Box Score - 11.17.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	6	7	3	13	29
	0	10	3	14	27

The Browns won for the third time in their past four road games, taking out the wildcard-contending Buffalo Bills 29-27 on Monday Night Football. It was our second Monday Night victory of the season in two attempts -- we have one more in December against the Philadelphia Eagles.

I think that overall, when you look at the state of the team, we are a better football team than last season. Looking at our schedule heading into the season, we feared that despite being better, we'd have a worse record. We do have a worse record at this point (4-6), but it's not because of the competition. We've defeated the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. We've defeated two potential playoff teams in Buffalo and Jacksonville. And, we dominated the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens -- two teams with great records -- until making team history with collapses.

The odds aren't in our favor now, but we still love Cleveland Browns football, and our team gave us another wild one against Buffalo. Let's get started with the game balls for Week 11...

Awarding Game Balls (Making Fans Jump for Joy)

K Phil Dawson kicked a tremendous game for the second year in a row versus the Buffalo Bills.

1. Phil Dawson: I didn't agree with the decision to kick it short on kickoffs as often as we did, but I'll assume those calls came from special teams coach Ted Dashier. Dawson is listed here for being the hero against the Bills for the second year in a row -- by now, I'm sure Buffalo fans hate him to death. Dawson went an incredible 5-for-5 on the road, with each one of them being spot on. His finest piece of work came on what turned out to be the game-winning field goal with 1:39 remaining, as he calmly drilled a career-long 56-yarder.
   
2. Jerome Harrison: I'm not exactly sure if four touches merits praise for the coaches in terms of getting him involved a whole lot more, but at least they stuck with him while he was hot. At the start of the fourth quarter, Harrison burst through the line for a 72-yard touchdown. I was screaming and jumping out of my seat as I saw him get past the third level. His work may have been even more important after that though -- following a Bills kick return touchdown, Harrison came right back out for a 9-yard run (tack on a personal foul penalty), followed by a nice 21-yard reception on a play the Indianapolis Colts often run. He didn't return after that due to a hamstring injury, but he led us to 10 points in the two drives he was utilized.
   

Goats of the Game (Could Have Cost Us)

1. Andra Davis: Welcome back to the goat section Andra Davis. After making a nice interception in the first quarter, the rest of the game was unbearable. The entire defense couldn't tackle Marshawn Lynch or Fred Jackson, but Davis was the worst of them all. Please, Romeo: get Beau Bell in there already. I don't care if Bell gets juked out of his shoes on every single play; removing Davis from the field is a victory in itself.
   

WR Braylon Edwards can celebrate another aspect: he had several nice blocks down the field.

2. Braylon Edwards: He had 8 catches for 104 yards, but it could have been so much more. Edwards was targeted on several other occasions, but couldn't come away with a reception. The most notable ones were a nice high pass on the team's first drive, and a ball that hit Edwards right in the face on the final drive. I do give a lot of credit to Terrence McGee for having excellent coverage on Edwards throughout the game, but Edwards is supposed to be a Pro Bowl receiver. There were clearly catches in that game that he knows he's talented enough to catch; the wait for him to break out of his funk continues on.
   

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. Outstanding Defense: Yes, of course there were a lot of things our offense should have done to adjust better to the Bills' defense. Nonetheless, I thought Buffalo gave Brady Quinn a lot of tough looks in his first road start, and I'm glad that they did. It allowed us to see how Quinn would respond to that type of pressure.
   

QB Brady Quinn may have been pressured, but he wasn't flustered.

2. Quinn Did What Needed to be Done: Statistically, it wasn't a very pretty game for Quinn, as he completed just 39% of his passes for a QB rating of 55.9. Maybe Derek Anderson would've had been stats in this game, but that's not what is important to look at in this case. Quinn was blitzed heavily all night long and did a great job getting a throw off down the field most of the time. The option of using him on a bootleg run panned out well too. My favorite throw is his one on our final drive that set up Dawson's long field goal -- a corner blitz came free from the edge, and Quinn almost instinctively without seeing him was able to step up, double pump, and fire a completion.
3. Missing Stallworth: It was good to see Edwards get involved this week, and Winslow was still targeted several times as well. However, I don't like the fact that we heard Syndric Steptoe's name mentioned more on the receiving end than Donte Stallworth's. Things looked bright last week between Quinn and Stallworth, but having zero catches the next week is not what this team paid so much money for.
   
4. McDonald's Redemption: I couldn't have been happier for Brandon McDonald, who made up for last week's miscues with two big plays against the Bills: an interception and a forced fumble, each of which led to a Dawson field goal. The tackling was still atrocious, but if you can't tackle you at least need to make up for it as McDonald did.
   
5. Strong Consideration for E-Wright: There probably should have been a third game ball handed out to cornerback Eric Wright. Blanketing the fast Lee Evans most of the game, he held him to without a catch the entire game. Heck, I don't even remember him being targeted once, despite the fact that Trent Edwards often had light years to make a decision. That's the first time Evans has failed to record a catch in a game in nearly 70 games.
   
6. Special Teams Edge: Trying to determine who had the better special teams on Monday Night is a tough one. Dawson had five field goals including the game winner, while Rian Lindell missed the game winner. The Bills' coverage on Cribbs was solid, while the Browns' coverage on Leodis McKelvin was poor. There is one play that will lean me towards Cleveland: in the first quarter, Mike Adams perfectly downed a Dave Zastudil punt at the one-yard line on a play most special teamers would probably muff into the end zone in the heat of the moment.
   
