Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[osugrad21]

Canton

Sports spotlight: Browns, their coach are lacking passion
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
BY TODD PORTER
TODD.PORTER@CANTONREP.COM

BEREA When the Browns go south everyone has a theory. They range from the simple ? fire Romeo, find a new quarterback ? to the absurd.

Get a load of this one: A kind lady called and said she heard from a caller on a talk show most of the Browns players were out partying Saturday night into the wee hours before the Baltimore game.

First, now there's a source of information.

Second, if the Browns were out partying and picking up women at some Baltimore joint, they probably didn't catch anything from the ladies. They haven't caught anything all season.

If there was just one problem with the Browns, you would think it would be fixed by now. Wonder how many aspirin Head Coach Romeo Crennel needed after wrapping his head around the Ravens film and his team's 0-3 start?

Are the Browns living off last season? Maybe to an extent. The players didn't think so after blowing the Baltimore game.

"It was one season," center Hank Fraley said. "It's not like we won the Super Bowl. We didn't even make the playoffs last year. We're not dwelling on that. They put us on national TV for a reason, and right now we're just not playing well."

Cont...

[osugrad21]

Canton

Ravens' Lewis saw his big pick coming
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
STEVE.DOERSCHUK@CANTONREP.COM

The Browns aren't tricking anybody these days, least of all Ray Lewis.

Baltimore's bodacious linebacker said the Browns were transparent on a play that began turning a 10-7 Ravens deficit into a 28-10 Cleveland loss.

The Browns had a manageable third-and-3 just after the start of the third quarter. Derek Anderson fired what he hoped would be a short first-down pass toward Kellen Winslow Jr.

Lewis crashed into Winslow as the tight end clutched the ball, which popped into the air. Chris McAlister intercepted. The Ravens scored four plays later.

Lewis' view of the big play:

"I mean, when you watch film the way I watch film, I knew that exact play was coming, and I knew they might try to run it on me in particular. So I saw it developing, and I thought ... nah."

Then ...

"Wow," Lewis remembered thinking. "They're gonna throw it anyway."

Lewis and Winslow are fellow former Miami Hurricanes. Lewis cleaned his friend's clock on that play.

"Football is football," Lewis said. "I looked him up after the game."
Cont...

[IronBuckI]

I am predicting a Browns victory this week, and this is why: Ohio professional sports teams have made it their business to not give their fans even one bit of enjoyment. This year, the Browns and Bengals will go to new heights(lows) in [censored]ing off their fans, by splitting their season series, with both teams winning at the other team's stadium, and going 1-15 on the year.

You heard it here first.

[BuckeyeMike80]

Changing the QB is just re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Get rid of Romeo and maybe we'll miss the iceberg

[LitlBuck]

I think we might miss the iceberg because now I really do believe that Romeo will be finished as the end of the season. Having a veteran like Jamaal Lewis criticize you is not a good thing at all and puts more tarnish on your reputation. I am almost hoping that the Bengals do beat the Browns this Sunday because then he might be gone before the end of the season. I can hope can't I.

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Lewis eager to carry load Browns running back frustrated over lack of chances, wants ball in his hands
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008
BEREA: Jamal Lewis is frustrated.
With an 0-3 team record, it's easy to understand why the Browns' running back feels that way.
For the first time all season, the running game appeared to be clicking against a staunch Baltimore Ravens defense. The evidence is in the numbers.
Against the Ravens, Lewis gained 56 yards on 12 carries for a 4.7-yard average. But in the second half, the Browns collapsed. Penalties? They were there, including one by Braylon Edwards that nullified a Lewis run for a first down. Turnovers? Three of them. Combine them and the Ravens score 21 unanswered points and force the Browns to play catch-up through the air. The result: the Browns' third consecutive loss.
''The offensive line played well [Sunday]; they played good in the run. I felt the runs were effective. . . . There were holes there,'' Lewis said. ''For the holes that were there, I thought we could have punched it in there a lot more.''
Until the Ravens game, the Browns had struggled to run the ball.
Cont...

