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A16 sports
Saturday 17 OctOber 2020
Pitt-iful: Browns try to end 16-game losing streak at Heinz

By TOM WITHERS have struggled in Pitts-
AP Sports Writer burgh, but Pro Bowl guard
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Joel Bitonio said there's a
Browns have been pitiful in basic bottom line.
Pittsburgh — for half a cen- "No. 1 is that they are a
tury. good team," Bitonio said.
Whether playing in old "They have good players,
Three Rivers Stadium or at they have a great defense,
Heinz Field, with its tricky Big Ben and company on
winds and rowdy, towel- offense. And it is just a dif-
twirling fans, most of Cleve- ferent atmosphere. You go
land's trips down the Turn- down there and the fans
pike and across the Penn- do a good job of getting
sylvania state line over the loud. It is kind of on the riv-
past five decades have not er right there, you get the
ended well. wind coming in.
The Browns are 6-41 in visits "I think kickers kind of think
to the Steel City since 1970. about that kind of stuff. But
That haunted history of fail- from a player's perspec-
ure isn't scaring Baker May- tive, it is just another game.
field. "We are not worried I think the No. 1 thing for
about the past," said the In this Nov. 14 2019, file photo, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) hits Pittsburgh home-field advantage is, is
Browns quarterback, who Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) with a helmet during the second half of an NFL football your team good? And then
is dealing with bruised ribs. game in Cleveland. Associated Press they have a pretty good
"We are worried about right team over there."
now." Off to their best start for the first time since 1979. end Austin Hooper after at Heinz extends back to Before their horrors at Heinz
in 26 years, the Browns (4- Although he's an absurd coming to Cleveland from 2003, when quarterback began 17 years ago, the
1) carry a 16-game losing 23-2-1 in his career against Atlanta, where he experi- Tim Couch had one of his Browns had a 16-game los-
streak into Pittsburgh for Cleveland, Pittsburgh quar- enced another of the NFL's finest moments in an or- ing streak from 1970 to 1986
Sunday's matchup against terback Ben Roethlisberger nastier rivalries. ange helmet while leading at Pittsburgh. Once they
the unbeaten Steelers (4-0), knows better than to over- "Falcons-Saints," he said. Cleveland to a 33-13 win. finally ended a slide many
who will be seeing sensa- look the Browns. "That would be a good It's been putrid in Pittsburgh Cleveland fans viewed as
tional defensive end Myles "A lot of those guys — I one. You get all the fans in since as the Browns have a jinx, the Browns won three
Garrett in person for the first looked at their roster to- New Orleans fresh off Bour- dropped 16 straight and in a row at Three Rivers,
time since he clobbered day, they only have two bon Street in there." gone 2-18 overall in their capped by a 51-0 blowout
quarterback Mason Ru- guys that have 10 years of Of course, there will be archrival's hostile home in the 1989 season opener.
dolph over the head with a experience in the league," only 5,500 fans — and since returning as an ex- A win this week could do
swung helmet last Novem- Roethlisberger said. "It's not not the usual 68,000 — on pansion team in 1999. Sur- wonders for these Browns.
ber. Garrett's appearance like these guys have been hand on Sunday because prisingly, one of that awful "Obviously, division games
only adds spice to a rivalry playing us for years and of COVID-19 restrictions, Cleveland team's two wins are always meaningful for
not needing any extra salt. years and years and worry- and Browns coach Kevin that season was a last-sec- us, but they are undefeat-
Although it's been lopsided ing about how many times Stefanski wasn't sure if that ond, 16-15 victory at Pitts- ed and we are 4-1," May-
for a while, there's plenty of the Steelers have won. would benefit Garrett and burgh. They've had plenty field said. "It is an extremely
history and bad blood be- "That's not what it's about. his teammates. of close calls, with three of important game, but that is
tween the cities and their It's a new season, new "It is hard for me to say," he Cleveland's past five losses because it is the next one.
fans. The Browns are one of teams, and they're a really said. "I do know this: in our at Heinz coming by four We have to handle it that
the NFL's surprise teams this good football team." building, I heard all 12,000 points or fewer. way, and we are on the
season. The Steelers are, This will be the first taste of of them." There could be plenty of road in somebody else's
well, the Steelers. They're 4-0 Browns-Steelers for tight The Browns' long losing skid reasons why the Browns house."q
Ex-Angels employee indicted in Tyler Skaggs' fatal overdose

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) Kay remained free on the drugs fentanyl and
— A federal grand jury in- his own recognizance. A oxycodone in his system,
dicted a former Los Ange- message seeking com- which Kay was accused
les Angels employee on ment from Kay's attorney, of providing.
drug charges for allegedly Reagan Wynn, was not im- Kay was the Angels' direc-
providing Angels pitcher mediately returned. tor of communications,
Tyler Skaggs with the drugs Skaggs, 27, was found and he served as their
that caused his overdose dead in his suburban Dal- public relations contact
death. las hotel room on July 1, on many road trips.
Eric Prescott Kay was 2019, before the start of He was placed on leave
charged Thursday with what was supposed to be shortly after Skaggs' death,
drug distribution and drug a four-game series against and he never returned to
conspiracy in Skaggs' over- the Texas Rangers. the team.
dose death, according The first game was post- Team officials said they
to the indictment in Fort poned. had not been aware that
In this July 17, 2019, file photo, an image and logo for Worth, Texas. The charges A coroner's report said Skaggs was an opioids
memorializing former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs carry a maximum of a life Skaggs had choked to user and didn't know any
is displayed on the outfield wall in Anaheim, Calif. sentence and 20 years in death on his vomit with a employees were providing
Associated Press prison, respectively. toxic mix of alcohol and drugs to players.q