Category: Cleveland Browns (Page 92 of 114)

ESPN picked this up from, well, somebody…

“If he keeps growing up, [Cleveland] wideout Antonio Bryant could get some pretty nice action as a free agent next spring. He’s been productive since being traded to the Browns last year, and he seems to have a nice thing going with [Browns quarterback Trent] Dilfer right now.”

Heard from a scout, I guess.

Remember Romeo Crennel barking on the sidelines yesterday?

As the game lapsed into the fourth quarter with Chicago ahead, 10-6, Dilfer’s offensive line started failing him. L.J. Shelton and Joe Andruzzi had back-to-back holding calls, prompting a stern, though concise, lecture from Crennel on the sideline. “I just told them that I thought they were better than that,” Crennel said.

Keep barking, Romeo. It worked.

With the Bengals falling to 4-1 after last night’s loss to the Jaguars, the 2-2 Browns are…gulp…contending? Next up are the Baltimore Ravens, a team which yesterday committed 21 penalties, 4 turnovers, and had 2 ejections in their 35-17 loss at Detroit. The Baltimore Sun is moved to say about the Ravens’ total meltdown, among other things….

The Ravens’ season, like their players, is spiraling out of control….

In perhaps the most humiliating performance of the team’s 10-year existence…

Ray Lewis was making excuses…does this sound like a team leader? (free registration required)

“It’s an emotional game. You can never determine how your emotions are going to go,” Ray Lewis told a crowd around his locker. Actually, championship teams determine exactly that. This team is 1-3, and it just played so out of control, you wonder how it got that one win. Lewis also was one of the primary finger-pointers, and the chorus he sang with Billick (“We have no structure right now in the league for me to comment on the officiating in an appropriate way”) and some of his teammates made for a sad tune. “You just hope [the officials] get critiqued the same way we do,” Lewis said.

The Browns new sense of professionalism looks like a perfect mismatch with the Ravens team they will meet in Baltimore next Sunday.

Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun Times kinda wishes the Bears had Trent Dilfer yesterday.

There is justice in the concept of Trent Dilfer — one of those washed-up, scrap-heap quarterbacks who didn’t interest Angelo last offseason — throwing two scoring passes in 38 seconds to steal the victory in the final minutes. If a veteran such as Dilfer were playing for the Bears, or even someone such as Vinny Testaverde, who didn’t have a job before he called the New York Jets and won a game Sunday, they’d be at least 2-2 and tied for the lead in the pathetic NFC North.

It really is amazing how quickly Dilfer went from goat to glory yesterday. A good lesson for Charlie Frye.

FINAL SCORE – Browns win, 20-10, in a, shall we say, stunning comeback. TIM’s TAKE? Whatever Romeo Crennel said to Trent Dilfer in the 3rd quarter, I hope he says it every week. A Jeckyl & Hyde performance from Dilfer…the guy literally STUNK for 3 quarters, then throws two TDs in less than a minute to comeback and win the game. That’s Dilfer for ya.

Defense came up strong late, after once again turning some guy into the best running back in the NFL. Thomas Jones? Never heard of him until today. Browns, though, still bent and didn’t break…gave up only 10 points. Browns are 2-2 heading into Baltimore next week, who will be 1-3.

PRE-GAME TAKE – I think the Browns should win this game. I’m hoping they establish a solid running game early. Four of the five PD writers pick the Browns…Roger Brown doesn’t. That pretty much guarantees a Browns victory right there. Kickoff at 1pm.

UPDATE – Braylon Edwards is out with an elbow infection…that doesn’t sound good. Not good at all.

END OF 1st – Browns 3, Bears 0. TIM’S TAKE? Underwhelmed. Bone headed interception by Dilfer on first drive. Bailed out by Bears fumble on ensuing possession. Droughns looked very good, then, oddly, William Green comes in. WTF? Defense looks o.k., although field position working against them right now.

HALFTIME – Browns 6, Bears 3 – TIM’S TAKE? Tough game. Bears should be winning. Browns offense can’t find a rhythm. Defense is bending but not breaking. Very good tackling, can’t remember last time the Browns tackled this well. A couple of very timely sacks. Droughns is solid. Dilfer’s mistakes mitigated by Bears mistakes & lost opportunities. Bears failed to convert a 4th down, moved backwards after big interception return, had to settle for field goal, missed another field goal, resulted in Browns second field goal, right before the half.

Both teams look like they just came off a bye week.

5.39 3rd qtr – TURNING POINT? Bears 10, Browns 6 – Long Bears drive, 12 plays, 93 yards, their first possession of the half, ends in TD. Run defense collapsed, Thomas Jones passed 121 yards rushing at 6.30 of the 3rd.

END OF 3rd – Bears 10, Browns 6. TIM’s TAKE? Gonna be down to the wire. Browns driving at start of 4th quarter on Bears 30. Dilfer taking yardage in little chunks…as long as he doesn’t try and throw the ball farther than 8 yards, we got a shot. I can hear the Charlie Frye talk starting already.

3.02 4th – BROWNS 13, BEARS 10 – Great drive scores go ahead TD on Dilfer’s best long pass of the day. Overcomes a largely pathetic 4th quarter, featuring penalties, dropped passes, 3 & outs. Crennel got in everybody’s face, Dilfer’s, offensive line. Seems to have had the desired effect. Comes down to defense. Best news…Thomas Jones goes out of the game @ 9.24 of the 4th. Not on the field for the end of the game.

2.37 4th – BEARS FUMBLE!! Orton screws up play action, Browns recover at Bears 28. Game should be over.

2.24 4th – BALLSY PLAY CALLING!! Play action, TD throw to Antonio Bryant. Game is ICED. Browns 2-2. Dilfer recovers from a terrible 3 quarters with a great last 4 minutes.

1.50 4th – BROWNS PICK OFF ORTON – Add on 15 yards for personal foul, low block. Game over.

WAIT…interminable booth review of an obvious interception. Crowd booing. Taking WAY too long. ONCE AGAIN, THEY BLOW THE CALL AFTER TAKING FOREVER TO LOOK AT IT. Ball back to Chicago. Crowd booing somemore. Stupid call. Bears fail to get a first down. Game finally over.