[osugrad21]

CPD

Same old story: Bengals, Browns once again scrambling to avoid division cellar

by Tony Grossi Tuesday September 23, 2008, 9:01 PM


Tracy Boulian/The Plain DealerAs has happened in many recent meetings, the Bengals and Browns will collide on Sunday for Ohio bragging rights --- and to escape the AFC North cellar.
The Browns this year wanted to join the ranks of the Steelers, maybe even the Patriots. Through three games, though, they find themselves back in the company of the Bengals, their terminally beleagured Ohio rivals.
Sunday in Paul Brown Stadium will be the fourth time since 1999 that both teams are winless when they meet. In 18 games since 1999, both teams have had losing records when they played nine times.
Their 0-3 records this year are not the only similarity. Both teams were supposed to be carried by high-powered offenses as their suspect defenses developed.
The Browns' offense is 32nd overall. The Bengals' is 30th.
The Browns' defense is 23rd overall. The Bengals' is 24th.
Cont...

[osugrad21]

CPD

Faced with crisis, OSU's Tressel chose the future; will Browns manage to do the same?

by Bill Livingston Tuesday September 23, 2008, 5:53 PM



Jim Tressel planned to stay the course with quarterback Todd Boeckman and his other seniors because they not only stayed with the program, but also took Ohio State to a place few thought the Buckeyes would go last year.
Specifically, that was to a second straight BCS Championship Game, which they again lost. This one was more palatable because of Ohio State's underdog status entering it.
The Buckeyes haven't won the biggest championships lately, but they won one six years ago with Tressel; they have played for two others; and they are usually part of the national power conversation.
There are no "seniors" in the NFL. But Romeo Crennel has stayed the course with quarterback Derek Anderson because he took the Browns to a place almost no one thought they would go last year.
Specifically, that was to, um, well, the threshold of the playoffs.

Scott Shaw/The Plain DealerWith Browns GM Phil Savage (right) and coach Romeo Crennel facing an 0-3 start, the pressure is on for them to turn this season around. One option is to start Brady Quinn, says columnist Bill Livingston.
The Browns don't play for championships anymore. Just coming close to the last playoff seed made their fans delirious. When Southern California crushed OSU, Tressel moved on. He turned the controls of a sputtering offense over to "true" freshman Terrelle Pryor, the most-heralded Ohio State quarterback since Art Schlicter three decades ago. Tressel did what was best for the program, now that he was looking at the long run of the three years Pryor will probably be in Columbus, not the short run to Miami for another BCS title game.

Cont...

[osugrad21]

Canton

Cribbs still has hope for season
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
STEVE.DOERSCHUK@CANTONREP.COM

BEREA The Browns need more players like Joshua Cribbs.

Guys who will bust it when times are bad. Guys with no fear. Guys with a clue about "team." Guys with passion. Guys around whom it is impossible to frown.

Not surprisingly, Cribbs is one guy talking about better days ahead as if he actually sees them.

"It's early," the Pro Bowl return ace and offensive X-factor said in the wake of an 0-3 start. "Three games ... we've just got to win ballgames and, after that, be contagious."

What do the Browns need to reverse this Edmund Fitzgerald of a September?

"A win," Cribbs said, with his trademark 200-watt inflection. "Stay the course.

"The Giants started 1-3. They won a Super Bowl.

"We can do it. Three games is early in the season. Lots of teams make late runs, and I think we're going to be one of those teams."

The Browns will be 1-3 if they win Sunday at Cincinnati (0-3). Cribbs was wrong about the Giants, who were no 1-3 last year ? they started off 0-2 and then won six straight.

However, Cribbs' head coach, Romeo Crennel, was defensive coordinator in New England in 2001 when the Patriots were 1-3 on their way to a Super Bowl win.

For what it's worth, the 2001 Patriots made an early quarterbacking change. Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury in Week 2 and was replaced by Tom Brady, a second-year pro drafted in Round 6 the previous year.

The Browns are weighing whether it is time to replace Derek Anderson with second-year pro Brady Quinn, a Round 1 pick last year.

The Browns don't have a locker room full of players with Cribbs' passion.
Cont...

