Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[osugrad21]

CPD

Once more, Bills get their fill of Phil: Dawson's career best rescues the Browns

by Mary Kay Cabot Tuesday November 18, 2008, 1:28 AM

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerPhil Dawson's career-best 56-yard field goal narrowly misses the arm of Buffalo's Marcus Stroud on its way through the goal posts Monday night.


ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- What could Phil Dawson possibly do for an encore after his 49-yarder in the snowbowl vs. Buffalo last year? How about a career-long, 56-yard game-winner with 1:39 remaining to beat the Bills on Monday night football?
"It was amazing because we won the game," said Dawson. "I just want to make the kicks to help the team win. To see the happiness on my teammates' faces makes it all worthwhile."
Dawson, who made five field goals including the 200th of his career, was thrilled to help get the monkey of his 4-6 team's back.
"We finished!" he said. "Who says we can't finish? Hopefully it will be the first of many to come."

He also felt for Bills kicker Rian Lindell, who pushed his game-winning attempt wide right with 38 seconds remaining.
"We've all been there," said Dawson, who had the wind on his side at the end. "He's a great kicker and he'll come back from that."
Dawson said the 56-yarder was beyond his limit, "but at the end with the game on the line you go for it," he said. "I gave Romeo the nod and he had the confidence in me to do it. It was spur of the moment."

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Terry Pluto's scribbles from Browns-Bills

by Terry Pluto Monday November 17, 2008, 10:17 PM


ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. --- Why can't the Browns tackle better? OK, part of the reason is the lack of speed on defense, especially at linebacker. Andra Davis and Willie McGinest are smart enough to read the plays, but not fast enough to get to the right spots. The only linebacker making progress this season is D'Qwell Jackson. Kamerion Wimbley just doesn't have the spark of his 2006 rookie season.

With Sean Jones hurting this season -- first knee surgery, then an ankle injury that knocked him out of the game in the second quarter -- the Browns lack a big hitter in the secondary. Brandon McDonald bounced back from his nightmare in the 34-30 loss to Denver to play reasonably well, but like most of the Browns, he missed some tackles, too.
I write off most of Jones' concerns about playing time and his knee issues to a guy in the final year of his contract worrying about what kind of deal will be waiting for him at the end of the season. The fact is Jones had played every snap in the previous four games before Monday night at Buffalo. And he did miss the previous four games due to knee surgery.
This has been a difficult year for Jones, who worked hard to come back fast from the knee surgery. He's probably not 100 percent. He has not made as many big tackles and heading into Buffalo, he had not intercepted a pass. Last season, he picked off five. The Browns will have to decide how much is due to the injury, and if they can find anyone better -- because safety is a key spot and the Browns have no other possible starters other than Brodney Pool and Jones.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Edwards makes an impact once again; eight catches keep offense moving vs. Bills

by Dennis Manoloff Tuesday November 18, 2008, 12:50 AM

Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerBraylon Edwards hangs onto a first down catch in the second quarter Monday night, after taking a hit from Buffalo's Terrence McGee.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Monday night did not start well for Braylon Edwards. He dropped a Brady Quinn pass near the Buffalo 5 with 9:38 left in the first quarter. Edwards did not let the drop bother him, finishing with eight catches for 104 yards in the Browns' 29-27 victory over the Bills in Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The next-best reception total for a Brown was three, by Kellen Winslow Jr. Brady Quinn went 14-of-36 for 185 yards.
"I just try to make the plays I can," Edwards said. "There were still plays I could have made. You've got to keep grinding."

Edwards tied a career-best for receptions in a game. He had eight four previous times, the last coming at Cincinnati on Dec. 23, 2007.
"The way they played their defense, Brady and I were able to take advantage of some things," Edwards said. "He made some good reads and I was able to work off that."
On the Monday night stage, Edwards rebounded from one of his quieter performances. He caught one pass for 15 yards in a loss to Denver in Cleveland.
"Braylon did a good job," Winslow said. "I've got to look at the film, but obviously he made some plays for us. That's what we ask him to do. That's what we ask everybody to do."
A 12-yard reception proved huge late in the fourth quarter. On first down from the Browns 33 with 2:18 left, Quinn found Edwards along the right sideline. Two plays later, Quinn connected with Winslow for 16 yards. The Browns gained nothing more before Phil Dawson kicked a 56-yard field goal to give the Browns a 29-27 lead.