7. Did You See Orr?: I sort of rushed seeing the game since I was on tape delay, but I didn't really notice any difference in terms of Shantee Orr's playing time. If anyone has any word on that, feel free to chime in. I noticed Travis Daniels in on the action more often, but he was just part of the depressing non-tacklers.
8. Ahtyba Rubin: Even before he made a critical fumble recovery, I noticed Rubin making a few more plays than usual. If anything, it looked as if Rubin was receiving the type of proportional playing time I expected Orr to get at linebacker.
   

The Browns' defense couldn't stop Bills RB Marshawn Lynch late in the game.

9. "Reason 2 - Not Physical": I listed "not physical" as reason number two of our defensive shortcomings in my review of the Denver Broncos game, and it applies to the Bills game as well. Marshawn Lynch has a lot of talent, but he had not had a good game all season. In the past three games, we've allowed rookie Ray Rice to have a career day, fullback Peyton Hillis to beat us on fourth-and-one, and Lynch to win 1-on-6 matchups with 20 yards to go against us. We're not catching unlucky breaks in terms of backs getting hot; we're just that bad when it comes to tackling.
   
10. Fullback Slant: Heh, I'll take a quick fullback go/slant route over the middle any day over a fullback flat pass. When Charles Ali caught Quinn's pass in stride, I thought, "holy crap, is that Ali out there?" I would've hated to have been the defender to meet him for the tackle.
11. Ineffective Back: There was a lot of discussion before the season in debating who was better served as the Browns' backup running back: Jason Wright or Jerome Harrison. Wright had two decent seasons as a backup, but this year he has been in my opinion a detriment to the offense. I still put some of the blame on him for not turning around quick enough on Haloti Ngata's interception a few weeks ago, and I blame Wright for not doing a good job in picking up the blitzes Buffalo brought up the middle. All you need is a chip, but all I saw were whiffs.
12. Crennel's Reactions: At the end of the game, I couldn't help but roll over laughing at Romeo Crennel's excited reactions to Dawson's successful kick and then Lindell's miss. As they showed him walking to the center of the field after the game, I could've sworn he had a facial expression that was trying to look normal but was really holding back a huge smile.
13. Opposite Reaction: After I saw those reactions from Crennel, I saw someone on the OBR mention how Crennel looked pissed off after Jerome Harrison's huge touchdown run. I went back and checked the tape and was laughing -- but baffled -- at just how true this was. If you taped the game, go back and check it. A montage of these past two bullet points would make you laugh.
14. Brownies: Quinn had a heart-clutching throw late that should have been picked and cost us the game...it goes without saying, but Shaun Rogers remains a beast, as he had another Pro Bowl type of game...I kid you not: right before Cribbs' four-yard touchdown run, I said to my brother, "I bet we'll run a double reverse to Joshua Cribbs here." It was only a single-reverse, but close enough.

The defense was horrible again in the fourth quarter, meaning our "rotations" didn't really keep people any fresher. In the end, the "W" is what matters, and Brady Quinn has improved to a .500 record at 1-1. This is the third straight game that we should have blown out the competition based on how we started the games; maybe we can do that this Sunday against the Texans. Thank goodness for a regular Sunday 1:00 PM game too -- I've missed those.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported this morning that cornerback Travis Daniels could replace struggling starter Brandon McDonald this Monday against the Buffalo Bills. While Daniels has seen minimal playing time this season, the move might not be a bad one.

I am still intrigued with giving McDonald more starting opportunities this season. However, he is coming off two of the worst games in his career. After being burned that much, opposing teams will continue to attack. Putting McDonald as the nickel back this Monday could take away some of the pressure facing him, allowing him to regain any confidence he has lost.

Either way, whether Daniels starts or not, he will at least split reps with McDonald.

"[Coach Romeo Crennel] made a decision and I support it," McDonald said. "I'm not going to be angry about it. I love T. Daniels. I love what he brings to the game. I know he can come in and help us, so I'm not really aggravated about it. But I am aggravated at myself and how I've been playing the last couple of weeks."

Daniels has started 25 games during his NFL career, including five last season with the Miami Dolphins. Since joining the Browns this season, he has been shelved behind veteran Terry Cousin, forcing him to play exclusively on special teams.

Crennel also reports that there will be more linebacker and safety rotation on the defensive side of the ball. Hopefully that means more Leon Williams and less Andra Davis. What about rookie linebacker Beau Bell?

He added that rookie linebacker Beau Bell has been making good progress, "but just finding the chance to get him up and active is an issue."

Ummm...what?

Box Score - 10.19.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	0	0	3	8	11
	0	0	7	7	14

After Sunday's loss to the Washington Redskins, clearly there is only one man to blame: Phil Dawson. Only kidding, of course, as it was clearly the underachieving offense that cost us yet another football game.

Just think about that -- the Browns, potential-wise, are supposed to have one of the best offenses in football.

We held one of the AFC's best teams, Pittsburgh, to just 10 points. Result? Loss.

We held one of the NFC's best teams, Washington, to just 14 points. Result? Loss.

This week, it wasn't the playcalling that was the problem. The adjustments that Rob Chudzinski has made over the past several weeks were still on display. However, if you can't even execute a screen pass to a receiver at the line of scrimmage, you can't move the chains to set up the remainder of your gameplan as a coordinator. The goats of the game this week are back again, and although a major case can be made for two of our players on offense getting the award, I'm going to substitute one of them for a defensive player.

