Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Frye interception nearly ruins victory
Monday, October 2, 2006 [FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By STEVE DOERSCHUK[/FONT]


OAKLAND, CALIF. - Remember last year?s Charlie Frye-Braylon Edwards commercial for McDonald?s?
On Sunday, Frye auditioned for one of those Arby?s spots. The ones where the punch line is ?What were you thinking??
The Browns were trying to pad a 24-21 lead, on a second-and-goal from the 6 with four minutes left.
Frye scrambled right with a chance to throw the ball away. Instead, he heaved a ruptured duck across the field. Nnamdi Asomugha made an easy interception.
An interception in an eerily similar situation the previous Sunday ? that one not Frye?s fault ? basically cost the Browns a win over the Ravens.
?I forced it,? Frye said. ?That was a bonehead play by me. I just try to make plays. Sometimes they come back and bite you in the butt.
?The biggest thing is to know when I can do that, maybe in the first quarter .... maybe then, but not at the end of the game.?
Frye still came away with a strong 89.6 passer rating. He completed 22-of-32 throws for 192 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.
?I thought Charlie handled himself well,? right tackle Ryan Tucker said. ?He?s gettin? a little better each week. The one play I?d like to strangle him on, but ...
?That?s his deal. It?s the way he approaches the game. If he makes the play, it?s, ?Yeah Charlie. If it goes the other way, ?Aw, (bleep).? ?
Head Coach Romeo Crennel didn?t have to scream at Frye for the interception.
?Before I could get the words out of my mouth, he told me,? Crennel said.
Frye threw the ball into the end zone in the general direction of tight end Kellen Winslow Jr.
?Sometimes I think I trust Kellen maybe just a little bit too much,? Frye said. ?Because he makes so many plays, you think, ?Oh man, this is guaranteed.? ?
Frye made a splash in each of the first three games with long completions to Braylon Edwards. This time, he used Edwards mostly on short and intermediate routes, producing six catches for 75 yards.
Perhaps it was poetic justice that Frye, who lost a long touchdown to Edwards against the Saints because of a penalty, got his three TDs Sunday on passes of 3 yards to Darnell Dinkins, 2 yards to Winslow and 5 yards to Joe Jurevicius.
Early on, he went deep to Edwards and got intercepted.
?That one was a miscommunication,? he said.
The Browns trailed 21-3 before rallying.
?It happened so fast,? Frye said. ?Before you blink your eyes, we were down a couple of scores.
?Maybe it was jet lag.?
Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected].

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Droughns, Jurevicius, Roye back from injuries
Monday, October 2, 2006 [FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By STEVE DOERSCHUK[/FONT]

Raiders safety Michael Huff (24) tackles Browns running back Reuben Droughns in the second quarter Sunday at Oakland, Calif. Droughns had his best game of the season with 100 yards on 25 carries.​

OAKLAND, CALIF. - They?re b-a-a-a-a-ck.
And, brother, did the Browns put running back Reuben Droughns, wideout Joe Jurevicius and defensive end Orpheus Roye to good use in Sunday?s 24-21 win over the Raiders.
Jurevicius played for the first time since breaking a rib while catching a pass in the first quarter of the season opener. That catch, a 20-yard gain against the Saints, was negated by a penalty; thus, his 12-yard sideline catch with 6:28 left in the first half stands as his first catch for the Browns.
The 6-foot-4 former Mentor Lake Catholic star brought the Browns all the way back from a 21-3 deficit with a 5-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.
It was the first evidence of what the Browns envisioned when they signed him away from Seattle.
?I?ve always felt I?ve helped football teams win,? said Jurevicius, who caught 10 touchdown passes for the NFC champion Seahawks last year. ?I?m not big on numbers , but I feel I?ve proven I can do things to help teams win. That?s why I wanted to come home to Cleveland.?
Quarterback Charlie Frye hopes Jurevicius has 12 more games in him.
?That was big, having Joe back,? Frye said, ?especially on third downs. That?s another big receiver out there.
?He?s such a leader. He knows situations. He?s a help to me on the sidelines.?
Droughns returned from a one-game hiatus related to a shoulder injury. He aggravated the injury when he got tackled hard late in the first half, but he stayed in the game and had his best day by far in 2006.
Droughns made a costly fumble that was returned for an early touchdown, but wound up setting a tone with a 25-carry, 100-yard rushing day.
?Reuben loosened it up,? Frye said. ?Any time Reuben runs for over 100 yards, I like our chances to win.
?After they started packing the box against Reuben, that opened up some things outside.?
Roye returned from a shoulder problem that sidelined him against the Ravens. He made perhaps the defensive play of the game, throwing LaMont Jordan for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-inches from the Cleveland 30 with 11 minutes left and the Browns leading 24-21.
Roye?s tackle looked a little like a pro wrestling body slam.
?I was just trying to get him down,? Roye said as a smile creased his plump face. ?He just happened to be in my arms. It was the best way to get him down.?
The best way to get the Browns a win might have been to get Jurevicius, Droughn and Roye up and running again.
Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail [email protected].

