Time after time this season, Jerome Harrison has been productive whenever he has been inserted into a game. If he receives one touch, it goes for over 10 yards. If he receives two touches, he totals over 20 yards, and so on. The problem has been that after that short spurt of playing time, Harrison doesn't see the field the rest of the game.

In this morning's Plain Dealer, head coach Romeo Crennel had another baffling quote:

"We planned to try to use him [Harrison] and that's why we got him into the game in the first half. Sometimes it happens that maybe the ball doesn't get in your hands. The ball wasn't in his hands as much the second half. We're going to try to see if we can be a little more consistent about getting the ball in his hands."

To me, that sounds like pure stubbornness, either from Crennel or Rob Chudzinski. Heading into the game, the coaches have one little package or series in mind to dedicate to Harrison, with the rest designed for Lewis. No matter how well or how poorly each running back does during the game, adjustments are not made to the "flow" or "tempo" of the game.

The same thing happened with Derek Anderson earlier this season. Brady Quinn was on "high alert", but that didn't mean a thing because the coaching staff was too reliant on what they had planned heading into the game (I'm referring mainly to the Cincinnati Bengals game here, where Anderson played poorly enough to be benched after the first half).

Nonetheless, I suppose it's positive to hear that an effort will be made to give Harrison more touches, although I could've sworn I heard the same thing from Crennel two or three other times this season.

On another note, remember Shantee Orr? He has been neglected so much in terms of playing time that I completely forgot about the possibility of using him in the linebacker rotation. Orr is expected to be brought into the mix this week, which will slightly decrease the playing times of Kamerion Wimbley, Alex Hall, and Willie McGinest.

Crennel's assessment of Wimbley provides some entertainment too:

As for Wimbley, Crennel said, "It has been an unproductive year as far as sack totals. But Wimbley's been a consistent player, [and gives] consistent effort. I think he's improved as a player. We'll just keep working with him to see if we can improve that [sack] total so that everyone feels a little better about him."

Consistently sprinting around the left tackle with no results, indeed.

Box Score - 10.13.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	0	14	0	0	14
	3	14	3	15	35

On September 28th, 2008, the Browns picked up their first victory over the season. That came against arguably the worst team in football, the 0-6 Cincinnati Bengals.

On October 13th, 2008, after a long bye week, the Browns picked up their second victory of the season. This time, it came against the undefeated and defending  Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

I was extremely fortunate to have witnessed the game in person. Although the stadium was jam-packed, I can't help by chuckle at the fans who, before the game, stated that they would not be attending (in fear of seeing the Browns getting blown out). Who could've blamed them though? Since returning to the league in 1999, the Browns have rarely beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we have never defeated "the team to beat" during the regular season. We finally accomplished that.

This week, I'm going to do things a little different in reviewing the game. Because there were so many positives, I'm giving out more game balls than usual, and I'm cutting out the goats of the game altogether. Any negatives will be addressed in my general comments section.

Awarding Game Balls (Everyone Could've Gotten One)

DB Eric Wright's interception for a touchdown sealed the game.

1. Derek Anderson: It took five games, but Anderson is finally getting his first game ball of the season here on Dawgs By Nature. Despite beating the Bengals, he had to be under a lot of pressure. He hasn't played a solid football game dating back to part of last season and was going up against the line that knocked him out with a concussion back in the preseason. Anderson still had a few shaky throws, but that's Anderson -- he's not a 70% completion passer. What counted is that he was about to hit his throws down the seams, check off to several reads, and get rid of the ball before the Giants could even touch him.
2. Steve Heiden: I am so happy the Browns didn't place him on the injured reserve in the preseason. With a surplus of tight ends (and Martin Rucker healthy at the time), it could've been an "easy" way out to keeping an extra guy like Darnell Dinkins (who we kept anyway). Heiden proved exactly why we don't even really need Rucker to catch the ball -- he can do so just as well, and he can block very well too. The help he gave in taking on defensive end Justin Tuck was incredible.
3. Eric Wright: What was the stress point all of training camp and the preseason? "Our secondary is so thin." Well, it still is. If we need to start Terry Cousin or Travis Daniels, we're probably in trouble. With the starters we have now, even minus one starting safety, we are making things happen. Wright baited Eli Manning into a quick throw late in the game, when the Giants were marching to try and cut the lead to six. Wright picked off Manning's throw, and then just barely got by him for a clear path 94-yard touchdown return. Ballgame. Being at the game, this was by far the loudest the crowd had gotten all night -- first when Manning was picked off, and then quickly taken over by Wright passing up Manning on his way back.

  WR Braylon Edwards can celebrate now: he finally looked like the Pro Bowl receiver he was last season.