Goats of the Game (The Reason We're Not .500)

"We're only tugging onto each other because we couldn't hear the play call from the sideline!"

1. Derek Anderson: For as many steps forward as he appeared to take against the New York Giants, he took a lot of those steps back against the Redskins. I wasn't too surprised due to all of his road woes last season, but I was certainly discouraged. I don't think he's lost the right to his job yet. Right now we're 2-4 and still far from the season being over.
   
2. Terry Cousin: I was flabbergasted when I read that Mike Adams would be inactive for the game. Although the defense played well, Cousin was Ralph Brown-esque. I believe I remember most of Jason Campbell's success coming on crossing routes over the middle. Each time, including Santana Moss' touchdown, Cousin was in on the coverage.

Awarding Game Balls (Fewer Than Last Week)

1. Eric Wright: He has really made amends for fumbling an interception against the Bengals several weeks ago. After intercepting an Eli Manning pass for a touchdown last week, he came up with a huge strip on Clinton Portis when it looked as if we were dead and buried. Credit Wright for hustling on the play when Portis was already a step ahead of him.
   
2. Jamal Lewis: He may still be averaging under 100 yards in most of these games, but he is fulfilling his duties by running for over four yards a pop. His effortless hurdle in full stride for a 22 yard gain was a sight to see. Not being able to punch it in down at the goal line with several cracks was discouraging, but that's where you also need the threat of a capable quarterback.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

  "1/8 from the one-yard line is a high percentage in my book. So much, that I won't throw the red challenge flag."

1. IN for the TOUCHDOWN?: Forgive me if I have missed confirmation that shows otherwise, but a major factor in this game came with about a little over 8 minutes to play. Derek Anderson dumped a screen pass off to Jamal Lewis, and Lewis followed lead blocker Rex Hadnot down the field. Lewis was ruled down at the one-yard line...but why? On replay, it looks like Lewis merely stumbled while trying to use Hadnot as a shield, and tripped himself down at the one-yard line. Still untouched though, his momentum carried his body and the ball into the end zone, where a defender then touched him.
   
2. No Red Flag: Remember when we used to complain so much about Romeo Crennel wasting challenges? Well, apparently he's gone into a shell now, because through six games, I don't even recall him throwing it once. Had he thrown it in this instance and if the play had been ruled a touchdown, we would've had a lot of time left to come back and win. Granted, failing to get the ball in with four attempts is no excuse, but neither is missing this call.
3. Running Wild: The Redskins might just have the best running back in the league. Clinton Portis dazzled once again, rushing for 175 yards on 27 carries against the Browns. The high yardage count is still attributable to some of our defensive shortcomings, but overall he just deserves props on being one of the best, and perhaps most underrated, players in the game.
   

"Damn."

4. Still Missed It: I joked in the opening line that Dawson was to blame for this loss. In all fairness, he does deserve a share of the blame. He showed tremendous leg strength in the preseason, connecting on a couple of 50+ yarders. Last week's miss from beyond 50 yards didn't have as much relevance because we ended up winning big. But, in Dawson's first pressure kick opportunity of the season, he failed to come through. Remember, we won at least two more games last season because of late kicks by Dawson (Seattle and Baltimore).
5. Eight Punts: From no punts to eight punts. At least Dave Zastudil didn't show much rust, as he booted the ball well throughout the game.
   
6. Late Defensive Stop: One of the most surprising things this season came on the Redskins' final "true" drive of the game, when they had a chance to run out the clock. After running all over the Browns all game and only needing a first down, I thought our depleted defensive line would be toast by the second carry. To my surprise, the unit reached down deep and played their hearts out until the final whistle, fighting through fatigue and the misery of watching a crappy [Browns] offensive effort.
   
7. Kellen Winslow: The friction between Winslow and the team is not good for overall team morale. Staph infections remain a huge problem, and it's getting laughable to try to accept that all of the infections with Cleveland players specifically are merely a coincidence. Whether his suspension is lifted or not for next game though, right now, we are a better football team when Steve Heiden starts for several reasons -- blocking, chemistry with Anderson, and having more respect from the coaching staff.
8. By the Way: Did we draft Martin Rucker and Beau Bell just to sit them all season? Just wondering, because right now our starting tight end is at odds with the team and Andra Davis remains invisible.
9. Sean Jones & Ryan Tucker: With the positive news of Sean Jones returning, there was the negative news of Ryan Tucker being listed as inactive for the game, and possibly for the near future as well. Jones played "ok" and led the team with ten tackles, but he seemed to be a beat off. After having a game's worth of live action under his belt again, I expect the rust to have worn off by the Jacksonville contest.
   
10. Offensive Line: Anderson was hit a lot more against Washington than he was against the Giants, but that isn't an excuse. On many of his throws, including the failed one to Braylon Edwards right before our field goal attempt, he had plenty of time to make the appropriate throw. 
11. Harrison's Involvement: Several users complained about the team not using Jerome Harrison earlier in the game, but would that have really made a difference? Lewis was running the ball fine, and the real problem were things like Anderson overthrowing Donte Stallworth on a screen pass, or Edwards completing missing the hot slant route on a Redskins blitz. I think fans were automatically thinking "Harrison = Spark". In truth, the plays were called all had "Spark" written all over them, with a little asterisk * mentioning the failed execution. Bottom line: I felt Harrison was intended to be used correctly for the third game in a row -- it just didn't come off that way.
12. Cribbs' Hit: Cribbs showed a lot of toughness by returning to the game after taking a huge blow earlier in the contest. Credit goes to Gerard Lawson though, who had arguably our best kick return of the season in place of Cribbs -- a tough, bounce-off-defender return for 43 yards.
13. Slight Steps Forward for Wimbley: I saw a few things I liked from Kamerion Wimbley, particularly once when he almost had an interception dropping back in coverage. Wimbley needs to drop back more often to mix up the play calls and leave the opposing team's left tackle wondering whether or not he's actually going to come.
    
