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Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

Canton

Browns analysis: Browns have to start over again vs. Steelers
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
BY STEVE DOERSCHUK
[email protected]

The oldest NFL head coach sorely needs a second wind.

After getting blown away by Dallas to drop to 0-4 in season openers, Romeo Crennel seeks a revival against one of the league's youngest head coaches.

Here's one perspective on the relative experience of Crennel and Mike Tomlin, who brings the Steelers to Cleveland for an 8 p.m. kickoff Sunday:

? Crennel coached Willie McGinest on New England's Super Bowl winners in the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons and now coaches him in Cleveland.

? Tomlin was born three months and four days after McGinest.

It's easy for the Browns to seem tired after they were outgained 487-205 in yards and 30-11 in first downs against Dallas.

The Browns also were awful in last year's opener, a 34-7 loss to Pittsburgh. A week later, they pulled a thrilling performance out of the blue, out-gunning the Bengals, 51-45.

But Crennel is 0-6 against Pittsburgh, with only two games finishing closer than a touchdown.

"We have to get better," Crennel said. "It wouldn't make any difference who the opponent was, we didn't play well enough in the first game and we need to play better in the next game.

"It's the Steelers. It's a division game. There's a lot riding on it and we're going to work our behinds off to try to get ready for it."

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Canton

Steelers-Browns rivalry drifts over years
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
[email protected]

If you like balance, you've gotta love these Pittsburgh-Cleveland numbers.

The bitter regional rivalry is tied at 55 wins apiece in regular-season games. It's 57-55, Pittsburgh when playoff collisions in the 1994 and 2002 seasons are included.

For Browns fans, though, plunging into the numbers is one mighty cold dip. It's as if the rivalry drifted from Hilton Head through the Bermuda Triangle and on north to the North Titanic Sea.

Pittsburgh was a mosquito when the Browns were warbirds in the 1950s. Cleveland won 16 of its first 18 games against the Steelers.

Not that anyone noticed. Browns fans were bored with Pittsburgh by the mid-50s. While Cleveland was going to six straight NFL championship games, the Steelers were putting up 30-41-1 record.

In 1954, two weeks before the Browns whipped Detroit in an NFL title game, just 28,064 ventured to old Municipal Stadium to watch a 42-7 pasting of Pittsburgh.

Steelers football was so irrelevant before the Chuck Noll dynasty that the team press guide does not include season-by-season statistics before 1969. The Browns' big rival, Paul Brown said, was the New York Giants.

Now? Pittsburgh has won 15 of the last 17 games, including nine in a row.

The Browns' worst nightmares of the expansion era have been tinged in black and gold:

? A 43-0 loss in the Browns' NFL re-entry game in 1999.

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Canton

Cowboys owner: Browns will be all right
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
[email protected]

As the Browns filed out with their tails between their legs, Dallas Owner Jerry Jones threw them a bone.

"The Browns are a very good team," Jones said after his Cowboys made them look very inferior Sunday. "They're gonna be right there. Maybe we'll see 'em again."

The only place there could be a Cleveland-Dallas rematch is Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, on Feb. 1, in Super Bowl XLIII.

Jones, the ultimate hands-on owner ? he makes final roster decisions ? had worried about this game.

"If we had gone out there and had many three-and-outs, and they gut us a few times with their offense, which they're very capable of doing ... on their home field ... we could lose this opener," Jones said.

"I must tell you. I didn't expect to feel this good after the ball game. I'm surprised."

Jones seemed obsessed with the opener.

"We needed to win this game," he said. "We didn't need anybody holding anything back."

He could live with a rib injury to No. 1 running back Marion Barber, who rushed for 80 yards before giving way to Felix Jones, who tacked on 62.

"So we're gonna have some cartilage with Barber ... then this game was worth that," he said.

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CPD

Cleveland Browns safety Sean Jones out four weeks with knee surgery

by Mary Kay Cabot Wednesday September 10, 2008, 11:20 AM


Browns safety Sean Jones will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will miss at least several weeks.
Coach Romeo Crennel made the announcement today and said that Jones will not be placed on injured reserve and that the Browns plan to have him back this season.
Jones first suffered swelling in the knee in the preseason opener against the Jets and experienced it again the following week against the Giants. Jones sat out the final two preseason games, but suffered the swelling again after Sunday's 28-10 loss to the Cowboys.