4. Rob Chudzinski: Here's one for the coach (offensive coordinator). The personnel packages he inserted reminded me of last season, begging the question -- why wasn't he calling these things for the first several weeks? I'm talking about using guys like Joshua Cribbs under center, Jerome Harrison having plays designed for him, and Syndric Steptoe in the slot. (see continuation of this discussion, as I answer my own question in the general notes section below)
5. Ryan Tucker: First game back? Domination. Before the game, I still favored having Kevin Shaffer at right tackle and Ryan Tucker at guard. Now, I want Tucker to stay at right tackle the rest of the year. What do we do with Shaffer then? He can spell Tucker and help in goal line situations, where we can use three tackles (instead of always shifting Joe Thomas to the right).
6. Braylon Edwards: 5 catches, 154 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 two-point conversion. The first thing I thought? Fantasy points! Seriously, it was the breakout game Edwards needed to get him back in the right direction. I think it was more critical that he had this type of a performance in front of a home crowd too.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. The Underrated Stallworth: I asked earlier why Rob Chudzinski's playbook suddenly expanded, and I truly believe that it all points to having Donte Stallworth in the lineup for the first time this season. Without him in there, everybody else was "out of place". Steptoe was starting, when he's a barely a slot receiver. Kellen Winslow was kept in the game more often to try and make up for Stallworth's absence, taking away the thought of having the "hidden" elements of Steve Heiden or Darnell Dinkins in the game. Stallworth only had two catches, but he was targeted a lot more, and from the stands, you could definitely tell that the defense was giving him respect on any given down. When the defense treats the No. 2 receiver seriously, everything else just...opens up.
   
2. Just Wait...: ...until we get Joe Jurevicius back now.
3. Running Tough: He didn't have over 100 yards rushing, but that's not what defines success for Jamal Lewis. Anyone who watched the game against the Giants saw that he was just as significant of a contributor as everyone else was. Even at first contact, he was fighting for that extra inch every single time. He also had a sick cutback move on his second-quarter touchdown.
   

  RB Jamal Lewis knows how to make defenders miss, as he runs through DB Kenny Phillips.

4. Take a Seat: Brandon Jacobs is a beast -- the power he showed when plowing into Mike Adams for a 7-yard touchdown was impressive. There is a very ironic statistic though: remember how Corey Williams discussed how to stop Jacobs? Jacobs ran for 67 yards against the Packers last postseason. He ran for 67 yards against the Browns' defense Monday.
5. No Punts: I was bummed that I didn't get to see Dave Zastudil punt the ball in-person. Who am I kidding -- that was a tremendous feat for the offense, showing how well we controlled the clock and executed our gameplan.
   
6. Dawson Misses: Dawson missed a field goal attempt just over 51 yards. In pregame, from that side of the stadium, Dawson was having some problems. If the kick had been on the other side though, he would've had a crack at a 60-yarder. You could probably infer that on television by the fact that his kickoffs were going way out of the end zone on that side too.
7. The Bad: Besides the atrocious announcing by the Monday Night Football guys (we have to hear them two more times this year, ugh), the penalties were again a problem for the Browns. Sure, we ended up somehow going 117 yards for a touchdown on a second-half drive, but that type of execution following mistakes is a rarity. When we made mistakes on our first drive of the game, we were held to a field goal. Rex Hadnot deserves some of the blame, as I heard his number called a few times.
8. Annoying Lady: I just have to get this one off my chest -- some lady in a bright red leather jacket kept was sitting in the middle of our row of seats (I was on the end). I'm not joking here -- she got up and went by us literally 15-18 times during the game, with several of the occurrences happening as the Browns were running a play. Most of the time, she was on her cellular phone. Why the hell would you keep coming back to the middle of a row if you're just going to get up and leave again two minutes later? Had to vent a little there.
9. Bad Eli: I was very surprised by the performance of Eli Manning. Sure, he's human, but his interceptions, while great plays by our secondary, involved questionable decisions that I just didn't expect to see from him. After the two deep throws, I thought..."Really? That's happening to another team and not us? Sweet!" The Giants, towards the end of the game, would've been better off sticking with the draw plays down by the goal line, instead of having Manning throw a pass that Wright could jump.
   

QB Derek Anderson has silenced critics for another week.


10. Heiden Open: I'm not sure if it was seen on television or not, but in the second half, Anderson threw a route towards the sideline to Darnell Dinkins, but the pass was incomplete as Dinkins went to the ground to try to get it. On the play though, fans groaned a little as Anderson missed seeing a wide open Heiden down the field on a post route. Heiden's man was fooled, and he probably would've walked in for a long touchdown.
11. Love the Double Reverse I loved the double reverse to Jerome Harrison. The defense completely soled out on the first handoff and never saw the second one coming. I'm fairly convinced that Harrison got the maximum possible yardage on the play, but on replay, I do wonder if there was a chance he could've taken it the distance if he had just continued running straight as opposed to trying to fake out an oncoming defender.
12. Why Review the Play?: I'm still unclear as to why the referees were reviewing the play before the end of the first half where Eli Manning fumbled. Because illegal contact was called on the Browns and the Giants accepted the penalty, what was under review? Does anybody know? I know everyone in the stands around me sounded confused too.
    
13. Brownies: Again, major props to Brodney Pool and Brandon McDonald. Amani Toomer was held without a catch, and the "feared" Domenik Hixon only caught one pass...Phil Dawson's first kickoff attempt was perfectly executed -- we almost got there in time to recover the kick ourselves... chalk up another sack for Alex Hall -- and that was hilarious seeing Manning in the middle of that huge takedown pile...dating back to last season, we're 2-0 in impressive fashion when wearing our "throwback uniforms" at home...we need some more production out of LB Andra Davis.
    

