The 2012 Cleveland Browns’ schedule gives the team a chance to play back into relevancy in the AFC North. With the acquisitions of running back Trent Richardson, quarterback Brandon Weeden and offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz in the 2012 NFL Draft, the franchise might have taken a step towards getting back on track.

The schedule begins on Sunday, Sept 9, when the Browns host the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s a tough way to start the season, but at least the home crowd will get an early look at the youngsters. Week 2 brings a road-trip to play the Cincinnati Bengals before the team comes home for a Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills.

The Browns didn’t receive any Monday night games in the 2012 NFL schedule, but the team does have a Thursday date with the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 27.

2012 Cleveland Browns Schedule

Week 1 : Sun, Sep 9 – Philadelphia at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 2 : Sun, Sep 16 – Cleveland at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 3 : Sun, Sep 23 – Buffalo at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 4 : Thu, Sep 27 – Cleveland at Baltimore, 8:20 p.m. ET (NFL)

Week 5 : Sun, Oct 7 – Cleveland at New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 6 : Sun, Oct 14 – Cincinnati at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 7 : Sun, Oct 21 – Cleveland at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 8 : Sun, Oct 28 – San Diego Chargers at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 9 : Sun, Nov 4 – Baltimore at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 10 : BYE

Week 11 : Sun, Nov 18 – Cleveland at Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 12 : Sun, Nov 25 – Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 13 : Sun, Dec 2 – Cleveland at Oakland Raiders, 4:15 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 14 : Sun, Dec 9 – Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 15 : Sun, Dec 16 – Washington Redskins at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 16 : Sun, Dec 23 – Cleveland at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 17 : Sun, Dec 30 – Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Source:

Browns Team Page

CLEVELAND, Ohio — One of these days, the crowning achievement of a Browns season has to be about more than making life difficult for a hated rival. But with the spoiler role the only one remaining, they at least deserve credit for embracing it.

In a stadium where Steelers fans wore their colors and waved their Terrible Towels with impunity, the Browns quieted the intrusion with a solid half defensively and two Phil Dawson field goals to lead 6-3 at the intermission.

Pittsburgh’s best-case scenario was to play hobbled quarterback Ben Roethlisberger long enough to get a lead, keep an eye on the Baltimore-Cincinnati game and maybe run in backup Charlie Batch. The Browns didn’t let it happen, at least not in the first half.

I wouldn’t jump to too many conclusions about what playing hard all the way to the end means for a losing team. It doesn’t always mean they’re playing for the coach. In fact, Mike Holmgren has made it clear Pat Shurmur’s job isn’t in jeopardy.

Players play hard in these situations for a lot of different reasons, including their own job security.

A year ago, the Steelers blew the Browns out in a similar situation, 41-9. The Browns knew Eric Mangini was gone, as were many of the players Mangini brought in.

A win over the Steelers hardly puts a bow on this season, not with the Browns finishing 5-11 for the third consecutive year. Two years ago, they helped ruin the Steelers’ season. That one had more riding on it.

If they can win this one, they can only inconvenience the Steelers. But if you get the chance, why not?

Peyton Hillis finally played like a pro against the Baltimore Ravens on 12/24/11. Throughout the past two Cleveland Browns’ games Hillis has gone for 211 yards and has carried the ball 50 times. This is rather spectacular given what little he has done throughout the rest of the season. He is starting to look like the Hillis that Browns’ fans have been excited to see, but just haven’t had the chance to.

As the Browns go into the last week of the regular season – and their last game – they could use Hillis playing at this level.

While Hillis is now playing well, it is still hard to forget about his never ending stream of injuries and his bad attitude. For a while at the beginning of the season, it really seemed like he simply just did not want to wear a Browns’ uniform and was – to put it simply – being a baby about it. Has he truly had a change of heart, or is he just trying to finish the season strong so that he can be picked up by another team?

Many people believe that the Browns should fight to keep Hillis. I will be the first to admit that when Hillis is playing at his best that he is a true asset to the team. However, how do we know that he will play the full season next year? Will Hillis have a world of excuses to stay off of the field next year like he did this year? These are worrisome questions.

“At the beginning of the year, it was tough because I was injured,” Hillis said following the Ravens’ game. “I was trying to go out there and play 100 percent, and it was tough, because you really can’t help your team. You have a lot of people doubting you or thinking that you’re not trying to play hard. I love this team, and I love going out there and playing football. I’ve been doing this since I was five. I don’t like people questioning that, because my heart is big, and I want to do great things for this team.”

Personally, I think that Hillis should be given at least one more full season with the Browns. He is talented when he is giving it his all. Then, if he has another season where he seems like he just does not want to be in Cleveland, the Browns can do what they need to do to replace him. If he has a great season, then this is great for him and the Browns as a whole.

He played the last two games with the passion of a true Brown. Let’s just hope he keeps it up and that the Browns can beat the Steelers with Hillis’ renewed sense of dedication.

