Despite their 4-12 record, Browns believe they have foundation to become successful

By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer

BEREA: The Browns packed their bags for the offseason and played the patience card on their way out the door.

Fans are tired of being told success is on the horizon, and who could blame them? The Browns have finished with a record of 4-12 for the third time in the past six seasons.

Still, the players who surfaced in the locker room Monday stressed the importance of continuity and stability. They believe the team is not far from turning the corner, even though the six-game losing streak at the end of coach Pat Shurmur’s first season in Cleveland suggests otherwise.

“Very close,” cornerback Sheldon Brown said. “One or two plays each game. You just have to find your playmakers, and they just have to understand the sense of urgency and make the plays.

“I didn’t tell you this last year. I thought we were way off last year from a lot of other things that we were having to deal with, but I think this organization is heading in the right direction.”

The Browns suffered six defeats by seven or fewer points this season, and they lost their final three games by a combined 13 points. On Sunday, they fell 13-9 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season finale for both teams.

“We were in a lot of games,” kicker Phil Dawson said. “It’s death by inches, though. How are you going to look at that? Are we that close, or is that just the nature of the league? It depends on your personality, how you’re going to view that. In my little world, if my plant foot misses the spot by a quarter-inch, I miss the kick. That will probably tell you how I look at it. Everybody looks at themselves critically and figures out how they can improve. If we do that, now these close games are coming out in our favor. Hopefully, that’s the way guys respond to it.”

Tight end Evan Moore cited the team’s youth as a reason to believe it will develop.

With an average age of 25.9 years, the Browns are one of the youngest teams in the NFL. The Browns finished the season with 29 players on their active roster who were rookies, first- or second-year players.

The NFL’s lockout might have delayed the growth of those young players. The work stoppage prevented Shurmur from meeting his entire team until late July. This year, the Browns will begin their offseason workout program April 16.

“With no offseason to prepare, and granted [every team] dealt with no offseason, we have a young core of players on offense that are trying to learn a new offense, and there’s not a whole lot of experience in general at the skill positions, and so when you put all that together, it makes it tough,” Moore said. “We weren’t able to get it done. I’m not trying to make excuses — 4-12 is by no means a success. We might have had some successes in our own inner circles, but 4-12 is 4-12. That’s what you guys see, that’s what the public sees and fans see, and that’s something we need to try and fix.”

President Mike Holmgren hired Shurmur to spearhead a turnaround. Although Shurmur had one fewer win this season than his predecessor, Eric Mangini, had in each of his two years with the Browns, Shurmur’s players insist he’s the right man for the job.

“Shurmur’s one of those guys where you can tell everything he says, he really means it,” defensive lineman Brian Schaefering said. “He’s not just saying it to be a scripted guy or because that’s what somebody above him was telling him to say. Everything he says is exactly what he means. That’s something that makes guys want to play for him.”

Shurmur should receive ample time to reverse the fortunes of an organization that has had only two winnings seasons since its rebirth in 1999. Shurmur will “absolutely” coach the Browns in 2012 and “he’s going to be the coach around here for a long time,” Holmgren said Dec. 14.

“The worst thing that I’ve known of the history of the Browns is one or two years and they want to blow it up,” Brown said. “People want to think that it changes in one or two years. There’s a process that you have to go through in this league, and you have to be patient to do it.

“[Shurmur] kept this football team fighting, and for me, that’s how I judge a head coach. If a football team goes out there and competes their tail off week in and week out through thick and thin — it was very thick this year — but we didn’t quit. So that tells me the leader is in place, and the guys believe in him.”

As for the talent Shurmur has at his disposal, it’s no secret the Browns must add some key pieces to improve, and owning the fourth overall pick in April’s draft should help. But Brown isn’t waiting for Baylor University quarterback Robert Griffin III, or another elite draft prospect, to save the franchise.

“I’m definitely not,” he said. “And if you are, you’re crazy.

“If you’re depending on a draft pick to come in here and change your life, then you’re kidding yourself. This game is too hard, and there’s too big of a jump.”

Instead, he believes progression from the team’s young nucleus will yield success.

“Everybody needs to play better,” Brown said. “When you lose close games, you can go back and point to maybe one or two drops or one or two miscues. When things like that happen, I bet you go back and you say, ‘[It’s] a young player that hasn’t been in this situation, hasn’t experienced it.’ Well, now he’s experienced it, and he won’t do it again.”

Cleveland Browns hoping for new success on New Year's vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns New Year's resolutions: Win a division game, beat the Steelers for only the second time since 2003, and help prevent Pittsburgh from winning the AFC North Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

"This is our Super Bowl, against the Steelers, right here, right now," said receiver Josh Cribbs. "This is our playoffs."

If the 4-11 Browns can knock off the 11-4 Steelers, they'll avoid their second sweep by the division since 1999. The only other time it happened was in 2006 under Romeo Crennel -- en route to a 4-12 season.

"It would be meaningful most to our fans," said Cribbs, who had a 84-yard punt return for a touchdown in Baltimore last weekend. "We have to instill within the guys how important it is and keep them from checking out. If I see a guy thinking about other plans, I'm like, 'hey, man, we're going to get this win first.' Then we're set for the whole off-season."

Team leaders Cribbs and linebacker D'Qwell Jackson -- both Pro Bowl alternates -- have spent much of the week impressing upon the younger players the importance of finishing strong.

"You want to leave a lasting impression for the guys in the locker room as well as the coaches," said Jackson, the Browns' Player of the Year. "We want to come out and play our best game, so we can go out and have something to talk about in the off-season. Whether a guy played well or not, the last impression stretches a mile long."

Say all you want about the close games the Browns have played in the division, they mean nothing unless you win, Jackson said.

"We haven't gained the respect that you want," he said. "We've lost the games. You get respect by winning and we've got to win our division first if we want to have a chance to do anything next year. We haven't won a division game all year. It would be a major boost for the young guys to understand that we can compete in this division and we can win a close game. The first and the last one are very important."

Cribbs refuses to believe the stadium will be filled with more Steelers fans and their terrible towels.

"A lot of people will want to say they're not going to the game, but Browns fans will be there," he said. "Our fans always support us, rain, snow, sleet. I don't believe the hype about our fans trying to give away tickets. Our fans will be there in record numbers. We just got to do our part."

The Browns would take great satisfaction in preventing the Steelers from winning the AFC North. A Steelers loss would mean a Ravens' division title by virtue of their sweep of the Steelers this season, regardless of Baltimore's game at Cincinnati. If both teams win, the Ravens earn a first-round bye, and the Steelers earn a wild-card berth. If the Bengals (9-6) win, they can also secure a wildcard spot.

"I know if we can get a win and kind of stumble [the Steelers] a bit, it would mean a lot," said Jackson.

The game marks the third straight start for Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace, who's confident no one has quit.

"It's because we love our group," said Wallace. "But at the end of the day we're all men and we've all got to look across at the other guy and say 'hey, I didn't quit on you.' Your peers are the ones that look at you everyday and if they feel like you've quit on them, it's kind of tough to get that back as a player."

More importantly, Wallace said, is that he's seen guys like receiver Greg Little and running back Peyton Hillis getting better over the past few weeks. "That's the biggest thing, is that there's improvement, and we can carry that over into next season," he said.

Hillis rushed for 112 yards against the Ravens last week, averaging about 105 yards over his past two games. He hasn't fared well against the Steelers in his three outings against them, mostly because he hasn't been healthy. His high game against Pittsburgh was 41 yards rushing and 49 yards receiving on Oct. 17, 2010.

"I've never backed down from a challenge," said Hillis. "The Steelers are a great defense. No doubt about it. But if we do our job up front on offense we can run the ball on anybody. I'm very confident, and I'm a lot healthier than I was a few weeks ago. When you're feeling healthy and confident, a lot of good things can happen."

The Browns have repeatedly said they won't try to retaliate against Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison, who drilled Colt McCoy in the facemask with his helmet on Dec. 8 and ended his season with a concussion.