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LitlBuck;1255398; said:
Both starting safeties might be out. This is not a good situation. Now we need DB's in addition to LB's. Also, Stallworth is very doubtful. The only positive news is that Cribbs might be ready. I wonder if he can play safety. Just how bad can it get:bones:

Cribbs might actually be a better DB than WR.
 
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DDN

Browns have safety concerns with Jones out at least a month


By Tom Withers
Associated Press

Thursday, September 11, 2008

BEREA ? One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi. Four Mississippi. Five Mississippi...
Cleveland's pass rush was so painfully slow and ineffective in Sunday's season-opening loss to Dallas that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo could have rattled off the names of several other Southern states and maybe a few above the Mason-Dixon line before the Browns' defense finally put any pressure on him.
Unable to knock Romo out of his rhythm or on his backside, Cleveland's secondary was shredded in a 28-10 defeat that was even more lopsided than the final score showed. The Cowboys rolled up 487 total yards, 30 first downs and had drives of 80, 69, 69, 86, 76 and 66 yards ? the final one eating up the game's final 10:13.
"They were hitting our zones," strong safety Sean Jones said. "They were finding the holes and Romo did a good job of finding time for himself. We definitely have to get it corrected."
Fast.
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ABJ

Injuries stacking up for battered Browns Safety Sean Jones will undergo knee surgery
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Thursday, Sep 11, 2008

BEREA: No one in Browns headquarters would acknowledge that bad karma might be brewing. Heck, it already seems at Starbucks strength.
But after going 10-6 in a relatively injury-free season in 2007, this year the hits just keep on coming. They started when right guard Ryan Tucker fractured his hip and cornerback Daven Holly tore his ACL in organized training activities.
Now some would swear there's a ''teeny, tiny fracture'' on the horizon.
Strong safety Sean Jones was the latest to join the list. Coach Romeo Crennel announced Wednesday that Jones will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today after the swelling that plagued him since the preseason opener returned.
Jones will not be placed on injured reserve, which would force him to sit out the rest of the season.
''I think it's cartilage, but I'm not entirely sure,'' Jones said. ''They say typically this takes three to five weeks to get back. I'll still have a good 12 or 13 games to play. It's fortunate that it's not as
serious as it could be.''
Unfortunately for Jones, considered a Pro Bowl-caliber player in his fifth season, he's in the final year of his contract.
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CPD

Aches and strains: Safety Jones' knee (out 3-5 weeks) is latest injury to hinder Browns

by Tony Grossi Wednesday September 10, 2008, 7:03 PM


Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerSurgery to repair cartilage damage in Sean Jones' right knee will cost him at least the next three weeks of the season and continue the Browns' deluge of injuries.
This was supposed to be one of those years for the Browns. You know, prime-time appearances, statement games, playoff hopes, all that. So far, it's starting off to be one of those years -- injuries, injuries and more injuries.
The latest casualty is Sean Jones. The safety is scheduled for arthroscopic surgery Thursday morning on his right knee to correct cartilage damage. He said he's been told it's a three- to five-week rehabilitation period.
At the very least, Jones will miss successive games against each AFC North rival, beginning with Pittsburgh on Sunday night.
"I'm going to do everything I can to rehab and get back fast as I can," Jones said. "Everybody just has to pull together. Hopefully we can get some momentum from this Pittsburgh game."

Coincidentally, Brodney Pool, the other starting safety who has missed the past month after suffering a concussion in the second preseason game, was expected to return to full practice on Wednesday.
"Man, [Pool] better play," safety Mike Adams said.


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CPD

Browns Insider: Cribbs may be a 'return man'

by Mary Kay Cabot Wednesday September 10, 2008, 8:48 PM


Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers preview
Josh Cribbs was limited in practice Wednesday with his high ankle sprain, but coach Romeo Crennel sounded optimistic that his Pro Bowl returner will be back to release all his pent-up frustration on the Steelers. "We might have some guys back which will help us hopefully be more productive," said Crennel. "I think Cribbs is going to do something [Wednesday] so we will see how he does."
He said Cribbs, who suffered a high ankle sprain Aug. 18 against the Giants, is one of four players whom the Browns are hoping can make it back for the big game after missing the opener. The others are guard Rex Hadnot, linebacker Kris Griffin and safety Brodney Pool.
"Those are four guys that we didn't have the last game that might be able to help out," said Crennel. "Those guys will be coming back."

