Things are not looking good for Joe Jurevicius.  The local prodcut will likely be on put on IR today, ending his 2008 season due to staph infection in his surgically repaired knee.  On a team that leads the league in dropped passes, it will hurt to not have the steady Jurevicius.  Who knows what will happen with him at the end of this season, as he had originally planned to retire.  He's under contract through the 2009 season.

What's eating Jamal?  His lack of carries against Baltimore earlier this year.  This quote from head coach Romeo Crennel is particularly troubling:

"If it were as simple as, 'Give it to Jamal 20 times,' the first 20 plays of the game would be handed off to Jamal. But they would load up the box and never have to worry about a pass play. Then you see if that 20 would get you a win or not. Generally, your ability to run the ball keeps the defenses off balance because it opens up your play-action pass."

Stats speak loudly and this is one case where Lewis is probably closer to right than Crennel.  The coach is oversimplifying that particular statistic, while clearly ignoring the importance of Lewis' contribution.  Then again, is anything else to be expected from Crennel?

The Orange and Brown Report did a good preview of Sunday's game with the Ravens.

Ryan Tucker fans (like Dan and I) may have to wait yet again for the veteran offensive linemen to return from his knee injury.   With Kevin Shaffer playing average, it would be helpful if Tucker could get back on the field, but he hasn't practiced this week. 

Sunday will be a homecoming for Ravens rookie Haruki Nakamura, who is from Elyria, OH.  Nakamura is a huge hitter, and his highlight reel on YouTube is some of the most enjoyable hitting I've ever seen.  With Cribbs less than 100% and struggling this season, it could be a dangerous game for him with Nakamura lurking. 

Finally, while this is a bit old, it's still interesting.  The Browns supposedly turned down an offer of 2009 and 2010 first round draft picks from the Minnesota Vikings for Brady Quinn.  There is no clear cut source here, but it seems to be either wildly untrue, or a sign of how important Quinn is to the Browns.  John Clayton reports that Quinn is the Browns quarterback of the future and doubts the discussions went very far.

Dan waxed philosophically a few weeks back about creative ideas to get the Browns on track.  Well, apparently the coaching staff agrees and decided to get creative.  The Browns are exploring the idea of putting nose tackle Shaun Rogers at fullback. 

Rogers could get some reps down on the goal-line, which would be both entertaining and effective.  The Brown lack of toughness therre, discussed in my Recap of the Jaguars game, shows.  They cannot keep play action faking the ball or throwing to the fullback. 

The article posed a few other possibilities:

Shaun Smith also playing fullback.

Joshua Cribbs to cornerback

Eric Wright to receiver.

Phil Dawson to offensive tackle (move over Joe Thomas!)

Of course all of these moves are theoretical and just for fun.   So within reason, I came up with a few that would intrigue me.  Much like Chris Palmer's final game as the Browns coach, I would be pulling all rabbits out of the hat.  Without Kevin Johnson to play QB, I'd have to be creative…

(Note:  These are all unlikely to ever happen, but just for fun.) 

Shaun Rogers at ILB:  Baltimore will do this from time to time with Haloti Ngata.  He lines up on the weak-side at linebacker and runs a blitz.  It becomes a wedge buster, and opens up a massive hole between the tackle and guard.  If they ran a delayed blitz or a stunt behind it, it can clear a path to the backfield and be effective.

Joshua Cribbs at RB:  On third downs, keeping Cribbs in the backfield would keep teams guessing whether he is getting a direct snap, or actually acting as a receiver out of the backfield. 

Joe Thomas at TE:  The Browns have run the off-balanced line in the past, but utilizing Thomas as a receiver would be a new fold.  Thomas was athletic enough to play some defensive end at Wisconsin, so why not try out this as another play on the goal-line?

Sean Jones at QB:  In what could be another variation on the Browns Flash formation, Jones could line at QB.  Jones played defensive end and QB at high school, and when Butch Davis was the coach he had envisioned moving Jones all over the field (linebacker in nickel/dime defenses, receiver, rover, to name a few). 

Nick Sorensen at LB: While at Virginia Tech, Sorensen played QB, LB, & S.  Why not drop him down in the box to create some confusion?

So if you had your way, what sort of craziness would you make happen for the Browns?

Given the nature of the AFC, where only the Bengals, Chiefs and Raiders are really the only teams out of it, it will probably take a 10-6 record to make it as a wild card team this year. And that would be luck.

Here's a look at the final nine games of the season for the Browns and some predictions.