[osugrad21]

Canton

How deep do Browns go? A new look at their depth chart
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
STEVE.DOERSCHUK@CANTONREP.COM

Injuries and some shifting has left the Cleveland Browns depth chart looking a little different than people expected. Here is the updated and annotated chart for your 0-3 Browns:

Offense

Quarterback

1, Derek Anderson, the games have hurt more than the preseason concussion; 2, Brady Quinn, hmmmmm; 3, Ken Dorsey, clipboard central.

Running back

1, Jamal Lewis, used the "p" word a couple times Sunday, as in "pathetic"; 2, Jason Wright, two carries for 5 and 11 yards in '08; 3, Jerome Harrison, three touches for 19, 2 and 23 yards.

Wide receiver

1, Braylon Edwards, didn't he used to be better than Tim Carter?; 2, Dont? Stallworth, hasn't played yet, but has only 73 fewer yards than Edwards; 3, Joe Jurevicius, one knee surgery would have been plenty; 4, Josha Cribbs, one catch for 17 yards so far; 5, Syndric Steptoe, five catches, 34 yards as temporary No. 2 wideout.

Tight end

1, Kellen Winslow Jr., hurricane building inside him; 2, Steve Heiden, 154 catches as a Brown, one in '08; 3, Darnell Dinkins; 4, Martin Rucker.

Fullback

1, Lawrence Vickers, has two more touches than Jerome Harrison; 2, Charles Ali.

Right tackle

1, Kevin Shaffer, struggled vs. Terrell Suggs Sunday; 2, Isaac Sowells, invisible Round 4 pick from 2006.

Right guard
Cont...

[ScriptOhio]

Originally Posted by BucyrusBuckeye

When do they name the replacement for Crennel?

Originally Posted by BuckeyeMike80

Changing the QB is just re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Get rid of Romeo and maybe we'll miss the iceberg

Originally Posted by exhawg

I put my money that Crennel will get fired if they lose next week and he will be fired after the season pretty much regardless of how they finish the season.

Originally Posted by LitlBuck

I think we might miss the iceberg because now I really do believe that Romeo will be finished as the end of the season. Having a veteran like Jamaal Lewis criticize you is not a good thing at all and puts more tarnish on your reputation. I am almost hoping that the Bengals do beat the Browns this Sunday because then he might be gone before the end of the season. I can hope can't I.

Welcome to world of NFL coaching: You are only as good as your last game.

Put me on the "get rid of Romeo" bandwagon too. The Browns really do need to find a new coach.

[LitlBuck]

Jim Brown takes his stand: Hall of Famer Jim Brown made his feelings about the quarterback situation known on an appearance Monday night on Pro Football Central, an Internet radio show.

Brown, who holds the title of executive advisor with the Browns, told the interviewer that he had been in organization meetings all day and "we all seem to be in one accord. But it's up to the coach to make the final decision on his lineup this week. But if he makes the right decision on his lineup this week, I think we can be out of this terrible kind of depression we're in."

Brown was asked if he were talking about Brady Quinn.

He replied: "We don't have a superstar quarterback. We have two that have tremendous potential. One has played a lot more than the other has, successfully, and also had some failure. If we try Brady this week, it's a change of pace. Why not have a change of pace that might bring you a spark? And if he doesn't cut it, we can bring the other guy back, and we can bring Brady back.

I think the above is a good indication of who is going to start again Cincinnati this weekend. I know that some of you do not like Jim Brown but when he talks as a Cleveland Brown most Browns fans listen and it also gets the attention of the rest of the organization. I figure would be very bad for Romeo if he would go against Jim Brown. That really might put Romeo well to pasture.

[Bucklion]

It's Derek again for at least another week:

ESPN - Anderson keeps starting QB job for Browns this week - NFL

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

"I'm not getting into the what ifs, the whens, the wheres, how long or anything like that about this decision," Crennel said. "The decision is made and that's what it's going to be."

Don't worry coach the decision on your job has been made also......

[LitlBuck]

Originally Posted by Bucklion

It's Derek again for at least another week:

ESPN - Anderson keeps starting QB job for Browns this week - NFL

Jim Brown doesn't like to be made out as an ass and neither do I. See you around Romeo.