Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Frye is feeling the heat
Some blame young QB for much of Browns? woes
Thursday, November 09, 2006
James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Browns? Charlie Frye has been sacked 29 times in just eight games this season.

BEREA, Ohio ? The grace period is over for quarterback Charlie Frye. With the Browns 2-6 this season, Frye is beginning to feel heat for the first time. But what do we really know about him? He has started just 13 NFL games, including eight this season.
The offensive line has been horrible, running back Reuben Droughns is having a down year and Frye?s receivers continually drop passes.
At the same time, Frye has held onto the ball too long, made bad decisions and has thrown interceptions in eight games.
It?s the kind of yin and yang that has the coaching staff withholding judgment on Frye. Yet many critics see the team?s losing record and channel the criticism at Frye.
"This is a tough position to play, and if I didn?t want that pressure I would have played golf or played another position in football," Frye said yesterday.
"When we win a lot of times, the quarterback gets maybe too much credit, and when we lose, we get the blame. So that?s just the nature of the game or the nature of the position, but I like that pressure."
On the positive side, Frye?s intangibles have sold the front office on his abilities. He has shown leadership ability and makes plays with his arm and feet. A 52-yard pass to Joe Jurevicius on the run against the San Diego Chargers last week was a perfect example of what Frye can do.
Frye has been sacked 29 times, but he has never complained. His scrambling has helped avoid more sacks. His toughness has allowed him to finish every game.
In addition to eight touchdown passes, Frye has three rushing touchdowns, which is one more than Droughns.
"Charlie?s a young guy and he has the most heart I?ve ever seen in a quarterback," center Hank Fraley said. "He plays hard and I think a quarterback, in my opinion, is about learning. The more you play the better you become."
Quarterbacks are ultimately judged by wins and losses, and Frye is 4-9 as a starter.
The Browns have a minus-9 turnover differential this season. Frye isn?t responsible for every turnover. At least four of his 12 interceptions this year were passes that ricocheted into the hands of defenders. But many of Frye?s turnovers have been the result of poor throws, locking onto a receiver too long or not being able to hold onto the football after a sack.
The Browns are trying to coach Frye out of those bad habits.
"He?ll have to get to the point where he has to understand and know that throwing the ball away is not a bad play, but taking a sack and fumbling the ball on a sack are bad plays," coach Romeo Crennel said.
If the offense protects better, runs the football with more consistency and stops dropping passes, the Browns could get a better read on the type of quarterback Frye can be.
But so far his supporting cast has failed him, although he remains confident things will get better.
"If you ever read a book that has a good ending, everybody goes through trials and tribulations," Frye said. "And I?m very strong-minded. Not a lot of things are going to get me down. I?m very competitive and I love playing the game of football. So I?m going to take the ups and downs, and hopefully going forward there are going to be less downs, and I?m just going to keep working."
Wrapping up

Right tackle Ryan Tucker is expected to play Sunday in Atlanta. He has missed two games because of an unspecified illness and wouldn?t reveal what was wrong with him. ? Cornerback Leigh Bodden (ankle sprain) is out for the Falcons game.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Browns still lack defense for run

Falcons, on record pace with Dunn and Vick, can exploit weakness

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

• Tucker back at tackle after 2 ?-week illness

BEREA - An adage in the NFL going back to early colonial days is that teams that run the ball and stop the run win games.
So consider the run-the-ball and stop-the-run picture in Cleveland, especially as it relates to Sunday's game between the Browns and Falcons in Atlanta.
The Falcons lead the league in rushing, averaging 205 yards a game. That figure, if maintained, would set a league record.
The Browns rank 28th in the league in rushing defense. They're giving up 142 yards a game.
That's five more yards surrendered per game than last season, when the Browns were embarrassed at being the league's 30th-ranked rushing defense.
Giving up 142 a game caught one player by surprise.
``I thought we were doing a better job,'' end Orpheus Roye said. ``That's something I'll have to really look at.''
Meanwhile, the Browns rank 31st in the league in running the ball, averaging 80.6 yards a game. In real terms, the Browns would need 2 ? games to come close to matching Atlanta's total in one.
They say stats are for losers, but sometimes stats paint a picture of a team, and the picture of the 2-6 Browns is not pretty.
The Browns' quarterback is young and developing on the fly -- or run.
The receivers are young.
The coaching staff has yet to find an offensive identity.
Two rookies start at linebacker.
The best player on the team is a punter -- again.
Yet the Browns' biggest issues are up front, both offensively and defensively.
Charlie Frye is not getting protection (the team's sack total is second-worst in the league), Reuben Droughns has no holes, and the defense has been gashed regularly in the running game.
The run-defense problems will be highlighted Sunday in Atlanta, where the Falcons have two players who have outgained Droughns. Warrick Dunn has run for 688 yards, and quarterback Michael Vick has gained 576 and averaged 8.2 yards when he runs. (Droughns has 418 yards and is averaging 3.2 yards per carry.)
Wonder what Atlanta's game plan will be.
Solutions yet to pan out
The Browns' problems stopping the run, um, run deep.
Six of eight teams have topped 100 yards on the Browns, and five have topped 150. Five backs have topped 100 yards against Cleveland this season.
``It's hard to play good defense when that happens,'' Crennel said.
The San Diego Chargers' 190 rushing yards in the 32-25 win Sunday were the latest struggle for a team that thought it had solved its run-defense issues in the offseason.
That's when the Browns signed Ted Washington to play nose tackle and Willie McGinest to play linebacker, and when they drafted Kamerion Wimbley and D'Qwell Jackson to play linebacker.
McGinest has struggled with injuries, and Washington does not seem to have made much of an impact, which always bring up questions about whether age has caught up to him. (Washington is 38.)
``We're being hit in different places,'' Crennel said.
LaDainian Tomlinson did the hitting in San Diego on Sunday, when Roye was out and the line struggled.
Four of the team's top five tacklers Sunday were defensive backs. Inside linebacker Jackson led the team with six tackles. His partner at inside linebacker, Andra Davis, had two. Those totals are too low in a scheme that relies on its inside linebackers to get to the ball.
Davis and Jackson lead the team in tackles with 67 and 66, but only three of those have been for a loss.
``It's disappointing, but I know we're a better team,'' Davis said. ``We're just giving up a lot of big plays this year.
``We'll get it cleaned up.''
Seven years of problems
Davis has to sing that refrain, but Browns fans have heard it for years.
Working backward from last season, the Browns have given up 137, 144, 132, 129, 138, 156 and 171 rushing yards per game since 1999. This season's 142 yards per game merely continues a pattern.
The new Browns failed to stop the run in their first seven years, despite changing defensive systems and coordinators. They've used high draft picks on linemen and have spent a boatload of free-agent money.
Frye said Wednesday the quarterback gets a lot of blame when the team loses, and he's right.
But the Browns won't win many games as long as they struggle to run the ball and stop the run.
Adages, after all, become adages for a reason.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Browns notebook

