Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[osugrad21]

DDN

Browns keep presidential politics on the sidelines

By the Associated Press

Friday, October 10, 2008
The country is divided into states colored red and blue. Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel wants his locker room to remain brown and orange.
Crennel gathered his players after practice Wednesday, Oct. 8, and urged them to keep their political views private. With the presidential election weeks away in a political season gushing with history and hysteria, Crennel doesn't want his players to lose focus or split into camps.
"Politics are their politics as long as they don't interfere with the team," Crennel said Thursday. "That's my main concern, that they don't get on a soap box in the locker room and get it going back and forth about a particular candidate against another candidate. That's why the ballot is a secret ballot when you go vote."
Shortly after Crennel spoke to his team, backup quarterback Brady Quinn and tackle Joe Thomas attended a boisterous rally for Republican presidential nominee John McCain in Strongsville. Quinn introduced McCain, hailing the Senator and former prisoner of war in Vietnam, as a hero. Quinn's father, Ty, is a Vietnam veteran.
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[osugrad21]

ABJ

Browns players enter political fray Crennel doesn't want election to interfere with team performance
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Friday, Oct 10, 2008
BEREA: Browns backup quarterback Brady Quinn introduced Republican presidential hopeful John McCain at a packed rally Wednesday in Strongsville, calling him ''a real hero.''
Left tackle Joe Thomas, like Quinn decked out in a suit, also stood on the podium with McCain and running mate Sarah Palin.
On Saturday, Browns linebacker Willie McGinest joined Cavaliers star LeBron James at a voter registration event in Cleveland. McGinest, 36, told the crowd he had been a hypocrite for complaining about the country's problems when he never had voted. He said Democratic candidate Barack Obama was the impetus he needed.
''I don't think anybody else motivated me or gave me the inspiration to want to get up and go vote,'' McGinest said, according to a Plain Dealer report.
With his players stepping to the forefront before the Nov. 4 election, Browns coach Romeo Crennel called his team together after practice Wednesday. He told them not to let their political views interfere with their focus and preparation.


Crennel said ''a little bird had told him'' that about three hours later Quinn and Thomas would take the stage with McCain.
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[osugrad21]

ABJ

Illness puts Winslow's status in jeopardy He misses 2 practices. Crennel won't disclose what ails the tight end
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Friday, Oct 10, 2008

BEREA: Browns tight end Kellen Winslow missed his second consecutive day of practice with an undisclosed illness and coach Romeo Crennel seemed to imply his status for Monday night's game against the New York Giants might be in doubt.
''We held him out yesterday. Today we're going to send him to see the doctor and see if we can get him cleared up for the game,'' Crennel said.
Asked to elaborate on the nature of the illness, Crennel said, ''Not until after the doctors take a look at him and see if they know what it is.''
The Browns declined to update Winslow's condition Thursday afternoon.
Winslow was rested during last week's bye, presumably because his right knee has undergone four surgeries, most recently a clean-out after playing in his first Pro Bowl in February. The team's leading receiver with 19 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown, Winslow participated Monday in what was little more than a walk-through. Last year, he totaled 82 catches for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns.
The Browns (1-3) hope to get their season of great expectations untracked at home against the defending Super Bowl champion Giants (4-0). They have two practices remaining this week.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns Insider: Illness could idle Winslow; team debates locker room politics

by Tony Grossi Thursday October 09, 2008, 7:07 PM

AP photoKellen Winslow.
The Browns are healthier for their Monday night game against the New York Giants than they have been all season, but another starter might be out. Tight end Kellen Winslow, who looked fine when the team returned from its bye weekend on Monday, visited a doctor on Thursday and missed his second practice in a row. The Browns say Winslow is out with an illness, but won't disclose what it is.
"We're sending him down and letting the doctors look at him and they'll let us know," coach Romeo Crennel said.
Winslow reportedly suffered soreness in his battered right knee in the Cincinnati game, but the illness apparently is unrelated. Crennel would not rule out Winslow, despite missing the two most important days of the practice week.
"I think he's a valuable piece to this puzzle we have," the coach said. "If he's able to do something, we'll try to catch him up and let him play."

