Voice of Reason: Browns win over Steelers delivers satisfaction, early X-mas present

Editor's Note: Each Wednesday during the regular season, NoLogoNeeded.com asks the “Voice of Reason” to weigh in on all issues Browns related. The Voice of Reason is not a pen name of one of the three staff writers. No, he is a Browns fan that takes an off-beat view once a week. Some can even argue it is more of a level-headed view.

By The Voice of Reason
NoLogoNeeded.com Contributing Writer

Hallejulah!  Hark, The Harold (Reynolds') Angels sing.  Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus for this year the vile team from Pittsburgh didn’t steal Cleveland’s Christmas.  Now, The Voice of Reason has no idea what my wife has wrapped up for me under the tree, but I’ll bet I won’t enjoy it as much as the gift delivered by Josh Cribbs and company.   

I realize that the Newton’s Laws of the Motion state that for “every action there is an equal and opposite reaction,” but does that apply to emotions (e-motions, get it)?  The Browns lose, I punch something.  Mangini donates a timeout for an ill-conceived challenge, I pull out my hair.  This I comprehend.  But my jubilation for this win is not equal and opposite to the despair felt in past Decembers after yet another Pittsburgh shellacking – it’s tremendously greater.  The dejection I felt as I walked out of Cleveland Browns Stadium at 41-0 losers on Dec. 24, 2005 paled in comparison to this feeling of victory.  But why?  Maybe the years of futility against the Steelers have jaded me to the point where I fully expect a blowout loss.  (This could be true as I have been getting slightly giddy when Browns keep the score close in a loss.)  Or, in my old age, I'm starting to realize that you need to celebrate the small successes in life.  Regardless of what the catalyst is, I hope I continue to feel this way each time the Browns beat the Steelers - especially when the tables turn and the Browns reel off 12 straight against them.
 
And really, beating them every time shouldn't be all that difficult, should it?  QB #7 is a highly overrated individual who only seems to make plays when the pocket breaks down.  If you can keep him from escaping the collapsing pocket he really isn't much of a threat.  (Although, making plays on the run, outside of the pocket, is where he normally kills the Browns.)  Combine that with some stout run defense and the Steelers offense is rendered mostly ineffective.

For once the Browns executed this defensive game plan to perfection.  Rob Ryan and his band of merry back-ups confused QB #7 (not the he can read a defense to begin with) all game long and didn’t allow him to break containment and ad-lib.  This game will no doubt be example No. 1A for coach Mike Tomlin if he ever pulls the trigger on promoting reserve QB Dennis Dixon to starter, as (baselessly) speculated by Pro Football Talk.
 
Before I run off the rails here (and turn into a main stream media outlet by talking about how the Steelers lost; not so much mentioning that the Browns won) let me get back to celebrating the victory and how it happened – namely, Josh Cribbs.
 
With the holiday season upon us, the Voice of Reason sees it fit to donate my time to a charitable cause.  So, in a first ever attempt at being selfless let me campaign (along with the rest of Cleveland) on behalf of a very deserving individual.  Mr. Lerner, it’s time for Cribbs to get paid. 

Cribbs is the heart and soul of this team and consistently its best performer.  If this season were a reality television series (The Ultimate Fighter, American Idol, America’s Next Top Model, the one that the WWE had a few years ago) the contractual “prize” at the end would have already had Cribbs’ name on it.  What is Randy Lerner waiting for?  He doesn’t really need a GM to make this work, does he?  Some advice: just starting writing zeroes until Josh says it’s OK to stop.  Even better, in my preferred method of sealing the deal, the next time Cribbs gets into the end zone, Lerner should come storming out of the tunnel, contract in hand, so Cribbs can one up T.O. on signature signing touchdown celebrations.
 
In the coming weeks Randy should have ample opportunity to make my dream a reality given the next two opponents.  Now, I don’t want to jinx things, but is that a three game winning streak the Voice sees headed our way?  It better be - the Chiefs and the Raiders are horrible (I know, so are the Browns).   But if the defense sticks to the game plan they used against Pittsburgh, and executes it in the same way, Christmas will indeed by merry in Cleveland.