CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns’ performance this season hasn’t generated a wave of optimism for the team’s future.

But, there are glimmers for the 4-10 team.

Craig Lyndall writes for the blog “Waiting For Next Year” that rookie defensive end Jabaal Sheard leads the Browns with 7 1/2 sacks. He notes that the number matches Marcus Benard’s team-leading total from last season.

Benard’s 2011 season was shortened by injuries he suffered in a motorcycle accident.

Lyndall writes that maybe, just maybe, the Browns will be able to get a consistent pass rush next season from their defensive ends:

Assuming Benard is healthy and back in a (white) Browns uniform next year, the Browns might have that dangerous D word.  Depth.  Jayme Mitchell has had a very uneven season including trips to the doghouse.  24-year-old Emmanuel Stephens has seen time for the Browns in his second year in the league after being undrafted out of Ole Miss.  Brian Shafering has seen time in his third year and Oklahoma rookie Auston English has played a bit as well since Benard has been out.

None of those guys are superstars and the Browns’ rushing defense has left a lot to be desired this season, but they are certainly young.  If they can continue to improve and bring back a healthy and sleeker Marcus Benard back to camp, the Browns might just have some real potential to be dangerous rushing the passer without lots of stunts and blitzes.

It sure would be nice, wouldn’t it?  Sheard and Benard could have weekly meetings at the QB.

The Browns play the Ravens (10-4) in Baltimore on Saturday.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes Mary Kay Cabot’s report that quarterback Colt McCoy, who suffered a concussion on Dec. 8, is improving but his status for Saturday is uncertain; Tony Grossi’s podcast, talking about the Browns; Dennis Manoloff’s interview on Starting Blocks TV, where he says Browns’ fans shouldn’t place more value on draft positioning than on winning games; a Starting Blocks poll, asking Browns fans whether they’d prefer for the Browns to post upset wins over the Baltimore Ravens and/or Pittsburgh Steelers, or for the Browns to lose one or both games to enhance their draft positioning; and much more.

Goal to goal

Five things learned from the Browns’ 20-17 overtime loss to the Cardinals in Arizona on Sunday. A Bleacher Report slideshow.

Individual Browns’ player notes, from Scout.com’s Orange and Brown Report.

Running back Peyton Hillis ran with the football like he did in 2010. By Matt Florjancic for clevelandbrowns.com.

Colt McCoy’s status remains unclear, and Browns notes, by Fred Greetham for Scout.com’s Orange and Brown Report.

Seneca Wallace filling in at quarterback gives the Browns a perspective on evaluating Colt McCoy. By Vic Carucci for clevelandbrowns.com.

Peyton Hillis’ return to health provides a spark, and a Browns notebook, on FoxSportsOhio.com.

Whose stock is rising or falling after the loss at Arizona. By Mike Wilkening for ProFootballWeekly.com.

Finding some positives in the Browns’ offensive effort against Arizona, by Brian Murtaugh for the Bleacher Report.

What’s better and what’s worse about the 2011 Browns compared to the past couple seasons. By Mike Wilkening for ProFootballWeekly.com.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — As Pat Shurmur gears up Sunday against his former Rams team — who have slumped to 1-7 — Browns linebackers coach Bill Davis assures impatient fans that the Browns’ first-year coach is the right man for the job.

Davis should know. He has a track record of breaking in first-time head coaches — seven in all — and knows what makes a good one. His newbie list dates all the way back to Bill Cowher in 1992 and includes former Browns coach Chris Palmer in 1999. Two of Davis’ first-timers went on to coach in Super Bowls — Pittsburgh’s Cowher and Arizona’s Ken Whisenhunt.

“What I love the most about Pat is that he’s himself through and through and that first year is the hardest for those guys to be themselves because there’s all kinds of pressure,” said Davis, who’s known Shurmur since their days together at Michigan State in 1990-91. “Pat is the same Pat I knew way back. He’s very logical, steady, a very intelligent football mind.

“He hasn’t wavered. He hasn’t changed in a loss as opposed to a win. And those are all of the leadership qualities I’ve seen in the guys that have succeeded in this business. The ones that don’t are the ones that are either trying to be someone they’re not or they’re way up or way down. So we’ll weather the storm.”