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BROWNS 24 RAIDERS 21
Browns get win after trailing by 18 points
Cleveland pitches shutout against Oakland in second half

Monday, October 02, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Browns? Joe Jurevicius catches a 5-yard touchdown pass in front of Raiders cornerback Fabian Washington in the third quarter.

BEN MARGOT ASSOCIATED PRESS Browns linebacker Kamerion Wimbley corrals Raiders running back LaMont Jordan in the first quarter.


OAKLAND, Calif. ? The Cleveland Browns were on the verge of a debacle.
Down 21-3 in the first half to another winless team, the Oakland Raiders, the Browns faced a turning point: continue to fall apart or start fighting.
Cleveland chose the latter, overcoming an 18-point deficit for a 24-21 victory yesterday in one of the NFL?s toughest road environments.
"We had hoped it would come sooner," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said of the team?s first win. "But we?ll take it now because we got it."
When two teams struggling as much as the Browns (1-3) and Raiders (0-3) face off, anything is possible. The game included four turnovers (three by Cleveland), dropped passes, penalties, special-teams gaffes and, in the end, a blown lead that cost the Raiders.
The Browns scored their first touchdown on a seven-play, 43-yard drive that ended with Darnell Dinkins trying to dunk the ball over the goal post after a 3-yard touchdown pass from Charlie Frye.
The series started on the Oakland 43 after a 53-yard kickoff return by Josh Cribbs. Reuben Droughns, who returned to the lineup and rushed for 100 yards on 25 carries, rushed three times for 19 yards, and Frye connected on all three of his attempts during the possession, including a short pass to Braylon Edwards over the middle on thirdand-4. Edwards picked up 9.
"I think this win is huge," said Frye, who is now 2-0 in Oakland?s "Black Hole." "I thought it was a game we were supposed to win. I thought we were a better team than Oakland and we came out and fell behind. I think it?s a game that can spark us, though, because we came back from 21-3."
The Browns defense, which allowed several big plays in the first half, posted a shutout in the third and fourth quarters.
"It means that (the defense) had our back," said Edwards (six catches, 75 yards). "They were going to do whatever they had to do to hold us down and ensure they gave us a chance to put points on the board to take the lead. When your defense is doing that for you, it makes you want to play so much harder. It makes you appreciate the other side of the ball."
The Raiders mustered only 59 yards of offense in the second half as the Browns held the ball for 20 minutes, 32 seconds. They scored on their opening possession, which lasted 6:57, and took the lead for good on Joe Jurevicius? catch in the back of the end zone late in the third quarter.
Frye threw for 192 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, and Droughns provided the balanced offense the Browns hadn?t had this season.
Oakland scored three touchdowns in the first 1 1 /2 quarters and looked like a team that had benefited from a week off.
Raiders linebacker Sam Williams picked up a Droughns fumble and returned it 30 yards for the first score.
Second-year quarterback Andrew Walter connected with Randy Moss for a 5-yard touchdown, and Lamont Jordan (20 carries, 128 yards) broke one tackle and streaked for a 59-yard score to give Oakland a commanding lead.
But bad teams usually find a way to lose.
After Cribbs? return set up the Browns? score in the first half, Cleveland started the third quarter from its 31 after Lawrence Vickers returned Sebastian Janikowski?s short kickoff 16 yards.
Dennis Northcutt gave Cleveland a short field again on its final scoring drive. He fielded a punt at his 25 and returned it 58 yards to the Oakland 17. The Browns scored four plays later.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BROWNS NOTEBOOK
Return game was big plus for Browns

Monday, October 02, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




OAKLAND, Calif. ? In a game filled with foibles and inconsistencies, the special teams were a constant force against the Oakland Raiders.
Punt returner Dennis Northcutt and kick returner Josh Cribbs combined for three returns of 53 yards or more yesterday. The returns gave the Browns great field position, and all three led to scoring drives in the 24-21 victory.
"(Coach Romeo) Crennel looked at us in the eyes and said, ?We need one today. We need more than one in the return game.? " Cribbs said. "And we got it."
Cribbs returned kicks for 65 and 53 yards in the first half, setting up the first 10 points for the Browns. Northcutt added a punt return of 58 yards, to Oakland?s 17-yard line, in the third quarter that helped Cleveland take the lead for good.
If there was anything negative that came out of the returns, it is that Cribbs and Northcutt were both tackled three times by kickers. That often garners ribbing from teammates.
"That?s the worst thing. I should be fined," Cribbs said. "We might fine ourselves."
? Bonehead play ?