Tucker back at tackle after 2 ?-week illness

Nature of his undisclosed problem that sapped energy is `irrelevant,' he says; Minter to get look

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

BEREA - Tackle Ryan Tucker was working with the starting offensive line Wednesday, his first day back since he left the Browns after the loss to the Denver Broncos on Oct. 22.
Tucker's absence has been explained as an undisclosed illness. There was little elaboration Wednesday.
``It's irrelevant,'' Tucker said. ``The bottom line is I'm here with my team.''
Tucker said he never envisioned missing the rest of the season.
``It was more of a day-by-day thing, truthfully,'' he said. ``I initially got sick before that last game that I played (Denver). I tried to battle through it in that game, but it wasn't coming through.
``I didn't have any energy.''
Tucker looked none the worse for wear after his two-week absence.
``I needed to take that time,'' he said, then added regarding Sunday's game in Atlanta: ``I'm ready to roll.''
Injury report
The Browns have an injury report that stretches all the way to Atlanta.
Well, maybe Aliquippa.
Cornerback Leigh Bodden appears to be the one player who will not play. He is listed as doubtful with an ankle sprain.
The questionable list has LB Leon Williams (ankle), G Joe Andruzzi (knee), T Kelly Butler (wrist), G Cosey Coleman (knee), QB Charlie Frye (thumb), CB Daven Holly (ill), WR Joe Jurevicius (back), WR Dennis Northcutt (ribs), CB Jereme Perry (ankle), DE Orpheus Roye (hamstring), TE Kellen Winslow (knee) and LB Matt Stewart (blow to the head).
``These guys are tough, and they'll play for the most part,'' coach Romeo Crennel said.
Minter to practice
Rookie cornerback DeMario Minter started practicing this week.
Minter, a fifth-round draft pick, has been on the physically unable-to-perform list.
The Browns have 21 days to decide if they will activate him.
With three corners injured, Minter will be given a long look.
``Because of our situation, we might be inclined to add him sooner than later if he can play,'' Crennel said. ``If he gets out there and can't play, it won't do any good to move him up.''
Brownies . . .
The Detroit Lions probably erased any hope the Browns had of sneaking up on the Atlanta Falcons. The Lions upset the Falcons on Sunday. ``I don't think our team, coaches or anyone in this organization is going to overlook the Cleveland Browns, especially after what happened last week,'' cornerback DeAngelo Hall said.... Detroit's Jon Kitna threw for 321 yards and a touchdown against Atlanta.... The Falcons are giving up 243.9 yards per game passing.... Former Brown Chris Crocker starts at safety for the Falcons. He was traded from Cleveland in the offseason.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Browns: Tucker says illness ‘irrelevant’
Thursday, November 9, 2006
By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

BEREA Ryan Tucker intends to clear a path for Reuben Droughns on Sunday at Atlanta. He isn't clearing up the mystery behind the undisclosed illness that took him out of the last two games.

"It's irrelevant," the 31-year-old right tackle said. "The bottom line is, I'm here."
Tucker was out of the team complex for the better part of two weeks. Head Coach Romeo Crennel simply says Tucker had "an illness.''
The only real clue Tucker provided was citing his most recent performance against Denver on Oct. 22, when he seemed sluggish in trying to hold out rookie pass rusher Elvis Dumervil.
"I initially got sick before that game," he said. "I tried to battle through it. It just wasn't coming through.
"I didn't have any energy or anything.''
Tucker listened to the Jets and Chargers games on the radio. "I needed to take that time to recover,'' he said. "I've got everything straight. I'm 100 percent again."
Was he able to exercise while he was away?
"Absolutely," he said with a vague smile. "I conditioned in every aspect.''
Tucker was replaced by 24-year-old Kelly Butler the last two weeks, but knew he was just keeping the job warm.
"(Tucker) is a smart, physical player,'' Butler said. "He makes few mental errors. He's a great guy to be a mentor.
"He's a captain. He's outgoing. Good jokes ... fun to be around. We were all concerned about him."
Quarterback Charlie Frye is enthused about Tucker's return.
"He's one of my favorite people in the building," Frye said. "Like I said in the preseason, I think he's one of the best right tackles in the game."
Tucker is certain he will play Sunday at Atlanta. It will be his first game with Offensive Coordinator Jeff Davidson.
"The offense looks good," Tucker said. "We're kind of regressing in some aspects because there are a lot of new things going in.
"But I think the guys are excited about it. We haven't changed everything, but there are some new wrinkles."
Tucker, the second-oldest player on the offense after Joe Jurevicius, has been with the Browns since 2002. He has started 59 games for Cleveland after spending five years with the Rams.
Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail:
[email protected]

Browns report
K2 double take
Having to prepare for Kellen Winslow Jr. makes Falcons Head Coach Jim Mora flash back to his first NFL job as a Chargers assistant in 1986.
"His dad was our tight end,'' Mora said. "I've gotten to see them both, which makes me feel old."
Mora scouted the younger Winslow at a campus workout before the 2004 draft. "It was just one of the most impressive workouts I've ever witnessed," he said. "His intensity really stood out. I haven't seen him play in person yet, but watching him on film, you see the mindset, tenacity, toughness and passion.''
Winslow wasn't talking Wednesday about his latest matchup against a premier tight end. This time, it'll be Alge Crumpler, who has represented Atlanta in three straight Pro Bowls.
Winslow has 51 catches for 471 yards and three TDs. Crumpler has 30 catches for 430 yards and six TDs.
Cornerback DeAngelo Williams threw a little love to his former college rival. The Falcons drafted Williams at No. 8 in 2004, two spots after the Browns picked Winslow.
"I was telling a lot of our guys about (Winslow) today," Williams said. "I told them he's a monster ... a receiver in a tight end's body."

