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September 2008
Browns’ Edwards likely to play against Baltimore
Cleveland Browns top wide receiver Braylon Edwards was limited in practice Friday and listed as questionable for Sunday’s game at Baltimore. Edwards, who sustained a shoulder injury in Week 2 against Pittsburgh, could be a game-time decision this week, I’m hearing.
There are whispers coming out of Browns’ camp that the Pro Bowl receiver could be in the starting lineup when the teams take the field in Baltimore.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the competitive nature of Edwards is apparently getting the best of him and the player will attempt to play Sunday despite the shoulder injury.
Edwards has been plagued by the drop ball syndrome this season and is looking to redeem himself in an all important game against Baltimore.
The Browns coaching staff is doing their part in trying to help Edwards get out of this funk.
“It’s always troubling when a player goes through times like he is going through, when he is dropping balls that we need him to catch,” head coach Romeo Crennel said during a press conference with the media. “We are trying to do everything we can to help get him out of his slump. A lot of times as a receiver, focus on the ball is one of the things. We have got numbers on the ball and we’ve got colors on the ball to try to improve his focus so he can relax and make some of those plays that we saw him make last year.”
Now the receiver must do his part.
I’m told that Edwards has every intention to play and play well on Sunday.
TweetIs this week a must win game for the Browns?
The Cleveland Browns are out of the gate 0-2 and the highly decorated high-powered offense has come under fire. The offense is in need of a high-performance tune-up because they are currently ranked 30th in total offense. Also contributing to the team’s slow start is the long list of injuries that has plagued the team this season.
A win against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday would put the Browns right back in the hunt in the AFC North division.
“We’ve got a big game this week, I think the guys have been working hard with good energy, trying to get ready for the game,” head coach Romeo Crennel said in a press conference with the media on Thursday.
The players may be working hard, but will the Browns be at full-strength on offense? Wide receiver Braylon Edwards injured his shoulder in the game against Pittsburgh and was limited in practice on Thursday. Offensive guard Eric Steinbach missed some time in practice due to a shoulder strain. Running back Jamal Lewis is still recovering from a hamstring injury but is expected to be ready to roll come Sunday.
Injured hamstring and all, the Ravens respect the Browns top runner.
“Our players have a great deal of respect for Jamal and they really like him,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s a close friend to a lot of our guys, they know he’s a very physical hard-running guy with tremendous speed. He has a unique combination of size and speed and they feel like he’s one of the top backs in the NFL.”
We all know what the Browns offense is capable of once it gets going, but what about their defense?
The Browns defense showed up big-time last week against the Steelers, limiting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and company to 10 points in a losing cause. This week look for the Browns to try and confuse rookie quarterback Joe Flacco by showing him a lot of different looks on defense.
The Browns defense doesn’t want to be made to look like their rivals in Kentucky. We all know that there is only one NFL team in Ohio and they play in Cleveland. The less than stellar play of the Bengals defense against Baltimore in Week 1 made the rookie passer look like an All-Pro.
Final thoughts: I don’t believe that this is a must win game from a statistical standpoint, but more so for team morale. The last thing the Browns coaching staff wants is for the players to stop buying into what they are teaching. Luckily for them, the Browns have a loyal fan base that will support the organization through thick and thin.
It’s Brown, but don’t flush it down just yet. I’m predicting a Browns victory in Baltimore.
TweetJackson’s Monday Night blunder called rookie mistake
If you have been wondering what teammates and coaches have to say about rookie WR DeSean Jackson’s boneheaded play in Monday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, where he botched a would-be touchdown by showboating, here’s the public version.
QB Donovan McNabb on how he thinks WR DeSean Jackson reacted to his dropped TD:
“He was upset. I mean, for your first touchdown, that’s not how you want to be remembered. It was a rookie mistake, and I’ve always said every time I’ve been asked, you have to remember that he’s a rookie. I don’t expect that to happen again, and I’m pretty sure he won’t. It was a great play, overall, and we, hopefully, look for more plays like that to happen.”
RB Brian Westbrook on what he and the other veterans told Jackson about his premature TD celebration:
“We told him you can’t afford those types of mistakes. Even though he is a rookie, and a lot of times rookies are going to make careless errors and silly mistakes. Because of the position he is in, we are depending on him a whole lot to do certain things for this team. He can’t make those types of mistakes. Luckily, that mistake didn’t hurt us in that part of the game. But, we can’t have him have those types of mistakes. I think he understands it and I think that’s something he will grow from and get better from.”
RB Brian Westbrook on whether Jackson seemed to shrug his mistake off after the game:
“He understands that and he might not have understood it at that point, but it’s a serious thing. The call might have been something different where they got the ball instead of us getting a touchdown that would have really messed things up pretty bad. I think he understands that. Like I said, he’ll be a better player from having that type of situation happen to him.”
HC Andy Reid on whether he sat down with WR DeSean Jackson after the game:
“I’m not going to get into all that.”
TweetBengals secondary to be tested on Sunday
A lot of fuss has been made about the performance of the Cincinnati Bengals as a whole early in the season. However, the one bright spot appears to be the team’s defensive secondary who has received rave reviews from some of its critics.
The Bengals are ranked No. 3 in pass defense and 21st overall in team defense. This week the Bengals head to the Meadowlands to take on the World Champion New York Giants and their 4th ranked offense.
That said, one of the major questions asked is “can the Bengals defense withstand the firepower the Giants possess on offense?”
Giants quarterback Eli Manning is coming off a masterful performance where he carved up the St Louis Rams secondary like a Thanksgiving Turkey in week 2. Manning completed 20 of 29 passes for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Manning is expected to have an array of weapons at his disposal on Sunday and could rack up some serious points feasting on the Bengals untested secondary. Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!!!