Against the Bengals, I closed the recap by saying the following:

"A win is a win. The next step is looking good in victory. You can't expect that to happen against the New York Giants, but you can certainly prepare for it to happen. With several players slated to return from injury, if this Browns football team is in sync in all aspects of the game, there is no reason we can't be in the game until the final whistle."

We didn't expect it to happen, but based on what everyone across the country saw, we certainly prepared for it. It paid off.

The Browns aren't out of things just yet. We're only two games out of the division lead with 12 more games to play. That's a lot of time to make up a lot of ground, but the only way we're going to have a chance to pull things together is if the team is healthy. Last season, much of our success depended on all of our top players being available when we needed them most.

This season, we've already had wounds to Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards, Jamal Lewis, Eric Steinbach, Sean Jones, Brodney Pool, Willie McGinest, Martin Rucker, Beau Bell, Joe Jurevicius, Robaire Smith, Shaun Smith, and more. Imagine a football team trying to compete with the best of the best without those guys being 100%.

Some of them will be close to 100% when we face the Giants in 11 days. Others won't be near that percentage, but at least they'll make their return to the field. Here is a report on how things are going for players who have been out:

A healthy Donte Stallworth will be a huge asset to the offense

• WR Donte Stallworth: This guy has received a ton of heat for the quadriceps injury that has kept him out a month already. However, all of the heat stems from frustration more than personal animosity towards the guy. Stallworth's presence will be a potentially huge upgrade over Syndric Steptoe. Break a leg out there, Stallworth. Err...probably the wrong choice of words there.
• OT Ryan Tucker: He is expected to return from a fractured hip suffered way back on May 14. Surprisingly, the OBR and other sources have indicated that his return may actually be at right tackle, replacing the "struggling" and wounded Kevin Shaffer. Tucker is probably this team's third best offensive lineman.
• LB Willie McGinest: After missing the past two games due to a hamstring injury, he has started practicing again and should be ready for the Giants. That will take some playing time away from Alex Hall, but overall, Hall has probably earned himself more of a cut into McGinest's playing time.
• TE Martin Rucker: There haven't been indications as to whether or not he'll actually be active, but for the first time since having arthroscopic knee surgery, he practiced on Wednesday.
• FB Lawrence Vickers: He was struck in the eye with a bottle thrown from the crowd in the Bengals game. Besides a cut, he'll be fine, thankfully.
• DL Shaun Smith: He had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand. For the past two weeks, he has played with a cast over it. He is expected to be ready for the Giants, so really the bye week couldn't have come at a better time for him.
• S Sean Jones: Jones was one of the few players not to return to practice. As of this time, he is not expected to be ready against the Giants.
• WR Joe Jurevicius: The same thing goes for Jurevicius -- it doesn't look as if he'll be even close to ready for the Giants game. If he is to start practicing again, it may not be until the actual halfway point of the season.
• OT Kevin Shaffer: After suffering a concussion on Sunday, an update has not been given as to whether or not he'll be able to play against the Giants. However, considering the reports of Tucker taking over for him, maybe he won't be ready.

Altogether, the news is positive on the injury front.

I saw a quote from head coach Romeo Crennel over on the OBR that made me laugh. Maybe I'm just confused as to what he's trying to refer to:

Crennel said Anderson might need to go back to taking what the defense gives him, like he did in 2007.

"He might be trying to go down field a little more than he did last year," Crennel said. "He seemed to take more what the defense gave him last year."

Link

I could've sworn that up until the fourth quarter of the Bengals game, I never even saw Anderson throw the ball down the field. All I kept seeing were comeback routes that defensive backs were sitting on. Our success came when Anderson threw the ball down the field -- like the pass to Winslow amidst two-three defenders down near the goal line.

Finally, remember the apparent Anderson/Edwards/Lewis love-fest on the sidelines during the Bengals' game? According to Anderson, the confrontation wasn't a negative one, reports the Chronicle-Telegram:

Despite television evidence to the contrary, Anderson disputed that any incident occurred.

"There was no argument whatsoever," he said Wednesday. "I just mentioned to him about being smart, getting the personal foul.

"He and I were talking. He wasn’t yelling at me, nothing was going on. Jamal happened to come over and we were in the process of getting the whole offense together. It looked like we were arguing and he grabbed a hold of us, which wasn’t the case."

Link

They probably could've exchanged punches on television and would've stuck with the same story.

Box Score - 9.21.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	0	10	0	0	10
	0	7	21	0	28

Right now, we're one of the worst teams in football. Potential wise, we remain the "best" of the worst teams in football, but that's not going to offer us any comfort when we're on the outside-looking-in again come January.

So, where should I go with the breakdown of this game? The Derek Anderson / Romeo Crennel replacement storylines are so hot right now, perhaps I can offer a take on some of the other issues that happened with the game. So, for the majority of this review, I'll try to hold off "extensive" discussion on Anderson / Crennel (save that for Wednesday's post):

Goat of the Game (Why God, Why?)

Browns QB Derek Anderson had one of the worst second halves imaginable.