Meanwhile, receiver Donte Stallworth sounded confident about making his first appearance of the regular season since pulling a quadriceps in warmups prior to Game 1.
"It's coming along, getting better, but it's still [not 100 percent]," Stallworth said. "I feel I can go out and be effective for the team and not be a liability."

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns give Giants some bulletin board material

by cleveland.com Thursday October 09, 2008, 4:19 PM

Check out this story from our sister site in New Jersey.
"Cleveland didn't get the memo that it's not a great idea to fire up RB Brandon Jacobs -- all 264 pounds of him -- and his offensive line. The words of Browns DT Corey Williams, as reported in a story in The Canton Repository yesterday, have already made it to the Giants' bulletin board. "'It's a zone-blocking scheme that lets him run and pick a hole,' Williams told The Repository. 'There ain't nothing physical about them.'
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

epsn.com

Winslow kept overnight after undergoing tests

Associated Press

Updated: October 10, 2008, 10:45 AM ET

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow has been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness.
Coach Romeo Crennel said Friday that Winslow was kept overnight at the Cleveland Clinic. Winslow had been feeling ill for several days and the team sent him to the doctor Thursday for further tests and evaluation. Crennel didn't know when the 25-year-old player will be discharged.
Winslow has had four operations on his right knee, and following one of them needed surgery after he got a staph infection. He missed the 2005 season because of a near-fatal motorcycle crash.
He made the Pro Bowl last season after making 82 catches for 1,106 yards.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Browns not talking about Winslow's illness
Tight end in hospital for a second night, could sit out Monday
Saturday, October 11, 2008 3:35 AM
By Bill Rabinowitz


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Mark Duncan associated press
Kellen Winslow leads a struggling Browns offense with 19 catches for 170 yards.



BEREA, Ohio -- This much we know about what ails Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow: He is in no danger of losing any of his appendages.
Beyond that, the Browns are revealing little about the illness that has Winslow in a hospital and could keep him out of a game Monday night game against the New York Giants.
"He has an illness," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said yesterday morning. "I'm not saying what kind of illness it is. His arms and legs are not falling off or anything like that, all right?"

Continued............

 

[nicknc33]

from profootballtalk.com.....

A league source tells us that the talk among the Browns is that tight end Kellen Winslow landed in the Cleveland Clinic because his balls swelled to the size of grapefruits.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/10/10/winslow-has-swollen-um-parts/

 

[billmac91]

from profootballtalk.com.....

ProFootballTalk.com - WINSLOW HAS SWOLLEN, UM, PARTS?

Kellen needs a course in safe sex??? Or, the Borwns actually have contact in practice now??

 

[jlb1705]

Kellen needs a course in safe sex??? Or, the Borwns actually have contact in practice now??

If he screws like he rides a motorcycle then yeah, he probably does.

Is it possible to get a staph infection in your ballsack? I guess we're gonna find out.

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

ESPN's Jaworski: Increased confidence (and better offensive line play) would help Anderson

by Mary Kay Cabot Saturday October 11, 2008, 7:15 PM


ESPN analyst and former 17-year NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski has studied all four of Derek Anderson's games this season and hasn't seen the same, confident gunslinger of 2007.

Paul Sakuma/APESPN Monday Night analyst Ron Jaworski.
"I think he's lost his confidence," said Jaworski, who will be in the booth for Monday night's game between the 1-3 Browns and 4-0 Giants. "He's a little tight-elbowed. He's not just dropping back and feeling good about what he's doing." Jaworski said Anderson is getting more pressure this season and hasn't handled it well.
"It's got him playing a little bit skittish in the pocket," Jaworski said. "He's been struggling mechanically a little bit. In the past, I'd see him make a lot of the throws that he's missing this year."
Jaworski said NFL teams have used a season of film on Anderson to identify his weakness: His mechanics break down under pressure. He said Anderson has also exhibited some "cabin fever," perceiving pressure even when there is none. At times, Jaworski felt a switch to Brady Quinn could've provided a jumpstart.

"The pressure begins to cloud your decision-making, so you're forcing some throws, not reading the blitzes, getting the ball out of your hand," said Jaworski. "There will always be bodies around you and you have to learn to throw from different platforms. He did make some plays at the end of the Bengals game, so that should be a confidence-builder."