Quarterback Charlie Frye nearly made the biggest mistake of the game by throwing an interception across his body to cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha in the end zone.
Cleveland led by three points with less than four minutes to go. Frye immediately knew it was a big mistake.
"It was a bonehead play by me," he said. "I know better than that. I was just trying to make a play. But I just have to know the situation."
Otherwise Frye played a solid game, throwing for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Back in action

Receiver Joe Jurevicius returned to action for the first time in three games and caught three passes for 22 yards and a touchdown. His score came in the third quarter, when he caught a 5-yard lob. He had been out because of a rib injury.
Bodden hurt

The Browns lost perhaps their most important defensive player in Leigh Bodden. The team?s starting cornerback suffered a sprained right ankle defending a pass against receiver Randy Moss in the first quarter.
Bodden returned briefly before going to the locker room for tests. He didn?t play the second half. He wore a protective boot after the game but said X-rays on his ankle were negative.
"It?s just a sprain," Bodden said. "Hopefully, with a lot of treatment I?ll be back next week."
Brownie points

Moss was held to one catch for 5 yards and a touchdown. ? The Browns allowed two sacks, both by defensive end Derrick Burgess. ? Browns defensive end Simon Fraser had the second sack of his career.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Droughns is driving force on ground

Monday, October 02, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




OAKLAND, Calif. ? The return of starting running back Reuben Droughns gave a muchneeded boost to the Browns? running game in a 24-21 win over the Oakland Raiders.
Droughns amassed 100 yards on 25 carries, his best game of the season and the first 100-yard performance for Cleveland in 11 games dating to Nov. 20.
"Any time that Reuben runs over 100 yards, I like our chances of winning," quarterback Charlie Frye said. "When they started packing the box after Reuben started running, it helped open up things outside."
Droughns did not play last week against the Baltimore Ravens because of a shoulder injury.
With Droughns churning out the yards, the Browns used their full complement on offense for the first time this year. Braylon Edwards (six catches, 75 yards), Kellen Winslow Jr. (three catches, 31 yards, one touchdown) and Joe Jurevicius (three catches, 22 yards, one touchdown) all made significant contributions.
Droughns helped ease some of the lingering concerns that the Browns? running game cannot return to the form it had in 2005. He had the look of the rugged running back he was the past two years, averaging 4 yards per carry and adding 24 yards receiving.
"I think I?m very capable of putting together yards again," Droughns said. "But at the same time I just got to stick with it and make sure I hold onto the ball. That?s the key."
Droughns? game came with one mishap. He had a questionable first-quarter fumble that Raiders linebacker Sam Williams returned 30 yards for a touchdown. Droughns appeared to bang the ball on the ground just before his knee touched down, but there was a question of whether the ground caused the fumble.
The Browns also used an illegal formation on the play, and their attempt to challenge the ruling was denied.
Droughns battled to overcome his injuries. He experienced cramps and banged his right shoulder in the second half and was briefly taken out of the game. The shoulder may be something to Browns will have to monitor closely all season.
"It?s going to be all right as long as I keep getting treatment," Droughns said. "It?s going to be a little bit aggravating ? but at the same time it keeps getting better every day."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Browns find one to grow on

