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CPD
Titanic mismatch: Browns muster little threat to powerful Tennessee in 28-9 loss
by Tony Grossi/Plain Dealer Reporter Sunday December 07, 2008, 7:00 PM
Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerThe Browns' Jamal Lewis is folded into an uncomfortable position aby Tennessee's David Thonrton (50) and Stephen Tullock for a 2 yard gain on a pass play Sunday in Nashville.
NASHVILLE -- Three more weeks of this? Three more games of offensive futility and defensive breakdowns, preceded by endless speculation about Bill Cowher, Marty Schottenheimer and anyone else who's been an NFL head coach marching in to the rescue.
Who stays? Who goes? Who's playing quarterback? Will they or won't they quit?
"This is the worst year of my life," a Browns official said on Sunday.
That was before the Browns were trampled in LP Field by running backs Chris Johnson and LenDale White of the Tennessee Titans, 28-9.
The Titans, who were 10-6 last year, celebrated their 12th win in 13 games and clinched the AFC South title. The Browns, who were 10-6 last year, fell to 4-9 after their third consecutive game without an offensive touchdown.
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CPD
Browns Insider: Jackson's big day a big letdown
by Mary Kay Cabot/Plain Dealer Reporter Sunday December 07, 2008, 8:57 PM
Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerD'Qwell Jackson (52) and Brandon McDonald struggle to pull down Tennessee tight end Alge Crumpler after a second-quarter reception.
NASHVILLE -- D'Qwell Jackson played his finest game as a pro, but it was overshadowed by the Browns' third straight loss, a 28-9 rout by the Titans. Jackson had a career-high two interceptions, a game-high 15 tackles, one tackle for a loss and three passes defensed. "I would definitely have to say it was my best game as a pro," said Jackson, who never had two picks at any level, including Pop Warner. "But in the end, it really doesn't matter."
Jackson said the team is still laying it on the line, but "if 53 guys aren't satisfied at the end, you feel like you're the Lone Ranger if you do have a good game."
Jackson let his first chance at an interception on a deep ball sail through his hands in the first quarter, but made up for it with his first one on the next drive.
"I felt bad about it," said Jackson. "When the game is on the line, I want to be the guy to make a play. Fortunately I was able to get two more, but it wasn't enough."
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CPD
Dorsey blames 'execution' in struggles vs. Titans
by Mary Kay Cabot/Plain Dealer Reporter Sunday December 07, 2008, 7:43 PM
Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerA long day for the Browns offense was capped by a sack of QB Ken Dorsey in the final minute of Sunday's game by the Titans' Jason Jones.
NASHVILLE -- Browns quarterback Ken Dorsey received early Christmas presents from his defense with three takeaways in his first start in more than three years, but like his two predecessors this season, he wasn't able to make the most of them. Dorsey and his struggling crew scored six points off those turnovers, on two field goals. They extended their streak to three games without a touchdown, the first time that's happened since October of 2000.
"It's definitely frustrating, because you want to go out and execute and make plays," said Dorsey, who fell to 2-9 in his career as a starter. "The defense is doing a great job of getting turnovers, and I think a lot of it was my execution."
Dorsey blamed himself for missed opportunities during Sunday's 28-9 loss to the Titans, especially after the defense gave him the ball three times inside Tennessee territory, including twice inside the 26. Specifically, he lamented not being able to get the ball to Braylon Edwards after those takeaways.
After the third one, D'Qwell Jackson's second pick of the day, Dorsey failed to connect with Edwards on four passes, including two deep balls. One was overthrown and one was caught out of bounds. The Browns settled for a field goal that made it 21-9 early in the fourth.
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CPD
Titans' attack leaves Browns smashed, dashed
by Tom Kreager, Special to The Plain Dealer Sunday December 07, 2008, 7:15 PM
Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerBrowns defenders (from left, Nick Sorenson, Eric Wright and Sean Jones) labor to keep up with Tennesses running back Chris Johnson Sunday afternoon. Johnson gained 136 yards in the Titans' 28-9 victory.
NASHVILLE -- Tennessee running backs LenDale White and Chris Johnson have picked up the nickname Smash and Dash for their respective running style. White provides the muscle; Johnson gives the speed.
Both lived up to their nicknames Sunday in the Titans' 28-9 win over Cleveland at LP Field. Johnson, a rookie from East Carolina, rushed for 136 yards on 19 carries. White finished with 99 yards on 24 carries.
"Every team knows Tennessee -- no matter if it's Smash and Dash or if it's just LenDale or just me -- we're going to run the ball," said Johnson, who went over 1,000 yards for the season in the game. "They just come in and try to stop us. That just makes us work even harder."