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

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Eight games, eight wins. The Baltimore Ravens achieved perfection at home for the first time, and now they’re looking to add to that ledger in the playoffs.
Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes, and the Ravens beat the bumbling Cleveland Browns 20-14 on Saturday to move one step closer to winning the AFC North.
Ray Rice ran for 87 yards and caught a TD pass for the Ravens (11-4), who led 17-0 at halftime and held on.
“I have never been perfect at home in 16 years of football. That’s amazing,” Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis said. “As good of teams we’ve had here, we’ve always found (a way) to lose one or two here or there. I think this year we really made a focus on taking care at home. This is the result, us being able to go 8-0 and being able to be sitting where you want to sit at the end of the day.”
The Ravens would win the AFC North by defeating Cincinnati on the road next week. That would also give Baltimore a first-round bye and a home playoff game — two if New England loses next Sunday at home against Buffalo.
“It’s big, man,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We are at our best when we are at (home) and our fans are rocking. So we definitely need a home playoff game, by any means necessary.”
Flacco went 11 for 24 with touchdown passes to Rice and tight end Ed Dickson. He also had a 33-yard run.
Josh Cribbs had a career-high 84-yard punt return for a TD for Cleveland (4-11). But the Browns generated very little offense and were guilty of questionable play calling, bad clock management and untimely penalties in their fifth straight loss.
Cleveland saved the worst for last. Having already burned their three timeouts, the Browns lined up on defense after the two-minute warning with the Ravens facing a fourth-and-2 at the Cleveland 37.
It appeared obvious that Flacco and the Ravens were merely hoping to draw the Browns offside.
As the play clock moved close to zero, Cleveland tackle Phil Taylor jumped across the line of scrimmage to give Baltimore a first down.
“It was the first hard count and we stayed onside,” Taylor said. “The second time, I just jumped. Of course you feel bad, but you just got to move on.”
Said Flacco: “I don’t know if I’ve ever been in position for that to happen. It’s never worked.”
The Ravens then ran out the clock on their eighth straight win over the Browns, including two this month.
“We knew this would be quite a challenge for us,” Cleveland quarterback Seneca Wallace said. “We’re playing the Ravens at home, and they’re playing for everything. I should have played better, and I should have made better decisions.”
Wallace went 19 for 33 for 147 yards in place of Colt McCoy, who was out with a concussion. Peyton Hillis ran for 112 yards, but Cleveland’s offense mounted only one decent drive.
The Browns took the opening kickoff and moved from their own 26 to the Baltimore 30 behind the power of Hillis, who gained 30 yards on six carries. But on a third-and-1, Cleveland inexplicably went to the air, and Lardarius Webb intercepted Wallace’s pass for Mohamed Massaquoi.
Flacco immediately threw deep for Torrey Smith, who drew a 60-yard penalty for pass interference on Mike Adams to set up a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dickson.
Later, a 29-yard throw from Flacco to Smith led to a 48-yard field goal by newcomer Shayne Graham, signed in the middle of the week to take over for the injured Billy Cundiff.
After another Cleveland punt, Flacco directed an 82-yard drive that gave Baltimore a 17-0 lead. Rice slipped behind linebacker D’Qwell Jackson on the right sideline, caught a soft pass in stride and sprinted into the end zone to complete a 42-yard scoring play.
That made Flacco 5 for 5 for 94 yards and two touchdowns on third down.
Cleveland moved deep into Baltimore territory late in the first half, thanks in part to a 30-yard pass interference call against Chris Carr. But with the clock inside 10 seconds and the Browns without a timeout left, Wallace handed off to Hillis instead of spiking the ball, and Hillis went nowhere.
Wallace took the blame, and so did Browns coach Pat Shurmur.
“I need to communicate it better, OK?” Shurmur said.
Time expired before Cleveland could get off another play, and the Browns headed to the locker room after being held scoreless in the first half for the second time this season. The other time it happened was also against Baltimore.
Graham kicked a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 20-0.
The Browns finally scored when Cribbs took a punt on the right sideline, escaped an arm tackle and broke toward the center of the field before outrunning three defenders into the left corner of the end zone late in the third quarter.
“I was wondering where all the defenders were,” Cribbs said. “I saw all the great blocking around me. From there, it was easy. It was just a walk in.”
Cribbs also contributed to Cleveland’s next touchdown, catching a 23-yard pass from Wallace as part of an 80-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard TD throw to Evan Moore midway through the fourth quarter.
The Browns forced a punt, but on a fourth-and-4 from the Cleveland 45 with 4:03 left, a pass to Hillis did not produce the necessary yardage.
Taylor’s jump across the line of scrimmage soon followed.
NOTES: Ravens KR David Reed hurt his left knee and declared himself out for the season. Also, Baltimore OT Marshal Yanda (chest) and CB Cary Williams (concussion) did not play in the second half. … Shurmur said the Browns sustained no serious injuries. Cleveland closes the season next Sunday against Pittsburgh.