It could be bombs away for Manning and company.
Will the Bengals secondary prevail? Or will this be the week they’re exposed?
Not if certain members of the secondary play their game.
During an interview with second-year cornerback Leon Hall before the start of the season, he talked about setting the bar high in 2008 for games such as this.
“My expectations for the season are pretty high,” he said. “Coming off last season I think I played pretty well and I need to build off that. I’m hoping for a lot more picks and to make a lot more plays this year. I’m working hard to do that because we have a tough schedule.”
Hall said since day one the players have been learning the team’s new defense and adapting well. It’s starting to show.
So what did the young corner learn between this year and last?
“I learned very quickly that you have to play every down one at a time,” Hall said. “You can’t think about the last play or the next play. You have to think about the one you’re playing right now. I have to be ready to compete on every down.”
Short-term memory is good in this case because corners in this league will have their share of hard knocks.
If Hall lives up to his words, the Bengals could have a chance to slay Goliath. What do you think?
TweetBrowns get things rollin’ on defense
Despite a Cleveland Browns loss to division rival Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) on Sunday, the team’s questionable defense actually showed signs of improvement. The Browns young secondary held quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a potent Steelers passing attack in check. Roethlisberger passed for 186 yards and a touchdown and was placed under constant pressure by the Browns big ticket defensive front. He bit the dust three times during the game after being sacked by Shaun Rogers and company.
The Browns performance on defense in a losing effort could be an indication that the team has reached a turning point.
When asked if the Browns are contenders or pretenders, second-year CB Brandon McDonald didn’t mix words during an interview.
“We’re definitely contenders,” McDonald said. “We’re just trying to stay away from all the negative things that have been going around and focus on the positive. Of course you have to try to address the negatives because you want to move forward.”
McDonald, who is best known for his playmaking ability, admitted that he sometimes gets lackadaisical in coverage, but is prepared to step up his game.
“I know for a fact that I am one of the guys who is ready to step up his game,” he said. “As a group, everyone on defense wants to get the job done where we can win some games.”
The Browns travel to Baltimore this week to take on the undefeated Ravens. There the defense will face a mediocre offense led by rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, who the Bengals made look like John Elway in Week 1.
Now that the Browns defense has been jump started, let’s see if some of that energy will carry over to the team’s sputtering offense.
TweetSteelers reunite Roethlisberger and Nance
Peaches and Herb sang “Reunited” and Bruce Springsteen sang “Glory Days.” Either way, it’s music to the ears of a couple of former college teammates.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Martin Nance are being reunited in hopes of sparking some magic from their college playing days.
The Steelers made it official when they signed the 6-foot-3, 213-pound former Miami RedHawks receiver to the team’s practice squad on Monday, adding depth to the position.
Roethlisberger has publicly expressed his desire for bigger receivers which prompted the team to draft Texas wide receiver Limas Sweed (2nd round, 53rd overall) but he was inactive for his first game as a pro. It appears that the Steelers have heard the quarterback’s cry and are loading up on big receivers with the addition of Nance. To make room for Nance the team released rookie wideout Micah Rucker.
During a phone interview with Nance on Tuesday, the receiver talked about being reunited with his former college quarterback.
TweetBengals eyeballing receiver
The Cincinnati Bengals are actively scouring the free agent market in search of a wide receiver and is showing interest in former New England Patriots wideout Chad Jackson, who was released by the club on Sunday.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Jackson is scheduled to work out for the Oakland Raiders later today and could sign with the team if all goes well. If not, Jackson will fly to Cincinnati on Wednesday to work out for the Bengals who have expressed their interest.
Jackson is an intriguing receiver with a rare combination of size, speed and big-play ability. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2006 draft due to the talents that he possesses, but quickly fell out of favor with head coach Bill Belichick landing him in the coach’s doghouse. Jackson was never quite able to dig his way out and the team decided to sever ties with the young receiver.
The way I hear it is that the relationship between player and coach was estranged from the start. Simply put, Belichick showed the player absolutely no love since joining the club. The relationship was described as mysterious on the coach’s behalf, but there are two sides to every story.
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Jackson definitely had his down falls. I’m told that maturity was an issue but not work ethic or effort. It was stated that the receiver always put forth more effort then people around him, but he needed more direction with his efforts and development as a professional, especially with a team that many consider to be the greatest.
It appears that young Jackson needed some guidance and tough love. Let’s face it, some players need a longer learning curve to become the complete package. From my understanding his athletic ability was there, but the mental maturity needed work. Jackson was hampered with a handful of mental mistakes in the first months of his career which immediately contributed to a negative persona in New England’s front office and then directly to Boston’s media outlets, and ultimately the doghouse.
I was told that Jackson has made drastic improvements over the last two years and needs a chance solely to perform. He needs to be put in a positive environment, one that will embrace him and allow him to grow.
The final statement was if the player is put in the right situation some team will receive a phenomenal talent.
No doubt the Bengals could use a physically strong and gifted receiver such as Jackson. However, my only question would be is the Bengals organization the right environment for this player to excel? Owner Mike Brown did say that he’s a redeemer and Cincy could be the place where the forgotten receiver may get a fresh start.
Stay tuned!
TweetBrowns Awarded OL Scott Young
The Cleveland Browns have been awarded OL Scott Young via waivers from Philadelphia and have waived OL Nathan Bennett, the club announced today. The Browns also signed the following seven players to the practice squad: LB Titus Brown, RB Omar Cuff, OL Christian Gaddis, S Travis Key, WR Lance Leggett, DL Melila Purcell and WR Steve Sanders.
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