Offense gains confidence in comeback vs. Raiders. Up next: Panthers

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

BEREA - Some Browns thought their comeback from an 18-point deficit Sunday against the Oakland Raiders was rooted in the offensive spark they found a week ago in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
But the more important issue will be the impact of matching the second-biggest rally in franchise history. (The biggest was a 20-point comeback on Dec. 4, 1966.) The Browns scored 21 unanswered points to record their first triumph of the season, a 24-21 victory over the Raiders.
``We needed it, especially because of what we did against Baltimore the week prior,'' running back Reuben Droughns said Monday. ``We needed to find a way to finish a game and be successful. A comeback like that shows you the poise of this team. We have a lot of confidence in each other. I believe we have the opportunity to feed off our success.''
Receiver Joe Jurevicius said, ``Let's hope we don't have to come from 18 down all the time. What I think we showed is some maturity, some confidence in ourselves. If we play together as a unit, this thing can get done in a positive way.''
Browns coach Romeo Crennel also was encouraged.
``I was pleased they showed the kind of character that you have to show to come back,'' he said. ``The fact that we were on the road in a hostile environment makes it a lot tougher. Our guys showed some spunk and hung together. They talked about doing the things they needed to do to make plays, and they did.''
Since the Browns (1-3) haven't won two in a row since 2003, the team will need those positives to carry over Sunday as it visits the Carolina Panthers (2-2), considered a Super Bowl contender in the preseason. Then the Browns have a bye week on Oct. 15, much needed considering the state of the team's injury-depleted secondary that added cornerback Leigh Bodden to the list.
``As far as going into the bye week with one win or two wins, that is a huge difference,'' right tackle Ryan Tucker said. ``If you go into a bye week with a loss, you are hitting two-a-days. If you go into it with a win, it's not so bad.
``We still have a long way to go. We aren't where we need to be. I don't know if you are ever there until you win the Super Bowl.''
The most disturbing part of Sunday's game came with 3:58 to play and the Browns at the Raiders' 6-yard line. Quarterback Charlie Frye scrambled right then threw left across the middle. Tight end Kellen Winslow and Jurevicius were in the end zone. Winslow was his intended target, but the pass was picked off by Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. Frye did the same thing against the Ravens and had a pass intercepted in the end zone with 3:21 left in a 15-14 loss.
Frye called this week's interception ``boneheaded.''
``I saw it in my head about 10 times on the plane ride last night,'' Frye said. ``Late in the game, I can't do that.
``I'm not going to stop making plays. I have to know the situations. That is something coach talked to me about on the way home. In that situation, we need points on the board to put them away. I don't want to take that chance. That's the main thing I'm taking away from that game.''
Crennel seemed to think Frye has learned his lesson.
``Last week that wasn't necessarily as much on Charlie as some other factors,'' Crennel said. ``This week it was on Charlie. Hopefully he'll learn from it. Field position and points are tough to come by. When you get to the red zone, you don't want to take points off the board by making a mistake. He's a smart enough kid, I believe he'll learn from his mistakes.''
That gaffe didn't cost Frye the respect of his teammates.
``He's a phenomenal competitor. He takes the hits and still takes charge in the huddle.... I don't care where he went to school,'' Jurevicius said.
Fullback Terrelle Smith said the Browns could easily be 3-1 after dropping close games to the New Orleans Saints and Ravens.
``I'm not putting us in Canton yet,'' Smith said. ``But if we continue to work and believe in each other, we're going to be fine. We all feel like a family, and we're getting closer and closer.''
Praising Reuben
Droughns said he was ``a little sore'' after going the distance with an injured right shoulder that caused him to miss the Ravens game. Despite a first-quarter fumble returned for a touchdown, Droughns finished with 100 yards (for the first time this season) on 25 carries.
``He was dealing with some pain,'' Crennel said. ``At times we had to rest him. He really sucked it up and had a good game for us.''
Asked why he tried to challenge the illegal formation penalty on left tackle Kevin Shaffer (which he wasn't allowed to question) rather than whether Droughns fumbled, Crennel said, ``I had information it was a fumble. They ripped it out. We would have lost that challenge.''
Brownies . . .
Crennel said he would know more Wednesday on Bodden, who turned his ankle on a first-quarter pass breakup and left the locker room Sunday in a walking boot. ``It's pretty stiff today,'' Crennel said of Bodden's ankle.... Offensive lineman Alonzo Ephraim, who was suspended for the first four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy, was waived.... Crennel on not using Winslow in the first half: ``He's not as much of an impact player when we are running the ball, and we wanted to try to run it a little more. He did make tremendous plays in the second half.''... Frye will pay up on his bet Wednesday with receiver Joshua Cribbs. That's when Frye will wear Cribbs' Kent State jersey after the Golden Flashes drubbed the University of Akron last Saturday.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

That?s one win, but No. 2 is one Crennel seeks
Tuesday, October 3, 2006

[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]SPORTS SPOTLIGHT TODD PORTER[/FONT]


BEREA - When Joe Jurevicius dived in the Oakland end zone and left forearm skin on the gravel, the veteran wide receiver hesitated just a bit when he got up.
He didn?t knock the wind out of himself. He knocked it out of a losing streak, though.
It was an impressive catch, particularly for a guy coming off a broken rib. It was the game-winner, the first of the year, and Jurevicius caught it circus-style.
And, at first, it looked like he might be hurt again.
Jurevicius didn?t come back home to sit on the sideline in street clothes. He didn?t sign with the Cleveland Browns to play for a loser, although that is what they were until Sunday at Oakland.
He didn?t reinjure his rib. He just needed a moment to pull himself together.
Bumps and bruises hurt much more after a loss.
?You?d be surprised what winning can do for you,? Jurevicius said.
Then it dawned on us.
He is absolutely right.
Of course, the Browns don?t know what winning can do. They?ve done so little of it since Romeo Crennel was hired. Not that all of it is Crennel?s fault; it?s just the truth.
In order to play like a successful team, in order to walk like one, talk like one, sleep like one and eat like one, winning has to be contagious. In Cleveland, it?s been the black plague.
So you had to like Crennel?s ho-hum attitude Monday. He was pleased with the win, but he treated it for what it was.
The Browns earned a win Sunday over the second-worst team in the league. The worst team resides across the San Francisco Bay. It was a horrible day to be a fan of either the 49ers or Raiders. The San Francisco Chronicle pronounced on its front page, ?Raiders blow lead; Niners blow everything.?
Crennel didn?t blow hyperbole Monday. His challenge this week is one he faced five times last season. Chase one win with another. It won?t be easy doing it in Carolina.
?Even if we get two straight wins, I?m not going to declare anything other than we need to win another game,? Crennel said. ?That?s the way we do it in the NFL. You go week to week, because anything can happen in this business. You see that every week. We are going to try to play our best and get a win anyway we can.?
A winning streak breeds confidence. The Browns need to win two games in a row before they can walk with a swagger.
Last month, General Manager Phil Savage talked about the importance of a winning streak. It changes a season. It changes a team. It changes the way everyone feels about the Browns, including the way their feel about themselves.
?It builds a lot for today,? Crennel said after the game. ?Now, we?ve got to go on the road again next week and try to put a good game plan together so we can get another win.?
The Oakland game was a typical screwball NFL Sunday. For a half, it seemed Cleveland was disinterested in winning. They were 0-3. They played lifeless.
?Everybody in the NFL has talent, and they have firepower,? Crennel said. ?That old clich? about any given Sunday is a true clich?.?
Any two given Sundays in a row never happened last year. Consequently, Cleveland was a run-of-the-mill team. Good teams find ways to get on a roll. It?s the last hump of turning the corner for a downtrodden franchise.
Last year, Crennel had four opportunities to go for a winning streak. Cleveland beat Green Bay on the road. The next week, it seemed the Browns were always a play away from upsetting the Colts in Indianapolis before losing, 13-6.
They beat Chicago, 20-10, then turned around and lost to Baltimore, 16-3. They beat Tennessee, 20-14, and followed that with a loss at Pittsburgh, 34-21. The thrilling 9-7 win over the Raiders a year ago preceded the Christmas Eve massacre against the Steelers.
?I?m trying to win one game right now,? Crennel said. It?s more than one game. It?s two. And it is the next big step for this franchise. Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Crennel hopeful but sees room for work
Tuesday, October 3, 2006 [FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Steve Doerschuk repository sports writer[/FONT]