The Cleveland Browns suffered another disappointing heartbreak against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Eve (12/24/11). The end of the first half certainly has fans scratching their heads. Why the Browns did not attempt a field goal is beyond comprehension. Browns’s coach Pat Shurmur looked like he was going to explode when the team did not go for a field goal.

Shurmur is saying that he is responsible for the communication breakdowns that happened throughout the game. However, speaking of the particular play at the end of the first half, Shurmur said, “I never would have called a run in that situation with that much time.”

Seneca Wallace took the field as quarterback for the game because Colt McCoy is still out with his concussion. Wallace really looked a lot better last week. He had a few good passes in today’s game, like the excellent touchdown pass to Evan Moore, but he seemed far less confident in this game than he did in the Arizona game.

Wallace has been in the NFL for nine seasons, but he really seemed to be carrying a rookie confidence around with him today. This is the thing that the Browns do not need, especially when playing a team with the talent of the Ravens.

Going into the second half with no points on the board looked really terrible. Then, finally Josh Cribbs saved the day by running an 84-yard touchdown off of a punt. It was a truly remarkable play. This play was not a game-saver, but it definitely re-energized the Browns and gave the fans a little hope and confidence.

Should we even discuss the fourth quarter? Specifically that play where Wallace passed to Hillis when they should have just kicked the ball. This was another head-scratching play that is becoming all too characteristic of the Browns.

Then, with two minutes to go in the game, Phil Taylor just had to go offsides. The Browns had one more chance to actually do something, but him going offsides completely eliminated their chances of a last ditch effort. Had he not gone offsides, the Browns would have had two minutes (I know not much, but at least it would have been something) to at least attempt to score a touchdown.

The Browns will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers for their last game. If they expect to add another win to their record, they are going to have to stop with the careless mistakes and put forth more focus.

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

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

D’Qwell Jackson must feel as though he’s stuck in a never-ending
film loop, one in which the Cleveland Browns make the same mistakes
over and over until the final whistle signals the end of yet
another defeat.

Such was the case Saturday, when the Browns bungled their way to
a 20-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

“We’ve been in some close ones, and today told the story of the
season,” Jackson said. “We fought for three quarters, the offense
was able to move the ball, we put the ball in the end zone, and we
still had a chance at the end.”

That’s when Cleveland (4-11) made its most glaring error.

Down 20-14 with no timeouts left, the Browns lined up on defense
after the two-minute warning with the Ravens facing a fourth-and-2
at the Cleveland 37.

It appeared obvious that Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco was
merely hoping to draw the Browns offside. And right on cue,
Cleveland rookie tackle Phil Taylor jumped across the line of
scrimmage to give Baltimore a first down.

The Ravens (11-4) then ran out the clock on their eighth
straight win over the Browns, including two this month.

“We jumped offside and we didn’t give ourselves a chance,”
Jackson said. “It’s hard to do.”

As soon as the flag dropped to the ground, Jackson grabbed the
rookie to offer him some advice.

“He said, `Hold your head up.’ It’s tough,” Taylor said softly
in a sullen locker room. “It was the first hard count and we stayed
onside. The second time, I just jumped. Of course you feel bad, but
you just got to move on.”

Taylor wasn’t the only one with a mistake to lament. Jackson got
torched on a touchdown pass from Flacco to Ray Rice. The Browns had
to use their first-half timeouts early because of personnel issues.
And quarterback Seneca Wallace, after driving Cleveland to the
Baltimore 3-yard line, curiously called a running play instead of
spiking the ball as time expired in the second quarter.

“It seems that it’s the 15th time I’ve said this, (but) the guys
played extremely hard,” Cleveland coach Pat Shurmur said. “I told
the guys for us to win these close games here in the AFC North,
we’ve got to play a little smarter in some of the critical
situations and that will help make the difference. That’s where
we’re at.”

Flacco threw two touchdown passes and Rice ran for 87 yards to
help the Ravens finish 8-0 at home.

Josh Cribbs had a career-high 84-yard punt return for a TD for
Cleveland. Wallace went 19 for 33 for 147 yards in place of Colt
McCoy, who was out with a concussion. Peyton Hillis ran for 112
yards, but Cleveland’s offense mounted only one decent drive.

The Browns took the opening kickoff and moved from their own 26
to the Baltimore 30 behind the power of Hillis, who gained 30 yards
on six carries. But on a third-and-1, Cleveland inexplicably went
to the air, and Lardarius Webb intercepted Wallace’s pass for
Mohamed Massaquoi.

Flacco immediately threw deep for Torrey Smith, who drew a
60-yard penalty for pass interference on Mike Adams to set up a
5-yard touchdown pass to Ed Dickson.

Later, a 29-yard throw from Flacco to Smith led to a 48-yard
field goal by Shayne Graham.

After another Cleveland punt, Flacco directed an 82-yard drive
that gave Baltimore a 17-0 lead. Rice slipped behind Jackson on the
right sideline, caught a soft pass in stride and sprinted into the
end zone to complete a 42-yard scoring play.