Game: Nov. 2 – vs. Baltimore (4-3)
If the Browns want to try and make a serious playoff push, this is an absolute must win. The Ravens beat the Browns 28-10 on Sept. 21 and have won the last two games in a row. They do have a rookie quarterback who is only average, but a very good defense that matches up well against the Browns. The Browns looked pretty good Sunday and above average for parts of the Washington game. Stop the run, stop the Ravens.
Prediction: Win

Game: Nov. 6 – vs. Denver (4-3)
Another team just ahead of the Browns, Denver has lost its last two games. Quarterback Jay Cutler has been pretty bad lately after a hot start and their running game isn't very good. They do have some pieces that can negate the Browns' assets (namely, cornerback Champ Bailey). Sure, the Browns will be coming in on short rest, but so will Denver. Fortunately, Cleveland plays this one at home.
Prediction: Win

Game: Nov. 17 – at Buffalo (5-2)
The Bills have been one of the better teams this season, thanks in large part to quarterback Trent Edwards. To me, this is the Browns best rivalry game outside of the division. When these two teams face each other, it's memorable. Remember last year's blizzard bowl? Or the fights in training camp scrimmages?
Prediction: Loss – Buffalo is real good

Game: Nov. 23 – vs. Houston (3-4)
Come on. Houston isn't that good. If the Browns shut down Andre Johnson, they shut down Houston.
Prediction: Win (we're at 6-5 now folks)

Game: Nov. 30 – vs. Indianapolis (3-4)
If you have watched the Colts this year, it's clear that they just don't have it this year. It's conceivable that if they lose a few more game leading up to this one, Peyton Manning could be shut down for the year. He won't admit it, but he's hurt. They can't run the ball at all, which plays right into the hands of the Browns.
Prediction: Win (this is where Browns fans really start to get excited)

Game: Dec. 7 – at Tennessee (7-0)
Oh my. Tennessee is considered to have the best defense in pro football. They'll have more than a week off to prepare for the Browns. They run the ball well, which gives the Browns problems. But! They have been very prone to give up a lot of yards to tight ends. Who has arguably the best tight ends in football? The Browns! That's right folks…
Prediction: Win!

Game: Dec. 15 – at Philadelphia (4-3)
Outside of beating Pittsburgh 15-7, Philadelphia really has no other good victories this year. They don't run the ball especially well and quarterback Donovan McNabb will probably get hurt before this game. (Oh, come on, he gets hurt like every year) Also helping the Browns: I will have a friend in Philly cheering them on (and likely getting his face beaten in). Still, that Philly defense will give Derek Anderson a lot of problems. But not enough!
Prediction: Win (we're at 9-5 now)

Game: Dec. 21 – vs. Cincinnati (0-8)
Last year, the Bengals pretty much knocked Cleveland out of the playoffs. The Browns won't let that happen again. Also, Cincinnati sucks.
Prediction: Win (10-5!)

Game: Dec. 28 – at Pittsburgh (5-2)
Nothing like a road rivalry game to end the season. The way Pittsburgh is playing, they may have already clinched the division at this point. That could mean they're resting their starters (except devilish James Harrison who seems to always be in the game).
Prediction: Win!

Wait. Wait. Wait. Last week, I said the Browns don't make the playoffs. This week, I say they're going 11-5, finishing the season a miraculous 11-2? What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here? Did Sunday's performance, which was really only good in the first half, get to me that much?

More than likely, the Browns will lose that game to Tennessee. That knocks them down to 10-6. The Steelers players their backups is a huge assumption. That knocks them down to 9-7. The Denver game is especially hard to predict because they run so hot and so cold. That could knock them down to 8-8. I don't think it will be worse than that, though.

Clearly, though, the first five games here are the most important. They're all against AFC teams right in the middle of it. And the Browns have four of them at home. Winning four games in that stretch and being 7-5 heading into the final stretch is crucial.

But what does this post really prove? That being a Browns fan is enough to drive you crazy. What do you think? Leave your prediction in the comments or just call me a big dummy.

What exactly is it with Browns general manager Phil Savage?

From AP:

After Sunday's 23-17 win in Jacksonville, Savage downplayed the importance of the text messages and said he and Winslow's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, had been working toward a settlement since Thursday.

Savage also suggested Winslow had been hospitalized for something other than staph and the club was trying to protect the player's privacy.

"If there's going to be disclosure, there's got to be full disclosure," Savage said outside Cleveland's locker room in Jacksonville. "We were trying to do the right thing by him and his family."