14. Brownies: While only having two catches for the second week in a row, I thought Donte Stallworth opened up the offense again...Steve Heiden was heavily underutilized in this game...although Edwards had several drops again, most of them would've netted minimal yardage...can the team clone Shaun Rogers?
    

Believe it or not, the Redskins game was losable. It kills me that we didn't seize the advantage and get back to .500, but we still showed that we can compete with a very good football team, even on the road, until the final seconds.

The bigger game comes this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Why were we left out of the postseason last year? Because we had a horrible conference record in comparison to Tennessee.

Right now, we're only one game back of a tie for the wildcard. One game! That is no reason to give up hope. The Jaguars will be competing for one of those wildcard spots though, so if we can take them out this weekend, that will be a huge step forward in getting our season back on track.

The Cleveland Browns are entering the 2008-2009 with high expectations. With a successful offense returning, a much-improved defensive line, and the fans more excited than ever about the team, anything short of a playoff berth will be a disappointment.

Now, let's take a look at this year's official season preview, brought to you exclusively by Dawgs By Nature.

Note: Due to page-width issues, click the link below to read the full preview. Also, please use the "Yahoo Buzz" feature in the top-right corner to help promote this piece!

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Hopefully rookie TE Martin Rucker will be back on the field as early as Wednesday afternoon.

The Browns had their final public two-a-day session on Tuesday, but some concerning news came in the morning session when one of our tight ends wasn't on the field. It wasn't Kellen Winslow. Or Steve Heiden. It was Martin Rucker. The rookie fourth-round draft choice had an MRI done on his knee after he twisted it recently.

While Romeo Crennel stated in an interview that the MRI was merely precautionary, we all know what happened to rookie LB Beau Bell when he suddenly missed a day or two of action. To simplify things today, I'm going to put both the morning and evening practice notes under the same subheading:

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 21 [MORNING / EVENING] (8/12/08)

1. Hall Rises: I thought this was a very important note to start off with, as reported by the Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi: for the first time since Antwan Peek's injury, rookie LB Alex Hall took reps at his position instead of being exclusive to Kamerion Wimbley's side. Whether that's keeping all options open or a telltale sign, it'll be something to watch for this Monday against the Giants.
2. Sanders Opening Eyes: After being given the opportunity to run with the starting unit yesterday, WR Steve Sanders continued to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by catching nearly everything thrown his way again. Without being at camp everyday, this sudden rise for Sanders seems unprecedented; nonetheless, I am really pulling for him.
3. Key to Victory: Ohio.com is reporting that recently-signed safety Travis Key is at least making some noise in practice. He broke up a pass intended for Steve Heiden from Derek Anderson in the morning, and then recovered a fumble in the nightcap. Sounds like a decent second day, eh?
4. Similar Sounding: When you think about it, saying "Andra Davis" and "A.J. Davis" quickly makes them sound like the same name. That's not the point though; the point is that A.J. Davis had a good nightcap according to Mary Kay Cabot -- he broke up a deep pass to Joshua Cribbs from Ken Dorsey, and then intercepted a Brady Quinn pass intended for Lance Leggett. Davis needed to step up after seeing the recently-beat-for-a-touchdown Steve Cargile get cut after last Thursday's game.
5. Rogers Sits: Big nose tackle Shaun Rogers had the morning practice off with a sore knee, but was a full go come the nightcap. Kevin Kasper continues to miss practices though, and is not showing any signs of returning in the immediate future.
6. Trick Play: I'll just quote Grossi on this one; no sense in paraphrasing a play that he saw:
   

   "New play of the day -- a reverse off an end-around, featuring an Anderson handoff to Josh Cribbs, who hands to Donte Stallworth coming from the other side. Nice. The possibilities with Cribbs are endless."

7. Daily Wilson: Being the final two-a-day of the year, it's time to bring back the "Daily Wilson" one more time. Ohio.com reports that he made a nice diving catch in practice on a pass from Ken Dorsey, with Brandon McDonald having solid coverage on the play. There has been no word of Wilson letting up since Sanders was promoted, so I still fail to believe that there is a hidden agenda to give up on him.
8. Something to Consider: Besides the Hall note I mentioned to kick things off, I found this nugget interesting from Grossi: LB Kris Griffin has been having a tremendous camp at ILB, and is looking to challenge Leon Williams for playing time. His roster spot seems secure (Griffin's).
9. Dawson Clutch: To end the morning practice, Crennel asked the team if they'd put their faith in kicker Phil Dawson. If Dawson could nail a 54-yarder, their afternoon team meeting would be canceled, and the players would have spare time to do whatever they wanted. If he missed, they'd have to run laps. The team accepted the challenge, and Dawson drilled it. More than anything, that serves as a great pressure situation for Dawson -- not that he needs it.
10. No Pads: The team hasn't been in pads since Thursday's game against the Jets so that everyone can heal up. I'm sure the pads will be on some time soon -- possibly Wednesday -- to start prepping for the Monday Nighter.