Pick crumbles
Crumpler was available when the Browns were up at No. 33 in the 2001 draft. Having just signed free-agent tight end Rickey Dudley, Coach Butch Davis opted for wideout Quincy Morgan. The Falcons and Bengals picked Crumpler and wideout Chad Johnson at Nos. 35 and No. 36, respectively. They have been voted to a combined six Pro Bowls.
"Alge plays with the kind of passion I admire in Kellen," Mora said.

Holly on the spot
Indications are cornerback Leigh Bodden will miss the Atlanta game with the sprained ankle that knocked him out early at San Diego. With Gary Baxter and Daylon McCutcheon on injured reserve, that means Daven Holly and Ralph Brown are the likely starters.
Holly is the Browns' No. 1 healthy corner. He talked hopefully about playing, a week after he fell ill to the extent he couldn't get ready to face the Chargers.
The Browns' injury report is full of players with nicks that may not keep them out. Coach Romeo Crennel said linebacker Willie McGinest (ankle) is "getting better." McGinest's replacement, Matt Stewart, got "hit in the head,'' Crennel said, and is questionable. Wideout Joe Jurevicius is questionable with a back problem.
There seems a good chance defensive end Orpheus Roye will return from a hamstring problem that cost him the last two games.

Extra points
• Safety Chris Crocker ranks sixth on the Falcons with 22 solo tackles; he joined the team in a March 20 trade that sent a fourth-round pick to the Browns. "He has been OK," Mora said. "He is starting to learn our stuff, and we really like him. For a guy that is not a big man, he'll throw his body in there."
• Mora on quarterback Michael Vick: "I love him on our team. I don't think I would trade him for any player in the league."
• CBS has assigned Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon to Sunday's Browns-Falcons telecast. STEVE DOERSCHUK

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

BROWNS INSIDER
Late hit on back continues QB Frye's injury problems


Thursday, November 09, 2006

Mary Kay Cabot
Plain Dealer Reporter

Charlie Frye remains on the Browns' injury report as questionable with a thumb injury, but his back might be bothering him even more right now.
Frye suffered a sore back when San Diego's Derreck Robinson drilled him after the whistle in the third quarter. The hit cost Robinson an unsportsmanlike conduct call and will probably cost him a fine by the end of the week.
Frye, slow to get up, was limping, and his offensive linemen called it a cheap shot.
"He got me pretty bad in the back, and I'm still a little sore," said Frye. "It's unfortunate that it happened, but I'm feeling better. It's just a tough situation because I was relaxed and he got me pretty good."
He said his thumb, which he banged on a helmet Friday in practice, affected him a little during the game and felt worse afterward. He said it's feeling better now.
"There were just a couple of times I thought the ball got away from me," said Frye.
He said he's up for people questioning if he's the quarterback of the future.
"This is a tough position to play," he said. "If I didn't want that pressure, I would've played golf or another position in football. I'm very strong-minded and not a lot of things are going to get me down."
He acknowledged the things he needs to work on in the second half of the season: taking fewer sacks, making fewer turnovers and not locking onto his receivers. He said the latter comes with experience.
Joe's back, too:
Receiver Joe Jurevicius took a hit to the back in the fourth quarter and is also listed as questionable, but said he'll be fine.
There was cause for concern when Jurevicius went down because his back is surgically-repaired and he had spasms in camp. "I took a helmet to it," said Jurevicius. "It's no big deal."
Holly unsure:
Cornerback Daven Holly said he's not certain he's completely over his undisclosed illness or whether he'll play in Atlanta. He's questionable but practiced Wednesday without restrictions.
"Let's hope [I'm over it]," said Holly. "I'd like to think so. I should be fine."
He said he has to be prepared to play 50-80 plays and "quite frankly, I don't know if I can do that right now."
Other injuries:
Leigh Bodden is doubtful with his high ankle sprain and has all been ruled out. . . . Fourteen other players are questionable and eight of them missed all or parts of practice Wednesday. They were Joe Andruzzi (knee), Cosey Coleman (knee), Willie McGinest (ankle), Orpheus Roye (hamstring), Matt Stewart (head), Ryan Tucker (illness), Leon Williams (ankle) and Kellen Winslow Jr. (knee). . . . Cornerback DeMario Minter (knee) practiced Wednesday, and the Browns have three weeks to decide whether or not to activate him.
Hall defends himself:
Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall defended himself against accusations by Lions center Dominic Raiola that he's a cheap-shot artist. The charges stemmed from Hall's unsportsmanlike hit on Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna last week. Raiola contended Hall also had a cheap shot on Bengals running back Rudi Johnson the week before.
"That's cheap, man. He's done that two weeks in a row now - try to hurt somebody," Raiola told the Detroit Free Press. "If he's on the field, I'm going to take his head off."
Hall said in a conference call that he made up with Kitna after the game "and I don't even know what you're talking about with comments about me trying to hurt Rudi Johnson. I don't think anybody's worried about me trying to hurt anybody. I'm 185 pounds. There's not too much hurting I can do."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4670

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Cribbs doing a good job of being Vick this week
Friday, November 10, 2006
James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

BOB SNOW MACON ( GA . ) TELEGRAPH The role of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has been played by Joshua Cribbs in practice.

BEREA, Ohio ? Joshua Cribbs is having the time of his life in practice this week.
The backup receiver and former Kent State quarterback is playing on Cleveland?s scout team, imitating the Atlanta Falcons? Michael Vick.
Cribbs? performance might very well hold the key to a Browns upset bid against the Falcons (5-3), and by all accounts, he is doing a great job emulating Vick?s unpredictable running and passing style.
A lot of people compared Cribbs with Vick in college. He had three seasons of rushing and passing for 1,000 yards for the Golden Flashes.
"They want to be able to stop Michael Vick running, and I feel that nobody can do a better job of emulating somebody of his great talent than me," Cribbs said. "Hopefully, a lot of eyebrows are being raised."
Atlanta?s strength is running the football, and stopping the run happens to be one of Cleveland?s weaknesses. The Browns (2-6) are ranked 29 th in the NFL, giving up 142.9 rushing yards per game.
Last week, Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson had a field day against Cleveland with 172 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 9.6 yards per carry.
The Falcons are capable of putting up similar numbers.
Vick and running backs Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood, a rookie, combine to average a league-leading 205.1 rushing yards. Vick leads the team with 8.2 yards per carry. Norwood averages 6.8 yards and Dunn 4.5.
Many of Dunn?s and Norwood?s yards are a product of Vick?s constant threat as a runner.
"You have to contain (Vick) on the run, because if you don?t contain him on the run he just eats up the yards and changes field position," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "He demoralizes you."
Browns backup quarterback Derek Anderson, who is 6 feet 6 and usually runs the scout team, said he tried Atlanta?s offense and tripped over himself on the first play. He had a turf burn on his lower leg to show for it.
Cribbs is more of a natural. He has made several plays with his feet and arm against the Browns? first-team defense and hopes it could lead to more opportunities to run gadget plays on offense.
But for now, Cribbs? effort in practice is helping the defense. If the Browns find a way to corral Vick, Cribbs should be one of the first players congratulated.
"I?m just being myself," Cribbs said. "Romeo called out plays like ?I want you to run this, Cribbs, just do what you do,? and I did. The defensive guys came up to me, thanking me for showing them a good look, and the coaches are like, ?Thank you, man. Thank you.? I?m always appreciative for them giving me the opportunity."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Winslow feels need to prove his worth