"As long as [Browns fans] take the fine, I'm happy to go in and do whatever it is they'd like me to do," joked Little. "The personal vendettas, we're not about. We're about winning the game and if my assignment is to go block 92, I'm going to do what I'm supposed to do, but I'm not going to go and take a cheap shot on him."

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expected to start despite still hobbling on the high ankle sprain courtesy of Browns defensive lineman Scott Paxson on Dec. 8.

"This is our last game and we have nothing to lose," said defensive end Jabaal Sheard. "Everybody here wants to go out with a win. We want to start the new year right. I think there will be a lot of intensity out there."

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/12/cleveland_browns_hoping_for_ne.html

Cleveland Browns' Peyton Hillis a believer in the 'Madden Curse': Browns Insider

By Jodie Valade, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- Forget everything Peyton Hillis has said and done this season. Well, most of it, at least. He'd appreciate if you didn't remember the public missteps he had with Browns management about his contract renegotiations, the medical advice he took from his agent to skip a game when he was sick, and the closed-door meeting he had with teammates who reached out to the foundering running back.

And please, most of all, don't recall the many times Hillis proclaimed he doesn't believe in the Madden Curse.

Because he does.

"No doubt about it," Hillis finally admitted Thursday. "Things haven't worked to my favor this year. There's a few things that happened that made me believe in curses. Ain't no doubt about it."

Blame the first 14 or so weeks of this season on Hillis' picture on the cover of the "Madden NFL 12" video game. He finally feels healthy after a nagging hamstring injury knocked him out for five games at midseason, and it showed in his season-high 112 yards rushing Sunday in Baltimore.

He finally feels happy, an attitude that manifested in his cheerful, "Howdy!" to media in the locker room Thursday -- and in his declaration that he hopes this isn't his final game with the Browns because he wants to prove last season's 1,177 yards weren't a fluke.

"I really enjoyed my time playing in a Browns uniform, and I hope I can continue to be here," Hillis said. "I know these past couple games and this game, I'll play my hardest. I'm going to play my best, and people are going to see that I've still got it and I want to be here."

Hillis is performing not only for the fans he likened to a "second family," but for Browns management, who appear uncertain on whether they want the running back to return. Head coach Pat Shurmur declined to say Thursday whether the Browns intend to re-sign the soon-to-be free-agent Hillis. On three separate occasions, Shurmur was asked about the possibility of Hillis' return -- including point blank whether he wants Hillis back -- and each time Shurmur said that the decision will require off-season evaluation.

"I think, as we look at our roster and we look at building our team . . . we've got to consider everything," Shurmur said. "One thing you've seen about Peyton is that, in the last month or so, he's gotten himself healthy and he's performed well. I think that's the Peyton everyone was used to seeing a year ago."

Last week's 4.7 yards per carry against the Ravens was the highest mark for Hillis this season, surpassing last season's 4.4 yards per carry. He's averaged 105.5 yards per game the past two contests, bouncing back from just 25 yards in the most recent meeting against Pittsburgh, when he was also battling a hip injury.

"I just feel people can see, when I'm 100 percent, I am running hard," Hillis said. "I can do pretty good. That's what I want people to see. . . . I want people to see that I'm not a one-hit wonder."

Madden Curse or not, Hillis said this season has been a learning experience, but he believes "there's no such thing as accidents. . . . This is the way it's supposed to be."

"It's kind of funny how things worked out, but at the end of the day, I'm really happy with where I'm at," Hillis said. "I'm a truly happy person. When I look back on this 15, 20 years from now, I'm probably going to just laugh."

More than proving he can battle back from the Madden Curse, however, Hillis wants to use Sunday's game against the Steelers to show his appreciation for Browns fans who have continued to support him through his trying season.

"I'd love to come back here," Hillis said. "I'm a Cleveland Brown at heart. Ever since I've been here, I fell in love with the fans and the city and the people who live here. They've been nothing but 100 percent supportive. They're everything. When I talk to them, it's good to have a second-family backing like that. All I can do is go out there and do my best, and we'll see what happens."

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/12/cleveland_browns_peyton_hillis_11.html

Cleveland Browns' Seneca Wallace doesn't try to pass blame for botching clock management

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace assumed full blame for calling a running play at the end of the first half instead of spiking the ball like coach Pat Shurmur wanted.

After getting to the Ravens' 5 with 34 seconds left in the half, the Browns botched the final two plays, failed to spike the ball and watched the clock tick down to zero without any points. It let the Ravens preserve their 17-0 halftime lead and proved extremely costly after the Browns mounted a comeback in the 20-14 loss.

"It was bad communication on my behalf," said Wallace, who called for the run play with 11 seconds left instead of spiking the ball. "At that point, it's not the head coach's fault. It's my job to make sure I get everybody on the right page. At that point in the game, the crowd is into it and it's tough. I'm not making any excuses. At the end of the day I've got to make sure we're in the right situation to get points out of it."

With 57 seconds left in the half, the Browns called their final timeout and had a second-and-1 at the 8. Peyton Hillis, who ran well against the Ravens' second-ranked run defense, plowed 3 yards for a first down at the 5 with 34 seconds remaining.

Wallace then found Moore on the sidelines for a 2-yard pass to the 3, but Moore didn't take the necessary step to be ruled out of bounds, and the clock fizzled to 11 seconds.

"Yeah, I thought I was out of bounds," Moore said. "I thought it was kind of a no-brainer. But apparently I was told after the play there's a rule -- you have to at least take a step forward to get out of bounds because if you don't, that means your forward progress is stopped and the ball is probably dead right there. So I could've done a better job of getting out of bounds in hindsight."

Once Moore realized the clock was still running, "we just hurried to the line, ran the play, and like I said, the result was no points, so obviously we could've done something better."

Moore wasn't the only one who thought the clock had stopped. It caught others off-guard, including running back Peyton Hillis.

"There's no doubt," Hillis said. "Especially in the kind of situation that we were in, everything being fast-paced, getting things on the run, getting the play on the run, stuff like that, and everybody's being sporadic or hectic to get to their spots, so I think that could have had a lot to do with it. I was caught in the moment. I wasn't really looking at the clock at that point."

While it was ticking down to 11 seconds, Shurmur was frantically yelling and motioning from the sidelines for Wallace to spike the ball.

"I would have never called a run in that situation with that much time," Shurmur said. "There was some communication there that didn't play through."

But Wallace had a better idea.

"The thinking was pop them and get an easy one and score a touchdown," Wallace said. "We'd just run a pass play and they might be playing a little soft thinking we're going to pass it again, [so] hit them with a running play.

"At that point I'm yelling something to the offensive linemen, trying to gash them and Pat was calling, 'Clock, clock, clock.' It's loud down there, everybody's into it and we didn't have that much time. So I called the 66T, a little running play, and we didn't get it."

Bam! Hillis was stopped for no gain and the clock struck zero.

"It was just my decision and I went with it," Wallace said.

Would there have been enough time after the run to get the ball spiked?

"I don't know," he said. "At that time your emotions, you're into the game, yeah, you're looking at the clock and it's like, 'Do we have time to do this?' At that time you can't second-guess what you want to do."

Moore said his mindset when he first caught the ball was "try to score, but [safety Bernie Pollard] was there so quick that that wasn't happening, so I was trying to shuffle out of bounds, and I didn't quite get there. No one person is to blame, but you just remove a few mistakes and I'd like to see what happens. You learn from it."

Even Hillis tried to grab a share of the blame.

"I should have gotten the ball in the end zone and enough said," he said.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/12/cleveland_browns_seneca_wallac_2.html

Cleveland Browns: How Shurmur and Holmgren Must Adapt Their Plans for Success

By Samantha Bunte (Featured Columnist) on December 20, 2011

http://bleacherreport.com

As yet another disappointing season for the Browns nears its close, team president Mike Holmgren's long-term strategy, at one time affectionately dubbed "The Plan," now draws questions rather than praise.

The Plan, for many Cleveland fans, is no longer viewed as the road to redemption, but rather as a harbinger of doom indicating that the current Browns organization will be yet another failed experiment by front-office mad scientists who have lots of ideas, but can't seem to produce results.

