like, it is what it is. I'm going to take him to the ground. If I get fined, I get fined. We'll handle that the following week.''
After New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suffered torn ligaments in his left knee in the 2008 opener against Kansas City, the league's competition committee revised its rule on hitting quarterbacks last winter. Now a defender on the ground who hasn't been blocked or pushed into the passer is prohibited from lunging or diving at the quarterback's lower legs.
That wasn't the case with Williams and Buffalo's Edwards. Williams said his ''pink slip'' said, ''I slammed him down and landed with all my weight on him, which I don't think I did. Once your momentum gets going, it's hard to stop like that when you're going to the ground.''
The subject becomes even more of an issue with the Browns facing Roethlisberger, who has made a highlight reel against the Browns by escaping pressure.
In a 31-28 loss in Heinz Field in 2007, when the Browns blew a 15-point second-quarter lead, linebacker Willie McGinest missed Roethlisberger on a 10-yard scramble on third and 9 from the Cleveland 12, which set up the game-winning touchdown pass. In the same game, on third and 10 with 11:32 remaining, Roethlisberger ran for a 30-yard touchdown, which remains his career-long touchdown run.
But ''Big Ben'' has been sacked 152 times in three-plus seasons, mainly because he holds the ball so long, and has wrangled away from many more.
''He'll sit back there and see the rush and force you to come hit him,'' Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said. ''Right now they've given up [13] sacks. Ben is well aware of it. That's just his style of play.''
Browns coach Eric Mangini knows the challenges Roethlisberger presents.
''He's made a lot of guys miss sacks,'' Mangini said. ''He's strong. He's really strong in the pocket and he has good awareness. He doesn't let the pressure affect his vision down the field, but he's very aware of where it's coming from. Sometimes he just pulls it down and goes.
''He's not an easy guy to get down. Usually, those bigger guys, once you're on them, you're on them. . . .You may have to drag them down a little bit. He's actually got some short area quickness for a guy that size. You can work on avoiding in the pocket and feeling the pressure and doing things like that. In terms of shaking guys off, you can thank your parents for that.''
Williams said Roethlisberger can shed tackles ''almost better than some of the running backs can.''
''We're going to have to hit him hard and get him on the ground. That's our main focus,'' Williams said. ''How you get him on the ground and how hard you get him on the ground, it doesn't matter. Hopefully the refs won't throw a flag just because we hit him; he's a big guy just like we are.''
Williams is listed at 6-foot-4, 320 pounds; Roethlisberger at 6-5, 241 pounds. If Williams falls on Roethlisberger, it will probably cost him again.
Williams knows there's a ''fine'' line between hitting the quarterback and taking it too far.
''At the end of the day, when you're a big person and you've got your momentum going, you're in the middle of a battle and you're trying to make a play, you're not thinking about, 'Well, if I hit this guy, I can't take him to the ground hard.' You're just trying to take him to the ground,'' Williams said. ''You're trying to make a play to help your team win the game.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns.
BEREA: Browns defensive end Corey Williams was still smarting from the $7,500 he was docked for roughing Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards last Sunday.
''Are you going to help me pay it?'' Williams asked. ''I'm taking donations now.''
But even as Williams planned to appeal his fine from the league, he vowed not to back off as the Browns visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Despite the growing debate this season over whether NFL quarterbacks are getting too much protection from officiating crews after the offseason revisions to the so-called ''Brady Rule,'' Williams won't change his style. His task Sunday will be to take down Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has led the Steelers to Super Bowl victories in two of the past four seasons and is 9-0 against the Browns.
''It's not going to slow me down,'' Williams said of the fine. ''I'm going to keep on rushing like I normally do and every chance I get to hit him, I'm going to hit him. If it takes for them to fine me every week, that's just what's going to happen.''
Williams wasn't directly threatening Roethlisberger, just discussing the quandary he's presented with each week.
Pressed on whether he really meant he would get fined to take a quarterback down, Williams said, ''Definitely. It will get you sometimes, make you think about it before you hit him. When you wrap him up, 'Do I want to finish him or do I want to just stop? What am I supposed to do?' I'm like, it is what it is. I'm going to take him to the ground. If I get fined, I get fined. We'll handle that the following week.''
After New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suffered torn ligaments in his left knee in the 2008 opener against Kansas City, the league's competition committee revised its rule on hitting quarterbacks last winter. Now a defender on the ground who hasn't been blocked or pushed into the passer is prohibited from lunging or diving at the quarterback's lower legs.