Here is your link collection for much of the information above:

Rogers, Rucker dealing with knee issues (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)

A.J. Davis steps up (Ohio.com, Ridenour)

Training camp log: Day 21 (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

Day 21 of camp practice (WTAM, Knott)

As always, check out the playoff-contending Cleveland Indians over at Let's Go Tribe (ok, maybe I'm getting my hopes up too much after a mere five-game winning streak). The Browns' next preseason game is still a ways away, but it's getting here. Remember, if you're a Clevelander without cable, Monday's game can be caught on FOX 8.

Rumors began swirling around late last week that DB Gary Baxter might be contemplating retirement after his knees were acting up on him again. There seemed to be brighter light at the end of the tunnel the past couple of days, until this morning when it was announced that the veteran had arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage from his knee.

While that doesn't create an extra void in the secondary (we knew all along that Baxter was hit-or-miss), it would've been great to see him step out on the field against the Jets Thursday. Still, by no means has he been ruled out of the regular season.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 14 (8/5/08)

1. Update on Cribbs: He was in camp today, and he made it clear that he's not going to hold out. Everything that happens negotiation-wise will be between the team and his agent.
Bernie Kosar and Sam Rutigliano hanging out at Browns camp. Fans can't wait to hear Kosar on the mic again this Thursday. Credit: Official site.
2. Light Practice: In preparation for their game against the Jets, the team took it light during practice Tuesday. The team will have some brief drills on Wednesday, but that will be closed to the public.
3. More Success: They cannot be denied. QB Derek Anderson hooked up with WR Braylon Edwards for two more touchdowns during team drills -- one of them a one-handed bobble, and the other a 55-yard reception over Eric Wright, according to the Plain Dealer.
4. Perry Christmas: It'll feel like Christmas to DB Jereme Perry if he wins a roster spot with the Browns again. He continues to have a pretty firm grip on the fourth corner spot, and with Baxter out indefinitely, his roster odds have increased (though so have DB Nick Sorenson's). Perry broke up a pass intended for Edwards in red zone drills Tuesday.
5. Curse the Knees: This year, the voodoo has been placed on player's knees. After reporting that Beau Bell's injury wasn't too serious yesterday, he missed his second consecutive session Tuesday. If the knee doesn't respond to treatment, arthroscopic surgery will be under consideration, according to head coach Romeo Crennel.
Backup QB Brady Quinn will see plenty of action, at least two quarters to be specific, versus the Jets.
6. Kasper Way Behind: I know the team was initially intrigued by WR Kevin Kasper, but at this point you'd have to imagine he's way behind Travis Wilson, and he's not getting any closer. He reportedly suffered somewhat of a setback by re-aggravating his hamstring injury either today or in the past couple of days.
7. OUT on Thursday: The following players, not including Baxter, will reportedly miss Thursday's game for sure due to injury: TE Kellen Winslow, FB Lawrence Vickers, WR Kevin Kasper, OG Seth McKinney, and TE Steve Heiden. Heiden did return to practice Tuesday with a brace on his right knee, according to the Plain Dealer.
8. Don't Feel Bad: It seems like the Browns are getting hammered with injuries, but I'd say the Steelers and Ravens have suffered more than the Browns up to this point.

Your link collection for much of the information above:

Browns insider: McMillian gets shot (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)

Training camp log: Day 13 (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

Another setback for Baxter (Official Site, Jackson)

The next training camp session isn't until Saturday, so that means it'll be all about getting pumped up and then reviewing the Browns' first exhibition game of the year.

The Browns had their final two-a-day practice session before Thursday's game against the New York Jets today, and a lot of players continue to look like they are in midseason form. Because the information on today's sessions was somewhat limited for the nightcap, I'm combining all of the tidbits into one section:

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 13 [MORNING / EVENING] (8/4/08)

At this point, it has to feel like they're playing Madden or something, as WR Braylon Edwards beats DB A.J. Davis for his first of two touchdowns. Credit: Official site.
1. Kickin' Off Strong: In their first practice with pads since Friday's family fun night, Braylon Edwards and Derek Anderson were at it again in the morning. The duo connected on two deep passes for touchdowns as the session was coming to a close.
2. First, a Post: On a post pattern down the middle of the field, Edwards beat rookie DB A.J. Davis for the score.
3. Second, a Go: On a go route down the right sideline, Edwards split Davis and backup safety Nick Sorensen for a touchdown.
4. McMillan's Chance: I thought for sure that free agent linebacker Shantee Orr would get the primary crack at Antwan Peek's job, but that's not the case. Instead, it is veteran-but-seldom-used linebacker David McMillan who is getting his chance to shine. This Thursday, expect McMillan to either start or be the first guy into the leftside rotation after Willie McGinest comes out.
5. Williams Expands: Defensive end Corey Williams was a full go in practice today, participating in all team drills as if nothing was wrong with him. No report yet on whether or not the team will risk playing him in the first preseason game.
6. Kasper Still Iffy: While Kevin Kasper worked on individual drills for the second day in a row, he did not participate in any team drills.
Rookie OL James Lee is trying to win a backup tackle job, as he defends pass-rushing LB Kamerion Wimbley. Lee will be one to watch come Thursday. Credit: Official site.
7. Preseason Game Plan: Head coach Romeo Crennel has laid out his game plan for the first game. Derek Anderson and the starters will be at least a full quarter, and possibly more. The idea is to play Brady Quinn for at least a half -- preferably for the second and third quarters. Then, Ken Dorsey would come in for his only playing time of the year and pick up the scraps in the fourth quarter.
8. Bell's Knee: Rookie linebacker Beau Bell sat out the night practice with a sore knee, but the Plain Dealer reports that he should be back on the field for Tuesday's practice.
9. Cribbs May Sit: At this point, the Browns know what Joshua Cribbs is capable of and would prefer to continue letting him rest his hamstring. If that's the case, expect Syndric Steptoe to get the starting nod against the Jets at returner.
10. Adams Over Cousin?: The Plain Dealer is also reporting that DB Mike Adams currently seems to have the upper hand on the nickel back spot over DB Terry Cousin.
11. Presidential Candidate: Democratic nominee Barack Obama will be speaking at Baldwin-Wallace Tuesday, so you can imagine than the scene in Berea will be very hectic if you're trying to find a parking space. Consider arriving extra early if you plan on attending.

