Cleveland Browns vs Detroit Lions

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

yahoo.com

10/20/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=560>Detroit (2-3) at Cleveland (2-3)

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Detroit (2-3) at Cleveland (2-3)</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Preview - Box Score - Recap

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=ysptblclbg3 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2 height=5><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD> Game Info: 1:00 pm EDT Sun Oct 23, 2005
TV: FOX </TD><TD noWrap align=right>Add to Calendar
Buy Tickets </TD></TR><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2 colSpan=2 height=1><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR><TR class=yspwhitebg><TD colSpan=2 height=15><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width=190 align=right border=0 hspace="5" vspace="10"><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=ysptblclbg1><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=yspsctbg><TD class=ysptblhdr height=18> Key Matchup - WR</TD></TR><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3 height=3><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspscores noWrap align=middle width="35%">
Johnson
DET </TD><TD align=middle width="30%">vs. </TD><TD class=yspscores noWrap align=middle width="35%">
Northcutt
CLE </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3 height=3><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2 colSpan=3><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR><TR class=ysprow2><TD class=yspscores align=right>17 </TD><TD class=yspscores noWrap align=middle>Rec </TD><TD class=yspscores align=right>15 </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1><TD class=yspscores align=right>3.4 </TD><TD class=yspscores noWrap align=middle>Rec/G </TD><TD class=yspscores align=right>3.0 </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow2><TD class=yspscores align=right>133 </TD><TD class=yspscores noWrap align=middle>Yds </TD><TD class=yspscores align=right>145 </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1><TD class=yspscores align=right>26.6 </TD><TD class=yspscores noWrap align=middle>Y/G </TD><TD class=yspscores align=right>29.0 </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow2><TD class=yspscores align=right>0 </TD><TD class=yspscores noWrap align=middle>TD </TD><TD class=yspscores align=right>0 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>After watching his team blow a late lead and lose to a backup quarterback, Detroit Lions coach Steve Mariucci seems to be losing confidence in his own signal caller.


The Lions try to rebound from a tough loss as they visit the Cleveland Browns.

Joey Harrington committed three turnovers and was sacked six times as the Lions lost 21-20 to the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. Harrington was 17-for-28 for 201 yards, with 86 of them coming on one pass to tight end Marcus Pollard.

Harrington and Jeff Garcia split the snaps in practice Wednesday, although Mariucci would not commit to a change at quarterback.
Garcia played last season with Browns before signing with Detroit. He has been sidelined since injuring his ankle and leg in the final preseason game, but doctors cleared Garcia to play against Cleveland.

Harrington, the third overall pick in the 2002 draft, has completed 53.1 percent of his passes for an average of 159.6 yards with eight interceptions and four touchdowns this season.


Garcia started 81 games for San Francisco and Cleveland from 1999-2004. In 10 starts last year with the Browns, he threw 10 TDs and nine interceptions, but Mariucci knows him as a three-time Pro Bowler from when he coached him while with the 49ers.

At least one of Harrington's teammates feels he deserves to be benched.
``There needs to be a change, because something is clearly not right,'' guard Damien Woody said. ``I love Joey to death, but historically, that's the position where the change takes place. When things are going good, he gets the glory, and when it goes bad, he takes the fall.''

While Harrington directed only two scoring drives against Carolina -- both ended with field goals by Jason Hanson -- Chris Weinke replaced an injured Jake Delhomme and threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl with 32 seconds to play for the winning margin.

Although Weinke was 5-for-7 for 47 yards on the winning drive, Detroit shut down running back Stephen Davis and scored two defensive TDs as linebacker Boss Bailey and safety Kenoy Kennedy both returned interceptions for scores.

``We are playing aggressive defense,'' Mariucci said. ``We are playing smart. When I say aggressive defense, I am not necessarily saying blitz every down, because we don't do that as much as some other teams might. We are making plays at the ball. We are returning them like we practiced. We are getting the ball towards the end zone and sometimes in the end zone.''

The Browns faced an aggressive defense in their last game, a 16-3 loss at Baltimore last Sunday. Cleveland's quarterback also struggled as Trent Dilfer went 16-of-30 for 147 yards and an interception against his former team. He also lost two fumbles and was sacked four times.

Reuben Droughns was held to 55 yards on 15 carries and Cleveland, which scored a season-high 26 points in a win over Chicago on Oct. 9, had only 12 first downs.
``We're still in the hole and we've got to battle to get even again,'' Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. ``When you have a performance like we had, everything needs work. We have to get good at the basics and try to give ourselves a chance.''

Browns rookie receiver Braylon Edwards has had a quick recovery from an infection in his right arm, and may be back in the lineup sooner than expected.
Edwards practiced with the team Wednesday on a limited basis and was listed as doubtful for this game.