Browns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius runs off the field with the ball after catching a third-quarter touchdown pass from Charlie Frye on Sunday, but fellow wide receiver Braylon Edwards reacts with a little more excitement. Cleveland gained its first win, 24-21, over the Raiders.​

BEREA - Romeo Crennel touched a lot of bases on the Monday after the Browns dug out a 24-21 win out of the dirt at Oakland.
Some of the key issues:
n Why team receptions leader Kellen Winslow Jr.?s playing time was limited, especially in the first half when he didn?t catch a pass: ?He?s not as much of an impact player when we are running the ball, and we wanted to try to run it a little more. He did make tremendous plays in the game, particularly in the second half (three catches, one for a touchdown) when everyone made plays.?
n On adjustments that helped in holding the Raiders to 59 net yards in the second half after they gained 181 in the first half: ?We didn?t change anything. We just put emphasis on executing better. If we had executed in the first half like we did in the second half, they wouldn?t have had as much yardage.?
n On first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley, who had two sacks: ?He is improving. We feel good about where he is. ... Their passing yardage wasn?t that much (46 net yards), and the quarterback rating wasn?t that good (43.6). We were somewhat effective.?
n On an injury-depleted secondary that might face Carolina without Leigh Bodden, who missed the second half at Oakland with an ankle injury: ?(Daven Holly, Antonio Perkins and Ralph Brown) have come into the game and done a reasonably good job of what we?ve asked them to do. They?ve hung in and fought. We know they aren?t going to be perfect.?
n On holding Randy Moss to one catch for 5 yards: ?We showed some coverage to him quite a bit. When the quarterback looked and saw that, maybe he took him out of the read.?
n On Sean Jones, who has two of the Browns? four interceptions and ranks second to linebacker Andra Davis in tackles: ?Sean has been pretty good. He?s playing faster and recognizing things better. There is still more he can do. He?s been effective in run support and good in the deep part of the field.?
n On Charlie Frye?s first interception on an early deep ball that came nowhere close to a streaking Braylon Edwards: ?We were anticipating one coverage, and it did something that we weren?t anticipating. In our adjustments, on both the quarterback and receiver, we didn?t make the adjustments we needed.?
n On Frye?s 22 of 32, 192-yard, two-interception, three-touchdown day: ?It was good overall. ... He did enough for us to win the game.?
n On 217 return yards featuring long returns by Joshua Cribbs and Dennis Northcutt: ?I had told them I?d like to have one return. We had three for over 50 yards. I would say they exceeded expectations.?
picking the worst spot
The Browns were in their plane after midnight. Charlie Frye was having nightmares.
?I saw it in my head about 10 times,? Frye said.
?It? was a late interception on which Frye put the ball up for grabs in the end zone. He intended it as a kill shot, one that would have provided a 31-21 lead. Instead, it let the Raiders dream they were the Ravens, who used a similar play to win at Cleveland the previous Sunday.
Frye could laugh about this nightmare. He threw three touchdown passes. His team won.
?I?m not going to stop making plays,? he said. ?That?s my mentality. As a quarterback, I have to know the situations.
?That is something that coach talked to me about on the way home. In that situation, at the end of the game, we need points on the board to put them away.
?I?m still learning.? Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Browns' corners at center