That made Flacco 5 for 5 for 94 yards and two touchdowns on
third down.

Cleveland moved deep into Baltimore territory late in the first
half, thanks in part to a 30-yard pass interference call against
Chris Carr. But with the clock inside 10 seconds and the Browns
without a timeout, Wallace handed off to Hillis instead of spiking
the ball, and Hillis went nowhere.

Wallace took the blame, and so did Shurmur.

“I need to communicate it better, OK?” Shurmur said.

Time expired before Cleveland could get off another play, and
the Browns headed to the locker room after being held scoreless in
the first half for the second time this season. The other time it
happened was also against Baltimore.

Graham kicked a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter to make
it 20-0.

The Browns finally scored when Cribbs took a punt on the right
sideline, escaped an arm tackle and broke toward the center of the
field before outrunning three defenders into the left corner of the
end zone late in the third quarter.

“I was wondering where all the defenders were,” Cribbs said. “I
saw all the great blocking around me. From there, it was easy. It
was just a walk in.”

Cribbs also contributed to Cleveland’s next touchdown, catching
a 23-yard pass from Wallace as part of an 80-yard drive that ended
with a 9-yard TD throw to Evan Moore midway through the fourth
quarter.

The Browns forced a punt, but on a fourth-and-4 from the
Cleveland 45 with 4:03 left, a pass to Hillis did not produce the
necessary yardage.

Taylor’s jump across the line of scrimmage soon followed.

NOTES: Ravens KR David Reed hurt his left knee and declared
himself out for the season. Also, Baltimore OT Marshal Yanda
(chest) and CB Cary Williams (concussion) did not play in the
second half. … Shurmur said the Browns sustained no serious
injuries. Cleveland closes the season next Sunday against
Pittsburgh.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Dec. 24, 2011

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens achieved perfection at home for the first time, and now they’re looking to add to that ledger in the playoffs.

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes, and the Ravens beat the bumbling Cleveland Browns 20-14 on Saturday to move one step closer to winning the AFC North.

Ray Rice ran for 87 yards and caught a TD pass for the Ravens (11-4), who led 17-0 at halftime and held on.

“I have never been perfect at home in 16 years of football. That’s amazing,” Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis said. “As good of teams we’ve had here, we’ve always found [a way] to lose one or two here or there. I think this year we really made a focus on taking care at home. This is the result, us being able to go 8-0 and being able to be sitting where you want to sit at the end of the day.”

The Ravens would win the AFC North by defeating Cincinnati on the road next week. That would also give Baltimore a first-round bye and a home playoff game – two if New England loses next Sunday at home against Buffalo.

“It’s big, man,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We are at our best when we are at (home) and our fans are rocking. So we definitely need a home playoff game, by any means necessary.”

Flacco went 11 for 24 with touchdown passes to Rice and tight end Ed Dickson. He also had a 33-yard run.

Josh Cribbs had a career-high 84-yard punt return for a TD for Cleveland (4-11). But the Browns generated very little offense and were guilty of questionable play calling, bad clock management and untimely penalties in their fifth straight loss.

Cleveland saved the worst for last. Having already burned their three timeouts, the Browns lined up on defense after the two-minute warning with the Ravens facing a fourth-and-2 at the Cleveland 37.

It appeared obvious that Flacco and the Ravens were merely hoping to draw the Browns offside.

As the play clock moved close to zero, Cleveland tackle Phil Taylor jumped across the line of scrimmage to give Baltimore a first down.

“It was the first hard count and we stayed onside,” Taylor said. “The second time, I just jumped. Of course you feel bad, but you just got to move on.”

Said Flacco: “I don’t know if I’ve ever been in position for that to happen. It’s never worked.”

The Ravens then ran out the clock on their eighth straight win over the Browns, including two this month.

“We knew this would be quite a challenge for us,” Cleveland quarterback Seneca Wallace said. “We’re playing the Ravens at home, and they’re playing for everything. I should have played better, and I should have made better decisions.”

Wallace went 19 for 33 for 147 yards in place of Colt McCoy, who was out with a concussion. Peyton Hillis ran for 112 yards, but Cleveland’s offense mounted only one decent drive.

The Browns took the opening kickoff and moved from their own 26 to the Baltimore 30 behind the power of Hillis, who gained 30 yards on six carries. But on a third-and-1, Cleveland inexplicably went to the air, and Lardarius Webb intercepted Wallace’s pass for Mohamed Massaquoi.

Flacco immediately threw deep for Torrey Smith, who drew a 60-yard penalty for pass interference on Mike Adams to set up a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dickson.

Later, a 29-yard throw from Flacco to Smith led to a 48-yard field goal by newcomer Shayne Graham, signed in the middle of the week to take over for the injured Billy Cundiff.

After another Cleveland punt, Flacco directed an 82-yard drive that gave Baltimore a 17-0 lead. Rice slipped behind linebacker D’Qwell Jackson on the right sideline, caught a soft pass in stride and sprinted into the end zone to complete a 42-yard scoring play.

