It's Wednesday night, and so far, all signs are pointing to Derrick Anderson being the starting quarterback for Thursday night's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It seems like as soon as I mentioned the word "poised" in regards to his performance against the Chiefs, I can't stop seeing that word in every single article or sound bite I hear about him. Perhaps it was because he wasn't being drilled every time he stood there in the pocket, something that Charlie Frye could only dream of this entire season. I'm still pondering what the reason for this is, and I have to believe that it's due to the Chiefs not knowing what to expect from him, and dropping coverage back rather than "taking a risk" and blitzing. That will be anything but the case against the Steelers though, who everyone believes will bring the house on Anderson more times than not.
Still, let's not rule Frye out 100% until it is officially announced. We're all excited about Anderson, just to see what he can do, but Frye is the starter of the Browns if healthy. On the NFL Total Access, Adam Schechter is reporting that Frye threw the football during practice today, and there's a chance that he could play if he can stand whatever pain their may be. However, he also reported that Anderson will likely get the nod still.
I'm really excited about this game because Hines Ward, Cedrick Wilson, Troy Polamalu, and Ryan Clark are all out due to injures. In case you don't know who those players are, they are the Steelers starting wide receivers and starting safeties. Three rookies will be filling in at those positions, which definitely shifts a lot of possible momentum to Cleveland's side. On the other hand, if we lose when the Steelers were missing arguable two of their best players, as well as two other key contributing starters, it'll be a swift kick in the you know what. In injury news related to the Browns, Orpheus Roye is doubtful to play.
On a final note for today, let's not forget that the Steelers are still technically alive in the playoff race (as are the Browns, but forget about that). Pittsburgh still plays a game against the Bengals and the Ravens, which gives them a shot to tie or pass up on the Bengals if they win both games and get help elsewhere. Granted, their chances are doubtful, but for the second time this season, we have a chance to put the dagger in the Steelers - let's not let it slip away this time.