1. Derek Anderson: It was truly a story of two halves for Derek Anderson. In the first half, he actually wasn't too bad -- both statistically and in making decisions. He was 9-of-16 passing for 101 yards and 1 touchdown, aiding the team to a 10-7 lead at halftime.
2. ...(continued): Then, the second half was miserable. Anderson was 5-of-21 for 24 yards and 3 interceptions in the second half. What was the reason for the difference? If anything, you'd expect a poor first half to shake your confidence in the second half, and not vice-versa. Nonetheless, with a second half performance like that, Anderson's the only player you need to point the finger at to blame for this loss. Well, I could blame Donte Stallworth in a way too, but that's in more of a joking yet detailed manner I've yet to delve in to.
3. Dave Zastudil: People may not remember it, but when we were backed up to our own 12-yard line, he only got off a 31-yard boot. The Ravens promptly drove 43 yards to tie the game at seven.

Awarding Game Balls (More Meaningless With Each Loss)

RB Jerome Harrison scores the only touchdown of the game for Cleveland. Makes sense that it was his only play, though.

1. Jerome Harrison: Why deprive him of a gameball just because the coaches don't give him more than one play? He capitalized on that one play too -- a 19-yard screen pass for our only touchdown in two weeks. Overall though, Romeo Crennel actually gave Harrison less of a workload than he did against the Steelers. Liar. And idiotic.
2. Alex Hall: I didn't think he had an overpowering game, but the sole fact that he was recognized more than Kamerion Wimbley says a lot about how much Wimbley really is struggling. Hall had the Browns' only sack of the game on Joe Flacco as well.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. We Should Have Won: Our defense wasn't great, but the unit played well enough to win (until the backups were inserted into the game). They were also opportunistic, picking off the rookie quarterback twice in the first half as I anticipated would happen. Anderson handicapped our defense 14 points.
2. Recognition on Trick Play: The Ravens tried to run a variation of the fleaflicker on a play that ended up being Flacco's second interception of the day. He pitched the ball to Willie McGahee, who slowly ran to the sideline without even coming close to selling a run, and then tossed the ball all the way back to Flacco, who then wound up and launched a rocket down into the end zone. Mike Adams came away with the ball, and although the Ravens executed the play poorly, I still credit our young / depleted secondary for being all over it.
3. Edwards Still Struggles: I don't recall him having a drop, but I still wouldn't call it a step forward for him. On his second reception, he bobbled the ball about four times before finally securing it against his chest. That's not what you want to do against a hard-hitting defense over the middle. Edwards may or may not have been partially at fault for Anderson's second and third picks, but either way he didn't do a good job at shielding the defender.
4. Not The Cribbs We Know: On kick returns, Joshua Cribbs isn't Joshua Cribbs right now, and I'm not just saying that because he's not busting 30-yard returns every time. He only averaged 17.3 yard a pop on 3 attempts against Baltimore, and wind wasn't a factor this week. He doesn't seem to be accelerating through a hole like he did last year. Instead, he's doing more shifting, which is easily allowing defenders to catch up with him. Now, that could be due to worse blocking on special teams than last year, but probably not.
5. Cribbs' Other Aspects: He still looks solid on covering kicks, and I don't understand why he's not playing receiver over Syndric Steptoe. He had a nice effort on the team's first catch of the game, and then made a terrific diving one-handed attempt on an overthrown Anderson pass in the second half. If he would've caught that, it would've been all over SportsCenter.
6. Stover's Miss: What? Matt Stover missed a kick against us? I'm shocked. Of course, it had no bearing on the outcome of the game, unfortunately.

The Browns are all over the Ravens' fleaflicker attempt, as DB Mike Adams comes away with the interception.

7. Lewis' Carries: Should we have given more carries to Jamal Lewis? That also seems to be a hot topic, though I think the reaction has been a little overboard. Any way you look at it, to control a game, we need a balanced passing and rushing attack. Even if we gave Lewis more touches to start the second half, we still would've needed Anderson in third-down situations, and he didn't appear capable of anything in the second half. On the same note, once we went down by three scores, running the ball against a defense that is still pretty good will only burn off time we can't afford to waste.
8. Vickers' Hot Start: I thought Lawrence Vickers had a hot start to the game. Like Harrison though, if it works, "let's not go to it". Instead, let's watch Anderson throw ten incomplete passes toward the direction of Kellen Winslow.
9. Speaking of Which: Who is to blame for Anderson's first interception? Although he took a shot, I do blame Kellen Winslow for not holding onto the ball. We're in need of playmakers right now, and tight plays like that are desperately needed. DBN reader "rufio" said it best in the gameday topic though, on why it didn't make sense on Anderson / Chudzinski's part: "Why was DA throwing at McAllister and R.Lewis when Rolle and Landry are out!"
10. Thomas Struggled: Maybe in the first half, we held things together. For the entire game though, I saw Joe Thomas struggle in recognizing where the rusher was coming from off the start (unless the play calls were just so bad that they told Thomas to stay there). Eric Steinbach was sorely missed, not only because his absence had adverse effects on Thomas, but because Seth McKinney looked awful. Rex Hadnot wasn't very good either, as the offensive line gave up a total of five sacks.
11. Brownies: I saw Shantee Orr burst through with a nice tackle at least once...though I gave Hall a game ball, Brodney Pool had a very nice performance in my book for the second straight week...Phil Dawson is going to have more points than the rest of our team combined pretty soon.

Hardly any teams have ever made the postseason after starting the season at 0-3. I don't look at those statistics though -- wins can still be strung together, and a record of 9-7 certainly isn't out of the question (which could win the division).