The situation in Cleveland has become polarizing for many. There are those who are fed up already and think that only two years into The Plan's activation, the lack of results means it's a failure. There are also those who love the Browns unconditionally and are content to go along with whatever strategy the team implements without question.

Those of us in the middle have stressed patience, asking those who are already calling for yet another total overhaul to see this thing through according to the time table originally laid out by Holmgren and his assistants. 

But there comes a point when even those of us willing to wait it out have to acknowledge that thus far, we haven't seen the results we expected to see at this phase.

For the record, I fully support Holmgren's plan and am willing to give him the time he asked for to build a contender. It's worth noting, for those looking for a quicker fix, that Holmgren is looking to build a team that can produce for years, not just a one-year wonder. That takes more time. 

However, there are a few things that definitely need to change in The Plan in order for it to succeed. We can't expect everything Holmgren and his staff try to work perfectly. But we can expect them to adapt when things don't pan out using the original strategy. 

The Browns are a work in progress, as Holmgren has stressed repeatedly, and I have no doubt that he and his staff are adjusting along the way. But for my two cents' worth, there are four main areas where the Browns need to do some serious reevaluating based on how things have turned out thus far. 

1. Play-Calling

Nothing like starting off by stating the obvious. 

The Browns, and coach Pat Shurmur in particular, have been criticized all season long for poor play calling, particularly on offense. Much of that criticism has been well-founded. 

Some folks seem to think the play calling has improved as the season has progressed, while others think it hasn't moved an inch in the right direction. There is no way everyone will ever agree on that, but we can certainly all agree that whether there has been improvement thus far or not, there still needs to be a great deal more of it before the Browns can be anything resembling a viable contender. 

It's possible that Coach Shurmur is to blame for the most part for the play calling snafus we've seen, but the man who hired him has to share some of the responsibility. It puts those of us who still support Holmgren but can't bring ourselves to throw our lot in with Shurmur in a difficult position. Can you blame one without blaming the other? 

In the end though, it doesn't really matter whose fault it is; only whether it is fixed. If that means the head coach has to go after next season, then so be it. If it's just a matter of continuing to learn and adjust, that's fine too, as long as we see serious improvement within the time frame laid out by Holmgren and his staff.

2. Risk-Taking

This goes both for the play-calling and for off-field decisions. On the field, we've seen the Browns play not to lose rather than to win on all too many occasions. It's a strategy that almost never works, and definitely won't ever win you a championship. The mantra that no one has ever made it big by playing it safe is as true in football as it is in life. 

And on top of that, the Browns also swing too far in the other direction at times, and take the most foolish of risks at the most foolish of times on the field. What we need is calculated risk taking. What we've gotten, at various times, is either total fear of taking a chance or kamikaze suicide missions. 

The Browns haven't been quite as bad about this off the field as they have on it, but there is definitely room for improvement. We haven't seen any colossally stupid risks in terms of contracts and such off the field, but we've definitely seen action (or rather a lack thereof) in signing players during the offseason that appears to err too much on the conservative side. 

3. Draft and Spend Wisely

First, a small caveat on the under-aggressive spending we saw last offseason: the Browns said that they were not looking to spend a lot on pricey free agents before the team was ready to move toward contending. It's a smart strategy.

As much as we all wish the Browns had a bona fide No. 1 receiver this season, it would have been foolish to throw a ton of money at a pricey free agent when the rest of the team wasn't ready. 

However, that strategy will need to change as the team evolves and improves, perhaps, depending on how the draft goes and what we're left with at the end of 2011, as early as next season. 

Holmgren has indicated that he will make that adjustment when it makes sense for the team for him to do so. For now, we'll have to trust him on that. 

As for the draft, I'll refrain from getting into the specifics of what the Browns need here. There are many, many mock drafts in my future this spring that will address that. For our purposes here, I'll say that I think the Browns have drafted pretty well since the Holmgren and Tom Heckert regime took over, but the next draft in 2012 will be the most make-or-break one of all. 

We've reached a bit of a tipping point now, at least in terms of what needs to happen in this offseason's draft. The Browns traded down in 2011 for multiple picks this year, and thanks to their not-so-stellar record this season, should have pretty good positioning on their own slots. 

The Browns have to make optimal use of the picks they've got, particularly because they have depth issues. No one should expect the Browns to fill all the gaps in the starting lineup through the draft, but they should be able to plug a lot of holes depth-wise as well as bring in talent that will pay off at a starter level in the future. 

4. Transparency

One of the biggest issues with The Plan is that nobody outside of the organization has much of an idea what exactly The Plan is. 

The Browns, and Holmgren in particular, have been frustratingly vague about their strategy. 

Obviously, full disclosure is not an option. No team is ever going to publicize their master plan, nor should they. 

However, the Browns could help themselves if they were just a touch more transparent about, well, just exactly what the hell they're doing. 

Being more forthcoming with the information won't win over those who are just furious with the way The Plan has gone so far, but it could restore the faith of those teetering on the edge and would certainly allay some frustration for those of us who are still willing to give it time, but could really use a little something in return for our patience. 

There is always a fine line between keeping your opponents guessing and giving fans a satisfactory explanation of what you're up to. I don't envy anyone in the position of having to find a level of transparency that balances the two. 

But the Browns can absolutely afford to be a bit more open with what they're doing, even if most of the explanations really are just lip service designed to placate the common fan.

Those who know the game well will always second guess their team's actions; it's part of the fun (or maybe the therapy, in the case of the Browns faithful). But even a few harmless (and essentially worthless) nuggets of information tossed to the masses will help get the casual fans who make up for the majority of their and every team's fan base off their backs. 

In the end, the only thing that will matter is whether The Plan works or not. But the Browns could help themselves out and save a lot of headache along the way if they made these sorts of adjustments to the way they carry out their strategy. 

One picture says it all…a frustrating loss

Will This Be Peyton Hillis Last Season With The Cleveland Browns?

Posted by LG on December 14, 2011 at 9:18 am

Peyton Hillis hasn’t contributed  much to the Cleveland Browns offense this year. As a matter of fact some think Hillis has been offensive to the Browns  much of this season. Hillis has 7 games under his belt this season and only has 346 yards rushing the football.  Hillis has 101 rushing attempts and only a 3.4 yard average per attempt.  One big reason I feel Hillis is doing so poorly is the loss of Lawrence Vickers as his main blocker. Last year it was Vickers who busted holes open so Hillis could run through them, this season nobody on the Browns has that type of blocking ability.

Hillis came into this season hoping the Browns would give him a contract extension. To me it looks as though the Browns front office knew exactly what they were doing in this case. Hillis just may end up being the one hit wonder that Cleveland certainly doesn’t need to pay large sums of money to. Hillis has three  games left this year and I don’t see him being able to go out there and run like the Hillis of old. As sad as it is to say, Peyton Hillis could very well be moving on once the season is over.

Peyton Hillis should have begged the Browns to keep Lawrence Vickers on the Cleveland Browns roster.  For Hillis has done very little without him…

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/will-this-be-peyton-hillis-last-season-with-the-cleveland-browns/

Steelers Vs. Browns: 3 Things To Watch

For the second time in three seasons, the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers will be squaring off in a late season Thursday night matchup on NFL Network. Unlike their matchup in 2009, which featured a reeling Steelers team against a Browns team that had been gradually improving in recent weeks, this week’s matchup features a Steelers squad that has been gaining steam all season long against a Browns team that has regressed in recent weeks.
Despite their recent struggles, the Browns will undoubtedly be inspired by the memory of their 13-6 upset victory in 2009 and be determined to put up a challenge against their division rivals.

3 Things To Watch

1. Joe Haden vs. Mike Wallace: After being gashed for over 200 yards by the Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Rice, the Browns’ run defense will undoubtedly be looking for some redemption this week against the Steelers. If the Browns load the box in an attempt to slow down the Steelers’ powerful Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger may attempt to exploit the Browns with deep passes to Wallace, the Steelers’ explosive breakaway threat who has supplanted Hines Ward as the Steelers’ primary receiver.
Browns cornerback Joe Haden will need to ensure that Wallace does not use his speed to slip past the Browns’ defensive backs for a touchdown. If Haden is consistently able to shut down Wallace on his own, the Browns will be able to use safeties against the run in an attempt to limit Mendenhall.