Cornerbacks Nos. 4, 5 likely to face Panthers' talented receiving duo

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

BEREA - On Sunday, the New England Patriots opened their game in Cincinnati with a nickel defense and Hank Poteat in the starting lineup.
Poteat had been signed the previous Wednesday.
The Patriots befuddled the Bengals and won.
The Browns might take heart, for this Sunday they will travel to Charlotte to play the Carolina Panthers without their top three cornerbacks -- or so it appears.
Daylon McCutcheon is out for the season with a knee injury. Gary Baxter is still sidelined with a pectoral muscle injury. And it appears unlikely that Leigh Bodden will play because of a sprained ankle that sidelined him in the first period of the Browns' win over the Oakland Raiders.
Which means that barring a miracle recovery by Bodden, the Browns will start their fourth and fifth corners against the Panthers' receiving tandem of Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson.
Bodden's loss is significant. He was the secondary's one constant. The Browns were able to adjust their defensive coverages by putting Bodden on the opposing team's best receiver: Joe Horn of the New Orleans Saints, Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals, Derrick Mason of the Baltimore Ravens and (for a time) Randy Moss of the Raiders.
That allowed the defense to play different combination coverages elsewhere.
If Bodden is out, Daven Holly and Ralph Brown will start. Combined, they have 10 starts in their careers. Brown was given the first chance to replace Baxter in the preseason, but he struggled. So Holly stepped in against Baltimore.
When Bodden went down in Oakland, Holly slid over to cover Moss, who wound up with one catch for five yards -- a touchdown when Holly had good coverage.
``I played with Randy for four years, and I don't remember a single game that he was held to one catch for five yards,'' safety Brian Russell said.
Planning certainly seems to be part of the reason for the secondary's success in Oakland.
``We were very aware where they were going to try to take shots and in what situations,'' Russell said. ``We were aware they like to go to Randy in those situations. That helps the cornerbacks in terms of confidence, and if he did make the catch, we wanted to make sure he went down.''
Moss clearly looked uninterested at times, but Holly said that's part of Moss' game. ``Everybody knows that that's Randy, but you can never say he's not going full-speed because then he'll bust out on you,'' he said.
Holly's analysis is interesting given his lack of experience. He was a seventh-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers out of the University of Cincinnati in 2005 and was cut at the end of training camp. The Chicago Bears picked him up and he played in three games before being waived in July.
The Browns signed him on Aug. 8.
On Sunday, he allowed that Moss is ``a good receiver,'' and on Wednesday he said Smith is ``pretty solid.''
He talks confidently, as if he's surprised that people expect Moss (one of the most physically talented receivers in the league) and Smith (1,563 receiving yards a year ago) to have catches against him.
``I just always had confidence,'' Holly said. ``The NFL is a hit-or-miss type of deal. Sometimes guys get drafted early who shouldn't have gotten drafted. I was one of those guys who could have gone anywhere in any round.
``I've been with a few teams, but I've learned a lot, and I didn't do anything necessarily to get released from those teams.''
Panthers coach John Fox said the Browns' formation called ``cover-two'' (two safeties deep in the middle of the field) helps inexperienced corners.
``There's ways to get around inexperience at the position,'' he said.
But there's also one key difference between the Raiders and the Panthers. Oakland was starting Andrew Walter, an inexperienced quarterback drafted in the third round a year ago.
This week, Carolina will start Jake Delhomme, who nearly quarterbacked the team to a Super Bowl title.
``It's a different challenge,'' Russell said, ``but that's what we get paid for.''
New England started with a nickel formation. When Romeo Crennel was defensive coordinator there under Bill Belichick, he lined up with one or two defensive linemen.
If he has anything up his sleeve with the Browns, Sunday might be the day to unravel it. Maybe.
``You have to run your defense,'' Russell said. ``These guys are on the team and getting an opportunity to play because they've proven they can play and make plays. You don't change your whole scheme.''
``You try to help them as best you can,'' Crennel said, ``but there's only so much a call can do for them. They still have to go play the game.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Browns notebook

