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Browns Are On Right Track

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 13, 2007

Baby steps.

You don't play Vegas showrooms without working a few lounges along the way. Your first job out of residency isn't Chief of Pediatrics. You don't graduate law school and promptly become a candidate for chief justice.

And in the NFL, your first experience in the big time often ends in frustration.

So it was for the Cleveland Browns during Sunday's 31-28 setback at Heinz Field that dropped them two games behind the first-place Steelers in the AFC North.

At 5-4, the Browns are still on track for their first winning season since 2002, but the biggest test in Romeo Crennel's 41-game stint as head coach served as a vivid reminder Cleveland is still learning how to win.

"They've got a lot of confidence," said Pittsburgh linebacker Larry Foote, "but they're just not ready for us yet."

Just when it appeared the Browns would end an eight-game losing streak to their division rivals, Pittsburgh rallied from a 21-9 halftime deficit on the arm and feet of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a defense that yielded only 48 yards after intermission.

"We showed today we can play with anybody," said Browns linebacker Willie McGinest, the former Patriot with 18 games worth of valuable postseason experience.

Derek Anderson, Cleveland's young quarterback enjoying a breakthrough season, directed a 16-play touchdown drive on his first series as the Browns went 4-for-4 on third down against the league's top-ranked defense.

Joshua Cribbs returned one kickoff for 90 yards and took another 100 yards for a score, but the Browns couldn't convert a third down in the second half, unable to cope with Pittsburgh's adjustments.

"We let one get away," Crennel said after Phil Dawson's 52-yard field goal attempt came up short in the final seconds. "If we had played the second half the way we played in the first, we win the game."

Cleveland is still in decent shape, with only one remaining game (Buffalo) against a club with a winning record. And after entering the season with his job in jeopardy, Crennel commands a dynamic young team on the rise.

"The Browns are going to be right there in the AFC wild-card chase," NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci said.

HUDDLE UP: Don't be surprised if the 2009 Pro Bowl is shifted from Honolulu to Raymond James Stadium and played a week before the Super Bowl. The league is seriously considering moving its annual all-star matchup up by two weeks and placing it at the Super Bowl site, beginning with the '09 game in Tampa. Preliminary plans call for the AFC and NFC squads in '09 to be housed and trained in Orlando to avoid conflicts with Bay area preparations for the Super Bowl. If owners vote to stage the Pro Bowl on the weekend after the conference championship games, players on Super Bowl rosters would not participate. ... Carolina's 0-4 record and boring attack at Bank of America Stadium has turned off the home crowd. There were more than 10,000 empty seats in Charlotte during Sunday's listless loss to Atlanta. ... Donovan McNabb takes the snaps in Philly, but the most important Eagle remains RB Brian Westbrook. ... If the reeling Ravens lose at home Sunday to Cleveland, Brian Billick's sloppy team could easily finish 5-11. With upcoming games against the Chargers, Patriots and Colts in successive weeks, the Billick watch is on in earnest.

How can you give up 34 consecutive points to the Rams at home when you have an opportunity to tie Tampa Bay for the NFC South lead? That's the question despondent Saints fans are asking today. ... After nine games, it's clear Detroit can beat almost anyone at Ford Field and lose to anyone on the road. ... That Cowboys-Packers matchup at Texas Stadium on the evening of Nov. 29 could make us forget about Patriots-Colts. Too bad it's available only on NFL Network. ... Congratulations to Fred Taylor of the Jaguars for topping the 10,000-yard mark in career rushing. There was a time Taylor's skeptics said the ex-Gators standout was soft and injury-prone. ... With home games still ahead against the Jets, Ravens and Bengals, a 0-16 finish by the Dolphins remains unlikely. Still, Miami keeps finding novel ways to lose and a disgruntled fan base is curious to see what rookie QB John Beck can do. So are more than a few Dolphins players. ... Check out Carolina rookie LB Jon Beason, now starting for injured Dan Morgan in the middle. The former Hurricane has almost 20 more tackles than any other Panther and the 25th overall pick has the look of a perennial Pro Bowl selection.

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