That made Flacco 5 for 5 for 94 yards and two touchdowns on third down.

Cleveland moved deep into Baltimore territory late in the first half, thanks in part to a 30-yard pass interference call against Chris Carr. But with the clock inside 10 seconds and the Browns without a timeout left, Wallace handed off to Hillis instead of spiking the ball, and Hillis went nowhere.

Wallace took the blame, and so did Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

“I need to communicate it better, OK?” Shurmur said.

Time expired before Cleveland could get off another play, and the Browns headed to the locker room after being held scoreless in the first half for the second time this season. The other time it happened was also against Baltimore.

Graham kicked a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 20-0.

The Browns finally scored when Cribbs took a punt on the right sideline, escaped an arm tackle and broke toward the center of the field before outrunning three defenders into the left corner of the end zone late in the third quarter.

“I was wondering where all the defenders were,” Cribbs said. “I saw all the great blocking around me. From there, it was easy. It was just a walk in.”

Cribbs also contributed to Cleveland’s next touchdown, catching a 23-yard pass from Wallace as part of an 80-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard TD throw to Evan Moore midway through the fourth quarter.

The Browns forced a punt, but on a fourth-and-4 from the Cleveland 45 with 4:03 left, a pass to Hillis did not produce the necessary yardage.

Taylor’s jump across the line of scrimmage soon followed.

Notes

• Ravens KR David Reed hurt his left knee and declared himself out for the season. Also, Baltimore OT Marshal Yanda (chest) and CB Cary Williams (concussion) did not play in the second half.
• Shurmur said the Browns sustained no serious injuries. Cleveland closes the season next Sunday against Pittsburgh.

When the Cleveland Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, December 24, 2011, they will be doing it with Seneca Wallace at quarterback. There is a good chance he will play the role of QB in the final game against the Pittsburgh Steelers the following week as well.

Colt McCoy is still out because of the concussion he sustained due to the head on collision courtesy of James Harrison. He is still having recurring symptoms from this injury and until he is fully recovered from this injury, it is simply not safe for him – or the other players – for him to be out on the field. McCoy will not travel with the Browns either. He will stay home and rest and focus on recovering.

Since Wallace is going to be taking over the role of quarterback for the remainder of the season, he has to start acting like a starting quarterback. According to his teammates. He is falling into the role well.

“I think he’s more vocal in the locker room and on the field,” said Joe Thomas, a left tackle for the Browns. “When you’re the starter, you’re the coach on the field, not only calling plays but getting everybody lined up correctly, making sure the formation’s are correct, the personnel is right. You’re kind of the designated rah-rah guy. When things are going south, you’re the guy that needs to stand up and get everybody in a positive direction.”

Wallace has acknowledged that he is just the backup quarterback and that he is afraid to overstep his boundaries. However, he needs to lose this mentality as it could hold him back. He is not the backup at this moment. He is the starter for the remainder of the season and he needs to think like a starter. He has played in nine NFL seasons and has earned his time on the field.

In the Arizona game, Wallace showed that he has what it takes to make plays. He definitely gave the Browns some new energy. The only thing the Browns need to work on right now is keeping that energy throughout the entire game because that energy definitely faded by the end of the third quarter. If Wallace can keep throwing good passes and keep his men energized, the Browns just might have a chance to defeat the Ravens.

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

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Nobody doubts the Browns’ young defense has had its shining moments.

Goal-line stands in Pittsburgh and Arizona the past two games were two of them.

But there have been some clunkers that have elicited flashbacks of previous defensive “Seasons From Hell”, too. And the first game on Dec. 4 against the Baltimore Ravens, whom the Browns play on Christmas Eve, was the stinkiest egg laid by this group.

“It left a bad taste in all of our mouths,” said defensive tackle Phil Taylor.

That was the game in which Ray Rice ran for a career-high 204 yards and averaged 7.0 yards per carry. Ricky Williams chipped in 76 yards as the Ravens rushed 55 times for 290 yards.

It was reminiscent of the Browns getting gashed for a then-NFL record 295 yards rushing by Jamal Lewis in a 2003 game. The Ravens totaled 343 yards rushing in that one.

Rice, a humble man, credited his career game to execution, to his offensive line and to the wet weather conditions that inspired the run-first, run-often Baltimore game plan.

The Browns’ explanation for what happened is a little more technical. But cornerback Sheldon Brown broke it down in easily understood terms.

“They won the front battle,” he said. “They won the line of scrimmage. Anytime a running back can get to the second level, it’s gonna be tough on anybody else trying to make that tackle. And that’s what they did, create holes to get him to the second level.”

Baltimore’s huge offensive line knocked the Browns out of their gaps, and the diminutive Rice — who’s 5-8 — made the secondary miss.

That game plunged the Browns to 31st against the run, their lowest ranking of the season. They were 31st out of 31 teams in the expansion season of 1999 and 32nd in 2004.