Your collection of links for much of the information above, as always:

Monday A.M. camp report (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)

Quinn to get bulk of playing time vs. Jets (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

Anderson, Edwards connecting again (Official Site, King)

B-W parking limited on Tuesday (Official Site)

The Browns have an afternoon session Tuesday, and then are off on Wednesday. Wednesday, I will have a summary of all of the "smaller" position battles that have formed throughout camp, with some things to look for prior to our first exhibition game.

I'm not quite sure how this works every year. Technically, Friday was Day 10 of training camp. Should I say that Day 11 of training camp was the off day on Saturday, therefore Day 12 was Sunday's practice? That's what I'm sticking with.

Several players returned to practice Sunday, including WR Kevin Kasper, who will resume his efforts to win the team's No. 3 receiver spot. Photo credit: Official site

Every year after the Family Fun Night, the training camp buzz becomes marginalized. The first big event is out of the way, and you only have "x" number of sessions before a preseason game arrives. That means more days off, more focus on gameplanning, and therefore less actual camp reports. In other words, it's time to "speed it up" -- the regular season is quickly approaching.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 12

1. Back on Track: Browns fans were nervous about how much practice defensive end Corey Williams had been missing, but true to his word, head coach Romeo Crennel sent him back on the field today.
2. Soften it Up: Just like Friday's scrimmage didn't allow tackling, neither did Sunday's afternoon practice. In fact, not only was tackling not allowed, the players didn't even have pads on. Yep -- not going to get a whole lot of observations when they occurs.
3. Other Returnees: Besides Williams, several other Browns returned to the field: WR Kevin Kasper and FB Lawrence Vickers. That's good news, because Kasper should have enough time to get back into the groove of things before Thursday's game against the Jets, and Vickers will have some time to build up the chemistry with Jamal Lewis and the offensive line again.
4. Sitting Out: After being limited in Friday's practice, TE Kellen Winslow and KR Joshua Cribbs sat out of practice due to their hamstring injuries. DB Gary Baxter was reportedly very limited.
5. Running Room: According to Ohio.com, the Browns have been working on running the ball to their non-dominant side of the offensive line, the right side, and have been creating some big holes for Jamal Lewis.
6. Dinkins Watch: Ohio.com also reported that TE Darnell Dinkins has been catching everything thrown his way. Well, that's good, considering we already have three tight ends on the depth chart that can catch better than him. His chances will come down to whether or not Charles Ali or a Brad Cieslak win a job over him due to their special teams play.
7. Receivers Excelling: Once again, WR Travis Wilson had an excellent practice. This is a 360 degree turnaround from the Wilson we've heard about in camp the past two years, by far. Syndric Steptoe hasn't been horrible either, though his reps will probably decrease now that Kasper is back.
At this rate, rookie WR Paul Hubbard is going to need a heck of a preseason performance to earn a spot on the team's 53-man roster.
8. Daily Hubbard: It's probably a little harsh to start the "Daily Hubbard", but the fact that rookie WR Paul Hubbard is taking the place of the receiver struggling the most in camp can't be overlooked. Reportedly, he consistently dropped passes in receiver drills Sunday. I said this awhile ago in my wide receiver preview: I don't care if we did trade for the guy -- if he has consistently been underachieving, how do we reward him a roster spot over someone who will actually contribute as a role player this year?
9. Wright Way: RB Jason Wright reportedly took a swing pass the distance for a long touchdown, and was possibly being defended by rookie LB Beau Bell on the play.
10. Former Browns: It's always nice to keep tabs on former Browns players, known or not. Last year training camp invitee Maurice Mann, a wide receiver currently trying out for the Washington Redskins, had 2 catches for 28 yards and 1 touchdown in the Hall of Fame game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Your link collection for the information above, as always:

Browns' Hall could be diamond in the rough (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

Training camp Aug. 3 (Ohio.com, Thomas)

Day 12 of training camp (WTAM, Knott)

Adams and Steptoe (The Browns Board)

The Browns have their final two-a-day session Monday, as they'll surely be getting to work on some things they may want to try out against the New York Jets this Thursday. The greatest thing about that game? Getting to hear Bernie Kosar announce again. I'm already foaming at the mouth in excitement (not sarcastic; I really do love hearing his comments).