For every loss we put on the board though, we dig ourselves into a bigger hole. At some point, something has to chance to dig us out of that hole. Will that be Anderson getting back into a groove? Or, will it be Brady Quinn getting his crack at the job? That's what we'll find out over the next few weeks.

Box Score - 9.7.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	7	14	7	0	28
	0	7	0	3	10

For the second year in a row, the Cleveland Browns did not fair off too well in their season opener (which also happens to be at home). All offseason, we wanted the schedule makers to give us the same respect that other contenders in the league were being given. For the first game, we laid a big egg. Not that it provides a significant amount of comfort, but all things considered, we may have lost to the best team in the National Football League.

The Patriots are without Tom Brady the rest of the year. The other AFC favorites -- Indianapolis and San Diego -- each suffered home losses to teams expected to finish no better than .500. Disregarding Pittsburgh's dominant performance over the Houston Texans, the Cowboys looked great on all sides of the ball -- they were in near midseason form.

The bottom line? Getting beat was ok. Getting beat with dropped passes, no pass rush, and awkward coaching decisions was not ok. As I've done in the past, to go along with a loss, it's time to look at the goats of the game...

Goats of the Game (Better Redeem Next Week)

WR Braylon Edwards did not have a good game by any means, as he watches one of an eventual four passes go through his hands.
1. Braylon Edwards: I was wrong in assuming that several weeks off due to a cut on his foot would not deter him from having a big game. His quickness and route-running looked fine, but the simple fundamentals of catching the ball in traffic posed a significant problem, as many people credited him with having four drops. The games we won last year, Edwards made spectacular catches on good throws from Derek Anderson. Had Edwards caught those passes early on, maybe our offense would've stayed in a groove and participated in the shootout we thought we would've seen.
2. Kamerion Wimbley: I know that D'Qwell Jackson had a horrible game too, but I think it's more appropriate to mention Wimbley here. He demonstrated more than ever that he only has one move. His strategy seems to be "let me see how large of a circle I can make around the left tackle as Tony Romo steps up in the pocket. If Wimbley had an inside move, he would've used it. He didn't develop it over the offseason, and now we're going to have to deal with it all season long. You almost feel like starting Alex Hall over there in front of him.

Awarding Game Balls (Tough in Defeat)

DT Shaun Rogers was stopping the run all game until the fourth quarter, when the fatigue set in.
1. Shaun Rogers: The big man delivered with what we expected him to bring to the table. All things considered, after the first game, I'm extremely pleased that we got this guy for just a third-round pick and Leigh Bodden. He did wear down at the end of the game though, and that can be attributed to fantastic execution by the Cowboys' offense, keeping their unit on the field 15 minutes longer than the Browns. Rogers is solid, but he's not as good as Albert Haynesworth where he can go strong four quarters without a break.
2. Kellen Winsow: Why we didn't go his direction more in the second half is beyond me, but Winslow caught the ball well, being our only receiver to go over 2 catches and 20 yards receiving. I'm still a little puzzled by the lack of emotion he has appeared to show throughout the preseason and in Week 1. Maybe it's just me, but he seems a little too subdued (except for the bow he took on his touchdown reception).

