Cleveland Browns vs Tennessee Titans

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

yahoo.com

11/4/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=560>Tennessee (2-6) at Cleveland (2-5)

<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>Tennessee (2-6) at Cleveland (2-5)</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 EST Sun Nov 6, 2005
TV: CBS </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>Things have gone from bad to worse for the Cleveland Browns with a three-game losing streak, quarterback Trent Dilfer's job in jeopardy and running back Reuben Droughns dealing with legal troubles.


First-year coach Romeo Crennel hopes his team can get back on track as the Browns play the reeling Tennessee Titans.

Crennel may have seen the Browns hit their low point with Sunday's 19-16 loss to the previous winless Houston Texans. Dilfer, who led the Baltimore Ravens to the 2000 Super Bowl, continued his inconsistent play.

He has thrown six interceptions and committed nine turnovers in his last five games, giving Crennel reason to think about starting rookie and hometown favorite Charlie Frye.
Dilfer, though, thinks he and the Browns can turn things around.

``I feel like we are getting better, but once again, we are not seeing the fruit of our labor on Sunday, which is obviously very frustrating,'' he said. ``No one is more frustrated than me, but we keep chopping away and moving on.''


Adding to the frustration was the arrest of Droughns, who was charged Tuesday with operating a vehicle under the influence. Droughns was released without bail and is scheduled to appear in court Friday.

Crennel said Droughns' playing time against Tennessee would not be affected by the arrest, and on Wednesday, the 27-year-old running back apologized for his actions.

``The only thing I can say is I'm sorry to everybody, sorry to the organization, my teammates and the fans out there,'' he said. ``It should have never happened. It was one of those situations that was, I guess, a bad judgment call.

``It's bringing bad attention to the team. That's something we don't need right now, especially with what's going on with the team as far as the record is concerned.''

Crennel has stressed the importance of making big plays, something the Browns have failed to do in losing three games by seven points or fewer.

``We're going to have to keep working at it and try and get to the point where we can make that play so that we can have an opportunity to win some games,'' he said.

The Titans have dropped five of their last six games, including a 34-25 defeat to the Oakland Raiders last weekend that was marred by mistakes.

Tennessee racked up nine penalties, dropped several passes, botched an extra point and had a punt return for a touchdown wiped out by a roughness penalty. That play loomed large on the resulting possession as quarterback Steve McNair was sacked and fumbled in the end zone, leading to a Raiders touchdown.

Receiver Tyrone Calico and tight end Ben Troupe left the game with injuries and may not be available for this contest. The Titans already are missing injured receivers Drew Bennett, who leads the club with 407 receiving yards, and Brandon Jones.

McNair was sacked six times and continues to rest an ailing back, but coach Jeff Fisher is confident members of his youth-laden team will find a way to get the job done.

``They are taking advantage of every opportunity,'' Fisher said. ``You have to be careful that you don't max them out. Courtney Roby played 72 plays on offense and was also returning kicks and also playing on our punt return team. We're going to have to get other guys to step up.'' Roby, a rookie out of Indiana, had seven receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown in his first start.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com (free)

11/6/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>1PM: Titans vs. Browns

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>


</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By NFL Scout

Date: Nov 5, 2005

Sunday's clash with the Titans at Cleveland Browns Stadium gives the hometown team a chance to break a three-game losing streak. Before that happens, however, the Browns need to figure out how to stop Tennessee's two-pronged running attack and improve on special teams...
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET

GAMEDATE: 11/06/05

SURFACE: Grass

TV: CBS, Don Criqui, Steve Beuerlein

SERIES: 60th meeting. Browns lead the series 32-27. Cleveland has won the last two meetings, the most recent a 31-28 OT game in 2002.

2005 RANKINGS: Titans: offense 18th (20th rush, 13th pass); defense 16th (12th rush, 15th pass). Browns: offense 26th (25th rush, 22nd pass); defense 24th (27th rush, 19th pass)

PREDICTION: Browns 19-14

KEYS TO THE GAME: The Browns have held their past five opponents under 20 points, but they are 1-4 during that span because their offense is struggling mightily. The weakness of the Titans' defense is in their pair of rookie starting cornerbacks (Adam "Pacman" Jones and Reynaldo Hill), but Browns QB Trent Dilfer has struggled the past month. The Browns will lean on RB Reuben Droughns (5.1 yards per carry past two games) early, and he must carry the load with backups Lee Suggs and William Green likely out. Tennessee's offense also needs production from RBs Chris Brown and Travis Henry. The Browns will almost certainly load up to stuff the run with the Titans frighteningly thin at wide receiver and TE Ben Troupe also hurting.