2. The Steelers’ Blitz vs. The Browns’ Offensive Line: Dick LeBeau, the Steelers’ wily defensive coordinator, conjures up blitzes that attack opposing quarterbacks from every direction imaginable. Although standout linebacker Lamaar Woodley won’t be active on Thursday night, the Steelers still boast one of the league’s best corps of linebackers. James Harrison, Lawrence Timmons, and James Warrior will look to get to Browns quarterback Colt McCoy early and often on Thursday evening. The Browns’ offensive line will need to be adept at picking up LeBeau’s crafty blitzes and give McCoy time to throw.
Rookie offensive lineman Jason Pinkston will be returning to the stadium in which he played his home collegiate games, and Browns fans should hope that the friendly confines of Heinz Field will motivate him to play his best game of the season. If the Steelers succeed in pressuring McCoy on a regular basis, he will need to make plays with his feet or it will be another long week for the Cleveland offense.

3. Colt McCoy vs. The Doubters: After yet another disappointing offensive performance, McCoy has been savaged on Cleveland sports talk radio this week. There is growing doubt among some Browns fans about his potential to be the Browns’ quarterback of the future, and sentiment that the Browns should use one of their two first-round picks in the 2012 NFL Draft to select a new quarterback is becoming stronger with each frustrating week of offensive ineptitude. McCoy could take a big step towards silencing the doubters with a solid performance this week at Heinz Field, the stadium in which he made his first professional start last season.
Last year, McCoy threw for 281 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception in a loss to the Steelers. Perhaps the memories of his debut will motivate McCoy to deliver another standout performance that will give the Browns’ long-suffering fan base reason to believe that he can still be the franchise quarterback that the Browns have lacked since their return to the league in 1999.

Prediction: This game will be closer than most people expect. Expect the Steelers to wear down the Browns’ defense with a steady diet of Mendenhall rushes and use one big pass play to Mike Wallace to break the game open in the second half. Weather predictions call for snow, which should make the kicking game even more interesting than it already is at Heinz Field. The Steelers will win 20-10.

http://www.footballnation.com/content/steelers-vs-browns-3-things-to-watch/11752/

Time is running out for Colt McCoy to pass his Cleveland Browns audition: Bill Livingston

By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pittsburgh used to be called "Hell with the Lid Off," but then the steel industry declined and, apparently, the infernal torments relocated to the hearts and minds of Browns players and fans.

A year ago, Pittsburgh was the game in which Colt McCoy got his first start, right there by the rivers' confluence. He fared at least as well as Daniel (his real first name) in the lions' den and became another hope/hype for the future.

Thursday night, McCoy returns to Pittsburgh. The lions are big favorites.

McCoy has not looked like he's the answer to the ongoing quarterback crisis. Sports Illustrated's Peter King gave him a "D" grade recently. Reader email is divided, but more and more wonder when McCoy will show something.

It is true what McCoy lacks: a stable of play-making wide receivers, separating from defenders like celebrities from spouses; an All-Pro offensive line, allowing patterns to be timed by sun dial; a running back able to hit 'em where they ain't or in the mouth, as the occasion demands.

The fact is, however, that nobody has it all, although Troy Aikman came pretty close when he was winning three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s.

But when you look around the league, the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger is playing behind a patchwork line.

Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady are playing at near-historic levels because they have to. Their defenses resemble O.J. Simpson after, as Detective Nordberg in "The Naked Gun," he fell from the upper deck of Dodger Stadium, was flattened by a steamroller, and marched upon by the University of Southern California band. You know, sort of the Chris Gocong position, after Ricky Williams ran over him last Sunday.

Brady had a wide receiver in Deion Branch who was only special in Bill Belichick's system. He was a dud in Seattle. The Browns picked up Brady's starting guard, Joe Andruzzi, as a free agent in the Romeo Crennel era, then decided he couldn't play after two seasons.

But Browns fans keep thinking a football utopia is required for judgment to made about a quarterback.

Certainly, McCoy has been the victim of almost criminal neglect in the laughable assertion in the off-season that either Pat Shurmur could coach up the returning wideouts or that the West Coast offense would allow McCoy to run the "Open sesame" play, and defenses would be powerless to stop it.

At least some blame for the failure goes on Peyton Hillis and his ego, injuries and alarming free fall from Madden video trendiness.

And yet ... one remembers that Bernie Kosar's receivers -- Webster Slaughter, Reggie Langhorne and Brian Brennan -- made exactly one Pro Bowl among them with the Browns (Slaughter in 1989, although he also was honored with Houston in 1993). Kosar had better protection than McCoy, but he was also far less mobile. After the trade of Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack's trouble with the law, he did not have a powerful running game at his disposal.

In each of the three seasons in which the Browns reached the AFC title game, tight end Ozzie Newsome never had 500 yards in receptions. Still, Kosar showed enough in short order to become the franchise's building block. Kosar could throw deep, but he was also adept at the intermediate pass, the 15-yard comebacker or the so-called skinny post.

Forget stretching the defenses with the bomb. No one respects even the mid-range pass with the Browns, both because receivers can't get open on such routes and because McCoy seldom throws such balls.

Kosar had a gambler's mentality, always looking for the big play. McCoy has been in a short-pass offense since high school. He was programmed in the Big 12 at Texas to dink and dunk. Even his short throws are too often behind the receiver or he has to wait for the ball.

In the NFL, a passing league despite the aberration that is Tim Tebow, the game is won and lost in the pocket. Running the shotgun, although McCoy has familiarity with it, is counterproductive over the long haul. It makes running the ball difficult. The inside handoff to the running back can fool them only so many times.

Running the hurry-up offense for 60 minutes is worse. Does anyone really want to send this Browns defense out on the field, time after time, after quick three-and-outs?

The Browns need to look for a quarterback in the 2012 draft when they have the picks to get a good one. Stanford's Andrew Luck would cost too much to move up to the first pick, but Baylor's Robert Griffin III or USC's Matt Barkley might be there for a probable 4-and-12 Browns team.

It's too soon to say McCoy can't play, period. He isn't as inaccurate as Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. He doesn't make as many bad decisions as Charlie Frye.

This, however, is known as being damned by faint praise.

http://www.cleveland.com/livingston/index.ssf/2011/12/time_is_running_out_for_colt_m.html