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Tony Grossi's edge in Browns-Bills

by Tony Grossi Tuesday November 18, 2008, 12:28 AM


OFFENSE: Brady Quinn, Braylon Edwards and the rest of the Browns showed some resiliency in moving the ball just far enough on the last drive to give Phil Dawson the chance to win it. Edwards rebounded after a bad first quarter for eight catches and a season-high 104 yards. Quinn didn't have a great night, but he remained calm in the face of adversity. EDGE: Browns.
DEFENSE: Yes, the Browns had four defensive turnovers. But they had one of the worst tackling exhibitions ever witnessed in an NFL game. It's incomprehensible that they could tackle so poorly after not playing in 11 days. EDGE: Bills.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Far from flawless, Quinn still gave a sense of poise to Browns offense in victory

by Terry Pluto Tuesday November 18, 2008, 12:20 AM


ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Who knows if Brady Quinn will develop into a Pro Bowl quarterback, but aren't you impressed by his poise? Don't you want to see more of him? Aren't you glad that at least Quinn gives you a reason to watch the last six games of this otherwise discouraging Browns season?
That all came to mind while watching Quinn and the Browns on this frigid night in a 29-27 victory over Buffalo. The wind was whipping hard enough to make teeth chatter and the goal posts shiver.
Yet Quinn stayed out of big trouble with no silly interceptions, few ill-advised decisions. He didn't waste timeouts because he couldn't hear the play call in the radio helmet. Or because he wasn't sure how the team was supposed to line up. Both had been problems earlier in the season.
"I'm pretty hard on myself," said Quinn. "I left a lot of points on the field."
But he didn't give points to the other team with negative plays. In his 71 passes this season, Quinn has no interceptions. He has been sacked only once. He stressed that staying away from turnovers is a smart way to give his team a chance to win, and that's so true -- especially in dismal weather conditions such as this.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Final: Browns 29, Bills 27

by Dennis Manoloff Monday November 17, 2008, 11:55 PM


What happened: Jerome Harrison scored on a 72-yard run to give the Browns a 23-13 lead. It came on the first play of the fourth quarter (14:47). ... Leodis McKelvin, already having a big game, returned ensuing kickoff 98 yards to make it 23-20. ... Phil Dawson's 22-yard field goal gave Browns a 26-20 lead with 11:32 left. Browns only managed three points after first-and-goal at 9. ... Trent Edwards' 1-yard sneak with 2:25 gave Bills a 27-26 lead. ... Dawson kicked a 56-yard field goal with 1:39 left to give Browns a 29-27 lead. ... Rian Lindell missed a 47-yard field goal with less than one minute left.
Browns nuggets: Harrison took a pitch left, cut back through the line and sprinted untouched for most of the 72 yards. ... Kawika Mitchell had a late hit out of bounds on Harrison, who had gained 9. It gave Browns ball at Bills 33. ... Brady Quinn used excellent touch to drop a pass into Harrison's lap for a long gain to Bills 9 early in quarter. ... Jason Wright has a stinger. ... Willie McGinest shut down Marshawn Lynch on third-down dumpoff with eight minutes left. ... At 6:56, Mitchell again came in untouched and hit Quinn as he threw. A diving Ko Simpson was ruled to have intercepted, but Browns coach Romeo Crennel challenged that the ball hit the ground. The replay officials agreed. Cleveland retained possession at its 20. ... Harrison has a hamstring injury. ... On third-and-6 at own 20, Quinn connected with Kellen Winslow Jr. for 10 at 6:30. ... Browns' coverage units have been awful. ... Browns took over with just over two minutes left, trailing by one. ... Quinn made a terrific play to double-pump and escape pressure, then throw on target to Kellen Winslow Jr. for 16-yard gain to Buffalo 39 with 2:00 left.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns Insider: McDonald bounces back; defense tormented by tackling issues

by Mary Kay Cabot Monday November 17, 2008, 11:36 PM

Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerKamerion Wimbley is surrounded by joyous defensive teammates after intercepting a deflected Trent Edwards pass on the first play of Monday night's game.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Cornerback Brandon McDonald's benching lasted all of one play, but it was effective. McDonald returned to his starting role after Trent Edwards threw the first of three first-half interceptions on the first play of the game -- and responded with an interception of his own and a forced fumble.
Travis Daniels was on the field for that opening play, but then gave way to the embattled McDonald, who rebounded from his two poor outings.
With 3:21 left in the first quarter, McDonald swiped a pass intended for Robert Royal and returned it three yards to the Bills 12. Four plays later, Phil Dawson kicked a 33-yard field goal to increase the Browns' lead to 6-0.
Then, with 10:47 left in the third, McDonald forced running back Fred Jackson to fumble near the Browns 28 and Ahtyba Rubin recovered. Dawson went on to kick another field goal, this time a 43-yarder, to stretch the Browns' margin to 16-10.