All the coaches have lamented “gap integrity” in defending the run. Current defensive coordinator Dick Jauron is one of the best at explaining exactly what that means.

“Everybody’s got to do their job on every play,” he said. “People have to stay in their gaps. But it’s not easy.

“You’ve got two 300-pound men trying to knock you out of that gap. And then it expands. It doesn’t stay in one spot. The play will move and as it stretches, there’s a lot of things going on. You don’t know before the snap which way it’s going or how they’re going to block it.

“In a one-gap scheme [such as Jauron's], it’s pretty clear at the snap where you belong. And it’s very, very difficult to play it and stay in that gap. The offenses are good, the people are huge and strong. It’s what makes the game so competitive and hard to play.”

Besides the linemen, Baltimore pummeled the Browns with 260-pound fullback Vonta Leach. Linebacker Chris Gocong said linebacker Kaluka Maiava took on 22 lead blocks of Leach in that game.

And then there’s Rice, who runs like every play will decide his next meal. In his case, it might. He’s one of several NFL running backs playing out the last season of their rookie contracts, hoping to secure a long-term deal either from their current team or a new one in free agency.

“I’ve worked for everything I got in my life,” Rice said. “Nothing was given to me. I’m still under contract, so why would I complain about something I’m not up for? After this season is over, me and my agent will deal with it accordingly.

“My stats will take care of itself. I look at what other guys got, but that’s not going to determine the outcome of my season. I want to have a great year. Obviously the ultimate goal is to win.”

Rice ranks fifth in the NFL with 1,086 yards rushing and is second among all backs with 71 receptions.

“He may be a little guy but he runs better than most backs twice his size,” said linebacker D’Qwell Jackson.

Rice doesn’t think it will be as easy for him this time — even though this game is in Baltimore with the Ravens hoping to complete an 8-0 home season and maintain first place in the AFC North ahead of Pittsburgh.

“They obviously want to finish their season on a high,” Rice said. “We know that. They’re a prideful organization. They can play the role of the spoiler. We’re gonna try to the best of our ability not to let that happen this week.”

BEREA, Ohio – Colt McCoy still hasn’t been cleared to practice since suffering a concussion on Dec. 8.

“He was here this morning,” coach Pat Shurmur said. “Did a little physical activity.”

Still, Shurmur would not official name Seneca Wallace the Browns starting quarterback in Baltimore on Saturday.

“Not yet, but it’s going to come soon, I’m sure,” he said.

Shurmur has been reluctant to say whether McCoy has seen a head trauma specialist, as tight end Benjamin Watson did after his third concussion of the season.

“You can’t say he hasn’t seen one,” the coach replied. “He’s been evaluated just like Ben, by all the proper people. They’re all doctors. No real difference.”

In other pre-practice news:

* Receiver Jordan Norwood (concussion), linebacker Ben Jacobs (concussion) and safety T.J. Ward (foot) won’t practice, Shurmur said. The following players will be limited: cornerback Joe Haden (thigh), receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (foot), and defensive tackle Scott Paxson (hand, foot).

* Rookie Buster Skrine will continue to get reps at kickoff return in Baltimore, Shurmur said. Skrine had a 32-yard return in Arizona after Josh Cribbs’ groin injury acted up. Browns kickoff returners got an early Christmas present this week when the Ravens signed Shayne Graham to possibly replace Billy Cundiff on Saturday. Cundiff, second in the AFC with 43 touchbacks, has a calf injury and has missed three of his last five field goal attempts.

* Shurmur said he expected newly signed tight end Dan Gronkowski to be force-fed as a run-blocker in Baltimore because of the loss of Watson and Alex Smith to season-ending injuries.

“We’re getting him ready to play,” Shurmur said. “We feel we’ll teach him the gameplan, not the system.”

Although the
Pittsburgh Steelers
are tied atop the AFC North, winning the division won’t be easy.

Facing the
Cleveland Browns
in two of their final four games, however, should help their hopes.

The surging Steelers look to win for the eighth time in nine games and continue their dominance over the sputtering Browns
on Thursday night at Heinz Field.

Pittsburgh’s only blemish in its last eight games – a 23-20 loss to Baltimore on Nov. 6 – put a dent in its chances of winning
a fourth division title in five years. The Steelers (9-3) are tied with the Ravens atop the North, but having been swept by
their archrivals, Pittsburgh must finish with a better record to win the division.

Cleveland (4-8) could have helped the Steelers on Sunday with a home game against Baltimore, but not surprisingly came out
with another sluggish performance and lost 24-10, dropping to 3-18 inside the division since 2008.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, put together one of its best performances of the season Sunday, beating Cincinnati 35-7 for its third
straight victory.
Ben Roethlisberger
threw for 176 yards and two scores to
Mike Wallace
,
Rashard Mendenhall
had two touchdowns and
James Harrison
collected three sacks to lead a defense that held the Bengals to a season-low point total.

“These are the games that are going to put you in place to make your run,” linebacker
James Farrior
said. “We’re just trying to keep up in the division.”