Shurmur tries to explain the inexplicable

BEREA -- Trying to make sense of the Cleveland Browns is much like trying to explain the attraction of Dancing With the Stars. Some things simply do not make sense. With the Browns, the bottom line coming off Sundays embarrassing loss to the Ravens is this reality: Baltimore is a team that has been built for years to a style, system and approach. The Browns keep re-creating their style, system and approach. Baltimore should be better. Baltimore is better. And, again, Josh Cribbs is right there is a big gap between the top teams in the AFC North and the Browns. A big gap. That the Browns are (again) trying to close the gap does not mean the gap does not exist. It does. The Browns reward? A Thursday night trip to Pittsburgh, where further humiliation is not merely possible, but likely. Because Pittsburgh, like Baltimore, is a team built for years to a style, system and approach -- and the Steelers are playing for first place in the AFC North. Pittsburgh is better than the Browns. And they should beat the Browns, badly. Especially because the Browns also are beat up. Running back Peyton Hillis has a hip strain, quarterback Colt McCoy a knee sprain and right tackle Tony Pashos an elbow strain. All are day to day. Somehow coach Pat Shurmur has to explain this mess. His explanations fell back on the usual and predictable comments. We need to find a way to be more productive and consistent, he said. We just need to do a better job, he said. If this were an easy thing then everybody could do it, he said. Just keep pushing. Keep pushing. At least Shurmur hasnt done something ridiculous like put a tree stump with an axe in the locker room, something ex-Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio did one year to remind his team to keep, as he said, chopping wood. That move led to his kicker cutting himself with the axe when he missed the tree. So Shurmur hasnt done that, which is something. Shurmur did, though, refer to some rolled eyes from the media when he said the Browns situation will turn when you least expect it. Which was said with a bit of a lighthearted tone, but still was an interesting thing to notice. The Browns and Shurmur are going through a brutal season. Fans have actually started taking notice and are not showing up or are leaving early. And when they listen to the comments following the game, they hear Colt McCoy talk about a touchdown drive late in the game being the touchstone they take to Pittsburgh. McCoy was sincere, as is Shurmur, but the words smack of the desperation that oozes from the field. The Browns have some players -- Jabaal Sheard, Joe Thomas and DQwell Jackson come to mind -- but they are a long way from a good team, and some of what happens prompts head-scratching, starting with the constant emphasis on the six-to-eight yard pass that seems to be the staple of the offense. Colt McCoy seems to be playing with little confidence, and with almost no help. Some might question the Browns play-calling after a long pass to Hillis gave the Browns first-and-goal at the 5. But on second down, Shurmur called a touchdown, McCoy threw a touchdown. Except Evan Moore dropped it. A huge chance to cut a 10-0 deficit to three was blown, because of a dropped pass. Shurmur has been criticized for not using Moore more (write that three times real fast), and he uses him and he drops a critical throw. McCoy now is a quarterback on an island. His running backs have let him down, with Hillis the hugest letdown this side of Heavens Gate. The highlight of his season was flying to Arkansas on an off day to get married. Sunday he caught a 52-yard pass and wound up hurting his hip. Add in receivers who are dropping the ball with regularity and McCoy has nobody to look to. Shurmur can call any play he likes, but its chances of success are, at best, a coin flip. Add McCoys limitations in arm strength and seeing the field and a good defense salivates. Baltimore jumped a half dozen out routes and came close to several interceptions -- some of which could have been a touchdown.The Steelers are salivating. And Pittsburgh will not wallow Thursday night, as theyve proven over and over when they play the Browns. If the Browns dont compete, the Christmas Eve massacre or the Thursday night freezeout in Pittsburgh the next season will be repeated. The Ravens also exposed the Browns defense for the mirage that it is. No team that cannot stop the run wins games, and the Browns are giving up 151 yards per game rushing. Thats more than half the total the Browns are gaining as an entire offense (290.7). Joe Flacco has never lost to the Browns (7-0). Ben Roethlisberger has gone 13-1. Even rookie Andy Dalton is 2-0 with Cincinnati. Colt McCoy? Hes 0-7 against the AFC North. Shurmur had nothing to do with the previous 12 seasons, but when a fan base has dealt with a team that has had two winning seasons since 1999 and has won five, five and four games the past three seasons its not going to be patient when change was supposed to produce a better offense and a better team. The Browns have four games left to salvage something. The rolled eyes following that statement belong to the long-suffering fan base.

Can Cleveland Browns keep Baltimore Ravens' relentless rush in check?

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Colt McCoy was enjoying a beautiful Thanksgiving evening until he flipped on the TV and witnessed the Ravens' defense sacking the stuffing out of 49ers quarterback Alex Smith nine times and making mincemeat out of premier back Frank Gore.

That was without linebacker Ray Lewis, who has missed two games with a foot injury and is questionable for Sunday's game.

"We've got a lot on our plate this week, a lot to handle," the Browns' quarterback said. "They're really good up front and they've pressured more than anybody we've seen. We understand they're a tough test for us and we've certainly got to be ready."

The Ravens' nine sacks -- which helped snap the Niners' eight-game winning streak -- tied a franchise high and catapulted them to the top of the NFL with 38 on the season. They're also tops in the league with 16 forced fumbles and second with 10 recoveries.

"You have to trust your guys," said McCoy. "You have to trust your running backs. You have to trust your offensive line to pick up the protection and you have to trust your guys to get open. We're excited about the challenge."

Fiercest among the Ravens' attackers is linebacker Terrell Suggs -- also known as Sizzle -- who owns the Browns. His 12 sacks against them are the most by any defender in league history and the most he has against any team. He has three multi-sack games against the Browns and has also forced seven fumbles -- his most against an opponent.

"Yeah, he's pretty good," said left tackle Joe Thomas, who will see plenty of Suggs. "It's the same thing every year when we play them. He's been doing it as well as anybody since before I got in the league, so it's always a good challenge."

The Ravens move Suggs around a lot, trying to create mismatches. Last week, he had three of the Ravens' nine sacks and has nine this season, tied for seventh in the NFL.

"They try to get Terrell Suggs on one of us, a running back, being that's a favorable matchup for them," said Montario Hardesty, who will return to action after missing the past four games with his calf injury. "We've got to know where he's at and move our protection to account for him."

One of the keys, said center Alex Mack, is for McCoy to make lightning-quick decisions.

"We need to run our offense well, know which guy we're blocking and then get the ball out," said Mack. "When you hold the ball and try to make things that aren't there, a couple of the sacks [against the Niners] came from that. If the ball gets thrown, there's no sack. It's hard to block everybody all day long."

Mack knows he'll have his hands full with two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who has five sacks.

"From an eyeball's perspective, you can see he's enormous, so I mean he's a big guy with a lot of power and then he also moves well, which is a bad combo," said Mack.

All the pressure up front enables safety Ed Reed -- the notorious Browns killer -- to wreak his havoc on the back end. Reed picked off McCoy twice last December in a 20-10 Ravens victory and has 10 interceptions against the Browns -- more than against any other team.

"Ed Reed in my opinion is the best safety in football and one of the best safeties ever," said tight end Evan Moore. "His ability to the play the ball in the air and play physical too, he's about as good as it gets at that position.

"He's a threat in all phases. He can defend the pass, defend the run, he can blitz, he can do it all."

McCoy knows full well that he has to account for Reed on every play. He threw three interceptions in that game, his lone start against the Ravens, and earned a 27.0 rating.

"You can't get caught sleeping and trying to throw a quick route and not know where he is," McCoy said. "For me as a quarterback, that's obviously the first importance this week."

The Browns hope to counter with a healthy running game, bolstered by the return of Peyton Hillis and Hardesty. Hillis pounded the Ravens for 144 yards in the first meeting last year, but was held to 35 in the second meeting.

"We know that we have to approach this game with an aspect of being physical and aggressive and getting ready to go out there and hit them in the mouth, because you know that they're going to bring it, too," said Hillis.

The Ravens remain wary, despite Hillis' down season.

"He has a lot of pride, a lot of heart," said defensive end Corey Redding. "A lot of fight is going to come out of that man. So, whenever he straps on the pads, it's going to be war. He knows it, we know, so the best thing to do is go out there with the mindset of stopping it."

Added Suggs: "Everybody knows he is Peyton Hillis; he has the Madden cover. He likes to have good games against good defenses. I expect for the juggernaut to be up in there and try to run down some walls."

But there's no secret as to what the Ravens' game plan is.

"[McCoy] can obviously run. He can get the ball downfield," said Redding. "[We watched him] become a young Colt to a stallion -- a young guy to a big man. He's a very tough football player and he'll bring a lot of things to the game.

"We have to attack him and attack him early and get after him early and often. We have to take away his read, and when the ball is in the air, challenge him."

Tony Grossi’s Four Things on Ravens-Browns

• 1. The complete team? League leaders in quarterback sacks and average per rush on defense. Strong running game, yet capable of the quick strike with deep receiving threats and a quarterback able to put the ball on the money. Kicking specialists able to neutralize dangerous returners. If this isn’t the Ravens’ year to return to the Super Bowl, you wonder when it is.
• 2. Peyton Hillis and Josh Cribbs: Hillis has a chance to salvage something from this soap opera season with a big finish. He’s healthy and excited, and needs some big games to recapture interest in upcoming free agency. Cribbs took unwarranted flak all week for saying he’s “fed up” with losing. His intimation of unhappiness with his roles painted a bull’s-eye on himself. Plays from these two fellas would be very much appreciated by their teammates.
• 3. Why no letdown: The Ravens’ three losses have all come on the road to sub-.500 teams (at the time). Counting on a letdown Sunday is wishful thinking. There’s a reason the Ravens, Steelers and Bengals rarely, in recent years, lay giant eggs in Cleveland. Those division teams usually are locked in playoff races with each other and they know picking up an easy division win here is an absolute must to reach their destination. Nine times out of 10, the division team that loses here blows its playoff chance. The three rivals are 8-2 vs. Browns in Cleveland the past four seasons.
• 4. The streak: The Browns have yet to defeat a division rival with Colt McCoy at quarterback. They’re 0-2 vs. Cincinnati, 0-2 vs. Pittsburgh and 0-1 vs. Baltimore.