Both White and Johnson scored a touchdown against the Browns (4-9). White completed a 10-play, 93-yard drive when he bullied his way in for a 3-yard run to give the Titans (12-1) a 14-6 lead with 1:16 left in the first half. He put the ball across the goal line with an outstretched arm as he fell to the ground.
White had 100 rushing yards until he lost a yard on the Titans' final offensive play of the game on a fourth-and-two run at the left end.
White said he wasn't upset with missing the milestone "because we won the football game."
Johnson's score -- a 25-yard run -- showed off his speed. He bounced off the left side of the offensive line and sprinted up the Tennessee sidelines to score. Despite being a relative unknown prior to being clocked at 4.25 in the 40-yard at the NFL Combine, Johnson has bolstered the Titans' offense this season by giving it a constant big-play threat.
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CPD
In their reluctance to display some 'Flash," Browns prove how drab they really are
by Bill Livingston/Plain Dealer Columnist Sunday December 07, 2008, 6:36 PM
Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerIf Josh Cribbs seemed to be too seldom seen in the Browns offense on Sunday, you're not the only one who thought so, according to Bill Livingston.
NASHVILLE -- It is called the "Flash" package, and it contains the Browns' last glimmer of hope and interest. It speaks to the team's poverty of imagination that the coaching staff used it too rarely to be a force Sunday and too predictably to be a surprise in a drab 28-9 loss to Tennessee. Joshua Cribbs, the man whose quarterbacking career for the Kent State Golden Flashes gave the package its name, should have gotten 20 "touches" Sunday against the Titans. He got 13, but six were on kick returns. In the Flash, he got seven and six were rushes. Only one was a pass.
Still, Cribbs looked like a muleteer in the Oklahoma Land Rush, compared to the rest of the backs. He gained 24 yards on his six carries. He would fake a handoff to fullback Lawrence Vickers at the so-called "mesh point" between the two backs, then either follow Vickers' blocking or swerve the opposite way on misdirection, running for the "edge," outside the containment.
The three usual running backs, Jamal Lewis, Jerome Harrison (knocked out in the second half with a rib injury) and Jason Wright gained 10 yards on 11 carries. The Titans are simply too big and too immovable on the defensive line to move them, short of the sudden legalization of earth-grading equipment.
NFL coaches don't like to use the man who takes the shotgun snap in a trick formation as a passer because he is not a quarterback by trade. Cribbs's one pass attempt was on a simple read, a "go" route to Braylon Edwards, who could only get one foot inbounds on what was almost, but not quite, a 46-yard gain.
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CPD
Final: Titans 28, Browns 9
by Dennis Manoloff Sunday December 07, 2008, 4:11 PM
John Russell/Associated PressBrowns QB Ken Dorsey (11) is sacked for a 7-yard loss by Tennessee defensive end Jacob Ford (78) in the second quarter of Sunday's game in Nashville, Tenn.
What happened: Phil Dawson kicks 39-yard field goal with 13:30 left to pull Browns within 21-9. ... Chris Johnson's 25-yard TD run gives Titans a 28-9 lead at 8:22. Browns nuggets: On third-and-12 from Tennessee 38 at 14:57, Ken Dorsey avoids pressure and connects with Donte Stallworth for 15. It is Dorsey's best throw. ... Dorsey's long balls have way too much air under them. ... Browns fail once again to capitalize fully on good field position, settling for the Dawson field goal. ... No touchdowns since Buffalo game. ... D'Qwell Jackson delivers huge hit on Johnson, then runs smack, at 12:00. Johnson fails to get first down on third-and-short and Titans are forced to punt. ... A Darnell Dinkins hold negates 30-yard run by Josh Cribbs at 10:49. ... Browns opt not to go for it on fourth-and-1 at Cleveland 24, trailing, 21-9. What, exactly, did they have to lose? Titans then return Dave Zastudil's punt to Cleveland 25. ... Surrounded by stink, Cribbs has been fun to watch. ... Braylon Edwards almost comes down with long pass along right sideline. Replays show he might have done so. Why in the world did Romeo Crennel not challenge the ruling that Edwards failed to get both feet in? ... Browns call timeout at 1:53, for reasons known only to them. Coming out of the timeout, they had 10 players on the field. ... Incredibly, Browns stop Titans on fourth-and-short inside the 10 with 1:50 remaining. ... Joe Thomas has false start with 52 seconds left. ... Dorsey is shaken up with 18 seconds left. He remains in game. ... How much actually separates the Browns and the Lions?
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Canton
Tennessee waltzes by Cleveland
By Steve Doerschuk
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Dec 07, 2008 @ 11:55 PM
NASHVILLE ?
