Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[osugrad21]

CPD

Cleveland Browns' Winslow out of Clinic

by Mary Kay Cabot Sunday October 12, 2008, 2:33 PM

Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerKellen Winslow will reportedly miss Monday night's game against the Giants.
Browns Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow was released from the Cleveland Clinic Sunday afternoon, but remains doubtful for the Giants game Monday night with his undisclosed illness. Winslow was admitted Thursday after waking up Wednesday morning feeling ill. He spent three nights in the hospital and was downgraded from questionable to doubtful on Sunday afternoon. With only a 25% chance of playing, Winslow will most likely be replaced by tight end Steve Heiden. NFL Network's Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning that Winslow definitely will not play Monday night, but the Browns would say only that he's doubtful.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Terry Pluto: Anderson should start, but he needs to show something soon

by Terry Pluto Plain Dealer Columnist Sunday October 12, 2008, 9:25 PM



Why is quarterback Derek Anderson starting tonight's game against the New York Giants?
Because Browns coach Romeo Crennel believes Anderson gives the Browns the best chance for a Monday night upset of the 4-0 defending Super Bowl champions.
It's not because the front office wants Anderson to play, or because Crennel has long been friends with the Anderson family back in Oregon. Nor is it the money, as some fans have been claiming as the reason Anderson starts over Brady Quinn.
They mention Quinn's salary of $395,000 -- compared to the three-year, $26 million deal Anderson signed in the spring. They say Quinn's salary will increase to about $1.7 million if he takes about 50 percent of the snaps this season as the reason he remains on the bench.
Yes, those details are accurate, but they ignore a bigger truth.
The Browns paid Quinn about $1.1 million in a signing bonus and salary when they drafted him in 2008.
Here's the real key point: The Browns wrote Quinn a check for $4.2 million in March as a roster bonus, meaning he's making about $4.6 million this season.

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Can Browns show they belong in prime time?

by Mary Kay Cabot Sunday October 12, 2008, 8:43 PM


Can the Browns keep millions of "Monday Night Football" fans from reaching for the remote tonight and NFL broadcasting executives from slapping their foreheads and saying, "What were we thinking?"
Tonight's game against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants marks the second of a whopping five prime-time games for the Browns this season and the first of three on "Monday Night Football."
So can this 1-3 team rise to the occasion and prove it deserves the national stage it's on all season?
"We've been getting our butts kicked in prime-time games," said receiver Braylon Edwards, who will make his Monday night debut. "We have a lot to prove to the outside world as well as to ourselves."
So far in 2008, here's what the Browns have shown the world:
A 37-34 loss to the Giants in preseason on ESPN in which they stumbled to a 30-3 deficit one minute into the second quarter.
A 28-10 loss to the Cowboys in a game seen by most of the country.
A 10-6 loss to the Steelers on an NBC Sunday night game.
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[osugrad21]

Canton

Browns QB faces a Giant task
Browns face unbeaten New York in Monday Night Football action
Monday, October 13, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
[email protected]

CLEVELAND Just when the autumn leaves are getting pretty, Derek Anderson's sky is falling.

Anderson's professional life hangs in the balance as he attempts an unlikely Monday Night Football rise against the unbeaten Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

"You dream about it as a kid," he said, meaning a prime-time fling, obviously, and not his nightmarish September.

Anderson has beaten the odds before. The 2007 training camp was fairly far along when he was behind the ball boy on some versions of the QB depth chart.

Tonight, he is a prohibitive underdog, probably operating without tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., who was released from the Cleveland Clinic Sunday but is listed as doubtful due to an undisclosed illness.

"I've only played on Monday night in the preseason," Anderson said, "but that doesn't really count, I guess."

It would be better if that memory didn't even exist. It was an ugly Monday night loss to the Giants on Aug. 18.

"We just hit a couple big plays," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said.

Manning might have mentioned Osi Umenyiora hitting Anderson, leaving the latter with a concussion.

There were reasons Manning was the first pick in the 2004 draft, whereas Anderson lasted until the sixth round in 2005.

The Browns hope those scouting secrets do not manifest themselves tonight, although so far in 2008, they have.

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[schwab]

Ahem... where's the love? We are stomping Giant assholes tonight. Great to see. Not tonight, Eli.

EDIT: Browns offense... no punts, no turnovers forced, and one great win for the Browns.

 

[NFBuck]

Ahem... where's the love?.

Check the game thread. :)

 

[schwab]

Check the game thread. :)

Derr, not a bad idear at all... :tongue2:

 

[CincyBuck88]

Ahem... where's the love? We are stomping Giant assholes tonight. Great to see. Not tonight, Eli.

Other than those penalties that was a great game to watch, helluva job Browns! Tough schedule still left but its hard not to be a lot more optimistic after that performance.

 

[Buckeyedynasty]

Wow, what an unbelievable win tonight! I can barely put into words how nice it was to see the Browns play well. Giant win tonight and I think this win is finally something this team can build upon and hopefully be a turning point for this season. GO BROWNIES! WOOF, WOOF, WOOF!

 

[Buckeneye]

I just got back from a party in mentor. Friends, it has been a good night.