Cribbs' probable return has not been lost on the Steelers, who've watched him return kickoffs for TDs in each of the past two seasons.



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Canton
Browns running back Lewis wants some payback
Still smarting from missing out on rushing record in '03
Thursday, September 11, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
[email protected]

BEREA Sometime before he leaves the Cleveland Browns, Jamal Lewis would like to repay the Pittsburgh Steelers for what they did to him when he was a Baltimore Raven.

He can't be sure it will happen Sunday ? the Steelers know him too well for him to pull a fast one.

But then, Lewis always has thought he could handle himself in a fight. One of these days ... .

Four days before Christmas 2003, Lewis abused Cleveland's defense for 205 yards, putting him at 1,952 for the season with one game to go.

He needed 154 yards to break Eric Dickerson's NFL standard of 2,105 yards.

That was the year Lewis embarrassed the Browns, setting a then-NFL single-game record of 295 on Sept. 14 before coming back with another monster game in December. In a playoff season for Baltimore, he exceeded 100 yards 10 other times.

Then-Ravens Head Coach Brian Billick didn't exactly baby Lewis into the postseason. The crowd at Pittsburgh was buzzing about the record after he put up 73 yards in the first quarter.

"Things went well early," Lewis said, "but then the Steelers put about 10 people in the box. ... They just had linebackers standing there waiting."

"They just didn't want to give up the record. The game didn't matter in the standings. Whether we won or lost, we were going to the playoffs and they weren't."

It was a Sunday night game that might have meant plenty. Cincinnati began the day with a shot at nosing Baltimore out of a playoff spot, but the Bengals blew it by losing an afternoon home game to the Browns ? Tim Couch's last game in the NFL as it turned out.

A national TV audience tuned in largely to see if Lewis could set the record. After three quarters, he still had a shot with 109 yards on the day ? just 45 more.
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DDN
Browns hoping to rebound vs. Steelers


By Tom Withers
Associated Press

Thursday, September 11, 2008

BEREA ? Before Browns linebacker Willie McGinest decided that this season ? No. 15 in the NFL ? would be his last, he took several things into consideration.
He wanted to get back to the playoffs.
He wanted another shot at a Super Bowl ring.
And, he wanted to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"They kind of run the division, which is no secret," McGinest said Thursday. "We want to change that."
Embarrassed by the Dallas Cowboys in their season opener at home last week, the Browns will look to bounce back Sunday as they host the Steelers, their repugnant rival and the defending AFC North champions who have beaten them nine straight times and are coming off an impressive Week 1 win over the Houston Texans.
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ABJ
Cribbs feels good enough to return Browns receiver hopes to add spark to offense with new 'Flash' package
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Friday, Sep 12, 2008

BEREA: To help cure what ailed them in the season opener, the Browns might be looking for some flash.
With No. 2 receiver Donte' Stallworth almost certain to miss Sunday night's nationally televised game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the availability of Browns receiver/Pro Bowl returner Joshua Cribbs becomes even more crucial.
Cribbs hasn't played since Aug. 18 after suffering a high ankle sprain against the New York Giants. But he proclaimed Thursday, ''I think I'm ready.''
''Ultimately, it's up to the coach,'' Cribbs said. ''But I've shown I've been able to move and it looks good for me, real good. I felt pretty good running routes and everything.''
Stallworth sat out the second consecutive day of practice with a quad strain suffered in pregame warm-ups against the Dallas Cowboys. Coach Romeo Crennel said Stallworth was doubtful, but was not ready to declare him out. A source said Stallworth's injury could threaten his season, but the Browns have addressed his condition only in regards to this week.
Crennel said Cribbs' role
would not be restricted to either offense or special teams. ''It's all or nothing with Josh,'' Crennel said. ''If he plays, he plays.''
Cribbs said Crennel might give him a break from his usual role of gunner, now filled by rookie defensive back Gerard Lawson. First-year receiver Syndric Steptoe took over as the primarily returner, with Lawson also helping on kickoff returns.
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