Cribbs picks up award as player of the week

Kick returner picks up 118 yards on Sunday

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

BEREA - It's been a good week for Joshua Cribbs.
First, Charlie Frye has to wear a Kent State T-shirt all week. That was because Frye lost a bet to Cribbs on the outcome of last weekend's Kent State-University of Akron game.
Then Cribbs was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his 118 yards in kickoff returns against Oakland on Sunday.
The award marks a milestone of sorts for Cribbs.
He was a standout quarterback at Kent State, but went undrafted and was signed by the Browns to play wide receiver. He earned his spot on the roster as a kick returner, and this week was the best in the AFC.
``Josh has developed the ability to run at a tempo that has enough momentum to hit the seam and turn it on,'' coach Romeo Crennel said. ``Last year, his tempo was full speed all the way. If that seam wasn't where he was going, he would hit the opponents instead.
``Now, I think he has his speed under control. He still goes at a good pace, but he can adjust and get to the seam just as well.''
Secondary move
With Leigh Bodden's availability in question, the Browns signed defensive back Jereme Perry.
Crennel said the Browns had no interest in Ahmad Carroll, a former first-round pick waived by Green Bay. Carroll struggled badly in the Monday night loss to Philadelphia.
The team also did not sign ex-Brown Ray Mickens, with Crennel saying ``there are a lot of things involved when you work out guys.''
Perry said he will be ready to play Sunday if needed.
Injury report
The Browns listed 11 players on the weekly injury report -- and all are questionable.
They are Bodden (ankle), cornerback Gary Baxter (pectoral), running back Reuben Droughns (shoulder), defensive tackle Nick Eason (ankle), safety Justin Hamilton (ankle), WR Joe Jurevicius (ribs), linebacker Willie McGinest (calf), defensive end Orpheus Roye (shoulder), safety Brian Russell (elbow), receiver Travis Wilson (knee) and tight end Kellen Winslow (knee).
Baxter, Bodden, Hamilton, McGinest, Wilson and Winslow did not take part in the team portion of practice.
All were on the injury report last week, but Droughns, Jurevicius, McGinest, Roye, Russell and Winslow all played.
``We'll see what they can do,'' Crennel said. ``If they can help us, we'll use them.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

NFL
Browns secondary to face another primary challenge

Thursday, October 05, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG>


BEREA, Ohio ? The Cleveland Browns know that they got away with one last week.
With a patchwork secondary that included the team?s third-, fourthand fifth-best cornerbacks, the Browns shut out the Oakland Raiders? Randy Moss in the second half of a 24-21 victory.
This week, coach Romeo Crennel and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham need to devise another secondary scheme. With Daylon McCutcheon (knee) out for the season and Leigh Bodden (ankle) and Gary Baxter (pectoral) ailing, the Browns must travel to Carolina to face the Panthers and perennial All-Pro receiver Steve Smith.
Smith, one of the NFL?s top receivers, has been slowed by a hamstring injury. He missed the first two games but has 17 receptions for 199 yards in the past two games.
There is little reason to believe Smith will not have a big game against the Browns. He could face replacements Davin Holly, Ralph Brown and Antonio Perkins. Holly and Perkins have a combined 10 games of experience between them. Brown is a seventh-year veteran in his first year in Cleveland. He has yet to start.
There is a chance that Baxter and/or Bodden could tough it out this week, raising the question of whether a starter at reduced strength helps the team more than a backup at full strength.
"I know this is a game that (Smith) is looking forward to and I know he?s excited about it," Holly said. "But one thing he knows is, with what we do in the secondary, he?s going to have to come and play his best game as well. This is not going to be a rollover game for him."
Smith downplayed the potential mismatches.
"I don?t get wide-eyed because they?re down or aren?t down," he said. "I come here, whether it?s home or away, and I get wide-eyed just being out there on the field. So whoever is out there, they feel confident in those guys just like my team feels confident in me."
Smith has been the biggest cog in Carolina?s success the past few seasons. He put up MVP numbers in 2005, catching 103 passes for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Panthers are 0-2 this year without him and 2-0 with him.
Smith?s presence, even when he is less than 100 percent, changes Carolina?s offense by opening lanes for running backs DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams and allowing Keyshawn Johnson, who leads the team in receptions, to slide back into his role as the No. 2 receiver.
"Keyshawn is making plays, but he doesn?t run as fast as Smith does," Crennel said.
"I think (quarterback Jake) Delhomme has a great relationship with Steve and he knows what he brings to the table. He has the confidence that Steve will catch the ball and run after the pass. When you don?t have that, you are missing something. With Steve back, I think that will help make their offense more efficient."
[email protected]

 

[IronBuckI]

How long before we sign Ahmad Carroll? With as depleted as our secondary is, I wouldn't be surprised to see this happen. Even if he did just get used on Monday night football.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