McDonald, when told early in the week that he'd be sharing time with Daniels, vowed to rebound from his two bad games, saying, "I'm just ready to go out here Monday night and show the world what I can do. It's definitely not going to be like it was last week."

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[osugrad21]

Canton

A real kick for the Browns
Dawson drills 56-yard field goal to lift Browns
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
[email protected]

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. "Monday Night Football" wasn't exactly going to be a stroke of greatness for the Cleveland Browns, no matter how it ended. With a win, it would have been relatively all good.

What it became, a 29-27 win, was ... what? A stroke of unprecedented weirdness?

An end to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory left the Browns at 4-6 and, all things considered, deliriously happy.

Trent Edwards' touchdown sneak with 2:25 remaining left the Browns risking a third straight defeat following a lead of at least 13 points. Trailing 27-26, Phil Dawson nailed a 56-yard field goal with 1:39 left to make it 29-27.

For a while, it was a tidy little story.

Braylon Edwards was back. Brandon McDonald was back. Brady Quinn was in the winner's circle. It wasn't a great dream. But it was OK.

On a wintry night in which Buffalo's crowd first waved little white flags and at times sat frozen stiff, Romeo Crennel's seat cooled to tolerably scalding.

And if there were groaners worthy of the Raven-Bronco implosions, such as rookie Leodis McKelvin's 98-yard kickoff return, well, McKelvin only got the chance because Jerome Harrison had just lit up the Bills for a 72-yard TD.

It boiled down to an ironic moment, with the Browns taking over, up by 6, at the exact midway point of the fourth quarter.

Jamal Lewis, who spat out the word "finish" a thousand times after the Thursday night disaster against Denver, was on the field with a chance to apply the meaning.
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[osugrad21]

Canton

Wide right is quite all right with Browns
Sports Spotlight
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
BY TODD.PORTER
[email protected]

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.

The last words anyone in Buffalo ever wants to hear is wide right. On a night as cold as the way the Bills lost to the Browns on Monday night, those words echoed around Ralph Wilson Stadium ... again.

The Browns squeaked out a 29-27 win and avoided making embarrassing NFL history. You see, no team in the NFL's long history of gaffes and blunders ever did what Cleveland was on the brink of accomplishing in front of a national TV audience on "Monday Night Football."

The Browns blew a 13-point lead for the third game in a row. Only they beat a team slightly worse than they. Had Rian Lindell's 47-yard game-winning field goal attempt not slid wide right, Cleveland would have been the first team in league history to lose three consecutive games with at least a 13-point lead.

Only the Brown who has been here the longest, the man who has seen so many painful losses turn into painful seasons and then painful rebuilding processes, saved the night.

Phil Dawson had a career night. Cleveland's kicker, who's seen it all from the start, hit his 200th career field goal and then drilled four more. His 56-yarder into the bitter and frigid night air sank hearts in Buffalo. Lindell, in a game that resembled soccer more than football, had a chance to win it.

Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, on the sideline, watched another Buffalo loss go wide right.

Cleveland's offense and defense can thank Dawson today. The Browns have a sliver of hope of making the postseason. They're not out of the wild card race, but they're long shots, real long shots.

Do they deserve to be? Probably not. As bad as things are in Cleveland, they're worse in Buffalo. The Bills started the season 5-1 and then were swept by their division. Competition got better and Buffalo crashed back to earth. Romeo Crennel could be writing that book this season.