I have to admit: live-blogging the Browns' Sirius Radio show earlier on Dawgs By Nature kind of wore me out. Usually I'm energized to whip up these training camp posts, but after four straight hours of a long recap, I feel like just getting them over with at the moment.

What I feel like doing, is irrelevant in a way though -- I can't stand to fall behind or leave any details out. If the recaps feel a little rushed though, I hope you'll understand.

GREAT LINK: ATENEARS over at thebrownsboard.com attended the evening session and has another personal recap up that I highly recommend. Some decent pictures are included as well.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 8 [MORNING] (7/30/08)

Rain hit the Browns' camp for about 15 minutes this morning. The team practiced through it.
1. Rain Delivers: It's almost as if it was planned how everything went down the past two days. Yesterday, the heat came for the first time in camp, testing the players in near 90-degree weather. Today, it rained for 15 minutes during camp, and the team practiced through it. The length of the storm was very convenient -- the team didn't have to worry about moving practice indoors, and got some valuable real-game weather reps in without anybody suffering an injury.
2. Sloppy Offense: The Plain Dealer reports that as the rain continued to fall, the offense got sloppier. A botched handoff between Derek Anderson and Jamal Lewis, a dropped pass by Jason Wright (presumably he would've been wide open), and an interception by defensive back Nick Sorensen on a pass from Brady Quinn were among the lowlights during the downpour.
3. New Holdouts: Not contractual holdouts, of course, but injury holdouts. Shaun Smith and Antwan Peek did not practice, with each of them having sore knees. They missed the night cap too, and Crennel said they should be back in a day or two.
4. Zebras in Attendance: For a practice session for each team, the league sends a few NFL referees to let players know any rule changes or if they are doing anything wrong. That day was today for the Browns.
5. Shot for Perry: He hasn't drawn much praise for his second run with the Browns, but defensive back Jereme Perry had a nice shot on wide receiver Efrem Hill in the morning, drawing audience reaction.
CB Brandon McDonald applying tight coverage on WR Donte Stallworth during the morning session.
6. Travis Thomas: It's intriguing how much of an impression this guy has made in camp, including the morning as well. However, on one play, rookie linebacker Beau Bell came with a blitz and absolutely leveled Thomas, knocking him into quarterback Ken Dorsey.
7. Dawson Drilling 'Em: Towards the end of practice, kicker Phil Dawson was drilling field goals left and right, with his longest being measured in at 48 yards.
8. Cribbs Throws: Yesterday, Joshua Cribbs only ran the QB draw when he lined up at the shotgun position. Today, he actually rolled out and threw the ball on several occasions. The Plain Dealer reports that he looked rusty throwing the ball.
9. Drill Existed, I'm Sure: Tony Grossi reported the following: "running backs practiced their goal-line vaults by leaping over plastic garbage cans and onto a soft, heavy mat." Grossi then stated that he'd never seen that drill before at camp, however I swear I recall it being done at some point last year or two years ago.
10. Rare Mention: We haven't given many shoutouts -- if any -- to UDFA linebacker Chase Ortiz. Grossi reports that Ortiz came on a nice blitz during the morning by rushing Ken Dorsey and swatting his pass down.

And now, for the nightcap, a.k.a. evening session:

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 8 [EVENING] (7/30/08)

1. Edwards' Day Off: With more and more players getting "casual" sessions off now, the evening session was the break for Braylon Edwards.
RB Jamal Lewis participates in the "Trash Can Drill" during the morning session. I'd love to jump over trash cans onto a mat.
2. Daily Wilson: With Edwards being off, Travis Wilson was promoted to the first team for the session and continued looking good. His highlight, according to the Plain Dealer, was a nice catch on a pass from Ken Dorsey over the middle.
3. Steptoe's Props: Receiver Syndric Steptoe also had a nice catch -- a leaping grab on a pass from Brady Quinn. With Edwards and Kevin Kasper out, Steptoe also saw increased playing time.
   
4. Baxter's Off Too?: It's being assumed that nothing was seriously wrong with him, and that Gary Baxter was just given the night off like Edwards was. The reason for suspicion is that he wasn't even on the sidelines...
5. Winslow Thrives: There's no stopping Kellen Winslow, who continued making his job look too easy.
6. Nightmarish: One receiver who didn't take advantage of Edwards and Kasper being out was rookie Paul Hubbard. The coaches seemed frustrated by his play, and in turn he seemed to get more frustrated as practice went on.
   
7. Mr. Hall: After getting a lot of mentions on Sirius NFL Radio earlier today, Alex Hall didn't stop showing up. He reportedly continued to impress, defending passes like a veteran.
8. ATENEARS' Brownies: At the top of the page, I linked to a post at thebrownsboard.com. Here are some tidbits from there: WR Steve Sanders has a lot of quickness and good route running. TE Brad Cieslak looks fundamentally sound still, just not a roster spot available for him. CB Damon Jenkins has good coverage on a good route by WR Joshua Cribbs. Make sure you check out his entire recap to get the proper taste though...
   

Here is the collection of sources for much of the information above:

Browns dodge raindrops on Day 8 (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)

The company line - OL/DL assessment (Waiting for Next Year, Rick)

WFNY camp pics from earlier in week (Waiting for Next Year, Scott) << Fun Read

Day 8 of training camp (WTAM, Andre Knott)

'Big Baby' Rogers makeing impression (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

Training camp log: Day 8 (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

Camp observations: July 30 morning (Ohio.com, Thomas)

Camp observations: July 30 evening (Ohio.com, Thomas)

Spotting a Trend (Official Site, King)

The Browns have an afternoon practice tomorrow afternoon, before their highly-anticipated session this Friday at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Edit from Chris: Looking back, I love how I prefaced this post with a "don't be surprised if it seems rushed", and yet it doesn't appear rushed at all. Plus, it didn't really end up being tiring either -- I quickly got my blood flowing again after the first bullet point or two. Cheers!

