AP News, December 8th, 2006
Willie Parker tied a Steelers record by rushing for 218 yards and a touchdown, and Ben Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score to help Pittsburgh take a 24-0 lead over Cleveland after three quarters Thursday night.
Roethlisberger, who was 10-for-20 for 200 yards and no interceptions, threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Nate Washington with 3:18 to play in the first quarter and scored on a 2-yard bootleg run 9:28 into the third quarter.
Parker had a 3-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter for Pittsburgh, the defending Super Bowl champion that has won three of its last four since starting 2-6.
The Steelers' first two touchdown drives covered 97 and 91 yards. It was Washington's fourth touchdown of the season _ the 15th thrown by Roethlisberger _ and the first rushing touchdown for Roethisberger since the Super Bowl.
Pittsburgh's defense, which has not allowed a touchdown in nine quarters, has limited the Browns to 216 yards of total offense, including 18 on the ground.
Jeff Reed kicked a 23-yard field goal with 9:15 to play in the second quarter to extend the lead to 10-0. He also had a 35-yard attempt blocked with 3:18 left in the half.
Cleveland's best chance to score was when Phil Dawson missed a 40-yard field goal with three seconds left in the half.
Parker, who fumbled at the end of a 20-yard run midway through the second quarter, eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season on his fifth carry _ the second consecutive season he accomplished that. He is the first Steeler to do that since Jerome Bettis, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards each year from 1996-01.
He has five 100-yard rushing game this season _ all coming at Heinz Field _ and has 13 total touchdowns. Parker rushed for 213 yards against the New Orleans Saints Nov. 12, becoming the only Pittsburgh player to have two 200-yard rushing games in his career. The team record for a game is 218 by John "Frenchy" Fuqua on Dec. 20, 1970. Only one other time had a Steeler rushed for 200 yards in a game (John Henry Johnson in 1964).
Cleveland's Derek Anderson was 17-for-32 for 198 yards and an interception in his first career start. Anderson started in place of Charlie Frye, sidelined by a right wrist injury.
Pittsburgh played without both starting wide receivers (Hines Ward and Cedrick Wilson) and both starting safeties (Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark). Rookie Anthony Smith, starting in place of Clark, intercepted his first pass late in the third quarter.
The gametime temperature was 20 degrees with a wind chill of 7.
The Steelers and Browns have met more than any two AFC teams, and the Steelers have never been tied in the season series since they first met in 1950. Including playoffs, Cleveland leads the series, 55-54.
The two teams met three weeks ago in Cleveland with the Steelers scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind 24-20 win. Pittsburgh has won 12 of the past 13 and 19 of the past 22 meetings and is 20-5 against the Browns since Bill Cowher became head coach in 1992.