Savage was asked why Winslow had been hospitalized.

"I don't know," said Savage. "I think it's all in a gray area right now. You can ask him (Winslow)."

Before coach Romeo Crennel's news conference Monday, an agitated Savage came into the team's media room to discuss his postgame comments.

"Once and for all, Kellen's illness was determined to be a staph infection," Savage said tersely. "He had been in the hospital for two or three days; it takes a couple days to figure out what something is. Secondly, there was no secondary illness. Thirdly, he is in the building, he has worked out and the team meets at 1 o'clock.

"That's the end of the story. It is over with, OK? There is no secondary illness. Staph infection. Everybody's got it, right?"

If that's the end of the story, maybe Savage shouldn't have caroused reporters who are inherently curious. Who else was exactly talking or writing about this issue? As far as I can tell, all the reporters were writing the "Winslow is back with the team" story. Outside of Jerry Jones of the Cowboys, what other general manager in the NFL goes out of his way like this to discuss things with the media?

Can it be a good thing? Sure, Savage's Thursday appearances on WTAM are wildly informative. But there is a proper time and place for Savage to be addressing the media. This is not one of them.

Savage is proven to be an incredibly adept talent evaluator, but if he continues to talk to the media like this, it could change the perception people have of him.

Notes…
Think on this one optimists: The Browns have won three of the last four games and have four of the next five games at home.

Safety Nick Sorenson, who helped break up the final play of the game in the end zone, did so with a mild concussion.

Stats, stats, stats
• Did you know Jamal Lewis is on pace for about 1,100 yards rushing this year?
• D'Qwell Jackson is fifth in the league in tackles with 66. Fellow middle linebacker Andra Davis only has 32. Shaun Rogers is second with 36.
• The Browns are plus-six in turnover margin. That's usually not a good predictor of future success.
• Joshua Cribbs is averaging five less yards per punt return this year compared to 2007
• The 51-yard touchdown catch by Steven Heiden is two yards longer than any play Winslow has made as a Browns player

The Browns played with heart and toughness on Sunday in Jacksonville, gutting out a difficult win against the Jaguars.  The game was physical and hard-fought, with a heart-stopping last second pass by Jaguars quarterback David Garrard broken up by Nick Sorensen for the win.  In a difficult season for the Browns, this was the toughest win they have come by.

The leader of the victory was nose tackle Shaun Rogers, who dominated from curtain to curtain.  Rogers finished with nine solo tackles, a sack, a blocked punt, and was applying consistent pressure all game long.  Rogers was thought to be lazy in Detroit, but he has played his heart out in Cleveland so far.  He was visibly tired near the end of the third quarter, but he hardly rested throughout the game. 

Where the passing game struggled, Jamal Lewis did a solid job on the ground against a physical Jaguars run defense.  Lewis ran for 81 yards on 20 carries, including a touchdown.  This brings the Browns total record to 11-1 when Lewis carries the ball for over twenty times in a game. 

Quarterback Derek Anderson finished the game with 95.6 QB Rating, but the Browns again struggled to score touchdowns.  The Browns were without Kellen Winslow, but again enjoyed another productive day with Steve Heiden starting at tight end.  The offense settled for three Phil Dawson field goals, including the in the fourth quarter where they had a first and goal from the one yard line. 

Finally, the special teams did a good job of containing Jacksonville's ace return specialist, Brian Witherspoon.  The undrafted free agent rookie had been an exciting part of a difficult season for the Jaguars.  He fumbled on a fourth quarter kick return, forced by Browns rookie Beau Bell in his debut, that set up a Phil Dawson field goal.  Cleveland's coverage units were able to hold the speedster in check. 

Game Balls

Offense- TE Steve Heiden  (3 rec, 73 yards): The Browns passing game has hardly faltered in the two games without Kellen Winslow due to Heiden's superb play.  Producing a key 51-yard reception, Heiden's impact in the passing game cannot be overlooked.  His overall impact as a blocker was felt as the Browns ran to his side of the formation effectively.  The Browns typically run to the left when Winslow is in-line as a tight end, a sign that Winslow cannot hold up as a strong-side blocker.  With Heiden in, the Browns showed not only a willingness, but a confidence in running behind Heiden.

Defense – NT Shaun Rogers (9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 blocked FG) &  ILB D'Qwell Jackson (8 tackles, 1 sack):  It would be hard to leave off either player, who both produced their best games all season.  Rogers domination of the Jaguars interior offensive line showed in the one on one matchups the rest of the front seven saw.  Rogers was in on several quarterback pressures, and produced several key stops like the stuff of fullback Greg Jones on a fourth and one rushing attempt. 

