Peyton Hillis is playing in the Thursday, December 8, 2011 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Colt McCoy and Montario Hardesty will also be in uniform and on the field. They are a bit banged up, but ready to take on the black and gold and, hopefully, bring a win back to Cleveland.

The only really notable player that will not take the field is T.J. Ward – a Browns’ safety – and he will be replaced by Usama Young as usual.

Now, can the Browns win? This is always a question with the Browns unfortunately. We had a shot against the Ravens last week, especially when the Ravens missed two field goals.

The receivers have to actually catch the ball. I know, I know, this should go without saying, but the Browns have the NFL record for most drops. To be fair, the Browns are actually tied for most drops with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. I digress, McCoy has finally started to throw some relatively decent passes, but if these are not caught [by Browns' receivers] then those passes really do not mean much. Also, if those passes are caught by the opposing team, then big problems can occur.

There is also a chance that the Steelers may simply think this will be an easy win and underestimate the Browns and therefore lose to the Browns. Okay, this is a stretch and perhaps just wishful thinking, but we have seen it happen in sports before.

“In the two meetings last season, the Steelers outscored the Browns 69-19,” reports Cleveland.com. It is also important to note that the Steelers who are taking the field are healthy, while a few of the Browns taking the field are not.

To go back to the health of the Browns. This is a big concern. One really good sack to McCoy and he could be in big trouble. McCoy is necessary and he needs to be on the field in the best shape he can be. Of course, Hillis seems like a flower and even a little sack could put him out.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen is a lifelong Browns fan who grew up in a household of Browns’ fans. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. Regardless of the trials and tribulations the Browns have been through, she remains loyal, albeit honest about her home team. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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John Gaudiosi, On Sunday October 23, 2011, 10:42 am EDT

When it comes to sports curses, aside from the Chicago Cubs, there’s no more active superstition than the Madden curse. Since 1999, almost every year something bad has happened to the cover athlete of Electronic Arts’ bestselling Madden NFL franchise. Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis is the latest victim of this curse.

Hillis is the first Madden cover athlete who was voted in by fans through an ESPN cross-promotion with EA Sports. Last year, the running back rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. He came out of nowhere to beat Aaron Rodgers and other NFL superstars. This year, Hillis has been plagued by injuries and surrounded by trade rumors. The running back took flack for sitting out a game for strep throat. And now he’s out with a hamstring injury.

Hillis has also been in the middle of a contract dispute with the Browns. The team offered him a contract extension earlier this year, but Hillis, taking the advice of his agent, walked away. Now with the injuries, conspiracy theorists are having a field day with all of this drama. It’s likely that Hillis will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, which is shaping up to be a very long one for the Browns (2-3) and their star running back.

After the lockout ended, Hillis told me he was excited to play football again and humbled by the fans selecting him to be on the cover of the new game. He seemed genuine in the interview, but that was before things went bad.

The Madden curse has even spread to runner-up cover athlete Michael Vick, who was already on the cover of Madden NFL 04. The convicted dog killer was part of the so-called Philadelphia Eagles “dream team,” only to get injured in multiple games with a concussion and broken hand. Vick also took a lot of heat from NFL legends and the media for complaining about NFL officiating after getting pummeled by opposing teams’ defenses every game. The dream team is off to a pathetic 2-4 start, as a result.

None of this has had any negative impact on the actual videogame. The new game sold 1.4 million copies in its first week after launching August 30^th and has topped global sales of 2 million to date, according to VGChartz.com.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees was able to escape the curse last year, playing all season long without any injuries. Perhaps it was the local voodoo combating the videogame curse. Or maybe that was the curse rising in the playoffs to see the Saints lose pathetically to the lowly Seattle Seahawks.

In 2009, EA put two players on the cover of Madden – Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu and Arizona Cardinal Larry Fitzgerald. Polamalu only played five games due to a knee injury, while Fitzgerald escaped the curse with a Pro Bowl season.

In 2008, quarterback Brett Favre was on the cover of the 20^th Anniversary Madden Edition. After coming back from retirement, Favre feuded with the Packers, was traded to the Jets and played horrible losing four of the last five games.

In 2007, quarterback Vince Young managed to play through the season with only one game missed. But after that first playoff appearance, things went downhill for the quarterback.

In 2006, Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander fractured his foot and missed six games.

In 2005, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb suffered a sports hernia in his first game and missed seven games. That year also marked the public feud with Terrell Owens.

Marshawn Lynch(notes) is a player that fantasy football owners should give a serious look during Week 7 NFL action. Lynch will be the lead running back for the Seattle Seahawks as the team goes up against the Cleveland Browns.

In a week where several really good running backs have a bye , some owners might be struggling to find a player to fill in the gaps. This is where Lynch could come in, as he goes up against a really weak rushing defense in Cleveland. The Browns give up nearly 130 yards on the ground every game, making them one of the worst teams at stopping the run. Even with the struggles that Seattle has had in getting running backs going, this could be a nice scenario for Lynch owners.

There was a boost in the number of leagues picking up Lynch already this week, but in the Yahoo! Fantasy Football leagues, he is only owners in 74% of all leagues. Even though he is probable for the game against the Browns, his recovery from that ankle injury is nearly complete with an extra week off. Now he will look to really pump up the statistics so far this season, and this is the chance for some owners to get on board early for some great fantasy football points.

Lynch owners could see 100 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns from him if the Seahawks offense gets going, and that might be possible with a healthy Charlie Whitehurst(notes) looking to impress the coaches. This will be his shot to prove that he deserves to start instead of Tarvaris Jackson(notes), and that could lead to many opportunities around the goal line for Lynch. Sure, it’s a risk to go for a running back that has just 239 yards through the first five games, but maybe this is also the best chance to get the greatest reward from him.

Lynch shouldn’t be started over some of the better running backs in the game, but if you are an owner that is relying on someone from the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers , New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, or Philadelphia Eagles (all teams with byes) now is your chance to try Lynch for a week.

Reference:

Yahoo! Fantasy Football

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ESPN reports that the trade of Jerome Harrison from Detroit to the Philadelphia Eagles may have saved his life.

Why?

Because doctors discovered a brain tumor that nullified a trade with the Detroit Lions, according to two league sources.

Without the deal being made, Harrison would not have undergone a physical. The tumor is now being treated, according to sources.

Harrison is not expected to play again this season, but his long-term prognosis both for life and his football career appear to be good, sources said. He is visiting with more doctors Thursday.

  

CLEVELAND — Browns defensive end Marcus Benard is facing two charges after crashing his motorcycle following practice.

Benard broke his hand Monday when he slammed his three-wheel motorcycle into a guardrail on Interstate 71. He remains hospitalized at the Cleveland Clinic.

Brooklyn Police Sgt. Scott Mielke said Benard has been charged with driving under suspension and reckless operation. He is due in court Oct. 18 in Parma.

Mielke said Benard lost control, smashed into the guardrail and “flew” over it. Mielke said no other vehicles were involved and police were trying to determine how fast Benard was driving.

Benard led the Browns in sacks last season and has played in all four of Cleveland’s games this season.

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