FAST FACTS: Titans: QB Steve McNair needs 14 rushing yards to pass John Elway (3,407) for fourth-most all-time among quarterbacks. ... Team is 39-1 (.975) when entering the fourth quarter with a lead under coach Jeff Fisher. Browns: Have allowed only one touchdown in five consecutive games. ... Have allowed just eight touchdowns in 22 red-zone possessions by opponents.

PERSONNEL NEWS:
Titans:

• QB Steve McNair (back) took the full load at the Titans' Thursday practice, which was pushed back to the evening and held at the Coliseum. He said he felt good.
• WR Drew Bennett (left thumb) is out of the Titans game in Cleveland.
• WR Brandon Jones (knee) did some work with the receivers early in Thursday's practice but did not work in full team periods.
• LB Peter Sirmon (ankle) was held out practice for the second day in a row on Thursday.
• FB Troy Fleming (ankle) is expected to return to the lineup in Cleveland after missing three games with an ankle injury.
• TE Ben Troupe is dealing with a high ankle sprain and was in an immobilizing boot for the second day in a row on Thursday.
• DT Albert Haynesworth has not been himself because of calf and knee injuries, but he's not on the injury report this week, which should be a good sign.
• CB Andre Woolfolk (hamstring) ran on the side during the Titans' practice Thursday. If he does play in Cleveland he will work as the nickel back, if he doesn't Michael Waddell will fill that role.

Browns:

• G Joe Andruzzi missed a day of practice on Wednesday after hurting his knee in the loss to Houston. Andruzzi was fortunate he was not seriously injured when he was twisted over a pile, and if there's any way he can play against Tennessee he will.
• DE Alvin McKinley hyperextended an elbow in the loss to Houston and is listed as questionable. His absence would be noticed. McKinley has been a pleasant surprise in the 3-4 defense after moving from tackle in the 4-3.
• S Chris Crocker is listed as questionable on the injury report, but probably will play against Tennessee. The dropoff if he can't play would be significant. Second-year player Sean Jones has struggled, and Brodney Pool is still a rookie.
• WR Braylon Edwards, the team's first-round pick, now is part of a three-for-two rotation at the position, coach Romeo Crennel said. Edwards' playing time will increase as he alternates with Dennis Northcutt opposite Antonio Bryant.
• QB Trent Dilfer appears to have grown weary of the criticism he's heard the last few weeks. Dilfer has nine turnovers the last four games, but for the season his passer rating is above his career figure.

INSIDE THE CAMPS:

Titans: Titans rookie cornerback Pacman Jones hopes he leaves Cleveland Sunday with a little souvenir from Braylon Edwards.
Edwards, the Browns' rookie receiver, was drafted third overall, three spots ahead of Jones.
"He called me (Tuesday) night talking trash," Jones said. "We had made a bet before the draft that if he scored on me he'd get to keep my chain, if he don't, I get to keep his chain. He's got a king chain, I can't really explain it. It spins. It's a pretty nice chain, it's going to look good on me."
In Nashville, Jones has gotten a lot of negative attention after an extended training camp holdout and some struggles early on for a team that's 2-6 at the midway point.
"I'm going to get blamed for everything this year, so I've go to suck that up and be a man about it, but I'm all right, I'm not really complaining to nobody," he said. "... At the end of the day, I'm going to be one of the best ones to come through here. I just feel it's coming, that's all I can tell you."
The Browns will have bigger concerns than defense with Jones.
A week after he exploded on two big punt returns against Oakland, he'll face the NFL's worst punt coverage unit, which gives Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel plenty to ponder.
"You better believe it is (a concern)," Crennel said. "And we're working on it. Pacman, he poses some problems, because he has tremendous athletic ability, a knack for making guys miss, and then he just has that feel for finding that open lane and he can get to it. So, we're going to have to be on the top of our game to be able to slow him down."