Jackson, a player who's been criticized in this space for his lack of production, played a good game against the run.  The Jaguars running backs were held to a total of 53 yards rushing, and Jackson was crucial in that.  Jackson is a player who needs a free path to the ball and reaped the benefits of Rogers occupying the Jaguars line.

Special Teams – ILB Beau Bell (1 tackle, 1 FF):  Making his debut for the Browns, Bell's forced fumble on Witherspoon helped shift the tide again in the Browns favor.  Bell made a nice cut on the ball, and stopped him with a strong hit.  Bell may only play special teams this year due to the time he missed, but his big play ability could be key down the stretch.

Turning Point

Jamal Lewis' second quarter touchdown from two yards out set the tone for a physical day.  The Browns struggles in the end zone this season are well documented, but when coordinator Rob Chudzinski puts the ball in Lewis' hands, it helps make the play action pass a more legit threat.  When the Browns weren't handing the ball off to Lewis and the Browns were using the play action with an Anderson bootleg, teams were able to key on the passing play.  They weren't biting for the fake, but will have to start respecting it with Lewis getting those touches.

Last Straw

Kellen Winslow is talented, but with the ugliness of the past week, the possibility of life after Winslow has become a reality, like it or not.  Steve Heiden is not the vertical threat that Winslow is, but he is a capable receiver and a strong blocker.  The Browns offense has looked smooth without Winslow, but is the team ready to part ways with the star tight end?  The teams also didn't give up a 2009 third round pick to select Martin Rucker without good reason.  Savage's handling of the Winlow situation right now is messy, but he's successfully set up the Browns to live a life after Winslow.  The team is clearly not interested in re-negotiating his contract, and seems confident in the remaining tight ends on the roster.  The last half of the season may well be Winslow's audition for a new team.

From an unattributed statement issued by the Browns:

"The Cleveland Browns are pleased to have this matter behind us. We have worked through our differences and look forward to having Kellen return."

Winslow will not lose the $235,294 paycheck for today's game but will not play. The deal is that a Browns public relations person texted Winslow asking him not to tell the media about his staph infection.

Here's part of a statement from Winslow:

"I do realize that I am a public person and my words, whether constructively articulated or expressed emotionally, carry a lot of weight in the public arena. My intentions were never meant to be disruptive or distracting to the Browns organization, but rather to voice my concerns about my medical condition. I am confident that the Browns organization has taken the necessary steps to make our facility a healthy working environment.

"I formally reiterate my respect for the Browns organization, my teammates and the city of Cleveland. I look forward to getting back to playing football and being a productive member of this team. It's now time to focus on winning."

So where did Winslow get the staph from? A car door?

Kellen Winslow is suspended, but appealing. 

Steve Heiden is hurting.

Darnell Dinkins is the Browns player rep.

Martin Rucker is playing?

Curious about Rucker?  Here is what Matt Miller of New Era Scouting had to say about him pre-draft last year:

Rucker is one of the top 15 seniors in the 2008 NFL Draft class. His size, experience and production make him an intriguing prospect. Before his junior season, Rucker was stuck in an offense built around the running of Brad Smith. Since Chase Daniel has been the quarterback, Rucker has flourished and will graduate as the most prolific receiver in the history of the University.

This reported was completed in December 2007, but Matt had the chance to scout Rucker in person several times, and has always sung his praises.  Rucker is an explosive pass catcher, and works well out of the slot.  Thankfully the Browns have been craving a slot receiving option this year, a spot that they didn't feel Winslow was good at. 

Look for this week's game against the Jaguars to be interesting.  The Jags have trouble defending quicker, more athletic tight ends.  Who knows, maybe something exciting will happen.

About a month ago, I came up with some daffy ideas to make Browns games more watchable. Looking at them now, some of them don't seem so bad. Let's review a few of those:

3. Get Jerome Harrison and Alex Hall in the game more. Everyone has touched on this one. Well, except the coaching staff. Zing!

This one still makes sense for Sunday's game against the Jaguars. Harrison can mix it up with Jamal Lewis. Against the Redskins, Hall was in the middle of at least three stops on special teams. This guy gets after the ball and should be in the game more. I'd be fine if he took some snaps away from Kamerion Wimbley, who has been bad again this year.

7. Line Anderson up at receiver and Josh Cribbs at quarterback. If Cribbs is so good in the open field, creatively get the ball in his hands. And clearly what worked against Mid-American Conference defenses would work against NFL defenses.