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Terry's Talkin' ... on Browns offense, a great read, Garko's future and Andy's impact

by Terry Pluto Saturday October 11, 2008, 11:07 PM


About the Browns...



There are several statistics that explain why the Browns are 1-3, but the most revealing also is the most simple: In four games, the offense has produced four touchdowns. Think about four TDs from an offense that had 45 in 16 games a year ago! Last year, they had three TDs on punt/kickoff returns. They had 13 on the ground, 29 via the pass.
As the Browns get ready for the Giants on Monday, does the offense have a reason to be this bad? It's the same coordinator in Rob Chudzinski, the same quarterback in Derek Anderson. For all the talk about how Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards and Anderson missed a large chunk of training camp, they have been on the field for all four games.
Yes, the line has had some injuries, but two starters have played every snap -- Joe Thomas and Hank Fraley. Kevin Shaffer has played 89 percent of the snaps, Rex Hadnot (80 percent) and Eric Steinbach (75 percent) and have missed one game. Seth McKinney (45 percent) has filled in, and he was a starter for the first eight games last season. Every line has some injuries, and this line has not been decimated. Ryan Tucker (hopefully back) missed all four games, but he missed the first four games of last season. There should be enough depth and talent on the offensive line to prevent a total collapse.
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[osugrad21]

ABJ

'Wildcat' offense gaining ground Dolphins' formation wins two. Will Cribbs take role for Browns?
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 08:22 a.m. EDT, Oct 12, 2008
BEREA: Jamal Lewis' eyes lit up at the mere mention of a direct snap to a running back.
What caught the interest of the Browns' veteran was the Miami Dolphins' new ''Wildcat'' offense, which features the single wing devised by Pop Warner in the early 1900s.
To maximize the talents of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, the Dolphins have used the formation in their past two games to stun the New England Patriots 38-13 and the San Diego Chargers 17-10.
Operating behind a line with two tackles on the same side, Brown has been taking the shotgun snap with the option to run, throw or hand off to Williams as he comes in motion for what looks like a possible full-speed collision with Brown. Quarterback Chad Pennington lines up at flanker, his first time in a receiving position since the seventh grade.
Against the Patriots, the Dolphins used the ''Wildcat'' six times and scored four touchdowns ? on runs of 2, 5 and 62 yards by Brown and on a 19-yard Brown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano. The other two plays were runs by Williams of 3 and 28 yards.
Against the Chargers, Brown took the direct snap 11 times and rushed for 49 of his 125 yards, including the winning touchdown.
Some might think Lewis would favor convention since he loves getting 25 carries a game. But what he loves more is a team that schemes to use all its weapons, even if the last one in the NFL to run the single wing with regularity was reportedly the 1947 Pittsburgh Steelers.
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[LitlBuck]

Dispatch

Winslow not playing probably will be bad enough but Shaun Smith not playing will make this a national laugher.:!

Sunday, October 12, 2008 3:40 AM

FROM WIRE REPORTS
Browns Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow was expected to spend his third straight night in Cleveland Clinic last night because of his undisclosed illness

Despite the fact he hasn't practiced since Monday, he's still listed as questionable for the Browns-Giants game Monday night, meaning there's a 50 percent chance he'll play. The team hasn't provided any details about Winslow's condition.

Meanwhile, starting defensive tackle Shaun Smith (hand) and right tackle Kevin Shaffer (concussion) were downgraded to doubtful.

Ryan Tucker, who has missed the four games while recovering from hip surgery, is expected to start for Shaffer.

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Browns secondary to keep close tabs on Hixon


By Carlos "Big C" Holmes
Staff Writer

Sunday, October 12, 2008

When the Cleveland Browns met up with the New York Giants in the preseason it was clear that the team was overmatched. The World Champions got off to a quick start scoring two touchdowns in their first three possessions. The Giants won the game 37-34 despite a late surge by Cleveland.
The star player in that game was little-known Giants wide receiver Domenik Hixon, who was on the receiving end of two Eli Manning touchdown passes, and returned a 82-yard kickoff for a touchdown, all coming in the first quarter. It was a night to remember for the former University of Akron receiver.
Stepping in
During a phone interview with Hixon on Saturday, he talked about his performance this season and the homecoming Monday night matchup against Cleveland.
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