The Steelers appear to have a good chance to keep pace with Baltimore.

Pittsburgh, which finishes its season at Cleveland, also visits NFC West-champion San Francisco and hosts two-win St. Louis.
The Ravens still have games at San Diego and Cincinnati and home contests against Cleveland and winless Indianapolis.

Neither team appears to have a difficult remaining schedule, but given the Steelers’ history with the Browns, they may have
an edge.

Pittsburgh has won 14 of 15 against Cleveland and seven in a row at Heinz Field since a 33-13 loss in 2003. It has won the
last three in Pittsburgh by an average of 20.7 points.

In the two meetings last season, the Steelers outscored the Browns 69-19, with Roethlisberger passing for 537 yards with five
touchdowns and an interception and Mendenhall scoring three TDs. The defense had 10 sacks and five interceptions.

Making matters worse for the Browns, the Steelers are playing well and are healthy – something Cleveland can’t claim.

Pittsburgh has held its last two opponents to single digits and forced eight turnovers during its winning streak after only
getting four in its first nine games.

Offensively, the Steelers are averaging 116.3 rushing yards in their last three games after averaging 86.3 in their previous
three.

“It’s getting closer to the playoffs and it’s time for us to get better,” said Wallace, who leads the Steelers in receptions
(58), receiving yards (977) and receiving TDs (8).

Pittsburgh did play the final three quarters Sunday without
LaMarr Woodley
because of a tender left hamstring, but part of that decision had to do with the team up 28-7 at halftime. He is expected
to play Thursday, and again could find himself on the sideline with his team up big.

The Browns had little luck moving the ball Sunday against Baltimore’s vaunted defense, finishing with 233 yards, including
59 on the ground. Cleveland’s defense also couldn’t stop the run, allowing the Ravens to rack up 290 rushing yards.

“You have to have thick skin and a short memory, and you move on,” coach Pat Shurmur said.

The Browns, 30th in total offense (290.7 yards per game) are preparing for a similar brand of football, however, from the
Steelers, who are first in total defense (273.8), and running the ball with more consistency.

“It’s going to be real tough,” cornerback
Sheldon Brown
said. “Both are physical football teams and you know they’re going to have a physical presence throughout the contest.”

It will likely be even tougher with
Colt McCoy
playing with a right knee sprain.

McCoy was injured Sunday on a hit by Ravens defensive end Arthur Rhodes. Although he missed only one play, the injury was
initially considered severe enough to keep him sideline for this game. He is now expected to start, but his mobility will
likely be limited.

McCoy, 0-7 within the division, has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in three straight games, but hasn’t received much help
– Cleveland leads the league with 35 dropped passes.

He also might be without
Peyton Hillis
again after the running back strained his hip against Baltimore. Hillis rushed for 45 yards on 12 carries and caught a pass
for 52 yards in his second game back after missing five straight with a hamstring injury.

Although the
Pittsburgh Steelers
are tied atop the AFC North, winning the division won’t be easy.

Facing the
Cleveland Browns
in two of their final four games, however, should help their hopes.

The surging Steelers look to win for the eighth time in nine games and continue their dominance over the sputtering Browns
on Thursday night at Heinz Field.

Pittsburgh’s only blemish in its last eight games – a 23-20 loss to Baltimore on Nov. 6 – put a dent in its chances of winning
a fourth division title in five years. The Steelers (9-3) are tied with the Ravens atop the North, but having been swept by
their archrivals, Pittsburgh must finish with a better record to win the division.

Cleveland (4-8) could have helped the Steelers on Sunday with a home game against Baltimore, but not surprisingly came out
with another sluggish performance and lost 24-10, dropping to 3-18 inside the division since 2008.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, put together one of its best performances of the season Sunday, beating Cincinnati 35-7 for its third
straight victory.
Ben Roethlisberger
threw for 176 yards and two scores to
Mike Wallace
,
Rashard Mendenhall
had two touchdowns and
James Harrison
collected three sacks to lead a defense that held the Bengals to a season-low point total.

“These are the games that are going to put you in place to make your run,” linebacker
James Farrior
said. “We’re just trying to keep up in the division.”

The Steelers appear to have a good chance to keep pace with Baltimore.

Pittsburgh, which finishes its season at Cleveland, also visits NFC West-champion San Francisco and hosts two-win St. Louis.
The Ravens still have games at San Diego and Cincinnati and home contests against Cleveland and winless Indianapolis.

Neither team appears to have a difficult remaining schedule, but given the Steelers’ history with the Browns, they may have
an edge.

Pittsburgh has won 14 of 15 against Cleveland and seven in a row at Heinz Field since a 33-13 loss in 2003. It has won the
last three in Pittsburgh by an average of 20.7 points.

In the two meetings last season, the Steelers outscored the Browns 69-19, with Roethlisberger passing for 537 yards with five
touchdowns and an interception and Mendenhall scoring three TDs. The defense had 10 sacks and five interceptions.

