Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[muffler dragon]

Methinks that Romeo's attempt to rebut the "quitting" assertion by Lewis and Cribbs exhibits a coach out of touch with his players.

[billmac91]

BEREA After a nightmarish game against Denver that included giving up a 93-yard touchdown, Brandon McDonald's role will be adjusted.

Romeo Crennel didn't explain exactly how other than to say McDonald will be "getting some help" from fourth-year pro Travis Daniels. McDonald was a fifth-round pick last year.

"Everybody has things like that happen to them," Daniels said of McDonald's Thursday night struggles. "Deion. Ty Law. Champ. Everybody.

"You've just got to learn from it."

The 6-foot-1 Daniels is a fourth-year pro who arrived Aug. 20 in a trade from the Dolphins for a seventh-round pick. The 5-foot-10 McDonald was a Round 2 pick last year.

"When I first came into the league (as a Round 4 pick out of LSU), I was trying to do a lot of things based off my ability," Daniels said, "as opposed to the smarts. The longer I've played, the more veteran guys I've been around ... they told me sooner or later all that athletic stuff is gonna have to be put to the back end, and the mental part put to the front."

Daniels played in all 16 games with the 2007 Dolphins, getting five starts.

"Going against Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Dont? Stallworth the last nine weeks ... I'm definitely ready," Daniels said. "Gotta step it up."

These are times that try a young 23-year-old cornerback's soul.

Cont....

McDonald was a fifth-round pick last year.

The 5-foot-10 McDonald was a Round 2 pick last year.

[LitlBuck]

McDonald was a Round 2 pick last year.

The writer of that article either made a mistake or did not do his homework. McDonald was a 5th round draft choice last year. I just don't understand why we haven't seen McDaniels all season. I mean we did give up a seventh round to get him so why give up the draft choice and not use the guy.

the "quitting" assertion by Lewis and Cribbs exhibits a coach out of touch with his players.

I just don't understand why Romeo would come out and say the remarks by two of this hardest working players were not right. I guess he has to stick up for his team but it seems like things are really starting to fall apart.

[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns kicker Phil Dawson expects tough day with Buffalo weather

by Tony Grossi/Plain Dealer Reporter Thursday November 13, 2008, 7:03 PM


Ron Schwane/Associated PressPhil Dawson celebrates in a snowstorm after nailing a 49-yard field goal in the Browns 8-0 win over Buffalo in Cleveland last season. Dawson exepects similar conditions Monday night when the Browns face the Bills in Buffalo.

The Weather Channel gets a lot of viewing time in the Phil Dawson household. "That's the one channel on our favorites button. Especially this time of the year," said the Browns' kicker.
Nobody on the team frets more about weather conditions than Dawson because one gust of wind can turn him from hero to goat in the blink, or wipe, of an eye.
And Dawson is expecting a "tough day at the office" Monday night in Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. A notorious tough place to kick might be worsened by bad weather.
Forecasts for the area are calling for snow showers and wind.
"Some of these offensive linemen may love that stuff, but in my book, that's bad," Dawson said.
But the sight of the Bills brings, well, a warmness to the heart of Dawson after last year's epic Game 14 struggle in December blizzard conditions in Cleveland.
Every piece of scoring in the 8-0 Browns win was affected by falling snow blown sideways throughout the day by 40-mph wind gusts.
The Browns scored a safety when Buffalo long snapper airmailed the ball out of the end zone, and Dawson dodged the blizzard for windswept field goals of 35 and 49 yards.
Cont...

[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns Insider: Shantee Orr to receive more playing time

by Tony Grossi/Plain Dealer Reporter Thursday November 13, 2008, 7:31 PM


Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerLinbacker Shantee Orr (51) will be included in a four-man rotation in an effort to get more defensive production in the fourth quarter.
Besides cornerback Travis Daniels, another player who will get increased playing time on defense is linebacker Shantee Orr, coach Romeo Crennel said. Orr will be included in a four-man rotation at outside linebacker as Crennel tries to get some fourth-quarter production out of his defense.
"I've been trying for the last two years to get back to the 3-4 after Houston changed to the 4-3. It better fits my abilities," Orr said.
In preseason, Orr played inside and outside. Now he'll concentrate on the outside as a pass rusher. The Browns have only five sacks from outside linebackers. Rookie Alex Hall has three and Kamerion Wimbley has two.
Hall's most recent sack was four games ago against the Giants. Wimbley had one sack against Denver.
"That's the key to any defense," Orr said. "When you have a dominating guy inside [nose tackle Shaun Rogers], you need to get a good rush off the edge."
Cont...

[osugrad21]

Canton

Here we go again with Browns, Bills
Players can't forget '07 game; snow in forecast
Friday, November 14, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
STEVE.DOERSCHUK@CANTONREP.COM

BEREA In a light rain, 50 degrees and breezy, the Browns moved Thursday's practice inside.

Given the team's injury problems and the threat of muscle-mangling slips on wet outdoor fields, it made sense. Given last year's game against Buffalo, it seemed a little wimpy.