  — Tony Grossi

• http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/12/can_cleveland_browns_keep_balt.html

Browns' Cribbs: 'I'm tired of losing'

BEREA, Ohio (AP)

The losses have been piling up, one on top of the other, for seven seasons. Josh Cribbs doesn't know how many more he can handle.

The Browns aren't winning, and Cribbs' frustration has reached a boiling point.

"I am fed up," he said. "I'm tired of losing. Everybody in this locker room, they'll say they're tired and they want to win every game. I want to win this year. Everybody says we're building, we look good. I don't really care about the building process because I want to win now. I'll worry about next year next year.

"I want to win now."

In recent days, Cribbs has expressed disappointment that the Browns (4-7) seem to be stuck in the same cycle of losing. Cribbs, who has been with the club since 2005, vented like never before following Sunday's 23-20 loss in Cincinnati. On the verge of saying something he might regret, Cribbs stopped himself before a member of the team's media relations staff stopped questioning.

"I really need to stop talking now because I don't want to say anything that I shouldn't," he said at the time.

The same thing happened Wednesday when he wouldn't directly answer if he's happy with the way he's being used.

"Uh," he said with a long pause. "I just won't answer that."

Cribbs seemed to be alluding to bigger problems - either with his role in Cleveland's offense or with the team's coaches.

On Thursday, Cribbs reiterated his disgust with losing - the Browns are 38-69 since he joined them - and said his comments or refusal to answer certain questions should not be interpreted that he's unhappy with the opportunities he's getting or that he wants out of Cleveland.

"That doesn't mean I want to leave," he said. "I am sick and tired of losing, like everybody is. And I think I have to start saying that. Me being sick and tired doesn't mean I want to leave. It doesn't mean anything. It means I want to win. So we want to focus on trying to win because I'm tired of losing. It's not like I wasn't tired of losing before, but I'm really tired."

Browns coach Pat Shurmur isn't concerned with Cribbs, or any of his players, voicing their weariness over the club's current state.

"I don't have a problem with guys feeling that way," Shurmur said. "He wants to win and that's OK."

Shurmur wants players who are passionate and refuse to accept losing. Shurmur is confident that Cribbs' anger is directly tied to the losing and not him being selfish.

"You want guys that are disappointed," he said. "I used to help coach my son's little league baseball team. You see kids strike out all the time. You can work with the guys that throw their bats because they're angry. They care. Guys that just drop their bat and walk back, no big deal, then those are tougher guys to get better. If it's truly I'm angry because I didn't succeed or we didn't win you can work with that because they care. The ones that don't care, those are the ones that are tough to reach."

There's no doubt Cribbs cares, but it's not always certain if he's talking about the team or pushing a personal agenda.

Before he received a new three-year, $20 million contract from the Browns last year, Cribbs, who holds the NFL record with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns, used his popularity with Cleveland fans to convince the club to pay him.

He may be using a similar tactic to have his role expanded in Cleveland's offense, but as Shurmur pointed out, Cribbs is getting plenty of chances to shine.

"His role is heavy on special teams and in the case of Josh, we use him quite a bit," Shurmur said. "He had the second most reps of the receivers. He's got more catches (29) and more yards (358) at this point in the season than he had all of last year. So that's that."

Shurmur said he's willing to speak with any player who has a gripe about anything.

"We handle it man-to-man behind closed doors and if I see something then I'll call him in," Shurmur said. "If they have an issue then they'll come see me."

Cribbs, though, said he has not spoken to Shurmur about any issues involving playing time.

And, he has no plans to.

"It's not about my role," Cribbs said. "It's about winning games. That's all what it was ever about. I let the coaches coach. I can't give you what you want. It's just about winning. Things that I need or might want to talk about with coach - that's between us. Other than that, contrary to what people might say or think or try to take from what I'm saying, people are assuming or just putting words in my mouth, but it's about winning."

Part of Cribbs' frustration lies in the Browns' inability to break him free on a long kickoff return. He hasn't taken one the distance since Dec. 20, 2009, and with the league's new kickoff rules, teams have been able to kick the ball away from Cribbs or keep him penned in.

But losing is what's eating at him most.

Cribbs has played on only one winning team since signing with the Browns as an undrafted free agent. Like a Cleveland fan, he's grown impatient.

"I hear them talk every day," he said. "I run into them on the street. It hurts me not to win for them. That's my ultimate motivation. Cleveland is built around it's sports teams, and when we win, the city wins. When we don't win, the city feels down.

"So we need to win, plain and simple."

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Cleveland-Browns-WR-Josh-Cribbs-says-Im-sick-and-tired-of-losing-120111

Cleveland Browns waive long snapper Ryan Pontbriand

By Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- Long snapper Ryan Pontbriand, whose errant snaps cost the Browns legitimate chances at victory in two of their past three games, was waived on Tuesday.

He was replaced by Christian Yount, an undrafted rookie from UCLA who appeared in seven games with Tampa Bay. Young was waived on Oct. 25 when the Buccaneers' regular snapper was activated from an injury list. Also, the Browns ended the seasons of linebacker Scott Fujita (hand) and defensive end Emmanuel Stephens (pectoral) by placing them on injured reserve.

Pontbriand's low snap in Cincinnati on Sunday cost the Browns a fair shot at a go-ahead 55-yard field goal with 1:55 left. The botched snap caused Phil Dawson to miss, giving the Bengals the ball at their 45. The Bengals won, 23-20, on a short field goal seven plays later.

Two games earlier, Pontbriand's snap caromed off the foot of lineman Alex Mack and disrupted a 22-yard field goal try against St. Louis with 37 seconds remaining. The kick was partially deflected and the Rams won, 13-12. After that game, Pontbriand said he went home and made 150 long snaps to get the memory out of his mind.

Several other long snaps off the mark caused Pontbriand's swift demise. Some did not disrupt successful kicks, but they were uncharacteristic of Pontbriand and became points of concern internally.

Pontbriand admitted after the Cincinnati game that he was fighting a terrible slump. His precision and dependability had earned him two invitations to the Pro Bowl from AFC coaches. In eight years prior to this one, Pontbriand had only one bad snap that caused Dawson to miss a kick, an extra point.

In his ninth season, Pontbriand, 32, had the second-longest tenure on the Browns to Dawson. Drafted in the fifth round in 2003, he was the last remaining player from the four Browns drafts headed by former coach Butch Davis.

In other moves announced on Tuesday, the Browns:

• Promoted linebacker Benjamin Jacobs and defensive end Brian Sanford from their practice squad.

• Signed to their practice squad linebacker Brian Smith, defensive back David Sims and defensive lineman Ayanga Okpokowuruk. Smith was with the Browns in training camp and released at the final cut.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/11/cleveland_browns_waive_long_sn.html

Game Time Changed

As a result of NFL flex scheduling, the Browns game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, December 4, at Cleveland Browns Stadium has been changed to a 4:05 p.m. kickoff (Eastern Time). The game was originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

In defeat, Peyton Hillis provides Cleveland Browns with glimpses of old power

By Jodie Valade, The Plain Dealer

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Like an old-time villain, Peyton Hillis swaggered out of the locker room at Paul Brown Stadium adorned in head-to-toe black. Black shirt, black pants, black sports coat. On his feet, a pair of black-and-white cowboy boots.

It was the Peyton Hillis of old.

The Hillis who shot to stardom last season with 1,177 rushing yards was known for his quirky training habits that included pulling pick-up trucks, his brute-force running style in piling up yards, and his penchant for cowboy boots with any type of off-field attire. The Arkansas native's Southern style paired with his thick accent was a constant reminder of his humble roots.

So it made sense that in his first game back since sitting out five with a hamstring injury, he'd try to recapture the Hillis of old.

