By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the Browns, it's three wins in a row. So let's not talk about who should be the coach or general manager next year. At least, not this week.
Let's consider this fact: The Browns are one of the NFL's youngest teams, playing hard for a coaching staff with huge question marks next to their futures. They've won three in a row, are 5-3 in their last eight games and are 4-3 at home. 
This game began with Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles bolting 80 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage -- and the Browns scored the next 30 points.
That's right, it was a blowout on this gray, sometimes soggy, Sunday afternoon on the lakefront. By the middle of the third quarter, the Browns owned this game. They treated Kansas City like a 2-10 team as the Chiefs didn't cross midfield in the second half until fewer than nine minutes were left.
Are the Browns a playoff team? Not yet. Not with a 5-8 record. But they made Kansas City look like a bad team. They will force any opponent watching tape of recent games to pause and think, "These guys are dangerous."
They are a team packed with rookies and second-year pros who think they should win every week.
"I knew when I came here two years ago, there would be some tough days," said coach Pat Shurmur. "But once you see [winning] happening over and over, you begin to think, 'We can do this.' It's an easier sell [for the coaches]."
Or as quarterback Brandon Weeden said, "We don't have a bunch of knuckleheads. ... We have good guys."
You can pick at the performance. The Browns should have scored even more points. They spent much of the game in the Kansas City end of the field. But one of the key themes coming out of this season is that while the Browns were losing games, the coaching staff never lost the team.
This Sunday, the Browns not only won -- they won big. They won big with a defense that racked up five sacks on former teammate Brady Quinn, and they hit him nine other times. They won big by holding the Chiefs to 1-of-11 on third-down plays. They won big with a deep defensive line, and an emerging secondary.
Did you see that sweet interception by Tashaun Gipson, the undrafted rookie from Wyoming? Or the franchise record 93-yard touchdown punt return by Travis Benjamin, another rookie. He was the No. 100 pick in the last draft.
Rookie Josh Gordon had eight catches. Rookie Trent Richardson had a rough day running the ball (42 yards on 18 carries), but still scored two touchdowns. "He has a nose for the goal line," said Shurmur.
Richardson has nine touchdowns rushing, another one on a pass.
"When [Richardson] gets the ball in his hands, he's on a mission to get across the goal line," said Weeden.
One of the most exciting developments is second-year receiver Greg Little, who went from dropping passes most of last season and early this year to a very dependable target in the last six weeks. He had four catches Sunday, and ran the ball for 17 yards on a pitch.
Offensive coordinator Brad Childress and Shurmur had fun paging through the playbook. They ran two wildcats for Josh Cribbs. They ran a reverse for Benjamin and a pitch sweep for Little.
Second-year running back Montario Hardesty had 52 yards on 10 carries.
"We continue to march forward," said Weeden, who had a solid day with 17-of-30 passing for 217 yards.
The Browns continue to march forward.
Who would have dreamed anyone would say that after this team started 0-5?
http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2012/12/theres_plenty_of_pleasure_in_w.html
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