Emotions were already at a frayed pitch for the Nov. 14, 2004, game in Cleveland, long before the matchup between the 7-1 Steelers against the 3-5 Browns began. During the week, Browns defensive tackle Gerard Warren threatened to deliver a couple shots to the head of Ben Roethlisberger, hoping to rattle the unbeaten rookie quarterback. “Kill the head and the body’s dead,” Warren said. For that, the NFL warned Warren that any flagrant hits on his behalf could result in suspension. And this was before the teams even arrived at the stadium.
Once there, it didn’t get any better.