To coaches, Peppers is salt of the earth

Panthers star is low-maintenance sack machine

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

BEREA - Browns coach Romeo Crennel stopped, shook his head, smiled and leaned forward.
``That guy... '' Crennel said. ``He's phenomenal.''
``That guy'' will be across the field on Sunday when the Browns face the Carolina Panthers.
``That guy'' is acknowledged as one of the best players in the league.
``That guy'' eschews publicity and celebrations to just play.
``That guy'' has the respect of just about everybody in the Browns' locker room.
``Dude is unbelievable, man,'' fullback Terrelle Smith.
And Panthers coach John Fox added: ``Probably the lowest maintenance star that I've ever been around.''
The accolades belong to Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, who will be Ryan Tucker's challenge Sunday.
Peppers has five sacks in the Panthers' first four games. Three came against the Minnesota Vikings in the second game of the season.
He also has hit the opposing quarterback seven times, knocked down two passes and forced a fumble. Since being the second overall pick in the 2002 draft, Peppers has amassed 40 ? sacks, forced 13 fumbles and intercepted three passes.
But it's things that don't appear on the stat sheet that earn Peppers the respect of his peers.
``When balls are run away from him, he will be making the tackle on the other sideline,'' Crennel said. ``That says a lot about a defensive player.''
Smith was more succinct: ``He caught Warrick Dunn from the backside.''
Smith watched on film as Peppers burst between two blockers and ran to the other sideline to knock Dunn, the swift Atlanta Falcons back, out of bounds.
``It's unbelievable,'' Smith said. ``It's unheard of.''
``He does phenomenal things on the field,'' Fox said. ``Anyone who spends a lot of time watching the games and tapes, these things go unnoticed. The people in the business know how special he is.''
Peppers does it with fanfare -- nobody as good as he is goes unnoticed -- but he does not bring fanfare on himself.
``In this game of football, there are some guys who are coaches' players,'' Crennel said. ``They don't complain and they go out there and do their job even though they might have star quality.
``They don't take advantage of it, and Peppers may be one of those guys. From a coaching standpoint, that's good to have -- particularly in today's market.
``To know there is a guy who doesn't want to be pampered or want the attention and just wants to play the game... that's a good thing.''
Crennel has coached a lot of guys, but he had to pause when he was asked if he could remember if he had coached a low-maintenance superstar.
Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor's name was brought up.
``He was low maintenance on Sunday,'' Crennel said with a laugh.
Browns linebacker Willie McGinest has some of those qualities now.
``There's not much maintenance with him,'' Crennel said. ``There might have been a little bit more earlier.''
With Peppers, there never has been.
``He just plays, and he's a cool, mellow guy,'' Smith said. ``He's a mellow superstar.
``If I was a superstar, that's how I'd try to be.''
The Panthers try to take advantage of Peppers' speed by lining him up wider than most defensive ends.
The Panthers plug the middle with defensive tackles Maake Kemoeatu and Kris Jenkins, then bring pressure from outside with Peppers and defensive end Mike Rucker.
``They have a pretty vanilla defense, and they are not going to try to do a lot of things schematically like some of the other teams we have faced,'' guard Cosey Coleman said. ``It's going to be a physical game, and we have to bring it to the yard.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Browns notebook

Looks like a cheap shot to Panthers' Steve Smith

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

BEREA - Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith was the recipient of what looked like a cheap shot in Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.
Smith ran a pass route away from the play, and Saints linebacker Scott Fujita fell into Smith's knee.
Smith went down, but was not injured.
Were it not for Albert Haynesworth, Fujita might have been front-page news.
Fujita said he slipped, but Smith, speaking on a conference call, wondered how a good athlete like Fujita could slip the way he did.
``Whatever the league drops down is what he has to deal with,'' Smith said. ``If they don't drop down anything, there is nothing I can do.
``I'm not going to rant and rave and say all of these things because I wasn't injured. I'm fine and that is the only thing I am really worried about.''
In the boot
Cornerback Leigh Bodden was still wearing a boot on his sprained ankle during the early part of Thursday's practice.
Bodden appears unlikely to play Sunday.
Cornerback Gary Baxter, though, was dressed and took part in some of practice.
``When he's ready to play, we'll put him out there,'' Browns coach Romeo Crennel said.
Both were listed as questionable on the injury report.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BROWNS NOTEBOOK
Coaches want Frye to reduce negative plays

Friday, October 06, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




BEREA, Ohio ? Charlie Frye plays aggressively and takes chances. He has been that way since he was a kid and played backyard football at his parents? home.
With aggressiveness, however, comes a tendency for turnovers. Frye has eight touchdowns (five passing, three running) in four games but also has nine turnovers (seven interceptions, two fumbles).
The coaching staff is trying to work with the second-year quarterback to cut down the negative plays while keeping his big-play ability.
"When you win, then you can point out the mistakes and that constructive criticism is taken in a different light," coach Romeo Crennel said.
"For instance, in the Raiders game, he threw the ball back across his body and got it intercepted. We can coach off of that in a constructive manner, whereas if they intercepted the ball and ran it back for a touchdown ? it?s more of a negative play because we lost the game."
Slow starters

The Browns have been outscored 27-3 in the first quarter, a key reason they are 1-3. Cleveland trailed by 18 against Oakland before scoring 21 straight points.
"That is something that Coach emphasized in the team meeting," Frye said. "We need to try not to dig a hole that we have to come back all of the time."
Williams watch

The Browns were interested in drafting running back DeAngelo Williams, now a rookie with the Carolina Panthers, in April.
Williams impressed Cleveland during interviews at the combine in February, and finding a third-down running back was a priority for the Browns.
Williams appeared to be a good fit, but the Browns passed on him in the first round and filled a larger need, taking linebacker Kamerion Wimbley.
Carolina snatched Williams late in the first round, and he is playing well as a reserve. He has gained 135 yards on 25 carries for a 5.4-yard average.
"He was in the discussion," Crennel said. "Coming out of college he was a very productive guy.
"He is on the small side, and that?s probably a drawback that some teams looked at. He has good feet, he can catch the ball, he has quickness and he runs with good effort and vision. He has a lot of the things you look at in a running back."
[email protected]