But first, Shurmur must overcome a rash of injuries and other obstacles faced so far in this 3-5 season. Sunday, the Browns will be without starting running backs Peyton Hillis (hamstring) and Montario Hardesty (calf), starting receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (concussion) and starting safety T.J Ward (foot).

The good news is the Browns expect all to eventually return. The bad news is they’re not sure when.

But injuries are only a fraction of the challenges Shurmur has faced:

• He was thrust into his first season as a head coach with no off-season because of the lockout, while implementing new offensive and defensive systems.

• His star running back Hillis has been embroiled in controversy all season long, from rocky contract talks to strep throat-gate to his mid-week marriage to his teammates having a meeting to help get his head on straight.

• Linebacker Marcus Benard made it safely through the bye week only to crash his motorcycle the first day back and be lost for the season.

• Several players have gone public with frustration over not getting the ball enough or their role on the team.

“Pat’s done a great job handling everything,” said linebacker Scott Fujita. “Obviously he’s been dealt an interesting hand, starting with the lockout. He never made any excuses for that. And he’s had some drama throughout the course of the season that most coaches — much less first-time head coaches — wouldn’t have to deal with. Things like that, he’s handled it extremely professionally.

“He keeps guys focused, he keeps guys with their eye on the prize — and that’s just trying to get better and win games and that’s all you can do in this situation.”

At times, Shurmur — a perfectionist — shows his frustration, particularly the Monday after a loss. He’s certainly come under heavy fire from some fans and media. But he’s never wavered.

“I’m really enjoying it, believe it or not,” he said. “I probably don’t show it. I’m enjoying the interaction with the coaches, I’m enjoying working with the players, I enjoy the process. I’m a very impatient guy. I don’t enjoy the results yet. I think the people around me need to just tell me to keep going and relax, but I don’t tend to listen to that very well.”

Tight end Ben Watson, who played six seasons in New England, said most NFL head coaches have to contend with off-field controversy, but that the lockout was unique.

“The biggest difference for coach Shurmur this season is that we didn’t have an off-season,” said Watson, who’s second on the team with 25 receptions. “I would imagine that was a weird way to start your career — being locked out. When you’re a rookie head coach, you need all off-season to get to know your players, and we’re still all learning each other.”

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, whose team was expected to contend, also wasn’t able to get his new offensive scheme installed properly under new coordinator Josh McDaniels. The Rams are 31st with 12.5 points per game and the Browns are 29th with 14.9.

“Both teams are kind of fighting through the same thing going through this season,” said Spagnuolo. “Hopefully as this season goes on, we’ll get better and better.”

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford attributes his development as a rookie last season to Shurmur, then the offensive coordinator. Bradford set NFL rookie records for completions (354) and attempts (590), while his 3,512 passing yards were second-most by a rookie in league history.

“Pat taught me a lot, not only on the field, but off the field, how to be a leader, how to handle certain situations,” said Bradford. “[He stressed] the way I handled myself, the way the guys saw me, my body language in the huddle and on the sideline. I used to be a guy that got up and down, kind of rode the emotions of the game. I think Pat taught me to be a little more even keel and let the guys always see me in a positive light.”

Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron, former head coach of the Bills and Bears, has been impressed with Shurmur.

“Coach does a great job of relating to the team, of getting the team ready to play,” said Jauron. “He makes quick decisions. He makes the right decisions. I’m very impressed by him, his preparation, how he addresses the team and how he leads them.”

The last thing he needs in this turbulent season is to lose to a 1-7 team.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

PARMA, Ohio — An attorney for Browns defensive end Marcus Benard filed a not guilty plea today on traffic charges stemming from a recent motorcycle accident in Brooklyn.

Attorney Patrick D’Angelo faxed the plea to Parma Municipal Court this morning. A pretrial hearing will be scheduled on charges of reckless operation and driving under a suspended license.

Benard was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list and will not play for the rest of the season after his three-wheeled motorcycle crashed into a guardrail on Interstate 71 near West 65th Street in Brooklyn on Oct. 10.