The Browns beat the Bills on two field goals and a safety in a Dec. 16 blizzard beyond belief.

At least, it was beyond belief in terms of what anyone would be willing to work in ? with anything less than survival at stake.

"Just being out in it in the pregame was unbelievable," Browns QB Brady Quinn recalls. "I remember betting on how many passes there would be."

Phil Dawson's 35-yarder toward the Dawg Pound gave the Browns a 3-0 lead. A Buffalo fumble out of the end zone made it 5-0.

Just before halftime, kicking the opposite way, Dawson drilled a 49-yarder that looked like a leaf tossed by rapids.

"I don't know how it could have gotten any more difficult," Dawson said. "Snow everywhere. Snow coming down. Snow on the ground.

"You couldn't see the field. You didn't know where you were. The ground under the snow was frozen.

"The wind was just ridiculous. It wasn't as cold as some of the other ones here, but it was a pretty brutal day."

Surprisingly, it was quite a snowball fight through the air.

Rookie quarterback Trent Edwards went 13-of-33 for 124 yards for Buffalo. Cleveland's Derek Anderson was 9-of-24 for 137 yards.
Cont...

[LitlBuck]

In the "Insider" article linked above Romeo says that he was thinking about switching his base defense to the 4-3 but canned that idea when Robiare Smith was injured. I was trying to think when Smith got injured because I believe it would have been a little late to switch your base defense that late during preseason.

Savage also states that the Denver and Baltimore losses "took away some things". I have no idea what he meant by that except maybe it take away any chances that the Browns had of making the playoffs this season.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BROWNS
Harrison might finally get his shot

Sunday, November 16, 2008 3:47 AM
By Mary Kay Cabot


THE PLAIN DEALER

CLEVELAND -- The badgering has gotten so bad that running back Jerome Harrison has stopped going out to dinner.
"The owner or the manager of wherever I'm at is always like, 'Man, you should play more,' " he said.
Harrison averaged 9.6 yards on five carries Denver for 48 yards. He also caught a pass for 9 yards. On one first-quarter scoring drive, he gained 44 yards on four carries and had the reception, but he touched the ball only once in the second half.
"It's hard," Harrison said. "But at the same time, I just have to keep working and keep paying attention when Jamal (Lewis) is in, so when I do get a chance, I know what's going on."

Continued............

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

light moment in a rough season for Browns' Williams
Injured shoulder holding back defensive lineman
Sunday, November 16, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
STEVE.DOERSCHUK@CANTONREP.COM

BEREA The day before the plane leaves, it seldom matters how bad things are.

It's a football dream job. It's a road trip. You're with the guys.

It was like that in the Browns locker room Saturday. Music and laughter filled the air before the Browns (3-6) headed out to their last practice before a Monday night game in Buffalo.

The day before the flight is the best day to get to know the players.

On this Saturday, wide Corey Williams and slender Kellen Winslow Jr. shouted some basketball chatter across the room.

Their height is the same, 6-foot-4. In girth, though, Williams is to Winslow what Shaq is to "Z."

Continued............

[osugrad21]

DDN

Infighting Browns to face reeling Bills


By John Wawrow
Associated Press

Sunday, November 16, 2008

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. ? The Browns are infighting, there's hand-wringing taking place in Buffalo, but at least Langston Walker hasn't lost his sense of humor.
Asked if Buffalo's three-game losing streak had a sobering effect on the team, the Bills offensive tackle, with a smile and a wink, said: "I didn't think we were drunk."
Rodney Dangerfield couldn't have put it better in regards to two hard-luck franchises that are, yet again, not getting much respect. At least they're providing interesting copy in preparing to play at Orchard Park on Monday night in a game being billed as "The Battle of Lake Erie."
But it better resembles an eerily familiar faceoff between two underachieving teams expected to be contenders by this point of the schedule.
Cont...

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Browns get past remarks by Lewis No hard feelings evident after latest controversy. Focus is now on Buffalo
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Monday, Nov 17, 2008
BEREA: All the talk about quitting and checking their egos at the door appears long forgotten.
During pre-practice stretching on Saturday, running back Jamal Lewis and receiver Braylon Edwards engaged in friendly conversation, showing no evidence of hard feelings after Lewis' fiery postgame remarks on Nov. 6. The outburst, echoed by special teams ace Joshua Cribbs, was prompted by the Browns blowing double-digit third-quarter leads in the past two games against Denver and Baltimore.
''I don't think it really changed anything,'' tight end Kellen Winslow said Thursday. ''I think guys are frustrated. When you're frustrated, you say things.''
Lewis will be disappointed if he suspects the team didn't take his comments to heart. But running back Jason Wright didn't see any negative fallout from another episode in a season of never-ending controversy.
''If I look at how it's affecting the team, I'd say it's been a competitive week of practice and we're preparing hard,'' Wright said. ''I think there's an excitement about playing on Monday Night Football.''
Cont...