Browns tight end earns respect, but believes he can still play better

By Patrick McManamon

Kellen Winslow leads the league in receptions by a tight end and ranks third among all receivers.
He has played every game for the Browns and has fought through constant pain in his knee.
He has talked big and backed it up.
One would think Winslow has answered pretty much any question that lingered about his ability to play coming off nearly two missed seasons.
But Winslow feels there is much left to prove.
``I'm not even close to healthy,'' he said Friday.
Pain in his surgically repaired left knee forces Winslow to miss practice time every week. How tough is it?
``Real tough; I'm hurting right now,'' he said, standing at the team's facility.
The problem: Lingering scar tissue that Winslow said affects his speed, his burst and his ability to cut. He said he probably will require arthroscopic surgery in the offseason.
This is not unusual; players often have problem joints ``cleaned out'' once the season ends. But it's one more potential hurdle for Winslow, who broke his leg as a rookie, hurt his knee in a motorcycle accident and then was set back by a staph infection.
Winslow tore his ACL when he was thrown from the motorcycle. He also damaged other parts of his knee -- like the retinaculars, which hold the patella tendon in place. The injury left him in the Cleveland Clinic for a week, where he said his knee swelled to the size of a basketball.
The odds of returning were not rosy.
``It's all about how bad you want it,'' Winslow said.
In what is essentially his first season, Winslow is earning the respect of his teammates, who see how he shows up on Sundays, and of his opponents.
``He is a monster,'' Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall said.
Winslow has been in the news all season. He spoke up after the second game, saying the offense needed a jolt and that some of the play calling was holding back the team.
He made himself a target in San Diego when he said the week before the Chargers game that he would prove he's the best tight end in the league.
After the game, he confessed to ``just having fun with it.''
Winslow even went to Antonio Gates of the Chargers on the field to assure him he meant nothing personal.
``He was just saying that he didn't mean any harm.'' Gates said. ``It was more of a competitive thing for him. I just basically said that I'm happy that he's on the field and he can play.''
Winslow was booed every time he touched the ball and was the object of nasty chants as he left the field where his father became a hall of famer.
His response: He looked in the crowd and said, ``Wow.''
Some Falcons declined to talk about Winslow this week, but Hall said on a conference call that ``Kellen has the attitude and determination to be the best.''
Winslow, at times, has made mental errors, which might be attributed to his missed practice time. His passion, however, cannot be questioned.
``I was able to see him work out at the University of Miami when he was coming out,'' Falcons coach Jim Mora said. ``It was just one of the most impressive workouts I've ever witnessed from a college athlete. The intensity in which he approached everything he did really stood out. I haven't seen him in play in person yet, but watching him on film, you see those obvious physical traits.
``Maybe more importantly, the mindset, tenacity, toughness and passion that he brings to the game.''
``The ultimate goal is to get to the Super Bowl,'' Winslow said. ``Try to win your home games, win your division games and get to the playoffs. But at the same time in this business, you have to play well personally or your butt will be out of here.
``You got to be, not selfish,but you got to make sure you're doing your job first and foremost. And if you're doing your job first and foremost, you're going to help the team.''
Winslow sees his job as catching the ball and getting first downs. He said he wants catches, because they help the team. He'll pay attention to his numbers, but his body language during the game speaks of winning.
Commenting to the media after two games angered his coach and some of his teammates, but few from outside thought what Winslow said was wrong.
At other times, he has made remarks in the midst of interviews that show an understanding of the game.
He seemed stunned the Browns would throw a fullback option pass on third-and-inches in Carolina, and in San Diego, he shrugged off his 11 catches as part of the two-minute offense.
``That's not game-planned,'' he said. ``The game plan is plays we set up against their defense (where) they're going to try to get opportunities for me to get the ball. That wasn't the case last week, and I don't understand why.
``But that's the way it is. Obviously when the ball is in my hands, I make things happen.''
That statement summarizes Winslow: Confident to the point of brash; pointed, yet trying to walk that fine line.
Among tight ends, Winslow has 13 more catches than Tony Gonzalez, 17 more than Todd Heap, 17 more than Gates and 20 more than Jeremy Shockey.
But Gates summed up the situation for both Winslow and him by saying: ``I think at the end of the day, more people remember the guys that win than the guys who lose.''
For that reason, Winslow said when this season ends, he will be ranked behind players like Gonzalez and Gates ``just because we're in the Cleveland market.''
Meaning the team isn't winning, and the market is small.
Winslow answered quickly when asked if, given all he has been through, the first half of the 2006 season has been satisfying.
``No, not at all,'' he said.
Because?
``We're not winning.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Time is right for Edwards
Saturday, November 11, 2006
By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER


BEREA The Falcons can be had by wide receivers who are flying right. Detroit?s Roy Williams buzzed them for 138 receiving yards last Sunday.
Chad Johnson and his two Cincinnati sidekicks lit them up for 229 yards two weeks ago. The Sunday before that, Hines Ward had 171 yards.
This would be a good time for Braylon Edwards to get hot again. Last year?s No. 3 overall pick hasn?t been since a three-game stretch of 301 yards.
In four games since then, he has 13 catches for 115 yards.
He hasn?t lost much salt. That was evident Friday when he talked about the game that sent him into a slump, a three-catch, 27-yard day at Carolina.
Before the game, he made it clear he thought he could handle Carolina cornerbacks Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble. During the game, assorted Panthers, including wideouts Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson, were in Edwards? face.
Edwards hadn?t talked about that game much until sharing these thoughts Friday: ?They played a zone defense, cover two. They played a DB underneath and safety over top. In our offense, there was nothing I could do.
?I don?t take back anything I said. I still don?t think Ken Lucas is a good cornerback. ... Chris Gamble is an athlete. He does some things good ... Keyshawn and Steve Smith ... we went back and forth a little bit.
?(Johnson) dropped three passes that day. Steve Smith dropped four. For them to talk about me? If you guys are supposed to be the great veterans ... don?t drop passes.?
Edwards? choppy season includes drops of his own, two resulting in interceptions. Still, the team views Edwards as a key man in reversing fortunes.
The team is eager for Charlie Frye to show reasons it needn?t look for a new starting quarterback. Edwards approached Frye on Wednesday with a message.
?I told him, ?Just play your game. Don?t worry about making people happy. Don?t worry about trying to get this guy 100 catches. Or this guy 100 catches.?
?I said, ?The big thing for you is go through your reads like you always would and go where you think the ball should go. ... You?re the quarterback. You?re the guy.? ?
A hundred catches? Was that a dig at Kellen Winslow Jr., the tight end who is on course for 102 catches?
Maybe a little one. But it?s not as if the high first-round picks from 2004 and ?05 are at war. As Edwards conducted Friday?s interview, Winslow made like a writer and poked a recorder in Edwards? face.
The Browns haven?t had much fun on offense. Edwards said it will be hard to streamline the attack until after the season, since Jeff Davidson didn?t become coordinator until recently.
What about increased scrutiny for Frye? ?If you let the criticism bother you, then you?re not meant for this level,? Edwards said. ?This is the big show ... what you wait your whole life for. This comes with the territory.
?I don?t think it?s unfair. The big thing now is how do you respond to the criticism? Do you go into the tank about it or do you come out there and ... I?m not saying the criticism is warranted.?
Edwards flashed a smile and glanced at Frye?s locker stall.
?He?s still our guy. He?s still my boy. I still talk to him.?
?O? STANDING
One reason for the Browns? late collapse on defense was the absence of end Orpheus Roye. One reason for hope at Atlanta is Roye?s assertion that he will play. ?It?s a go,? Roye said. ?I?ll be out there playing.?
Roye is arguably the Browns? best defensive lineman of the expansion era, one reason the Browns gave him a contract extension through 2008 even though he will turn 34 before the Super Bowl.
Romeo Crennel was asked Friday whether Roye is good enough to have fit on the three Super Bowl winners he coordinated in New England.
?He would fit in with those teams,? Crennel said. ?He?s that kind of guy.?
Roye holds on to a dream of reaching a Super Bowl with the Browns.
?Anything?s possible,? he said. ?Look at Cincinnati. They weren?t winning, and they turned it around.?
EXTRA POINTS
? Linebacker Willie McGinest lined up in some team drills Friday and might be ready to return from an ankle injury.
? Right tackle Ryan Tucker remains on course to return from an undisclosed illness. ?He looked a little rusty,? Head Coach Romeo Crennel said, ?but he?s making good progress.?
? Daven Holly and Ralph Brown figure to be the starting cornerbacks Sunday. Leigh Bodden is out with an ankle injury, but Holly is likely to return from the illness that knocked him out of the San Diego game.
? Crennel on 38-year-old nose tackle Ted Washington: ?Ted, at times has done well and at other times, he hasn?t done as well as he could. It?s just up and down some.?
Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

BROWNS AT FALCONS
1 p.m. Sunday
Georgia Dome, Atlanta TV WOIO, Channel 19

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Edwards won't act as Hall monitor


Saturday, November 11, 2006

Mary Kay Cabot
Plain Dealer Reporter

Receiver Braylon Edwards is refusing to get drawn into a war of words with Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, the way he did earlier this season with Carolina Panthers cornerbacks Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas.
Hall verbally sparred with Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson two weeks ago and is in an all-out war with the Detroit Lions, especially cen ter Dominic Raiola. Raiola promised to take Hall's head off next time he plays him as retribution for a cheap shot on Lions quarterback Jon Kitna, and he accused Hall of being a cheap-shot artist.
Hall, a Pro Bowler, was fined $5,000 by the NFL on Friday for a blow to Kitna's head.
But Edwards had nothing but good things to say about Hall - a dramatic departure from several weeks ago when he provided the Panthers with bulletin-board material before the game, a 20-12 Browns loss. Edwards said he destroyed Gamble in college and that he'd try to destroy him in the game. He also described Lucas as "just a guy."
The remarks drew the ire of the Panthers, with Lucas saying Edwards had a big head and needed to be humbled. Panthers receivers Keyshawn Johnson and Steve Smith trash-talked Edwards during and after the game.
"I don't take back anything I said," said Edwards, who caught three of the eight passes thrown his way that day.
"I still don't think Ken Lucas is a good cornerback, that's just my belief. Chris Gamble is an athlete, and I think he does some things well.
"Keyshawn and Steve Smith - we went back and forth a little bit that day. But for Keyshawn to talk, I mean, he dropped three passes that day. Steve Smith dropped four. So for them to talk about me, if you guys are supposed to be the great veterans that you are, don't drop passes."
In anticipation of his matchup with Hall, Edwards has taken the high road and will let his play do the talking.
"DeAngelo Hall is a good corner," Edwards said. "He's definitely in the upper echelon - one of the top five defensive backs in the league. He's young, fast, athletic and strong."
But Edwards doesn't concede anything in the matchup.
"One-on-one, I don't believe anyone can guard me," he said.
Edwards said Lucas gloated about shutting him down in Carolina, but Edwards doesn't believe that was the case.
"They played Cover 2 [zone] on me the whole game," Edwards said. "In our offense, there was nothing I could do."
It's been the story more often than not this season for Edwards, who's tied for 48th in the NFL with 30 receptions for 439 yards and two touchdowns.
"We haven't gotten the ball to him as much as he'd like," said Browns coach Romeo Crennel. "We know he has talent and we like the way he works. We'll try to get him the ball the best we can within the game plan."
It's not that quarterback Charlie Frye hasn't tried. He's thrown to Edwards 65 times - with 35 of them uncaught.
"I'm doing what I can in the scheme," Edwards said. "With the scheme of the offense, that's kind of how it's playing out right now."
Edwards acknowledged that he and Frye aren't clicking, but said it's a function of the offense's struggles as a whole. He also said he's fine physically and didn't attribute the lack of production to his surgically repaired right knee.
"In fairness to [Frye], there are so many things going on right now - on and off the field - it's going to be hard for us to get it in unison until after the season," Edwards said.
Frye said he doesn't lack chemistry with Edwards and that "it's just a matter of finding ways to get him the ball more."
Likewise, Edwards still has faith in Frye.
"Definitely," Edwards said. "He's still my boy."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4670