Not only did the Browns do this one, it actually worked. Here's a hint for Rob Chudzinski: Do it more. It worked and excites the fans.

I took the most important one out of order and put it at the end here because I want to expound on it further.

2. Start Leon Williams. Unless Williams did something none of us have been made aware of, he's probably the team's most physically gifted inside linebacker. Sit on it, D'Qwell Jackson.

This one would absolutely help the team's awful run defense. Jackson just isn't a starter at inside linebacker in a 3-4. Williams, who is much stronger and athletic, would be perfect for it. He's a player similar to Mike Vrabel of the Patriots. He can probably play any linebacker spot and do well. For some reason, though, he never gets anything more than spot duty.

Clearly, after giving up 175 yards to Clinton Portis Sunday, the Browns have trouble stopping the run. Instead of trying something different, the coaching staff has stayed the course. Ultimately, that could end up being what gets them fired.

One other suggestion: Play Brady Quinn. He can't be any worse.

Joke of the week: Braylon Edwards couldn't even catch a staph infection!

For about the last 24 hours or so, when word of Kellen Winslow's suspension leaked out, I've been trying to think about what to write.

Is it Winslow's fault? Is it Romeo Crennel's fault? Is it Phil Savage's fault?

At first, I blamed it on Savage, considering he couldn't spare a few minutes to give one of his stars a call while he was in the hospital. (And apparently doesn't do it with other players)

Then, I blamed Winslow. He needed to more callous with the entire situation and not spout off to the media.

Earlier today, I was blaming Crennel for not telling the team. From AP:

Despite a disturbing number of staph cases in recent years, the Browns did not inform their other players that tight end Kellen Winslow was hospitalized with a staph infection earlier this month.

One day after the Browns suspended the Pro Bowl tight end for one game without pay for comments and behavior disparaging to the organization, coach Romeo Crennel said the team kept Winslow's illness private after reaching an agreement with him not to disclose his medical condition.

"He was in the hospital and it was a personal issue," Crennel said Wednesday in explaining the team's decision to keep Winslow's illness from his teammates.

Patrick McManamon has a very good recap of the whole scenario on his blog. Since he gets paid to do it, he's much better at this conjecture than I am, so check it out.

Now that this thing has basically run its course, I'm back to blaming Savage. Take away the blabbing to the media aspect of the situation, and it's incredibly hard to fault Winslow. Is anything he had to say incorrect? If he was just complaining about the team playing bad, would he be suspended?

Most people are convinced he's only doing this because he's upset about his contract situation. Others think he was suspended because the Browns don't want him.

I don't believe either.

To me, this is just a situation of "Kellen being Kellen" and the Browns holding him on a short leash due to his attitude and the motorcycle incident.

Still, Savage could have remedied the situation just by giving Winslow a call in the hospital and being up front with the media about the situation. Problem solved.

Instead, as McManamon wrote today, Winslow's days in Cleveland are numbered. And that's sad. He's a heck of a lot of fun to watch and plays the game the right way.

Notes…
Indeed, there is more going on with a 2-4 team than a staph infection situation. Such as…

Wait, actually there isn't. Check back in tomorrow because I'll have some thoughts on what I want to see in Sunday's game. Please note, it will include nothing about Kellen Winslow!

On Sunday, I'll be live-blogging the game, so stop in and say hello.

The state of pro football in the state of Ohio is a mess.  If you're a Browns fan you can complain non-stop about the offense, Romeo Crennel, and Phil Savage's alleged black-hearted nature towards Kellen Winslow's staph infection.  If you're a Bengals fan and it's Week 7, you're used to the season being long over.  For Browns fans, there has been glimmers of hope.

So where do you turn for inspiration?  The safest and most likely bet is Brady Quinn, who very well may be the next Aaron Rodgers.  After Anderson did his best to lose his job against the Redskins, Quinn is going to be on high alert for this week's game with the Jaguars. 

Another source of excitement is the Browns defense, which has been improving this season after the blowout loss in Week 1 to Dallas.  Redskins head coach Jim Zorn said that the Browns were "…so good on defense."  That's high praise for a unit that was thought to be the biggest weakness of the team heading into the season.

The Browns young corners have been beating expectations also.  Second year veteran Brandon McDonald made some good plays in coverage on Sunday.  Eric Wright also has started to play more consistent football. 

Defensive, and possibly team MVP, Shaun Rogers continues to dominate. 

So what has excited you about the Browns so far in 2008?