Browns: The Browns will be thin at running back when they play the Titans Sunday at home.
William Green is doubtful with an ankle sprain, and Lee Suggs is out with a broken thumb.
That leaves Reuben Droughns as the team's only healthy back.
Droughns has run well this season, but he was arrested for an alleged DUI this past week. How that affects him remains to be seen.
The other concern: The Browns have re-committed to the running game the past two games, and doing that they used Green to spell Droughns. Without Green, Droughns may see a lot more time.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

yahoo.com

11/6/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=560>Cleveland 20, Tennessee 14

<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>Cleveland 20, Tennessee 14</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 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
November 6, 2005
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<SMALL>AP - Nov 6, 3:00 pm EST</SMALL>
More Photos</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>CLEVELAND (AP) -- Reuben Droughns outran his embarrassment and brought the Cleveland Browns a win.
Droughns, arrested earlier in the week on a drunken driving charge, rushed for 116 yards and caught a crucial third-down pass for 51 yards, powering the Browns over the Tennessee Titans 20-14 on Sunday.

Following his arrest, the 27-year-old Droughns expressed deep regret for his mistake and letting down his teammates and Cleveland's fans, who by the fourth quarter were chanting ``Reu-ben, Reu-ben'' with the Browns comfortably ahead.

Droughns added four receptions for 73 yards, but he spent most of the final six minutes in the locker room being treated for leg cramps.

In the third quarter, Droughns caught a short screen pass over the middle and weaved 51 yards to set up Jason Wright's 6-yard TD run -- Cleveland's first rushing touchdown in nearly a year.
Dennis Northcutt caught a 58-yard TD pass and Phil Dawson kicked field goals of 37 and 19 yards as the Browns (3-5) held off a late rally by the Titans to snap a three-game losing streak.

Dawson was wide right from 39 yards -- his first miss in 17 tries this season -- with 39 seconds left, and without any timeouts, Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair drove the Titans to Cleveland's 28 with two seconds left.


McNair was nearly sacked but managed to muscle a pass toward the goal line on the game's final play that was picked off by Brodney Pool as time expired. But that didn't end the afternoon for Titans rookie cornerback Adam ``Pacman'' Jones and Browns safety Sean Jones, who exchanged pushes and shoves before being separated.

Cleveland quarterback Trent Dilfer, whose job security was becoming more uncertain with each loss, finished 18-of-34 for 272 yards in blustery conditions and threw his only interception on a desperation heave to end the first half.

Browns punter Kyle Richardson, too, atoned for some lousy performances by placing three kicks inside the 20-yard line.

Tennessee's Chris Brown had a 15-yard TD run in the fourth and Erron Kinney a 24-yard scoring reception for the young Titans (2-7), who have lost four in a row but now get a bye week to get rested and healthier.

McNair went 18-for-41 for 235 yards. Brown carried 22 times for 95 yards, and brought the Titans within 20-14 on his 15-yard TD with 7:13 left.

With William Green and Lee Suggs injured, the Browns activated Wright from the practice squad on Thursday. After Dilfer hit Droughns underneath for 51 on the inside screen, Wright took a handoff and powered his way into the end zone for his first career TD, giving Cleveland a 17-7 lead.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<SMALL>AP - Nov 6, 2:59 pm EST</SMALL>
More Photos</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>It was the Browns' first rushing TD this season and their first since Nov. 28 of last season -- a span of 50 quarters.
Dawson's 37-yard field goal gave the Browns a 20-7 win early in the third quarter.

Lamont Thompson's 38-yard punt return helped set up Tennessee's tying touchdown late in the first half.

Taking over at his own 46, McNair completed passes of 19 and 11 yards to rookies Bo Scaife and Roydell Williams before finding Kinney over the middle to make it 7-all.
Northcutt had become a forgotten man in Cleveland's offensive scheme, failing to catch a pass in each of Cleveland's past two games. But Dilfer didn't hesitate going to the speedy wideout, hitting him to put the Browns ahead 7-0 in the first. Northcutt also had a key 31-yard run on a reverse in the fourth.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[TheStoicPaisano]

Yeah, so Time Warner Columbus [censored]s around and gives us CIN/BAL, then switches to the Jets, then to the Raiders, instead of going to the Browns, which was in doubt until the last 30 seconds. Asshats.

[Sober]

Yes, I am sure telecasting a game involving two teams with no hope of accomplishing anything this season will bring in the viewers.

[BuckeyeNation27]

Originally Posted by TheStoicPaisano

Yeah, so Time Warner Columbus [censored]s around and gives us CIN/BAL, then switches to the Jets, then to the Raiders, instead of going to the Browns, which was in doubt until the last 30 seconds. Asshats.

The Jet and Raider games weren't in doubt till the last seconds?