Archives for November 2008

‘Bills 30, Browns 20.’

‘”We have to get the whole thing back together more consistently, synchronized better, everybody on the same page every play and then we have to give ourselves a chance to run it consistently,” said Dick Jauron. “I have confidence in the guys. I think they have confidence in it, but it’s got to get done. We have to do it on the field.”‘

‘Lynch has totaled 36 carries in the Bills’ three consecutive divisional games, an amount he should be approximately getting in two: 18 carries per contest is a fine total for a featured back, while 12 is a waste of both his talent and this team’s hopes. Letting him run for only 13, nine and 14 carries in each individual game is a recipe for three straight losses.’

‘Guard Brad Butler, out the past three games with a sprained knee, practiced fully for the first time Wednesday. His return would help the offensive line. Coach Dick Jauron said the Bills will practice in pads today (Wednesday’s workout was with helmets and no pads), and that would be a better indicator of Butler’s status.’

‘”It seems like the word ‘quit’ has taken a life of its own and grown a little bit bigger, and now the Browns are quitters and coach has lost control of the team and there’s division in the locker room, and that’s not the case,” Crennel said. “These guys are going to play and play together. Whether we play good enough remains to be seen."’

‘"The coaches preach about playing the next down and putting the prior down behind you whether it’s good or bad, so in the heat of the game you know they’re piling up some plays and it’s a long drive," said Kelsay. "But when you watch it on film the next day that’s when you get down in the mouth and get frustrated because you see the opportunities you missed to get off the field."’

‘Still, Dick Jauron wouldn’t rule anything out. "Last week, Bud (Carpenter, the team trainer) told me he had made remarkable progress and we’ll just have to see how the week goes," Jauron said. "It wasn’t a big surprise (that Whitner practiced on a limited basis) because I knew he would be out there working some."’

‘They have discovered there’s a difference between having 180,000 people on a waiting list and having 180,000 people willing to pay unprecedented prices to watch a football game.’

‘Buffalo must now be considered a long shot to get the playoff berth that comes with a division title, thanks to the resurgence of the Jets (three straight wins), the Patriots (three wins in their last four) and the Dolphins (three straight wins).’

Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel says he doesn’t believe team quit against Denver Broncos (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski believes some Cleveland Browns players ‘lacked enthusiasm’ in loss to Denver Broncos (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Cleveland Browns cornerback Brandon McDonald takes possible loss of starting spot well (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

The Browns story line that won’t quit (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Crennel: No quit in Browns (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

Browns plan defensive changes (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

Crennel: Quit talking (Willoughby News Herald)

Changes could start at corner (Willoughby News Herald)

Crennel says Browns haven’t quit: Coach responds to player criticism of last two losses (Elyria Chronicle Telegram)

McDonald gets demoted, could lose starting cornerback job to Daniels (Elyria Chronicle Telegram)

Lewis was right about Browns’ problem (Columbus Dispatch)

Crennel: ‘I am not a quitter’ (Canton Repository)

Daniels to ‘help’ McDonald in Browns’ secondary (Canton Repository)

Lewis simply wants players to act like pros (Akron Beacon Journal)

Crennel claims team not quitters (Akron Beacon Journal)

Browns’ Crennel: “I know I’m not a quitter” (AP)

Inside slant (The Sports Xchange)

Strategy and personnel (The Sports Xchange)

Notes, quotes (The Sports Xchange)

Daniels says he’ll be ready (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Crennel: No quit in Browns (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Lewis aims to finish strong again (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Rogers, Steinbach miss practice (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Lottery honors teacher, student (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Take a Player to School Day (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Deck the House Benefit Auction (ClevelandBrowns.com)

‘”Last week, (head athletic trainer) Bud (Carpenter) had told me he had made remarkable progress,” said Jauron. “We’ll just have to see how the week goes. No, it wasn’t a big surprise because I knew he’d be out there today working some. He looked pretty good. We’ll see what happens.”‘

‘”We have to get our swagger back,” running back Fred Jackson said. “Going into these last couple of weeks, we haven’t had that normal swagger that we usually have. … That’s something we want to address, because we know we’re better than we’re playing.”‘

‘Yes, Buffalo isn’t the golden child everybody thought when the team started 4-0. But the town and the stadium will still be rocking as the Bills host their Lake Erie neighbor.’

‘The Bills limp home with a three-game losing streak but the bright lights of Monday Night Football and the roar of the home crowd should be the cure for what ails them. That, and the fact it’s the equally struggling Browns they face. Buffalo’s anemic 28th-ranked rushing offense has a golden opportunity to get in gear and control the tempo of a game for a change against Cleveland’s No. 26 run defense. That’s providing enough helmets get on NT Shaun Rogers and ILB D’Qwell Jackson. A solid running game is the only way QB Trent Edwards snaps out of his three-game funk. As for Buffalo’s defense, the task is to clean up its sloppy tackling and find a way to pressure young Browns QB Brady Quinn, who has weapons in Jamal Lewis, Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards to get into a rhythm and find his confidence. If the Bills allow that to happen, they’ll lose.’

‘”Work. There are not a lot of miracles in our game. There are not a lot of solutions. Everything that you can possibly talk about always comes down to work. That’s all we have to offer. That’s all I have to offer. We talk about it. We just come back to work. Do we try and work smarter? Yes we do. Do we try to focus on the details? Absolutely. Do we stress it? Every day. So, what else is there? What do you do? Do you analyze our scheme? Yes we do. We look at it all. It comes down to work and then execution on the field. That’s what it is. That’s really all there is. Does it involve talent? Absolutely. Is it always equal? Not always. Everybody’s pretty good in our business.” — Coach Dick Jauron, when asked what the defense needs to do better to prevent clock-killing fourth-quarter drives.’