[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns should be cautiously optimistic about Quinn

by Mary Kay Cabot Sunday November 16, 2008, 7:12 PM


Brady Quinn's debut against the Denver Broncos should have the Browns cautiously optimistic, according to some NFL experts.
"It was a very solid performance, but it's a long process," said ESPN's Ron Jaworski, who will provide analysis during tonight's Browns-Bills game. "It takes a long time to develop a consistent quarterback in this league."
Jaworski cited Bills quarterback Trent Edwards, who led the Bills to a 5-4 record as a rookie last season and had them off to a 5-1 start this year before Buffalo lost its past three games. During that span, he has thrown five of his seven interceptions and lost two fumbles.
"I'm seeing some of the same things in Edwards' game that I saw in Brady at the end of the Broncos game -- a tight elbow and not anticipating guys coming open," said Jaworski, a 17-year NFL quarterback who studies the coaches' films all week. "You'll see bumps in the road with Brady, just like with Edwards. It's part of the maturation process."
In his NFL debut, Quinn threw for 239 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 104.3 passer rating during the 34-30 loss to the Broncos on national television. Afterward, he said the game wasn't as fast for him as everyone said it would be, but it was against the NFL's 29th-ranked defense.
"He wasn't playing Pittsburgh's or Baltimore's defense," said one AFC scout. "That's when you find out a lot about a quarterback. Teams will take away his short game and running game and put some heat on him. They'll force him to go downfield, and he'll have some hiccups and some interceptions."

Cont...

[osugrad21]

Canton

A couple of Browns optimists
Reversal of fortune possible, and they have done it before
Monday, November 17, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
STEVE.DOERSCHUK@CANTONREP.COM

BUFFALO The world might argue that it was a Nick Saban thing. The world has been wrong before.

Whatever it was, says Rex Hadnot, who was there when the magic began, how grand it would be to repeat it three years later with the Cleveland Browns.

"I've always said we have a good team," said Seth McKinney, who was shoulder to shoulder with Hadnot that year. "Yeah, it crossed my mind this week.

"It can happen."

The Browns enter tonight's game at Buffalo 3-6. Recent history shows that 3-6 teams are doomed.

There have been 18 of them in the previous four NFL seasons. Only two rallied to a winning record. One was the 2004 Buffalo Bills. On the other one, McKinney played center and Hadnot right guard.

Nick Saban seemed to have coached the 2005 Miami Dolphins into the ground. They fell to 3-6 with a 23-16 home loss to New England. It got worse. On Nov. 20, at Cleveland the Dolphins got stuffed 22-0 by a team that also came in at 3-6.

As the 2008 snowflakes begin to dance, the memory of that day ? and what came after ? warms Hadnot's meaty face.

"Right after we got shut out in Cleveland," he said, "we had a meeting. ... Guys just started to take it personal. They thought more about their own performance, started holding each other accountable more."

The Dolphins won at Oakland, then overcame a 23-3 fourth-quarter deficit against Buffalo, winning when Sage Rosenfels hit Chris Chambers in the end zone on fourth down with six second left.

"What happened to us? I can't explain," Mc-Kinney said. "Just playing good football ... not making stupid mistakes."
Cont...

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Preview: Browns (3-6) at Bills (5-4)

Monday, November 17, 2008 2:57 AM




? Kickoff: 8:30 tonight ? Line: Bills by 5 1/2
? TV: ESPN
? Radio: WBWR-FM (105.7)
? Forecast: 31 degrees, snow showers
Cont...

[osugrad21]

CPD

What a kick! Browns ride Quinn's last drive, Dawson's big boot to 29-27 win over Bills

by Tony Grossi Tuesday November 18, 2008, 1:11 AM


John Kuntz/The Plain DealerBraylon Edwards (17), Shantee Orr (right), Terry Cousin (25), Andre Davis and D'Qwell Jackson (52) are euphoric after Rian Lindell's 47-yard kick sails wide right Monday night in Orchard Park, N.Y.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Phil Dawson saved the Browns from making history with another defensive collapse. After blowing leads of 13-0 and 23-13, the Browns escaped with a 29-27 win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night on Dawson's career-long field goal of 56 yards.
Dawson's fifth successful kick of the evening prevented the Browns from becoming the first NFL team in history to surrender leads of at least 13 points in three successive games. They blew a 14-point lead to Baltimore and one of 13 to Denver in their previous two games.
But the Browns still had to sweat out a Rian Lindell field goal try from 47 yards with 38 seconds to go. The kick drifted wide right.
Both kicks underscored the brilliance of coach Romeo Crennel's decision to defer the ball after winning the coin toss to open the game. Crennel set up the game so that the Browns possessed the ball with a 10-mph wind at their backs in the fourth quarter.

"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing," Dawson said of the decision to try for the field goal with 1:39 left. "I gave Romeo a nod and he had the confidence to put me in to do it. Our limit was from the 35, so this was beyond it."

Cont...