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. We Miss Cribbs: Besides Edwards' drops, the absence of Joshua Cribbs was the biggest key of the game (even more so than the defensive shortcomings). When you see Syndric Steptoe and Gerard Lawson getting tackled around the 25-yard line for less-than-stellar returns, you can literally imagine on the field Cribbs taking it an extra 20-25 yards each time. The Cowboys did not have tremendous kick return coverage -- Steptoe and Lawson were just not very elite. Better field position again would've contributed to the offense, and the defense for when we did punt.
2. The Field Goal: Sweet, three extra fantasy points for Phil Dawson, right? Wrong. I never care how later it is in a game -- the opportunity to rally still exists. With 10:43 left in the fourth quarter, down by three possessions, you only kick a field goal if it'll make it a two-possession game. Instead, Crennel went for the field goal, which in that scenario was virtually the same thing as turning the ball over on downs or punting it away. Bad decision by Crennel, and the fans let him hear it by booing louder than I've heard fans boo on the television set in a long time.
3. Anderson Wasn't Bad: Statistically, completing only 45% of his passes did not look good. In terms of being prepared and how he played, I don't understand why so many people (on the OBR and from public speaking) are considering him such a major goat. The velocity on his balls was great, needling throws when appropriate. He had four drops from his top receiver, three of which should've definitely been caught. On top of that, he was basically working with two practice squad receivers with Donte Stallworth injured. The Cowboys' defense only had to blanket two receivers, because the Syndric Steptoe and Steve Sanders just weren't getting too open. When the coverage was too tight, Anderson did the right thing by running and picking up some yards with his feet.
4. Equivalence: Please don't tell me that Donte Stallworth is going to end up being nothing more than the offense-equivalent of Antwan Peek (injury-wise). Not having Stallworth did put our receiving position even thinner than our defensive backs position.
5. Third-Down Conversions: A lot of our offensive shortcomings came down to a lackluster 33% third-down conversion rate. When Dallas converts 72% of their third downs in comparison, you're doomed.
6. Third Downs, Part II: Digging deeper into the lack of offensive conversions on third downs, you see that several of the situations were short-yardage plays. On the first drive, there was a bad quarterback-center exchange between Anderson and Hank Fraley. Right after the second half started, we had two nice runs by Jamal Lewis to set up a 3rd-and-2. The pressure came quick, Anderson heaved one too deep to the outside, and we had to punt.
7. Third Downs, Part III: Finally, it's time to rip our defense for the lack of a pass rush generated on third downs. On Dallas' eight conversions, six of them were through the air, mostly because Romo had all day to throw. It didn't matter who we blitzed: it was picked up with ease.
Cowboys QB Tony Romo had all day to throw against our secondary, though CB Eric Wright did record an interception.
8. Defensive Backs Coverage: We didn't stop Terrell Owens. We didn't stop Patrick Crayton. And hell, we didn't even cover Jason Witten (though the linebackers were responsible for him at times). You can't fault the cornerbacks for giving up yardage when there is literally no pressure up front, but on the same note you still need better play. We needed to jam Owens better, but Brandon McDonald's idea of that was the "hands to the face" call. When McDonald jumped a route to Crayton (and just missed) and when Eric Wright recorded the Browns' only turnover of the game, I saw glimpses of what our defensive backs' will be relied upon once the pressure improves.
9. Turnover Ratio: Speaking of which, we were actually -1 in the turnover category.
10. Running Well: I was pleased with how Jamal Lewis ran the ball. Like last year though, it's unfortunate that when we get down in the game so quickly, we have no other choice but to abandoned the run. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any lingering effects from his hamstring injury.
11. Heiden All Out: When Steve Heiden laid all out to try and make a catch, I couldn't believe me eyes. Just seeing him try that was unusual (but encouraging) to see. You wonder how much a guy like Martin Rucker would've helped in a game like this -- suddenly that draft choice looks a lot better than it originally seemed.
12. Penalty Dinkins: I recall a special teams penalty on Darnell Dinkins. Want to know why it doesn't make sense to always say "he had a great camp and earned a roster spot"? Because he never plays in the offensive sets, and on special teams, he has too many penalties called against him.
13. Get Well Cribbs: Please be ready for Pittsburgh next week. Oh, did I already have a bullet point about Cribbs? Did I mention how important he is? I did? Good.
14. Presence: Did you feel the defensive presence by Corey Williams? Me neither. There is hope for next game, though, just like the offensive line didn't look great in last year's opener.
15. Need to Blitz: I'd rather be beat by sending all the blitzers we can send at Tony Romo than have him sit there for an infinity only to find the open receiver with ease. Just because the first few blitzes don't work doesn't mean you go to an even worse strategy.
16. Dawson 1-of-1: Seeing your kicker get their first one through the uprights is a good sign, no matter what the score is. At least he did get a kick in before next week's night cap against the Steelers.
17. Special Teams Coverage: Though poor on the return game, our kick coverage was very good. I noticed Shantee Orr recording a tackle or two. We survived the coverage units without specialist Kris Griffin available too.
18. I'll Stop: I kept bragging that we were 6-0 at home under Derek Anderson last season. If that annoyed you, fear not: I can no longer say it with relevance to this season.

It was not a very fun opener to watch, but there's no way I'm going to get discouraged heading into this Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. A win against the Cowboys would've been great, but this is the critical portion of our schedule: three consecutive division games. If we don't go at least 2-1 during that stretch, we're down and out. With a clean sweep, no one's going to be talking about the Cowboys loss.

Go BROWNS.

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.

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Updating on a story we posted yesterday, it was confirmed today that Browns LB Antwan Peek suffered a torn patella tendon and will be out for the rest of the season. He had surgery Thursday morning to repair the tendon.

With Peek on the injured reserve now, the team went out and signed LB Shantee Orr again. Orr will figure into the rotation at outside linebacker this Sunday, but rookie LB Alex Hall is still scheduled to receive the bulk of Peek's intended reps.

I never thought it'd be possible, but Peek has just about already shattered Courtney Brown's injury record.

What's worse? Sustaining a long-term injury like Gary Baxter, or constantly rehabbing from injury only to suffer another injury as soon as you come back? Believe it or not, Browns LB Antwan Peek has caught the injury bug again -- he's getting injured more than a person with no immune system gets sick.

According to Mary Kay Cabot (through sources of her own) of the Plain Dealer, Peek left practice Wednesday and did not return. The extent of his injury is not yet known, which could potentially yield some positive news in the coming day or so regarding his condition. Nonetheless, this seems all-too-familiar, and the Browns may have to be ready without Peek this Sunday against the Cowboys.

If that's the case, then Alex Hall's rookie debut will be fast forwarded several steps, as he would split time with veteran LB Willie McGinest. As soon as more details come in, I'll try to provide an update on Peek's condition.

On the positive side of things, Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards, and Jamal Lewis all practiced on Wednesday. Lewis was limited, but he will be worked back into full practices in the coming days, possibly as early as Thursday. The Plain Dealer has an update on what Joshua Cribbs and Brodney Pool did during practice Wednesday:

Cribbs did some individual work in with the receivers, more than just the special teams walk-through he participated in on Monday. Pool, who sat out team drills, also practiced for the first time since suffering a concussion vs. the Giants.