Sunday?s turning point wasn?t breakfast at the Sheraton Music City Hotel. The Browns? 28-9 loss to Tennessee wasn?t that distasteful.
The Browns made it from the hotel to the bus and through the charcoal fires along the Cumberland River. They warmed up on a cold day and got through a full quarter Sunday before their purpose-drained grip on what is left of 2008 was exposed.
They led 6-0 after a quarter, but were in a 14-6 hole by halftime. By 2 p.m. local time, they seemed less likely to overcome a 21-6 deficit than Dolly Parton did of winning an Olympic gymnastics medal.
They spent the fourth quarter looking not as lost as the winless Lions, but playing like a team doomed to a 4-9 record, against one that improved to 12-1.
?I?m lost for words right now,? center and captain Hank Fraley said. Enough said.
Parton, a 62-year-old native of Sevierville, Tenn., opened her country-music comeback tour in 2002, about when Ken Dorsey was last a relevant quarterback.
Dorsey, 27, made his first start in three seasons with the Browns. The word ?rust? came to mind.
The former Miami Hurricane completed 22-of-43 passes for 150 yards and a 49.6 rating. His third-quarter interception began the process of turning a loss into a trouncing.
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Canton
Cribbs is lone bright spot on Browns offense
By Todd Porter
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Dec 07, 2008 @ 11:35 PM
NASHVILLE ?
For one play, Josh Cribbs felt like he was a quarterback again at Kent State. With 8:06 left in Sunday?s game at LP Stadium and the Browns down and out against the playoff-bound Titans, Cribbs attempted his first pass.
It was a perfectly lofted pass to Braylon Edwards that was about a foot too close to the sideline. Edwards caught the pass, but came down out of bounds.
?It felt great. It felt so great,? Cribbs said of his one pass. ?I was calm in the pocket, and I felt like I was at Kent State playing (Ohio State) the year they won the championship. I delivered a good ball. ... It brought back memories.?
With their top two quarterbacks, Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, out for the season, third-stringer Ken Dorsey got his first start in more than three years. Dorsey struggled mightily.
Cribbs took seven snaps ? an eighth was erased on a penalty ? at quarterback out of Cleveland?s version of the Wildcat formation. The Browns call it the ?Flash? package, a nod to Cribbs? alma mater, the Golden Flashes.
Easily Cleveland?s most exciting player in a disappointing season, Cribbs carried the ball six times for 24 yards. He was the Browns? leading rusher.
?You definitely watch Josh play from the sideline,? linebacker D?Qwell Jackson said. ?Josh is a playmaker out there, and you have to put the ball in his hands. He?s a tough runner and hard to bring down.?
The question that was a buzz after the game was why Cribbs didn?t play more.
Part of that was due to preparation. Head Coach Romeo Crennel explained that throwing the ball is more complicated for the passer than running it.
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Canton
Dorsey dinks; Titans dunk
Browns QB held in check
By Steve Doerschuk
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Dec 08, 2008 @ 12:29 AM
Last update Dec 08, 2008 @ 12:31 AM
NASHVILLE ?
It?s three-and-out for the Browns. The season can be put to rest after games against the Eagles, Bengals and Steelers.
It?s three-and-out for Romeo Crennel. Sunday?s 28-9 loss at Tennessee wasn?t the southern comfort he needed to save his job.
Too often Sunday, it was three-and-out for an offense that struggled with Derek Anderson, struggled with Brady Quinn, and staggered against the Titans with Ken Dorsey.
?We just didn?t get it done on offense,? center Hank Fraley said.
With Dorsey needing 43 passes to produce just 150 yards, the Browns seldom kept the ball for long.
FAILED POSSESSIONS
They failed to gain a first down on six possessions, squeezed just one first down out of four other series, and produced two first downs on two other turns. They were hopelessly behind on their last series, when the annoyed the Titans faithful by calling timeouts while gaining four first downs against a prevent defense.
Yet, Dorsey remained upbeat afterward, seeming eager to start a Monday night game at Philadelphia.
?I felt OK,? Dorsey said. ?I just tried to make quick, efficient decisions. At times I was a little too quick. At times I wasn?t efficient enough. At times I felt good about what I was doing.?
ELITE PASS-RUSHERS
The Titans, an elite pass-rushing team, sacked Dorsey just once but applied steady pressure.
?Dorsey kept fighting and tried to get some things done,? Head Coach Romeo Crennel said, ?but their rush was pretty effective.
?They had hands in his face, got hands on the ball.
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Canton
Browns' Jackson has 2 picks, but he'd rather choose a win
By Steve Doerschuk
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Dec 08, 2008 @ 12:35 AM
NASHVILLE ?