``I'm not ruling Braylon out,'' Crennel said. Edwards, the No. 3 overall draft pick, was hospitalized for four days following surgery Oct. 8 to cut out the infection. He was expected to miss at least a month.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Lions, Browns have been slow to solve rushing problem

Friday, October 21, 2005


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By STEVE DOERSCHUK


BEREA - One thing about the Browns’ and Lions’ running games has been mutually consistent.

Consistency stays somewhere over the rainbow.

Detroit comes to Cleveland on Sunday in a game featuring two backs eager to be the long-awaited, long-term answer.

But ...

Kevin Jones is questionable with a shoulder problem. In his strong rookie year of 2004 (1,133 yards), he posted all three of his 100-yard games in the season’s second half. His feeble totals for 2005 include a 2.7 per-carry average and games of 87, 22, 38, 58 and 21 yards.

Reuben Droughns is healthy coming off his 1,240-yard year in Denver. But he’s a grinder, not a gazelle, and his new team has been reluctant to ride him too hard. He has a per-carry average of 3.8, with games of 78, 50, 76, 72 and 55 yards.

Both of these teams are searching for an offensive personality.

Browns quarterback Trent Dilfer said the Browns simply need to flush the Baltimore game and return to the steady improvement that had been evident since early August.

“Reuben is a good all-around football player,” Dilfer said. “A lot gets made of the run-pass ratio, but we’ve been behind in some games, when you tend to throw the ball more.

“We want to keep teams off balance, be an offense that can do everything. Too many times in this league, you get put in a box offensively, and when you do that you struggle.”

The Lions haven’t had much sizzle in their backfield since Barry Sanders, who went into the Hall of Fame two years ago, retired.

Head Coach Steve Mariucci sees the 23-year-old Jones as “a very good back, capable of some big games” and predicted “the running game will come alive.”

Just three years ago, Jones was backing up Lee Suggs at Virginia Tech. So he still has a lot of proving to do.

Droughns entered the league hoping to become the man in Detroit. The Lions picked him in the third round in 2000. They were in their second season of looking for Sanders’ replacement, and signed veteran James Stewart away from Jacksonville. The Browns also made a run at the workmanlike Stewart.

“I wish the Browns would have got him,” Droughns said. “I might have stepped right in.”

Droughns liked Bobby Ross, the head coach who drafted him, and vice versa. However, Ross got fed up with the NFL late in Droughns’ rookie year, quit, and was replaced by Gary Moeller. Then Marty Mornhinweg took over. Droughns’ career got tangled in a royal Lions’ mess.

Droughns wound up in Denver and seized an opportunity.

Opportunity seems to have passed the Lions forever. The franchise hasn’t appeared in an NFL championship game since 1957, beating Cleveland and its rookie runner, Jim Brown.

“When I was there,” Droughns said, “you kind wondered whether there’s a curse or something.”

Droughns is trying to become the first Brown to rush for 1,000 yards since 1985; so, maybe the experience with curses did him some good. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>1PM: Browns (2-3) vs Lions (2-3)

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Site Staff

Date: Oct 23, 2005

THE TIME: 1 PM EST... THE PLACE: Cleveland Browns Stadium... THE CROWD: Cold, wet, and ready for football... THE INFO YOU NEED: Inside this article!
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KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 10/23/05

SURFACE: Grass

TV: FOX, Ron Pitts, Brian Baldinger

SERIES: The Lions and Browns will be meeting for the 17th time in regular season competition, with the Lions holding a 12-4 edge. The teams also met four times in NFL championship games in the 1950s, with the Lions winning the title in three of them.

2005 RANKINGS: Lions: offense 30th (22nd rush, 27th pass); defense 18th (15th rush, 21st pass). Browns: offense 26th (30th rush, 12th pass); defense 27th (29th rush, 23rd pass)

PREDICTION: Lions 17-16

KEYS TO THE GAME: The Browns have been passing the ball nearly twice as much as they run it, which has contributed to 10 sacks allowed the past two weeks. Cleveland wants to improve its passing attack, but must establish the run better before going after a Lions defense that already has 10 interceptions. The Browns want to avoid turnovers because Detroit's own offense has been struggling. Whether Joey Harrington or Jeff Garcia gets the start at quarterback, the Lions want to exploit the Browns' run defense, which is allowing 140.2 yards per game. With their receiving corps still minus Charles Rogers and possibly Roy Williams, the Lions desperately want to build a lead and continue to pound away with RB Kevin Jones.

FAST FACTS: Home team has won past five meetings. Lions: WR Kevin Johnson, who leads the team with 17 receptions, played for Cleveland from 1999-03. Browns: QB Trent Dilfer is 1-7 against the Lions with four TDs and 11 INTs. ... WR Dennis Northcutt needs three punt return yards to break Gerald McNeil's (1,545) franchise record.

