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CPD
More pain for the Browns: Anderson injured as Colts triumph in defensive duel
by Tony Grossi/Plain Dealer Reporter Sunday November 30, 2008, 7:17 PM
John Kuntz/The Plain DealerDerek Anderson writhes in pain after being sacked in the final minutes of Sunday's game by the Colts' Robert Mathis. Anderson suffered an injury to his left knee that will be determined on Monday and could end his season.
CLEVELAND --- Can it get worse for the Browns? It did on Sunday in the last minutes of a 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Quarterback Derek Anderson, seeking to salvage his Browns career or open new doors elsewhere over the last five games, suffered a ligament injury to his left knee with 1:07 to play on a sack by Colts end Robert Mathis.
Anderson said he felt "burn and pain" and will get a thorough examination Monday. At the very least, he knows his medial collateral ligament is sprained.
"I'm not encouraged by the way he came off the field," said coach Romeo Crennel.
The Browns are 4-8 after losing for the sixth time in seven home games. This is how regimes come tumbling down -- in an avalanche of losses, off-field embarrassments and quarterback injuries. Brady Quinn's done for the year. Now probably Anderson.
Even before the game, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported it would take "a miracle finish" for Crennel to save his job. Make that a miracle times two.
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CPD
Browns Insider: Ankle injury knocks out Winslow; defense takes heart in holding down Colts
by Mary Kay Cabot/Plain Dealer Reporter Sunday November 30, 2008, 9:08 PM
John Kuntz/The Plain DealerKellen Winslow has this pass batted out of his hands by the Colts' Kelvin Hayden during the second quarter of Sunday's game. An ankle injury sidelined Winslow early in the second half.
CLEVELAND -- Kellen Winslow suffered a left ankle injury on the first play of the second half and didn't return to Sunday's loss to the Colts. He left the locker room in a walking boot. The tight end will undergo an MRI Monday to determine the extent of the damage, but it didn't look good after the game. Winslow was limping badly around his locker area and had crutches available. He walked out in the boot instead and Donte Stallworth walked with him to make sure he was okay.
"You guys will know soon enough," said Winslow.
Winslow caught three passes for 15 yards in the first half. With Darnell Dinkins already inactive with a high ankle sprain, rookie Martin Rucker saw his first action of the season and caught a 9-yard pass over the middle in the fourth quarter for a first down.
Rucker had been inactive for all but one of the previous 11 games, but did not play in that game, against Jacksonville. Now, the rookie will get a chance to show what he can do.
Cribbs on QB: Josh Cribbs might move up to the No. 2 QB role behind Ken Dorsey this week. The only other quarterback on the roster is rookie Richard Bartel, who's on the practice squad.
"If anything happens to [Dorsey], I'll be ready," said Cribbs. "It will be an emergency only. I'm just a player. A blue collar guy on the team.
"I'll probably take a few more snaps just in case. But my role won't change. I'll keep working on special teams and offense and continue to do my job."
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CPD
Browns QB Anderson heard the jeers after injury
by Mary Kay Cabot/Plain Dealer Reporter Sunday November 30, 2008, 8:31 PM
Tracy Boulian/The Plain DealerAs Derek Anderson was helped off the field following his knee injury late in the fourth quarter Sunday afternoon, the oft-maligned Browns quarterback said he could hear some fans cheering his misfortune.
In what could be an unceremonious ending to his Browns career, Derek Anderson heard Browns fans cheering when the quarterback went down in the fourth quarter with a damaged left knee ligament that will probably end his season. "They were cheering the fact that I was hurt," said Anderson after the 10-6 loss to the Colts. "They don't like me. That's well known."
The cheering was not lost on his teammates, who were upset by it. One said it was his lowest point in Cleveland Browns Stadium.
"We care about each other and that was very disappointing," said receiver Josh Cribbs, who could serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind Ken Dorsey next week in Tennesee. "We love our fans, but that just wasn't needed. Hopefully Derek isn't hurt too bad and he'll get back and they can cheer for him the next game."
Anderson suffered the injury with 1:07 remaining when end Robert Mathis beat right tackle Kevin Shaffer on a bull rush for a 10-yard sack. Shaffer's momentum knocked his helmet into Anderson's left knee and then Mathis grabbed Anderson's leg and brought him down.
"I don't remember making any contact," said Shaffer. "I just saw him laying there and knew something was up."
Anderson winced and collapsed when he tried to stand up. He had to be helped off the field by two trainers and was checked on the sidelines. Then he made the long, slow trek to the locker room, propped up by the trainers and limping badly.
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A grateful Manning lauds Colts' defensive work
by Dennis Manoloff/Plain Dealer Reporter Sunday November 30, 2008, 6:38 PM
Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerPeyton Manning (left) tries unsuccessfully to sneak across the goal line for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half Sunday afternoon at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Manning eventually fumbled on the fourth-down play, and the Browns went into halftime with a 6-3 lead.
CLEVELAND -- Asked to assess his performance Sunday afternoon, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning sighed. "I'm sure I could," he said, "but I'd rather not."