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Browns can build by knocking off contenders

Sunday, November 12, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




BEREA, Ohio ? After a 2-6 start, the Cleveland Browns have little chance of making the playoffs. But that doesn?t mean they can?t find joy in sending a lot of teams packing along with them.
The Browns begin the second half of the 2006 season in the role of spoiler. They will play at least four playoff contenders the rest of way, and it starts today with a road game against the Atlanta Falcons (5-3).
This is familiar territory for the Browns, who have just one playoff appearance since reentering the NFL in 1999. But this year is perhaps more important than previous seasons because they have a young, developing quarterback in Charlie Frye and need to find out if this is the right group of players to take into 2007.
Victories in the second half will be the best assurance.
"I want to go out there and get some wins," Frye said. "The first half of the season is done and we are looking forward to the second half. ? I wish we had some more (victories), but we still have the second half of the season left."
These are nervous times in Atlanta, which makes Cleveland a more dangerous opponent today.
The Falcons are coming off a 2005 season in which they suffered one of the worst collapses in franchise history. Atlanta began the first half of last year 6-2 and pondering a Super Bowl run, only to finish the second half 2-6 and out of the playoffs.
Atlanta comes into this game with one fewer victory and after a blowout road loss to the Detroit Lions. Many Falcons fans are wondering whether the team is due for a repeat performance.
"Are (fans) kind of worried? I?m pretty sure they are, but at the same time, we aren?t worried at all," Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. "We are fortunate to be 5-3. We can?t wait to get (defensive end) John Abraham back and some other guys who are nicked up. We are going to go out and keep fighting each week. That is all we can do."
Hall believes the Falcons will benefit from some of the veteran free agents they brought in this year, such as offensive tackle Wayne Gandy and safety Lawyer Malloy. He says those players bring a certain toughness that was lacking last season and should help prevent another collapse.
The Browns, on the other hand, are simply trying to build their way up from the depths of another losing season.
Perhaps a good sign is that Cleveland showed the past two weeks, with its win over the New York Jets and close loss to the San Diego Chargers, that they will continue to fight despite its record.
"We?re trying to get over the hump and I think we are playing hard," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "We can?t get enough done at points to get over the hump and win games, (but) I think there is some improvement and I?m not discouraged."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

QB coach says he's certain Frye's got `it'

Browns' Rip Scherer happy with progress but says he knows what needs to happen

By Patrick McManamon

BEREA - Trent Dilfer had spent two weeks with Charlie Frye a year ago when he went to Browns quarterback coach Rip Scherer.
``This guy has got it,'' Dilfer told Scherer.
A year and eight games later, Scherer sees the same things in Frye that Dilfer did. In an interview Friday, Scherer said that Frye has progressed well this season and that he has no doubt that the Browns will win with Frye at quarterback.
Scherer's confidence in Frye was unwavering.
Q: Can you asses Frye's progress this season?
all part of the growing process with him.
But you couldn't ask for a more anxious, amenable guy who wants to learn, who's trying to get better, who is coachable, is teachable.
Q: Is there any way you look at him and say he's not far enough along in this area, that he's behind in some ways?
A: Probably in most ways he's further ahead. Again, I can only compare him to him. His vision, his understanding of the offense, his command with our offensive players, his leadership... he grows every week.
He sees more. He sees things well. He sees the field. It's just a matter of being in those situations and doing it and being successful doing it and gaining more confidence.
Q: People will say they don't see that when they watch the games.
A: There's 11 guys playing at one time. I think that's a factor. Obviously the quarterback always gets more credit than he deserves when things go well and he gets more blame than he deserves. You understand that. That's the nature of the position.
You look at him statistically; obviously we've thrown too many interceptions, but how many of those have hit our guys first? Or have been deflection interceptions? His percentage is not where we want it to be, but it's above 61 percent.
Q: Where would you want it to be?
A: He wants it to be at 70 (percent). Obviously we have to get the touchdown-interception ratio reversed. We try hard to do that, but at times some things happen out of your control. Very few of his interceptions -- the one against Oakland, there was one against New Orleans -- have been bad-decision interceptions. For the most part they have either been a deflected ball or a poor throw.
If he was making a lot of poor-decision interceptions, I'd really be concerned. But he's not.
Q: Does he run too much? Is he comfortable in the pocket?
A: I think he's comfortable in the pocket. A percentage of the time he's out of the pocket, he's flushed. He's doing it for a reason. What I would like to see him do, and what he'd like to do better himself, is once he's out not take the sack. We've talked about that. He realizes that.
He's trying so hard to make a play and to keep a play alive. Sometimes, as competitive as he is, it's hard to say, `Hey it's time to throw this one out of bounds and live to line up again.' Again, it's part of the maturity process.
Yet you don't want to take that competitiveness away, that same thing that everybody loved early on. It's still there. And sometimes it creates and fuels a lot of those problems.
Q: He gets hit a lot. How much more can he take?
A: He and I have talked about that. That's why he's got to ditch some of those balls. He understands that, too. The wear and tear on his body over a long period of time, it becomes a cumulative thing. It starts to affect your technique, your delivery. Again, it's part of his learning process.
And you balance that out with his fight, his desire to make a play. You don't want to take that away from him either. Because that's part of his personality. That's part of his persona as a quarterback.
Q: Are the receivers helping him in terms of precision of routes?
A: Yeah, I think they are. I don't think that's an issue. People are looking to create things, but that's not an issue. Everybody is fighting to help him.
Q: What's his next step?
A: First of all, we have to win. Second, I'd like to see him put a couple of turnover-free games back to back to back. Until last week, knock on wood, we haven't had many sack-fumbles, which we had last year. And that one (against San Diego) was kind of a fluke. His knee hit the ball.
But first of all, the whole thing is about winning. That's how the quarterback position is evaluated and he understands that.
Q: He was criticized a lot after the San Diego Chargers game. Did that catch you off guard?
A: You know, I wasn't really aware of it. I asked him about it and he wasn't aware of it. He's a mature guy and he's really even-keeled. I think he understands that's the nature of the business. When you sign on to play this position, you take that. Because when we're winning, when we start to win like we will and like he will lead us to, then he's going to get way more of the credit than he deserves. You understand that's part of it, too.
I think it's a poem by Rudyard Kipling that says you treat those two impostors both the same. That's what I try to remind him of all the time. Criticism and applause, if you get sucked into either one of them, you're going to be ruined.
Q: I noticed you say `when he wins,' not if.
A: No, no if. And I am not giving you the party line. I truly believe he will be successful. Some guys got `it' and some guys don't. He has got `it.' And he will win.''
Brownies . . .
? Cornerback continues to be a tough position for the Browns. Daylon McCutcheon had microfracture surgery on his left knee Oct. 25 in California. That surgery is delicate, but McCutcheon said doctors told him all went well.
? To match last season's 6-10 record, the Browns have to split their final eight games. Those games include trips to Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and home games against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Kansas City.
? If Reuben Droughns is going to get going, this is his month. Droughns has averaged 104 yards per game for the Denver Broncos and the Browns the past two Novembers.
? The Chargers honored past stars last Sunday in San Diego, but Kellen Winslow Sr. was not among those wearing powder blue jerseys on the field. Apparently Winslow did not leave on great terms. He's in the hall of fame, but his number is still being worn by Malcolm Floyd.
? Braylon Edwards on the criticism of Frye this week: ``It's the NFL. Guys take criticism every day. It's how you respond to that criticism.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