LIONS PERSONNEL NEWS:

• QB Joey Harrington, who has started the last 37 consecutive games for the Lions, shared the practice field reps with backup Jeff Garcia this week but has not yet been told by coach Steve Mariucci whether he will get the starting assignment Sunday at Cleveland.
• QB Jeff Garcia looked sharper in his practice work Thursday than he did the previous day as he prepares for his comeback after missing six weeks of the season with a broken left fibula and sprained left ankle. Garcia got half the reps in practice this week while coach Steve Mariucci considered the possibility of giving him the start Sunday in Cleveland ahead of Joey Harrington.
• FB Cory Schlesinger appears fully recovered from the broken left fibula he suffered in the Lions' opening preseason game and is likely to get his first start of the season Sunday at Cleveland. Schlesinger, the lead blocker for RB Kevin Jones, bent his first face mask of the season, an indication to coach Steve Mariucci he's ready to play.
• LT Jeff Backus, who has started all 69 games since being drafted by the Lions in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft, missed both the Wednesday and Thursday practices with his sprained left ankle in a walking boot but coach Steve Mariucci believes there is still a chance Backus will be able to play Sunday at Cleveland.
• DE James Hall, who had missed the past two games entirely because of a quadriceps injury, has practiced this week more than he has in the past two but he said he is still not positive he will play Sunday in Cleveland. Indications are that he will test the injury in pregame warmups and play if there is no problem.

BROWNS PERSONNEL NEWS:

• WR Braylon Edwards is healing quickly from surgery to remove an infection in his arm. Edwards participated in part of practice this week, and even caught some passes. He is listed as doubtful on the injury report, but it would be surprising if he played. The Browns probably will give him one more week to heal.
• QB Trent Dilfer has heard all week that the Browns need to run the ball more, but Dilfer said the Browns merely need to do better. "If we can execute both the run and the pass we'll move the ball and score points," he said. Dilfer's main focus this week will be avoiding interceptions. Detroit has been adept at forcing turnovers.
• RB Reuben Droughns probably will get more carries this week. Droughns has run well when given a chance but fans and media have cried for the Browns to use him more. "Any running back will tell you they want to run the ball more," Droughns said.
• MLB Andra Davis knows the Browns need to improve against the run. Teams have run for 140 yards per game against the Browns, a figure that is just too high.

INSIDE THE LIONS CAMP:
Veteran Jeff Garcia is doing his best to stay patient while coach Steve Mariucci mulls over his quarterback situation, but Garcia is sounding more and more like he is ready to take on the starting assignment Sunday in the Lions' game at Cleveland.
Although Garcia is practicing with the Lions offense this week for the first time since suffering a broken left fibula and badly sprained ankle in the final preseason game Sept. 2, he has shown only occasional signs of rust and there is very little to indicate he is not physically ready to play.
The Lions are 2-3 - tied with Chicago for the NFC North lead - but have struggled offensively, and Mariucci is splitting the practice reps this week between Garcia and incumbent Joey Harrington while he decides on a starter.
Mariucci has given himself no deadline to make that decision.
"I'm not ruling out that it could go up to game time," he said, "but we probably will consider something sooner than that."
Garcia said he is still experiencing some pain and discomfort from the injury, but he also said he did not believe they would be a factor if he got a chance to start against the Browns, the team with which he played last year.
"I'm sure the feel of the game, the speed of the game definitely is an adjustment," Garcia said. "Obviously, I've been sitting for six weeks, watching from the sideline and I've been mentally involved but not physically involved, so that's going to be a determining factor as far as how quickly I adapt and how quickly I get up to speed.
"I don't think come Sunday I'll be even thinking about any sort of soreness or pain or anything like that. Adrenaline does wonders for your body."
Asked if he felt he would be limited in what he could do Sunday, Garcia shrugged off the possibility.
"I don't feel that I am showing any limitations out there," he said. "I think that - especially for not being involved in the action for six weeks - I don't feel like I'm that far behind or behind at all. I still move fairly quickly, I have my movement ... my accuracy is where it needs to be and I feel mentally I'm as sharp as I was six, seven weeks ago."


INSIDE THE BROWNS CAMP:
The Browns could be without their starting right tackle when they face the Lions.
Ryan Tucker has a chipped vertebrae in his neck and is listed as questionable for Sunday.
Tucker played most of the second half in Baltimore with the injury, and said he is in "pretty constant" pain.
Tucker is the Browns most experienced lineman, and a team leader.
He is a good run blocker and solid pass blocker. But his pass protection was affected Sunday in Baltimore by the injury.
He said he will try to play, but won't know until Sunday if he can.
Kirk Chambers will replace Tucker if he can't play. Chambers started at left tackle for Stanford, but has not started a game in the NFL yet.

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[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Here's to hopin Droughns goes off

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cleveland is giving up 140 yards per game on the ground.......WOW.