He broke his hand and was hospitalized for several days.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — We’ve heard a lot about Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis having a so-so 3.6 yards per carry.

We’ve even heard what Hillis’ average rush would be without his long run, a 24-yard touchdown jaunt when he bounced off a pile of players to virually lock up the Browns’ 27-19 win over the Colts in Indianapolis.

Those who continue to refer to that, ponder this, for example: Take away Jim Brown’s 46-yard run that set up a touchdown and his 23-yard dash that set up a field goal, and he ran for 45 yards in 25 carries (1.8 yards per carry) in the Browns’ 27-0 NFL championship game win over the Baltimore Colts in 1964.

Not to compare Hillis to Brown, obviously, but that proves what folly it is to subtract a player’s long runs. Why not subtract the two 5-yard losses Hillis had against the Cincinnati Bengals because of Browns’ mess-ups?

Hillis and Montario Hardesty this season have run behind an offensive line featuring just two reliable players: left tackle Joe Thomas and center Alex Mack. And, with a rookie fullback, Owen Marecic, still trying to find his way.

More bad news for Hillis and Hardesty is that Mack, recovering from an appendectomy, may not play on Sunday when the Browns (2-2) visit the Oakland Raiders (3-2).

The Browns must figure out who they are on offense, Jamison Hensley writes for ESPN.com. And since, after four games, Hillis is — according to an ESPN stat — one of the two toughest backs in the league to tackle, Hensley writes to give him the ball:  

….averaging nearly one yard less per carry than last year. But he’s still running hard. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Hillis is tied with Maurice Jones-Drew for the most yards after contact (2.8) among running backs with at least 50 carries. Hardesty has shown flashes as a backup, but Hillis is the more proven commodity. Ignoring him in the offensive game plan is only hurting the offense.

Stop the QB

A boost to Browns’ hopes in Oakland would be for Raiders’ quarterback Jason Campbell to revert to his lesser form.

A Bleacher Report slideshow features six keys to victory for the Browns against the Raiders. Among them is how the Browns handle Campbell.

In the following excerpt, Starting Blocks doesn’t agree with the claim that the Browns have been “pretty good against the pass,” because they have, indeed, given up a “handful of big plays.” Regardless, Samantha Bunten writes for the Bleacher Report:

Essentially, while Campbell has done a respectable job, he also is far from infallible.

We know the Browns have had trouble defending the run, but they’ve actually been pretty good against the pass, a handful of big plays ceded notwithstanding. While they’ve yet to shut down a top-notch quarterback, they have successfully contained the passing game of other QBs who are in the same ballpark talent-wise as Campbell.

The only problem is that Campbell is on a hot streak right now, stringing together a series of good passing performances thus far in 2011, making him harder to stop.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes Tony Grossi’s story that the Browns still hope that cornerback Joe Haden (sprained knee) and center Alex Mack (appendectomy) will be able to play against the Raiders, although both again didn’t practice today; Mary Kay Cabot’s report that a league source says the Browns will continue to pay injured defensive end Marcus Benard; and, much more.

Goal to goal 

Cleveland Browns Team Report on USAToday.com.

Rookie cornerback Buster Skrine will have a much more important role if Joe Haden can’t play. By Fred Greetham for Scout.com’s Orange and Brown Report.

The Browns’ Colt McCoy and other AFC North quarterbacks have not produced much out of the shotgun formation this season, Jamison Hensley writes for ESPN.com.

Browns kick returner-wide receiver Josh Cribbs talks about the Raiders’ kickers. By Chris Pokorny for Dawgs By Nature.

Defensive lineman Auston English gets promoted from the practice squad, by Matt Florjancic for clevelandbrowns.com.

A key Browns-Raiders matchup, by Mike Wilkening for Pro Football Weekly.

Browns and Raiders injury report, from the Akron Beacon Journal.

Coach Pat Shurmur says Peyton Hillis will get most of the carries against the Raiders. By Chris Pokorny for Dawgs By Nature.

The Raiders are not overlooking the Browns, writes Jerry McDonald for the San Jose Mercury News.

From the Raiders’ standpoint — their keys to victory against the Browns. By Sean O’Leary for the Bleacher Report.