What's your favorite team in the National Football League? The one that makes you proud to bleed orange and brown? They are the Cleveland Browns of course. Our troops took the field for two practice sessions again today, so let's get right into it:

(BTW, thanks to OBR Forums user Buckeye2k7 who uploaded four videos of camp from Monday's morning session! The links are listed below...I am embedding the second video link for quick access.)

Video Link 1
Video Link 2
Video Link 3
Video Link 4

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 6 [MORNING] (7/28/08)

Joe Thomas has been taking on everybody in camp -- even pass rushing specialist Kamerion Wimbley. Credit: Official Site

1. Steinbach Losing Battles: The veteran left guard isn't struggling by any means. When it comes to defending Shaun Rogers though, Eric Steinbach just can't seem to find an edge. In a one-on-one drill Rogers just dominated him -- so much that he could've easily put him on his back.
2. Thomas a Mauler: In the same drill, according to the Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi, Joe Thomas manhandled a rushing David McMillian. Imagine if you, assuming you're not in football shape, tried to actually beat Thomas. That's what Thomas did to McMillian -- except McMillian actually has NFL-quality talent.
3. Rookie Alert: Two rookies have caught the attention of head coach Romeo Crennel -- running back Travis Thomas and linebacker Alex Hall. In sharp contrast, we haven't heard much about linebacker Beau Bell, tight end Martin Rucker.
4. Edwards Somewhat Down: If ever there was a day that Braylon Edwards "struggled" in camp, it would've been during the morning practice. Edwards leapt up in the air on a deep pass from Derek Anderson, but cornerback Brandon McDonald made a fundamentally sound play by trying to jar the ball loose as Edwards came down, compensating for the size difference. The ball indeed came loose.
   
   Braylon Edwards has the ball knocked free from him after a nice play by defensive back Brandon McDonald. Credit: Official Site
   
   
   On another play, Edwards dropped a deep pass after he had beat defensive backs Terry Cousin and Mike Adams.
5. Speaking Of Which: The reports on Terry Cousin have not been great thus far. Let's hope that he isn't this year's Ralph Brown or Kenny Wright (in terms of player quality).
6. Grossi Likes Leggett: Grossi commented on how wide receiver Lance Leggett has been making some nice catches in camp, including during the morning session. Leggett was another player who I gave zero credit to in my training camp preview.
7. Daily Wilson: According to the official site, Brady Quinn threw a fade touchdown to receiver Travis Wilson after Wilson had beaten his man. With Kevin Kasper missing a couple of practices, you'd have to imagine that Wilson has a slight edge over him with a strong camp thus far.
8. Rubin With a Drive: ...to deep right center...opps, wrong sport. Rookie defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin showed some nice drive today, pushing back center Hank Fraley on at least one occasion. Still, the roster odds are not necessarily in his favor, meaning he still has a lot to show us.
9. Leonard Beating Hadnot: According to one fan's report, defensive lineman Louis Leonard beat offensive guard Rex Hadnot pretty badly twice in a row. Hadnot was looked down upon more so than Leonard was praised.
10. Anderson Again: It's not even close, folks. Derek Anderson continued to display his improved touch on short passes
11. Injury Updates: WR Kevin Kasper and DL Corey Williams did not participate. TE Steve Heiden and RB Jason Wright were limited in their activity.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 6 [EVENING] (7/28/08)

Brady Quinn's lackluster effort in camp may not mean much right now, but it will if it continues -- we need him if anything happens to Derek Anderson. Credit: Official Site
1. New Quarterback: We didn't add anybody to the roster, but apparently there is a new quarterback in camp. The Browns ran a play in which the ball was tossed to Jamal Lewis, who then ran right before rainbowing a pass to a wide open Kellen Winslow for a touchdown. Yep...just don't try that during a game Chud unless you're certain it'll work.
   
2. Sowells a Mess: Things aren't looking good performance-wise for Isaac Sowells, who was getting beat left and right during practice, whether it was against starters or backups. Luckily for him, backup tackle is our thinnest spot on the offensive line.
3. Zone Problems: While he was very consistent in practice again, we have to nitpick here: during red zone drills, Derek Anderson threw a bad interception to Andra Davis. Those type of plays killed us last year against the Oakland Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals (part 2). Again though -- his short game continues to look impressive.
4. Quinn to Harrison: While Brady Quinn continues to look unsure of himself, how about we highlight something positive for once? Running back Jerome Harrison ran a wheel-like route, and Quinn hit him in stride for six.
5. Sanders Again: The most news that Steve Sanders is making is that he's staying after camp playing catch with Quinn. They did it again for awhile after the evening session.

Here is your link collection of sources for much of the information above:

Browns morning practice Day 6 is over (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)

Notes: Crennel looking for improvement (Official Site, King)

Camp report: Wimbley seeking to rebound (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)

Lewis runs for titles, legacy, and Jim Brown (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

Andra Davis' word worth weight in gold (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)

Don't sell short the talent of McDonald (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Pluto)

The Browns will hit the field for one afternoon practice session on Tuesday.