Here?s how bad it was for the Browns? offense Sunday.
Through three quarters, they had 106 yards in offense. D?Qwell Jackson caught two passes. Dont? Stallworth caught none.
Jackson is a linebacker. His catches were interceptions. Stallworth was signed to provide wideout excitement behind Braylon Edwards. His catches are supposed to exist.
Jackson provided much of what excitement there was in Sunday?s 28-9 loss to the Titans.
On Tennessee?s first series, he stuffed running back LenDale White for no gain and nearly intercepted a pass on the next play.
?That ball went through my hands,? he said. ?I felt bad about it. I want to be the guy ... if we need a big play, I want to be that guy.?
That led to a punt, but the Browns quickly punted. Titans quarterback Kerry Collins passed on first down, and this time, Jackson made that play.
?I had the seam in the flat,? the 25-year-old linebacker said. ?I read the quarterback and was able to get a hand on it. I was fortunate, because the ball landed right in my hands.?
The Browns took over on the Tennessee 25 but couldn?t budge, settling for a field goal and a 6-0 lead.
The defense made sops on three of Tennessee?s first four series before the Titans went into overdrive.
?My hat goes off to them,? Jackson said. ?We knew what they were going to do, but they stayed committed to running the ball.?
The Browns were still in the game when Jackson made his second interception, in Titans territory, late in the third quarter. The offense could muster only a field goal, though, making it 21-9.
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Canton
Browns Notebook
By Steve Doerschuk
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Dec 08, 2008 @ 12:37 AM
NASHVILLE ?
Stalled and flagged
Dont? Stallworth wound up with one catch in the fourth quarter. He had 46 catches for 697 yards with the Patriots in 2007. He has 14 catches (seventh on the team) for 141 yards with the 2008 Browns.
Stallworth tackled safety Mike Griffin during the latter?s interception return in the third quarter. He was nailed for a personal foul.
?I?m not a tackler,? Stallworth said. ?I saw the guy and dove for him. The official told me I led with my helmet.?
Stallworth said he had never been called for such a penalty in seven NFL seasons.
Goose-egg cracks
Through one quarter Sunday, Cleveland?s defense had gone eight straight quarters without allowing a touchdown.
The Titans burned the Browns for a 28-yard TD on fourth-and-1 in the second quarter to end the streak.
Even at that, the defense had a nice game going in the first half, forcing two punts and picking off a pass on three other series.
The improvement of the defense got lost, though, in another miserable day of offense, and ultimately a collapse of the run defense.
The Browns? offense has not scored a touchdown in the last three games. Their last TD was Jerome Harrison?s 72-yard run in the fourth quarter at Buffalo on Nov. 17.
Four groaners
The Browns have given up key third-and-longs all year. They got burned right away Sunday, allowing a 17-yard sweep by Chris Johnson on third-and-16.
Trailing 14-6 and about to take over midfield after a punt, the Browns instead started inside their own 40 after a penalty. It was yardage Ken Dorsey (77 yards in the first-half offense) could not afford to lose.
Tennessee was buried at third-and-26 in the third quarter when cornerback Brandon McDonald was nailed for a hands-to-the-face penalty. The Titans got an automatic first down.
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Canton
Browns Pointing Out
By Staff reports
Posted Dec 07, 2008 @ 11:43 PM
Last update Dec 08, 2008 @ 12:43 AM
NASHVILLE ?
X-BOX
A hidden factor that influenced Sunday?s game.
The setting The Browns were nursing an early 3-0 lead and had visions of stunning the Titans with a touchdown drive. A 29-yard pass interference call involving Braylon Edwards fast-forwarded them into Tennessee territory.
The next play Joshua Cribbs took a direct snap and nearly broke a long run.. As it was, he gave the Browns 7 yards and a favorable second-and-3 situation.
The X-factor Ken Dorsey returned to quarterback on the next play, fumbling the snap and losing a yard.
The fallout The Browns wound up punting and losing continuity.
STEVE DOERSCHUK
THEY LOST
IT HERE
As if the Browns were legitimately in the game, but they had no chance after Ken Dorsey?s interception in the third quarter. Down 14-6, the Browns were still in a one-possession game. When Dorsey was picked off by Michael Griffin, it set up the Titans first-and-10 from the Cleveland 11. Two plays later, Kerry Collins and Justin Cage connected and showed the Browns what the QB-WR communication should look like. Gage beat Eric Wright in the end zone, and Wright complained there was contact. It was a savvy move by Gage, and Tennessee led 21-6 with ? yawn ? 11:46 left in the THIRD QUARTER.
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