That wasn't the case with Williams and Buffalo's Edwards. Williams said his ''pink slip'' said, ''I slammed him down and landed with all my weight on him, which I don't think I did. Once your momentum gets going, it's hard to stop like that when you're going to the ground.''
The subject becomes even more of an issue with the Browns facing Roethlisberger, who has made a highlight reel against the Browns by escaping pressure.
In a 31-28 loss in Heinz Field in 2007, when the Browns blew a 15-point second-quarter lead, linebacker Willie McGinest missed Roethlisberger on a 10-yard scramble on third and 9 from the Cleveland 12, which set up the game-winning touchdown pass. In the same game, on third and 10 with 11:32 remaining, Roethlisberger ran for a 30-yard touchdown, which remains his career-long touchdown run.
But ''Big Ben'' has been sacked 152 times in three-plus seasons, mainly because he holds the ball so long, and has wrangled away from many more.
''He'll sit back there and see the rush and force you to come hit him,'' Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said. ''Right now they've given up [13] sacks. Ben is well aware of it. That's just his style of play.''
Browns coach Eric Mangini knows the challenges Roethlisberger presents.
''He's made a lot of guys miss sacks,'' Mangini said. ''He's strong. He's really strong in the pocket and he has good awareness. He doesn't let the pressure affect his vision down the field, but he's very aware of where it's coming from. Sometimes he just pulls it down and goes.
''He's not an easy guy to get down. Usually, those bigger guys, once you're on them, you're on them. . . .You may have to drag them down a little bit. He's actually got some short area quickness for a guy that size. You can work on avoiding in the pocket and feeling the pressure and doing things like that. In terms of shaking guys off, you can thank your parents for that.''
Williams said Roethlisberger can shed tackles ''almost better than some of the running backs can.''
''We're going to have to hit him hard and get him on the ground. That's our main focus,'' Williams said. ''How you get him on the ground and how hard you get him on the ground, it doesn't matter. Hopefully the refs won't throw a flag just because we hit him; he's a big guy just like we are.''
Williams is listed at 6-foot-4, 320 pounds; Roethlisberger at 6-5, 241 pounds. If Williams falls on Roethlisberger, it will probably cost him again.
Williams knows there's a ''fine'' line between hitting the quarterback and taking it too far.
''At the end of the day, when you're a big person and you've got your momentum going, you're in the middle of a battle and you're trying to make a play, you're not thinking about, 'Well, if I hit this guy, I can't take him to the ground hard.' You're just trying to take him to the ground,'' Williams said. ''You're trying to make a play to help your team win the game.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns.
Comments
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clinton, oh
Posted 12:18 AM, 10/16/2009
Famous Steelers Quotes
"Going after the QB is like playing king of the mountain. When you get the QB, you're on top of the mountain.
--Mean Joe Greene--
"I believe the game is designed to reward the ones who hit the hardest. If you can't take it, you shouldn't play.
-- Jack Lambert --
"Yes, I get satisfaction out of hitting a guy and seeing him lie there a while."
-- Jack Lambert --
"Quarterbacks should wear dresses"
-- Jack Lambert --
Go Steelers!!!!!, .
Posted 08:32 AM, 10/16/2009
That was a weak 15 yd penalty and a weak escalation via the fine.
, OH
Posted 08:54 AM, 10/16/2009
Other famous Steeler quotes:
"My toe hurts...I quit"
-Jack Lambert
alliance, oh
Posted 11:28 AM, 10/16/2009
HA, HA, HA TO THE "MY TOE HURTS" THAT BROUGHT BACK SOME FUNNY MEMORIES JACK !!!!
righthere, oh
Posted 07:01 PM, 10/16/2009
More famous Steeler quotes:
"Excuse me Mr. Rooney, which case should we put the sixth Lombardi trophy in, the cases are pretty full"
Mike Tomlin
"Thanks Dad, I won't run this proud franchise into the ground"
Dan Rooney
"Thanks Dad, I won't run this proud franchise into the ground"
Art Rooney II
"Believe"
The Chief
akron, oh
Posted 03:02 PM, 10/17/2009
I blame Derek Anderson
newport, NC
Posted 11:13 PM, 10/17/2009
It was a BOVINE FECAL MATTER call. QB WAS THROWING THE BALL GUY WAS COMING. HAD HE NOT THROWN THE BALL WOULD HAVE BEEN A TACKLE,PERIOD. THATS FOOTALL. LOOKED TO ME THAT THE GUY TRIED TO STOP BUT HIS MOMENTIOM CARRIED HIM ON & HE COULD NOT STOP HOW HE FELL. HE WARPED HIM UP AND THEY FELL. THATS FOOTBALL, IT AIN'T SCOCCER..