I'm seeing some talk about the Giants falling asleep - I didn't see that. They played us well considering the score, and it was costly turnovers that killed them.

I saw a super bowl caliber team get out gunned by our Brownies tonight, that makes me feel great.

So nice to have our offense back, and our defense was looking pretty alright for the most part. Good awareness on our 3 INT"s, I think we did a solid job against their #1 offense.

Brownies are back baby!

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

ONE GIANT UPSET Browns shine in prime time, stun defending NFL champions
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Tuesday, Oct 14, 2008

CLEVELAND: An embattled quarterback directing a struggling offense without its Pro Bowl tight end.
The foe, the undefeated defending Super Bowl champion, boasting the league's leading offense and third-ranked defense. And a winner of 12 consecutive road games to boot.
An upset made perfect sense, right?
Nothing really made sense Monday night, including a stunning 87-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown despite five Browns penalties. But the magic was back in Cleveland Browns Stadium from the moment receiver Braylon Edwards did a cartwheel and a back flip during pre-game introductions as the Browns stunned the New York Giants 35-14.
''This felt like the Browns of last year,'' Browns running back Jamal Lewis said.
''Everyone knows they're a great team. Tonight was just our night,'' right tackle Ryan Tucker said.
In their second of five prime-time appearances this season and their first on Monday night in five years, the Browns (2-3) took a major step towards
reclaiming a season of great expectations.
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[osugrad21]

ABJ

Win could lead to bigger, better things Game gives Anderson immeasurable boost
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist

Published on Tuesday, Oct 14, 2008

CLEVELAND: Credibility.
That's what Monday night means to the Browns.
An impressive win over the New York Giants gives the Browns credibility as a team, and gives credibility to their hopes for a successful season.
As the season progresses, this prime-time victory could be the one the Browns look back on as the real springboard for a season (unlike that fingernails-on-a-chalkboard win in Cincinnati).
The Browns beat the defending Super Bowl champions.
They ended the Giants' streak of 12 wins in a row on the road.
They gave the Giants their first loss of the season.
But more important, the Browns gave their season a vital boost. This win gives the Browns the credibility that an ugly win over a winless team in Cincinnati could not.
If the Browns can compete with and defeat an unbeaten Super Bowl champion, well then there's reason to believe they can compete with and beat the other teams on the schedule.
''Confidence is everything in this league,'' said tackle Ryan Tucker, whose first appearance in the starting lineup appeared to bring many good results.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

A night to remember: Explosive Browns overwhelm Super Bowl champ Giants, 35-14

by Tony Grossi Monday October 13, 2008, 11:50 PM

Tracy Boulian/The Plain DealerBraylon Edwards put on his best LeBron James move to dunk the ball after his fourth-quarter touchdown catch gave the Browns a 27-14 lead over the Giants Monday night at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
The New York Giants slapped the Browns into a tailspin in August that lasted nearly two months. The Browns officially have recovered. They upset the undefeated Super Bowl champions last night, 35-14, with equal doses of creative offense and opportunistic defense. They won because Derek Anderson outplayed Eli Manning, Braylon Edwards rediscovered his Pro Bowl form and Eric Wright made his biggest play as a pro.
In winning for the first time on Monday Night Football since 1993, the Browns effectively restarted their season. They are 2-3 after their second win in a row and are feeling a lot better about what lies ahead.
"We are the Cleveland Browns and we showed we're a pretty good team," coach Romeo Crennel said. "It was a great win for us. It kind of puts us back in the thick of this race."
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Frustrated Giants praise Browns, lament mistakes

by Dennis Manoloff Tuesday October 14, 2008, 12:50 AM

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerEric Wright sprints the final 20 yards of his 94-yard interception return for a touchdown, as New York's Brandon Jacobs chases in vain. The score completed the Browns' 35-14 victory over the Super Bowl champions.
The Giants' preseason embarrassment of the Browns had no carryover to the regular season, as the defending Super Bowl champions were the ones ducking for cover Monday night. New York limped out of town with a 35-14 loss -- its first in five games this season.
"I'm disappointed, obviously," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "Very disappointed. We make no excuses for this. We lost a game we didn't play very well in."
The Browns won decisively despite being without tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., who was ill during the week.
"Give them credit," Coughlin said. "They played hard and didn't make mistakes. They made some outstanding plays. But that's no reason for us to play the way we did."

Quarterback Eli Manning, last February's Super Bowl MVP, has had better games. He went 18-of-28 for 196 yards and one touchdown. He was intercepted three times and sacked once.

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Tony Grossi's edge from Browns-Giants

by Tony Grossi Tuesday October 14, 2008, 12:24 AM


Offense: Derek Anderson had the game of his career, playing daring and yet error-free against a formidable defense. Braylon Edwards had a career-high 154 receiving yards on five catches. The Browns were creative and weren't afraid to get Steve Heiden, Jerome Harrison and Darnell Dinkins into the mix. EDGE: Browns.
Defense: The Browns only sacked Eli Manning once, but their pressure forced three interceptions. They held Manning to a passer rating of 57.1. Although the Giants rushed for 181 yards and a 7.2 average, Manning's errors prevented the running game from taking over the game. EDGE: Browns.

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