What the Browns did was scratch out a win against odds and adversity. Give them credit for that. But playoff teams, which is what we all thought Cleveland was this year, don't get just six points out of three interceptions in the first quarter.
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[osugrad21]

DDN

Winslow, Smith to have MRIs

Associated Press

Wednesday, November 19, 2008
BEREA, Ohio ? Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow will have an MRI on his right shoulder after injuring it in the closing minutes of Monday night's win over the Buffalo bills.
Winslow was hurt when he was tackled in front of Buffalo's bench while making a 16-yard reception that set up Cleveland's game-winning field goal. The five-year veteran, who has had numerous injuries during his career, was driven to the ground by Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny and came up wincing in pain.
Winslow briefly left the field but returned and was the intended receiver on an incompletion by quarterback Brady Quinn before Phil Dawson kicked a 56-yard field goal in Cleveland's 29-27 win. Winslow finished with three catches for 40 yards.
"We'll check him out and see if he'll be able to do much this week," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said.Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

McManamon: Calm, quiet kicker lets foot do talking By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist

Published on Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.: He's the quietest player on the team, and he has been with the Browns longer than any other.
He has seen all kinds of defeats, and he has been through all kinds of trials and tribulations along with his team.
But Monday night in a game that went back and forth and up and down and all around, Phil Dawson gave the Browns a badly needed win in Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Dawson drilled a 56-yard field goal with 1:39 left to give the Browns a 29-27 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
He didn't just make that long kick.
He demolished it, sending it right down the middle and well over the crossbar for a career-long
kick to remember.
It was not an easy win. The Browns gave the Bills many chances, the last when Ryan Lindell tried a game-winner from 47 yards away with 38 seconds left.
Lindell's kick missed.
Dawson's didn't.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns Insider: Winslow to undergo MRI; Shaun Rogers, Jerome Harrison earn praise

by Mary Kay Cabot/Plain Dealer Reporter Tuesday November 18, 2008, 8:26 PM

Plain Dealer FileKellen Winslow will undergo a MRI on the his right shoulder. He injured the shoulder on a 16-yard catch during Monday night's game winning drive. ? Cleveland Browns TE Winslow to get MRI on injured shoulder

Browns tight end Kellen Winslow will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder after injuring it during Monday's 29-27 victory over the Buffalo Bills. It's not the same separated shoulder that bothered him most of last season, the one he decided not to have surgically repaired in the off-season.
"We're checking him out," said coach Romeo Crennel. "We'll see if he's going to be able to do much this week."
Winslow suffered the injury after a fine 16-yard sideline catch that led to Phil Dawson's 56-yard game-winning field goal. He was tackled by linebacker Paul Posluszny and came up wincing. But he continued to play and had one more ball thrown wide of him on the drive.
Winslow, who caught three passes for 40 yards in the game, said of the game-winning field goal drive: "We were passing the ball, Buffalo was playing Cover 1 on us, it was a tough situation. Phil Dawson is one of the best kickers in the league, and he has been for a long time. We have the utmost respect for him."
Winslow leads the Browns this season with 39 catches for 402 yards and is tied with Braylon Edwards with three touchdowns.
Smith MRI, too:
Defensive lineman Shaun Smith also will undergo an MRI on his calf muscle, suffered in the Bills game.
"He'll probably be questionable," said Crennel. "We'll see what the MRI looks like."
Others injured in the game include safety Sean Jones (ankle), running back Jason Wright (neck stinger) and running back Jerome Harrison (hamstring).

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns' costly missed tackles a concern for defensive-minded Romeo Crennel

by Mary Kay Cabot/Plain Dealer Reporter Tuesday November 18, 2008, 9:45 PM

David Duprey/AssociatedPressMarshawn Lynch (23) runs for a touchdown avoiding pressure from D'Qwell Jackson (52) during the second quarter of Monday night's game. Missed tackles in key situations plagued the team throughout the game.
The misses continued on the Bills' next drive when Jackson took a direct snap on third down and bustled past Andra Davis and Mike Adams for 5 yards and a first down. Two plays later, Lynch hit the ground after a short flat pass, got up and eluded Leon Williams' high tackle attempt for a 10-yard gain to the 12. Four plays later, Lindell pulled Buffalo to within 13-10 on a 26-yard field goal. "It's probably more technique [than fatigue] because we tried to change up by rotating guys a little bit," said Crennel. "The previous two weeks, I thought [fatigue] was it, but evidently I was wrong."
The most costly misses came on a 28-yard romp by Lynch to the Browns' 1 late in the fourth quarter. On that play, Shaun Rogers nearly got him in the backfield, and then three other defenders failed to wrap up on the right side. Quarterback Trent Edwards scored on a 1-yard run to put the Bills up, 27-26, with 2:25 remaining.
"As important as the missed tackles are the extra yardage they get from the those missed tackles," said Crennel.
Crennel said it's late in the season to practice live tackling -- especially with all the Browns' bumps and bruises -- but "we put emphasis on it, we talk to them about getting in position. We do drills where you get in position to tackle without tackling the guy live.