The Madden NFL 12 cover boy has had a tumultuous season in his first year as a featured back. He missed five games and most of another with a pulled hamstring. He sat another game with strep throat, earning criticism for taking the medical advice of his agent. He traveled out of town mid-week to get married instead of receive treatment for his hamstring injury.

He had an intervention-type conversation with other Browns. And he's had contentious contract renegotiations with management while trying to manage his newfound celebrity status after appearing on the cover of the popular Madden video game.

All the while, he's more often worn flip-flops and sneakers instead of cowboy boots.

Sunday, in the 23-20 loss to the Bengals, Hillis had a chance to start all over again. It wasn't spectacular, but it was a start. He logged 65 yards on 19 carries after originally being ruled out earlier in the week.

Hillis said his recovery from the hamstring injury was aided by a plasma-rich platelet injection, a type of therapy that is thought to aid in muscle repair. He practiced Friday for the first time since he aggravated the hamstring injury in a practice three weeks ago, and passed his pre-game warmup test Sunday afternoon.

However, running mate Montario Hardesty did not. Hardesty felt pain in his torn calf muscle during warmups, so Hillis ended up shouldering the bulk of the load.

"I don't think it's a setback, it's just something I've got to work through," Hardesty said. "I just wasn't ready to go out there and go full, 100 percent on it."

After Chris Ogbonnaya was on the field for the first snap, Hillis slid into the role he held in his breakout season last year. He started slowly, but his presence was enough to keep Cincinnati off-balance enough that QB Colt McCoy had more room to throw.

"Especially early," McCoy said. "I felt like we were moving the ball at will, pretty much."

Hillis wasn't sure what to expect, but was encouraged as the game progressed. In the second quarter, Hillis had 29 yards on five carries, an average of 5.8 yards per carry. Throughout, the former college fullback displayed his blocking skills.

"It's tough when you don't know how things are going to go until you get in the rhythm of things," Hillis said. "Things started going well toward the middle of the game and toward the end. I expect big things. I expect to progress and I'm looking forward to next week."

It wasn't spectacular, but it was a start.

"He did surprisingly well as far as timing and making the right cuts," left tackle Joe Thomas said. "I think he'll be really happy watching the tape."

It's not exactly the cowboy boot-wearing Peyton Hillis of old, but it was a step toward recapturing it.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/11/peyton_hillis_provides_some_gr.html

Browns Handling Hillis Situation Better

Written By:  Craig Lyndall

Two weeks in a row now the Browns have made their determination about Peyton Hillis’ status early.  I don’t have any inside information as to what is driving this, but the lack of distraction is welcome.  It helps protect the Browns first-year head coach who struggled with those communications earlier this season and it protects Hillis from himself.  I’d like to think that the Browns and Hillis’ people got their heads together and finally decided that a media silence combined with holding Hillis out until he is completely healthy was the way to go.  The way things were going Hillis was hurting himself trying to get back on the field.  He was hurting his ability to negotiate a new deal.  The Browns were hurting themselves by not adequately preparing the roster for Sundays.  It was just a mess that boiled over into conspiracy theories as fans picked sides.

Ultimately, all the added negativity was totally unnecessary.  In my uninformed opinion all of this was just typical NFL business but blown out of proportion.  Peyton Hillis wanted to be on the field to prove to the Browns that he deserved his contract.  The Browns wanted him on the field to help develop in the offense and so they could figure out how much he is worth.  The agent and the Browns were obviously far apart on the number, but that happens all the time.

So the Browns have let the perfect storm pass and are doing everything they can to make sure that it doesn’t come through again.

In an ideal situation, Peyton Hillis gets healthy.  He contributes the last few weeks of the season.  Of course the dream scenario would be helping Colt McCoy and the rest of the offense find a way to beat the Ravens and Steelers in back-to-back weeks to end the year.  Certainly that is too much to ask of one player.  As good as Peyton Hillis can be, he can’t single-handedly win those games for the Browns.  But if he contributed enough to help the team do it, it would be a whole different kind of perfect storm.  It would be one that could send Hillis and his agent home happy, not to mention every Cleveland Browns fan on earth.

It may not be likely, but I can never be accused of not dreaming big.

http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2011/11/browns-handling-hillis-situation-better/

Phil Dawson certain that officials, not his right foot, missed on late field goal: Browns Insider

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the second straight week, an incensed Phil Dawson is convinced that the officials blew the call on a crucial field-goal attempt.

Last week, the Browns kicker was certain there should have been a penalty for pre-snap movement on his missed 22-yarder, and officials failed to rule it a blocked kick despite all parties involved insisting that's what it was.

This week, they called his 38-yarder wide right. He's certain it wasn't.

"It was good," he insisted. "The rule states that if the ball is above the upright, it's good. And that ball wasn't even close to being over the upright."

The pertinent part of Rule 11-4-1-c that Dawson was referring to is as follows:

"The entire ball must pass through the vertical plane of the goal, which is the area above the crossbar and between the uprights or, if above the uprights, between their outside edges. [Ed: boldface ours]

In a pool report, referee Terry McAuley said, "The way we saw it was part of the ball was outside of the outside edge of the upright."

Because the ball sailed above the 30-foot uprights, it wasn't reviewable.

"I'm a little confused," said Dawson. "If you can't review a play where the ball is above the upright, why would you ever need a review to begin with?"

After the officials signaled the miss, Dawson was livid on the sidelines. Instead of a 17-10 edge with about 2:50 remaining, the Browns were forced to cling to their 14-10 lead on that last defensive stand.

"I'm pretty fired up," said Dawson. "It's probably as upset as I've been in a long time. I think everybody knows how I felt about it."

Said left tackle Joe Thomas: "I guess I didn't know the rule. The ref said, apparently if the ball goes straight over the goal post it's supposed to be good. From where we stood it looked like it went right over."

Dawson said he knows he'll probably get fined for speaking his mind.

"I hit it where I was aiming," he said. "I remember one like that against New England a long, long time ago and it was good. Fortunately our defense stepped up and made some plays at the end and we won and I won't get run out of town this week."

A week ago, the 13-12 loss to the Rams was decided when Dawson's 22-yarder was blocked by Rams defender James Hall after the snap went off Alex Mack's foot. Mack's foot was in the way because of pre-snap movement that went undetected. Elias Sports Bureau hasn't changed it to a block, despite Hall saying he blocked it with his forearm and the Rams confirming it on film.

"The execution [Sunday] was good," said Dawson. "It was a long week for us in that area. It was a good snap, good hold, good kick, good protection. I was proud that under those circumstances we held up."

Dawson was as grateful as anyone for the defense's goal-line stand, in which they stopped Jacksonville four times inside the 5 yard line.

"The good news is that we won the game and I get to keep my job another week," he said. "That's the life I live and those are some scary times."

Earlier in the game, a 40-yard Dawson field goal was turned down by the Browns when a Jaguars penalty gave the team a first down. It is the first time since Sept. 19, 2010 in which Dawson failed to make at least one field goal, snapping a franchise-best streak of 23 consecutive games.

Marecic concussion: Browns fullback Owen Marecic and Jaguars linebacker Clint Session both left the game with concussions after a fourth-quarter collision and didn't return. The Browns will re-evaluate Marecic on Monday. Jaguars defensive end Matt Roth also left the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion. ... Browns linebacker Quinton Spears left with a hamstring injury.

Rooting on his teammates: Browns safety T.J. Ward made an appearance in the locker room with a walking boot on his sprained right foot. He said he'll still be out "a couple of weeks."

Ward said he loved the goal-line stand at the end. "I wish I could've been out there," he said. "It was great."

Chance at redemption: Joe Haden's breakup in the end zone on the second-to-last play atoned for a 15-yard pass interference call on that last drive that moved Jacksonville to the 14.

"Yeah, that wasn't a PI," he said. "I was just being aggressive. They probably thought it was a little too much contact. But we ended up winning, so it's all good."

Haden also dropped a couple of potential interceptions.

"One of them hit me in my sternum. I've gotta work on my hands a little bit. Then another one, I jumped up and tried to get two feet in."