BROWNS SCOUTING REPORT

Browns at Falcons

Kickoff: 1 today, Georgia Dome.

Broadcast: WOIO-TV (Channel 19); WMMS (100.7-FM), WHBC (1480-AM), WONE (97.5-FM), WQKT (104.5-FM).

Records: Browns are 2-6; Falcons are 5-3.

Injury report: Browns -- CB Leigh Bodden (ankle) is out. Gs Joe Andruzzi (knee) and Cosey Coleman (knee), CB Daven Holly (ill), WR Joe Jurevicius (back), LB Willie McGinest (ankle), CB Jereme Perry (ankle), DE Orpheus Roye (hamstring), LB Matt Stewart (head), OT Ryan Tucker (illness), LB Leon Williams (ankle), TE Kellen Winslow (knee) are questionable. LB D'Qwell Jackson (ankle), WR Dennis Northcutt (ribs), QB Charlie Frye (thumb), T Kelly Butler (wrist) are probable. Falcons -- DE John Abraham (groin), CB Jason Webster (groin) are out. TE Alge Crumpler (ankle), LB Ed Hartwell (knee), DT Grady Jackson (knee), WR Ashley Lelie (groin), RB Fred McRary (knee), RB Jerius Norwood (knee), T Todd Weiner (knee), CB Jimmy Williams (ankle), CB DeAngelo Hall (hamstring) are questionable.

Key stat: 205 -- the Falcons' average rushing total per game, a figure that would set an NFL record.

Matchup to watch: Browns wide receivers vs. Falcons defensive backs. The Falcons might be without three players in their secondary. Atlanta has given up 243 yards per game before the injuries, and could be vulnerable if the Browns decide to throw the ball.

The Browns win if . . . : They keep the game close early. Atlanta's speed will pose a major problem for the Browns, and if the Browns fall behind by a large margin early, life will get tough in the dome.

McManamon's pick: The Browns might be able to score; the problem is keeping the Falcons from scoring. It would have helped the Browns greatly had the Falcons beaten the Detroit Lions, but they didn't, so it's hard to imagine the Falcons not being ready. Atlanta 34-21.

-- Patrick McManamon​

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

A season for change in Atlanta

Sunday, November 12, 2006

By STEVE DOERSCHUK


BROWNS AT FALCONS
1 p.m. today
Georgia Dome, Atlanta
TV WOIO, Channel 19
ATLANTA The autumn leaves aren?t yet in full blaze here, giving Ohioans gazing down from planes a sense of time travel.
The Buckeye-staters dressed in Brown wish they could go back ? or ahead. Anyplace but where they are, 2-6 heading into today?s game against the Falcons (5-3).
Everything was overcrowded here Saturday. The airport, the trains, Peachtree Street. The lobby at the team hotel is twice as crowded.
Oddsmakers don?t leave much room for a Cleveland victory today.
It?s the logic of a losing team butting heads with a contender whose victims include Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and whose main man, Michael Vick, usually turns on the jets in the Georgia Dome.
?It?s mainly about us right now,? said Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, speaking the way NFL players do when the opponent doesn?t mean much.
The Falcons are built for shootout games, with Vick?s dazzle offset by a defense with little sizzle past Hall, who will be playing hurt if he does at all.
The Browns? offense, though, is no sure bet to function in the face of dome noise.
The promise of coordinator Jeff Davidson?s debut against the Jets got punched in the solar plexus at San Diego.
?New guy or not, it?s still the same plays,? wideout Braylon Edwards said. ?You can?t start in the middle of the season and try to change everything. (Big) changes won?t be made until after the season.?
It helps that veteran right tackle Ryan Tucker is back after missing Davidson?s first two games with an undisclosed illness. Tucker is in his fifth year with the Browns and is on his fifth offensive coordinator (Bruce Arians, Terry Robiskie, Rob Chudzinski, Mo Carthon).
?(Davidson?s) offense looks good,? Tucker said, ?but we?re kind of regressing in some aspects of it because there are a lot of new things going in.
?But I think the guys are excited about it.?
The second half of the season seems devoid of big-picture pizzazz for Browns fans, who have little reason to believe their team can go 6-2 just to finish at 8-8.
What fun is to be had lurks in, say, the prospect of sticking it to Pittsburgh at home next Sunday.
Beating Atlanta might be an apt warmup.
A winning streak might create some good will going into 2007.
?We need to put together a string of wins for me to really even get any kind of excitement,? Edwards said. ?To win one and lose two ... that does nothing for us.?
This would be win No. 2 for the Browns against Vick. They beat him in the 2002 season finale to reach the playoffs.
The book on Vick: He changes directions faster than a politician, is more dangerous a runner than any passer in history, has a bazooka arm and sprouts a few shortcomings, one being a half foot shorter than many linemen.
No one doubts he has Hall of Fame talent.
?You?ve gotta plaster the receivers,? Browns linebacker Willie McGinest said. ?When Vick starts scrambling, you can?t just leave them. His arm is so strong he can still throw the ball 50 to 60 yards downfield while he?s scrambling.?
Vick takes off often enough.
He has more rushing yards (576) than Jamal Lewis, Deuce McAllister, Reuben Droughns and Corey Dillon, in less than half the carries (70) than, to name one, Lewis (152).
?Some schools of thought say if you can keep him the pocket and make him throw in the pocket, you?ll have a better chance,? Browns Head Coach Romeo Crennel said.
Crennel is standing by his quarterback, Charlie Frye, who fell to 4-9 as an NFL starter with a shaky performance at San Diego.
?I?m still confident in Charlie and his abilities,? Crennel said. ?I think he will be a good quarterback for us and make us a winning team. I?m confident in that.?
Frye will face one of the league?s worst pass defenses, whose problems are compounded by injuries.
?We are just blowing assignments, point blank,? Hall said.
Meanwhile, the autumn leaves are just now starting to blow around the sidewalks.
The Browns have yet to prove they can?t be trampled under foot by teams with Atlanta?s colors. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