Finally, here are the Browns' team captains this season (two per unit):

Offense: Derek Anderson & Hank Fraley
Defense: Willie McGinest & Andra Davis
Special Teams: Phil Dawson & Joshua Cribbs

CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-3)		GAME #3		DETROIT LIONS (3-0)
		VS.
6				26

Was that not one of the most boring games you've ever watched? I know that preseason games don't even deserve to be compared to regular season games in terms of excitement, but this was beyond boring. At least we didn't have to pay to watch Saturday's game -- that is, unless you purchased a ticket to Ford Field.

After the game was over, one thing kept racing through my mind: the regular season can't get here soon enough. The players with jobs clinched could care less, the coordinators call vanilla plays on offense, and the head coach pretty much knows who his 53-man roster will be already. Death to the preseason -- bring on more games that count.

GENERAL GAME THOUGHTS

1. Rogers Provided "It": If there was one thing I wanted to get out of this game as a fan, it was to see Shaun Rogers get on the field alongside Robaire Smith and Corey Williams. Rogers had the definite "it" factor on the defensive line, stuffing the run and creating havoc left and right. He will definitely make the players around him look better. I'm also awarding him this week's lone game ball.
2. Finishing the Pressure: A former defensive backs coach, it looks like a lot of Mel Tucker's defensive schemes in the preseason have involved blitzing the cornerbacks and safeties only. I love how often we're bringing those blitzes, but I hope he finds a fair balance between those and linebacker blitzes come the regular season.
   
   Browns DL Shaun Rogers had an impressive game.
   
3. Pressure on Kitna: Give credit to Jon Kitna: he's a veteran quarterback, and him escaping from pressure is not an uncommon occurrence. On the same note, he was sacked very often last season, so it was discouraging to see the Browns have the right play on, only to let Kitna get away and complete a pass downfield. You can't blame the secondary in those cases.
LB Kamerion Wimbley overpursues, resulting in a fairly easy 35-yard counter rushing touchdown for Lions RB Kevin Smith.
4. Wimbley on Kevin Smith: During the second quarter, Kamerion Wimbley made a bad decision on a rushing attempt by Lions rookie RB Kevin Smith that cost the Browns a touchdown. The defensive line did their job by bottling up the line, and there were at least two or three extra linebackers over their in case he broke through to the second unit. Wimbley, covering the backside, decides to try and become the third unit behind them in the 0.001% chance that Smith will become Jim Brown. The better decision would've been to stay home the entire time, to at a bare minimum force Smith to the outside, allow the safeties to catch up, and accept a 10-15 yard gain. Instead, it was a 35-yard touchdown. Major props to Lions backup QB Dan Orlovsky for taking out three of our defenders down at the goal line on the play though.
5. Not Too Hyped: Although Nick Sorensen had two notable defensive plays starting in place of Sean Jones, you just can't really get too excited about them. He just happened to be unblocked on his nifty-looking sack, and he was standing in center field on a play that Bernie deemed as a quarterback's nightmare.
6. Hall = Best Rookie: It should be official already, though there are far too few rookies to actually choose from at this point. Alex Hall showed a nice pass rush against a starting unit and should make this team ahead of David McMillan.
7. Corner Play: I didn't think the cornerback play for the starters was spectacular, but it wasn't as bad as the score would indicate. I believe we're going to have to live with a bend-but-don't-break pass defense this year, and a lot of Kitna's success involved both our missing safeties and our inability to sack Kitna when we had the chance.
QB Brady Quinn's first preseason start was an uneventful one to say the least. He finished 14-of-24 for 106 yards, with no touchdowns or picks.
8. Quinn...ugh...Mulligan: Yes, I'll take a mulligan. The whole offense in general was just so...boring. Quinn didn't have a sharp game throwing the football either -- many of his passes were low. Sure, that's fine in some cases, but his throws were either low or bouncing at the receivers' feet. The range should be chest-level to low. The offense failed to record a touchdown all game, and the third-down execution was pitiful.
9. Biggest Mistake Ever: Well, probably not the biggest mistake ever, but a mistake nonetheless: starting Travis Wilson. The kid has looked very good in camp as a third receiver. He looked very good in the Jets came as a third receiver. The past two weeks as a starter, he looks clueless. Now, fans are back to giving up on him and going as far as wanting to cut him. Mentally, he's not ready to handle a starting role. But, there's no reason he still can't be an effective third receiver unless the past two games have shot his confidence 100%.
10. Screen Worked: I'm still not overly enthused by our screen plays, but at least we had a successful one to Jerome Harrison. Speaking of Harrison, big mistake to catch the ball three yards downfield and then step out of bounds. Get those five extra yards and take the hit. Fortunately for Harrison, whenever Austin Scott or Travis Thomas get into the game, it looks as if their feet are in quicksand.
11. Leggett: Some people have probably jumped the gun (not here, but other Browns boards) by saying that Lance Leggett should make the final roster after having some success the past two preseason games. A pair of quarters against third-string defenses won't win you a sudden roster spot, but it does show you have some potential playmaking ability. That could call for him to be on the practice squad.
12. Kasper's Done: I can't imagine Kevin Kasper sticking around much longer. My anticipation level went from sky high to literally nothing in a matter of one play. A shame, too, considering he probably would've embraced the temporary starting receiver role a lot better than Wilson has.
13. Steptoe Average: Return-wise, it was only an average day for Syndric Steptoe. That's not a dig at Steptoe, but it reminds us that there is only one Joshua Cribbs.
14. Big Season: I probably sound crazy since I always diss Andra Davis big time, but I really like the awareness he's shown in third down situations this preseason. He's already broken up two passes at the line of scrimmage -- those plays will end drives, or better yet, result in an interception if he tips it high enough into the air.
15. Dawson's Strength: Keep it up Dawson -- those 50 yarders could be the difference against the top contenders this season. Credit to Dave Zastudil too, whose punt "for a touchback" probably actually went out around the one-yard line.
16. Rehashing, Rehashing: I can't really debate the running back battle between Jason Wright and Harrison, because week after week it's the same thing. Wright may not have the most moves, but when given a hole he can shoot through it. Harrison can make the play when it's not there, but is still undersized. I still prefer Harrison, but not by a whole lot. Get well soon, Jamal Lewis.
17. Sleeper: Earlier in camp, Gerard Lawson was called a sleeper by the Plain Dealer I believe. He had a nice pass breakup later in the game against Detroit that could've gone for six. Also, consider this: he has been fielding kickoffs. If the team chooses not to keep Steptoe, Lawson's ability to return kicks could give him a slight edge over an A.J. Davis.
18. Kosar Rules: Bernie Kosar was at his best again -- especially when he said something along the lines of "if they need someone after Ken [Dorsey] and you see I've left the booth, you'll know where I went," in regards to the Browns naming Steptoe their third-string quarterback.