The misses continued on the Bills' next drive when Jackson took a direct snap on third down and bustled past Andra Davis and Mike Adams for 5 yards and a first down. Two plays later, Lynch hit the ground after a short flat pass, got up and eluded Leon Williams' high tackle attempt for a 10-yard gain to the 12. Four plays later, Lindell pulled Buffalo to within 13-10 on a 26-yard field goal.
"It's probably more technique [than fatigue] because we tried to change up by rotating guys a little bit," said Crennel. "The previous two weeks, I thought [fatigue] was it, but evidently I was wrong."

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Tony Grossi's Scouting Report: Houston Texans

by Tony Grossi/Plain Dealer Reporter Tuesday November 18, 2008, 7:49 PM

Jim Mone/Associated PressTexans' quarterback Sage Rosenfels has shown the talent to win games but sabotages his efforts with turnovers.
What: Browns vs. Houston Texans. Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m., Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Record: 3-7.
Last game: Lost to Colts, 33-27, Nov. 16, in Indianapolis.
Coach: Gary Kubiak, 17-25, third year.
Series record: Browns lead, 3-2.
Last meeting: Browns won, 27-17, Nov. 25, 2007, in Cleveland.
League rankings: Offense is fifth (15th rushing, fifth passing), defense is 22nd (24th rushing, 17th passing) and turnover differential is minus-
13.
OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW
Gary Kubiak has succeeded in implementing the Denver offensive system in his third season as coach. But the production is sabotaged by a league-high 15 interceptions and the NFL's worst turnover differential. Backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels, filling in for injured Matt Schaub, is another Kelly Holcomb -- capable of throwing four touchdowns or four interceptions in any game. The turnovers have spooked Kubiak into turning over the offense to rookie feature back Steve Slaton (5.1 yards per carry) and deposed starter Ahman Green, who has re-emerged as an effective short-yardage runner. Defenses have concentrated on doubling stud receiver Andre Johnson, and that has increased the plays to tight end Owen Daniels and receiver Kevin Walter.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Bill Livingston: Brady Quinn's play is a revelation

by Bill Livingston/Plain Dealer Columnist Tuesday November 18, 2008, 6:39 PM


Brady Quinn won't be the salvation of the season. But his play is a revelation, given how long the Browns waited to use him.
Still, some perspective is necessary. Quinn's intermediate passing game carved up Denver, but that defense is the Thanksgiving bird of the NFL, ranking 29th of 32 teams.
Buffalo was ranked in the top half, barely, at 13th. But part of the Bills' defense is the Buffalo winter. Snow didn't fall, but screaming wind showed up in force. Buffalo is windier than Chicago, so complaints about the lack of deep passes by Quinn have to be tempered by the conditions.
Tuesday, when coach Romeo Crennel passed out praise for the 29-27 victory, Quinn went unmentioned until Crennel was asked about him specifically. Not to say Quinn was great. A 56-yard game-winning field goal is not exactly Frank Ryan-to-Gary Collins in the 1964 title game or even Derek Anderson-to-Braylon Edwards last season. But it was enough.
Anderson, the former incumbent, beguiled the Browns' front office in 2007, to the extent that Quinn did not get a sniff of playing with the first-teamers in this training camp. So, when national media members said Anderson "won" the job, well, not really. He won a walkover.

Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerBrady Quinn's play will not be enough to save the season, but it's does show promise for the future.
This season, Anderson faced several top-five-ranked defenses -- Pittsburgh, Baltimore twice, Washington and a team reputed to be the New York Giants, although it didn't play like the Super Bowl champions. It seemed in a quirky way to be only what was fair. The Browns had to learn if Anderson was for real or if he was a flash in the pan. He turned out to be the latter, and on the order of Kelly Holcomb in the Pittsburgh playoff game in early 2003. The problem was that Anderson's flash sparkled far longer than Holcomb's because the fuel that fed it was the combustible opposition of some of the NFL's poorest teams.
The Browns stumbled to a 3-5 first half this year. A golden opportunity passed to bench Anderson in the bye week before the team thought to be the Giants showed up. Anderson's roller-coaster season after that unlikely victory ended, as roller coasters do, on the bottom. In this case, the reference is literal, for Anderson landed on his butt after throwing the screen pass from hell against Baltimore in his last start.

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