Another strong effort: Browns rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor made a tackle and an assist on the goal-line stand, stopping running back Maurice Jones-Drew two straight times. Overall, he had a career-best nine tackles.

"You live for games like this that come down to the wire, and it feels great when you can come out with the victory," said Taylor.

The Browns held Jones-Drew to 87 yards and one touchdown.

"He's a tough back," said D'Qwell Jackson. "He runs in-between the tackles well. He's probably the best back we've faced. Once you get your hands on him, he runs extremely well backwards if that makes sense. He's always avoiding contact and he's so low to the ground it's hard to find him. he does a great job of getting extra yards."

Unhappy Jag: Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio thinks the refs blew an interference call against Dawan Landry on a second-quarter pass to Chris Ogbonnaya in the end zone that eventually led to Ogbonnaya's TD run. He said the pass was tipped at the line by C.J. Mosely and challenged. He lost.

"Evidently they missed the call," he said.

Explained McAulay: "We had no definitive shot of it being touched by the player. There was a fuzzy shot that was possible, but then all of the other shots we just couldn't prove it and we have to see the ball touched by a hand before we can do anything with it."

Plenty of faith: Browns head coach Pat Shurmur believed in his defense at the end: "I did trust that we'd get them stopped, I really did," he said.

Extra points: Receiver Greg Little caught a team-high five passes for 59 yards, including a long of 22. He leads the team with 42 receptions for 438 yards, and leads all NFL rookies in receptions. ... Running back Montario Hardesty was inactive. ... Mohamed Massaquoi returned from his concussion and caught two passes for 19 yards.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/11/phil_dawson_certain_that_offic.html

Browns Mohamed Massaquoi Says “I’m feeling good,” Can He Help McCoy?

The Cleveland Browns welcomed their wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi back to the practice field yesterday. Massaquoi who missed the past weeks suffering a head injury reported that he feels good. The Browns can certainly use another target for their young quarterback Colt McCoy to look for this Sunday when the Browns take on Jacksonville. Before going down with a head injury Massaquoi had 18 receptions for the Browns in 6 games for 239 yards and two touchdowns.

The Browns could certainly use someone who knows what the end zone looks like with the ball in his hands. Cleveland hasn’t been able to score a touchdown in the first quarter of any game they played thus far this season.  Hopefully Massaquoi’s return can help change that. Jacksonville has exactly been finding touchdowns at will either this season. This game could come down to whoever finds the end zone first. With Greg Little making improvements weekly and Massaquoi making his return, I am hoping the Browns can change their luck this week.

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/browns_mohamed_massaquoi_says_im_feeling_good_can_he_help_mccoy/8152252

Cleveland Browns rule out RB Peyton Hillis for Week 11

The frustrating and strange season for RB Peyton Hillis continues. The Cleveland Browns announced yesterday that the running back will miss his fifth straight game when the Jacksonville Jaguars come to Cleveland to play the Browns.

During his press conference on Monday, Browns head coach Pat Shurmur told reporters that he expects Hillis back in the Browns lineup at some point this season and the franchise has no current plans to place the running back on the injured reserve list.”Peyton’s making progress and so we’re hopeful he can be back after next week, hopefully, we’ll see”, said Shurmur.

One Browns player which could be placed on the injured reserve list is S T.J. Ward. Ward has been in a cast for over a week. Ward is suffering from a foot injury, claiming he heard a “pop” during the Browns game against the Houston Texans. If tests show that Ward’s injury is more serious than first believed, the club expects to place Ward on the injured reserve list, ending his season.

Cleveland Browns' Phil Dawson puts one foot in front of all others in NFL

By Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio — Another year of offensive doldrums for the Browns means that every field-goal attempt by Phil Dawson takes on unusual importance.

He has responded by making every field goal he has tried -- except for two that were blocked. The blocks occurred in the same game, and Dawson atoned by belting field goals of 52 and 53 yards -- the team's only points in a classic 6-3 win against Seattle.

That was the Browns' last victory but hardly Dawson's last hurrah. He followed with a 52-yard field goal in a 20-10 loss in San Francisco -- a tough place to kick, even on a windless, sunny day -- and then field goals of 50 and 51 yards in last week's loss at Houston.

While long field goals have become the season's most unforeseen trend, Dawson, 36, leads all kickers with six makes of 50 or more yards in six attempts. Counting a far-too-rare point after, Dawson's little right foot has accounted for 16 of the Browns' 28 points in the past three games.

When coach Pat Shurmur announced Thursday that Dawson had been sent home because of migraine headaches, a collective gasp from Browns fans was heard in the Internet and Twitter worlds.

"Now what?" they wondered. But the headaches are not expected to affect Dawson's status for Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams.

Dawson entered this season having attempted only 19 field goals from 50 or more yards and making 11 in his 12 previous years with the expansion Browns.

The day before his migraines hit, Dawson struggled to offer a reasonable explanation for his sudden burst in power and accuracy.

"I'm just making them," he said. "I mean, I don't think I'm doing anything differently. I think when coaches show confidence and throw you out there, that gives you more confidence. When you only try one or two a year, sometimes you think this is a bigger deal than it really is. But when you're out there more, you kind of get used to it and treat it like any other kick."

Shurmur said he never flinches to call on Dawson for a long attempt.

"When I look over and I say, 'Punt or field goal?' and [Dawson says], 'Let's kick it' . . . I trust him," Shurmur said. "I never had the thought process where I didn't feel comfortable. He sets the mark, and when we get to that point, we kick it. That's how much I trust him."

Just think what the Browns would be without Dawson. And hold that thought, because it could happen.

Rather appropriately, Dawson became the first player the expansion Browns tagged with the franchise designation in February. Because a long-term deal couldn't be worked out, Dawson received a guaranteed one-year salary of $3.125 million -- the average of the top-five paid kickers the previous season.

Dawson sold his house, relocated his family and was emotionally prepared to move on to free agency after last season. The franchise designation surprised him, but he had little choice but to accept the deal.

The Browns have shown no interest in re-signing him to a multiyear contract. They would have had to act before a league deadline of Sept. 19 to do so. Dawson and two other players were the only three among 14 tagged by their teams not to get new contracts.

The Browns can retain Dawson in 2012 by franchising him again. But a new rule in the collective-bargaining agreement changes the compensation formula to the highest-paid player at his position during the past five years. That will lower the franchise numbers at every position. In other words, Dawson will have to take a pay cut to return if the Browns franchise him again.

"We'll see. I'll find out in February. I'm done trying to predict," he said of his future with the Browns. "I thought I was done last year, and here I am. I'm just gonna finish this thing out, and if I make it through February without that, then I'll know I'll be a free agent and I'll tackle that and see what happens."

Kicking for the Browns has had its hardships in the expansion era. The historically bad offense and lack of winning routinely disqualify Dawson from gaining Pro Bowl recognition. Within the culture of NFL kickers, he's cast as somewhat of a sympathetic figure.

"It does get old every week, hearing the same thing from my competitors," he said. "They'll have extremely complimentary stuff to say, stuff about how I deserve the Pro Bowl."

No player has suffered the franchise's losing syndrome more than Dawson. In that regard, he is bonded to the rest of us. He feels the anger as it cranks up a notch year after year.

"[The fans are] obviously scratching their heads," he said. "They just want to see improvement. I don't blame them. The guys that have been here a while understand that. We try to communicate that to some of the newer guys."

Like most everyone else, Dawson had hopes of seeing a real turnaround this year. He's at a loss to explain the season's downward trend.

"I think I've kind of given up trying to figure out how this team works," he said. "We have good guys in here, and guys are working hard, so at some point, it's got to translate on the field."

Until the winning starts, Dawson has the usual seasonal challenges of kicking in Cleveland to keep him motivated. Plus some individual goals. He currently ranks 10th all-time in field-goal accuracy at .833. In the top 10, only Matt Stover and Ryan Longwell have more field goals made than Dawson, so he would like to surpass their percentages.

Also, he has his sights set on Lou Groza's franchise record of 1,349 points scored. Dawson is at 1,110. He will need a new contract -- and a burst of extra points -- to catch "The Toe."

 

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/11/cleveland_browns_phil_dawson_p.html