That's pretty much it -- not really sure how I made 18 points out of a boring football game, but I did. Do I really want to say "bring on the Bears" now? Only if we get to see one series with Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards back on the field. If healthy, do I want them to risk that one series? Absolutely. Even though it's just the preseason, we need some more fire as a team, and as fans.

A lot has gone on since the disaster against the New York Giants, but altogether I think we came out a lucky football team. We could've had a quarterback with a separated shoulder, a safety with a career-threatening concussion, and a stud kick returner out for a portion of the season. Instead, we're only going to be forced to rest some guys up until the team's Week 1 contest versus the Dallas Cowboys.

As far as our game this Saturday (4:00 PM EST start time) against the Detroit Lions though, here are the players who have all but been ruled out, and who will be replacing them:

1. QB Derek Anderson-----> QB Brady Quinn
   
2. RB Jamal Lewis----------> RB Jason Wright / Jerome Harrison
3. WR Braylon Edwards---> Not yet disclosed
   
4. WR Joshua Cribbs-------> WR Syndric Steptoe
   
5. OL Ryan Tucker-----------> Not applicable
6. DT Louis Leonard--------> DT Ahtyba Rubin
   
7. LB Willie McGinest-------> LB Alex Hall (rumored)
   
8. S Brodney Pool------------> S Mike Adams
   

RB Jamal Lewis won't be trucking through defenders against the Lions, as he will sit out with a pulled hamstring.

In case you're counting, that could very well be seven starters right there (five for sure). All of the injuries were known about immediately following the Giants game or beforehand, except for the ones to Lewis and McGinest. In case you missed the news yesterday, Lewis pulled hamstring and McGinest pulled a groin during the Giants game. (Late note: according to the OBR, Leonard will be out with a foot injury)

Now, for some more positive news: who will play. Head coach Romeo Crennel and other sources have all but confirmed that the following players will be ready to face the Lions:

1. FB Lawrence Vickers
2. WR Kevin Kasper
3. TE Brad Cieslak
   
4. DT Shaun Rogers
5. LB Leon Williams

The biggest addition to that list? Well, physically, it's Rogers -- but I'm referring to significance: Kevin Kasper. After Travis Wilson failed to take advantage of a starting opportunity last week, Kasper finally made his long-awaited return to practice a day or so ago and is looking to get back into the thick of things before it's too late. If Kasper has a huge game Saturday, I wouldn't rule a roster spot out for him just yet.

One final note to catch up on: Crennel is deciding not to sign another quarterback after Anderson's injury. That means the team is down to just two quarterbacks. Many fans originally speculated that Anderson may have suffered a significant shoulder injury when he was driven into the ground against the Giants, but Crennel shot that rumor down today:

''I know nothing about a shoulder,'' Crennel said. ''I said a hand because he fell on his hand as well as his head. The concussion is the thing we're dealing with. He just got a bruise (on his hand); he put a Band-Aid on it.''

As for how the protection broke down on the play, left tackle Joe Thomas offered some insight:

''They kind of caught us in a blitz and we didn't pick it up correctly. We had leakage on the front side and the back side. When you have that, the quarterback's got no place to go.''

The Browns will only play Brady Quinn and Ken Dorsey on Saturday, but they are auditioning for in-house quarterbacks in case of an emergency. Among the candidates are P Dave Zastudil, TE Darnell Dinkins, TE Brad Cieslak, LB Kamerion Wimbley, LB Shantee Orr, LB D'Qwell Jackson, S Sean Jones, S Nick Sorensen, WR Efrem Hill, and WR Syndric Steptoe. I think Zastudil and Dinkins would be the favorites to play quarterback -- and to prevent an injury to a starter, I'd use Dinkins. According to the Plain Dealer, Dinkins was once the fourth quarterback on the Giants' roster.