BROWNS REPORT
Sunday, November 12, 2006


His old town
Last year at this time, Kevin Shaffer was playing left tackle in front of Falcons lefty Michael Vick. Now, Shaffer is the Browns? left tackle, blocking for righty Charlie Frye.
?With Vick, (Shaffer) was on the front side of the play,? Head Coach Romeo Crennel said. ?Mike was able to see the rush coming most of the time. With his ability, he could avoid it.
?Now, Kevin is protecting Charlie?s blind side. The quarterback is not able to see if there is a problem. That was my initial concern.?
Shaffer says it has taken time to adjust to his new team.
?I don?t feel I?m playing the best football of my career,? he said. ?I feel I?m working to that point.?
The Browns see Shaffer as a long-term solution and are certainly paying him that way (seven-year, $36 million deal).
?Shaffer has been able to hold his own against everyone we?ve played so far,? Crennel said.

Sleight of hand
Sometimes it seems Frye is wasting a split second by faking a handoff, but Crennel said play action almost always works on some level.
?Somebody on that defense will slow down and hesitate every time you play fake,? Crennel said.
How adept is Frye at fakes?
?He sells it pretty good,? Crennel said.
On another front, former Kent State QB Joshua Cribbs spent the practice week trying to sell his act as Michael Vick?s.
Shaffer, who spent four seasons with Vick, critiqued Cribbs? impersonation:
?He surprised us all. He was looking downfield, making good throws on the run.?

Extra points
n Ted Washington has been adequate rather than exceptional at nose tackle. At his age, 38, there?s no guarantee he?ll be the guy in 2007, even though his contract runs through next season. Orpheus Roye is an option if the Browns find an end to replace him on the three-man front. ?Coaches know I can play the nose,? Roye said. ?I mention it to them.?
n Eight years of living in Ohio has had an effect on the native Floridian and former Florida State standout, Roye. ?I?m gonna root for Ohio State,? he said, while ex-Buckeye Simon Fraser nodded approvingly nearby. As an aside, Roye said Rutgers looked good enough to compete with anyone in its Thursday win over Louisville.
n Crennel closed his week of news conferences by wishing good luck to high school teams still alive in the Ohio playoffs. ?Hopefully,? he said, ?one day we?ll get to the playoffs.? STEVE DOERSCHUK

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Browns at Falcons
Sunday, November 12, 2006

Kickoff 1 p.m., Georgia Dome, capacity 71,228, turf.

TV CBS (Channel 19) with Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon.
Line Falcons by 7 1⁄2.
Records Falcons 5-3, Browns 2-6.
Falcons in 2006 Won at Carolina 20-6, beat Tampa Bay 14-3, lost at New Orleans 23-3, beat Arizona 32-10, lost to New York Giants 27-14, beat Pittsburgh 41-38 in OT, won at Cincinnati 29-27, lost at Detroit 30-14.
Motor City mess Locked in a close game midway through the third quarter, the Falcons caved in at Detroit, allowing scoring drives of 60, 65 and 65 yards. The 2-6 Lions both ground it out (Kevin Jones, 110 rushing yards) and used the big play (Roy Williams, 60-yard TD catch; Jon Kitna, 320 passing yards). Michael Vick rushed for 80 yards, but had a poor passing day in the 30-14 loss.
Series Dates to 1966 ... Browns lead 9-2, including 4-1 in Atlanta ... Browns won only expansion-era meeting 24-16 on Dec. 29, 2002, to clinch playoff spot.
Browns vs. Falcons No. 31-ranked run offense (80.6 yards a game) vs. No. 12 run defense (98.9); No. 25 pass offense (173.3) vs. No. 31 pass defense (243.9).
Falcons vs. Browns No. 1 run offense (205.1) vs. No. 29 run defense (142.9); No. 30 pass offense (153.4) vs. No. 6 pass defense (181.6).
Vick-Dome-izer Michael Vick is 23-8 in the Georgia Dome, 4-5 in domes elsewhere. At one point, Vick won 15 of 17 games in domes. Starting last Nov. 13, he is 4-4 in the Georgia Dome, losing to the Packers, Bucs, Panthers and Giants.
Travels with Charlie Browns quarterback Charlie Frye is 1-3 in his road starts. It?s a bit strange that he has been sacked just nine times in those four games, while getting sacked 20 times in four home games. Frye?s completion percentage is always decent; it hasn?t been below 57.5 in any 2006 game.
Dunn vs. Droughns Falcons RB Warrick Dunn has struggled in two recent games against AFC North teams, carrying 46 times for just 126 yards (2.8 average) against the Steelers and Bengals. Browns RB Reuben Droughns has carried 76 times for 233 yards (3.1 average) in four road games.
K2?s counterpart Kellen Winslow Jr. leads Atlanta tight end Alge Crumpler 51-30 in catches. Crumpler leads Winslow 3-0 in Pro Bowls. ?Crumpler is similar to Antonio Gates,? Browns Coach Romeo Crennel said. ?He uses his big body well. Michael (Vick) likes him a lot.?
Four-sight The Browns head into consecutive home games against the Steelers, Bengals and Chiefs before playing a Thursday night game at Pittsburgh. Steve Doerschuk