Understandable.
Manning, a future Hall of Famer, turned in a clunker -- and Indianapolis still won. He threw for a season-low 125 yards and zero touchdowns in the Colts' 10-6 victory at Cleveland Browns Stadium. He was intercepted twice.
Manning's previous low for yards this season was 216, in a third-game loss to Jacksonville.
The Colts won their fifth straight despite Manning's 46.8 rating, which missed being his season's low by .2. His rating through 12 games is 85.3.
All Manning and the mighty Colts offense managed was an Adam Vinatieri field goal in the first quarter. The defense -- specifically, linemen Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis -- provided the bailout. Mathis returned a fumble, off a Freeney sack, for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it 10-6.
"Our defense won the game for us," Manning said. "Today was the defense's day to step up and make plays. That's why you win as a team.
"We had chances to do some things offensively and just didn't do a good enough job. We still won, but probably didn't play winning offensive football. You score three points, that's not good enough. We need to play much better next week."
Manning missed on just six passes, going 15-of-21, but managed a long of 17, to Dallas Clark. Dangerous Reggie Wayne led the Colts with four catches for 46 yards. Future Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison had three for 27. Ohio State and St. Ignatius product Anthony Gonzalez caught two for 13.
The Browns' coverages were designed not to let Manning beat them over the top. The defensive backs, led by Brandon McDonald, made sure it did not happen.
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Pluto's scribbles after another Browns loss
by Terry Pluto/Plain Dealer Columnist Sunday November 30, 2008, 6:27 PM
John Kuntz/The Plain DealerJamal Lewis complained a week ago, so the Browns' veteran back got plenty of carries on Sunday, to little effect against the Colts. An apparent knee-jerk strategy to play calling is just one of the issues which frustrate Browns fans this season, says Terry Pluto.
CLEVELAND -- Since the Browns have returned in 1999, this may be the worst, most frustrating season for the fans. They came into the season with reasonable expectations of watching a playoff contender. That wasn't only a local prayer, but a prediction from the NFL and TV networks which gave them five prime-time games. Instead, the 10-6 loss to the Colts dropped the Browns to 1-6 at home. In three of those seven games, the Browns have not scored a touchdown. While coach Romeo Crennel said "the team played their hearts out," it also was a rather boring game, despite what Crennel called "a valiant effort." It's boring because the offensive game plan was designed so Derek Anderson would not take many chances, the hope being to avoid interceptions. They wanted to keep the ball on the ground, a good idea against a Colts defense vulnerable to the run. But 24 carries to Jamal Lewis, when he averaged only 3.2 yards for 77 yards and obviously was not in good form? Two carries for Jerome Harrison, none in the second half? One carry for Joshua Cribbs? The temptation is to say Lewis complained about not getting the ball last week, so they reacted by forcing the action with him. How about a few sweeps to Harrison and Cribbs? Couldn't they see Lewis struggling, when that was obvious to the fans?
If anyone in the Browns organization wants to know why the fans are so hurt and angry, it's because they feel betrayed. It goes back to the team moving -- which wasn't their fault. It goes rules being rigged against the franchise when the expansion came about in 1999. It goes back to only two winning seasons since 1999, one playoff experience (a loss). It goes back to the promise of 10-6 last season, including 7-1 at home when fans began to feel pride in the franchise and an excitement about going to the stadium. It goes directly to this season, when it seems even with the injuries, some players suffered from "The Disease of Me" as they have underachieved and not held up well under expectations.
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As the season dissolves, Cribbs remains a lone bright spot for the 'best worst' Browns
by Bill Livingston/Plain Dealer Columnist Sunday November 30, 2008, 6:01 PM
John Kuntz/The Plain DealerIndianapolis defensive end Robert Mathis scoops up the ball and returns it for a 37-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown which was the deciding moment of Sunday's 10-6 victory by the Colts over the Browns. Kevin Shaffer (77) can't bring Mathis down.
The Browns are, said Josh Cribbs, the people's newest choice to play quarterback, "the best worst team" in the NFL. It sort of says it all. A season that began with delusional fan chants of "Super Bowl! Super Bowl!" at the first practice in Berea has become a ringing statement that the team is better than the Detroit Lions and the Oakland Raiders.
"We are so good, but we can't prove it," insisted Cribbs.
Actually, they are not so good. They have proved it time and again.
They have not scored a touchdown in eight quarters, or since Brady Quinn's finger went kablooey in Buffalo, and since Derek Anderson came in from the bullpen like Joe Borowski in relief of Quinn against Houston, and since Anderson limped off with a knee injury to a ghastly chorus of cheers at Cleveland Browns Stadium Sunday in the last 67 seconds of the latest best worst loss (because the defense played well), 10-6, to the Indianapolis Colts.
"We love our fans, but that just wasn't needed," said Cribbs.
The fans love Cribbs, the team's biggest sudden-strike scoring threat as a special teamer. Cribbs is also an occasional direct-snap taker in the spread formation.
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