Making matters worse for the Browns, the Steelers are playing well and are healthy – something Cleveland can’t claim.

Pittsburgh has held its last two opponents to single digits and forced eight turnovers during its winning streak after only
getting four in its first nine games.

Offensively, the Steelers are averaging 116.3 rushing yards in their last three games after averaging 86.3 in their previous
three.

“It’s getting closer to the playoffs and it’s time for us to get better,” said Wallace, who leads the Steelers in receptions
(58), receiving yards (977) and receiving TDs (8).

Pittsburgh did play the final three quarters Sunday without
LaMarr Woodley
because of a tender left hamstring, but part of that decision had to do with the team up 28-7 at halftime. He is expected
to play Thursday, and again could find himself on the sideline with his team up big.

The Browns had little luck moving the ball Sunday against Baltimore’s vaunted defense, finishing with 233 yards, including
59 on the ground. Cleveland’s defense also couldn’t stop the run, allowing the Ravens to rack up 290 rushing yards.

“You have to have thick skin and a short memory, and you move on,” coach Pat Shurmur said.

The Browns, 30th in total offense (290.7 yards per game) are preparing for a similar brand of football, however, from the
Steelers, who are first in total defense (273.8), and running the ball with more consistency.

“It’s going to be real tough,” cornerback
Sheldon Brown
said. “Both are physical football teams and you know they’re going to have a physical presence throughout the contest.”

It will likely be even tougher with
Colt McCoy
playing with a right knee sprain.

McCoy was injured Sunday on a hit by Ravens defensive end Arthur Rhodes. Although he missed only one play, the injury was
initially considered severe enough to keep him sideline for this game. He is now expected to start, but his mobility will
likely be limited.

McCoy, 0-7 within the division, has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in three straight games, but hasn’t received much help
– Cleveland leads the league with 35 dropped passes.

He also might be without
Peyton Hillis
again after the running back strained his hip against Baltimore. Hillis rushed for 45 yards on 12 carries and caught a pass
for 52 yards in his second game back after missing five straight with a hamstring injury.

The Cleveland Browns have been a shaky team in 2011. The Browns have had a number of issues with injuries and some drama off the field with running back Peyton Hillis(notes). Those things have helped contribute to a sluggish 4-8 start for a team that some thought could pull off some surprises. One area that has hurt the Browns is the passing game. Cleveland is near the bottom of the league in passing yards and this is a critical final stretch for quarterback Colt McCoy(notes). The team will have to decide if McCoy is the guy they want to build around. Unfortunately for him, McCoy is dealing with an injury at the worst possible time this season. The team expects McCoy to play with his knee injury, but the short week could force plans to change.

McCoy sustained his injury early in the team’s 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on December 4. He displayed his toughness by continuing to play. However, it was clear the knee injury was bothering him after the game. McCoy had been limping and was later revealed to have a mild sprain. That is the kind of injury that could cause a player to miss a game, especially in a short week. The Browns have a Thursday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 8. At the current time, the team expects McCoy to play. But that could change depending on how he performs at practice.

For McCoy, finishing the season strong is essential. He hasn’t done a lot to prove that he can be the guy to lead the Browns for the long haul. With 14 touchdown passes and nine interceptions, his numbers in 2011 are not awful. Unfortunately, they aren’t the numbers the Browns need from a top quarterback. To make matters worse, McCoy has yet to win a game against a division opponent. He would be starting the Pittsburgh game with an 0-7 record in the AFC North. That is something that has to weigh heavily on everyone in Cleveland.

It is a long shot for the Browns to beat the Steelers. But if McCoy can play well in that game, he will send a positive message to everyone associated with the team. Playing just a few days after spraining his knee would say a lot about his character. Ultimately, McCoy will only keep the starting job if he wins games. But he can’t do that if he doesn’t play.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Associated Press

BEREA

Quarterback Colt McCoy used the handrail as he gingerly walked down the steps Monday, the lingering result of a weekend encounter with Baltimore’s merciless defense.

McCoy’s right knee is sprained.

The Browns, on the other hand, appear broken.

One day after being flattened by the Ravens, who rushed for 290 yards in a 24-10 thumping of Cleveland that wasn’t nearly that close, the Browns (4-8) began assessing the extensive damage from a defeat at the hands one of the AFC North’s co-leaders.

There’s little time for review. The Pittsburgh Steelers, undoubtedly smelling brown and orange blood in the water, are next — on Thursday.

“It’s quick,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said of the short turnaround.

Sadly, it won’t be painless.

“It’s going to be real tough,” cornerback Sheldon Brown said. “Both are physical football teams and you know they’re going to have a physical presence throughout the contest.”

Shurmur did not sugar coat Sunday’s rout, which dropped the Browns to 3-18 inside their division the past three years and prompted wide receiver Josh Cribbs to conclude that there’s “a big gap” in talent between Cleveland and the North’s top teams. That may have already been evident, but the drubbing may have left a collective mark on the Browns’ organization and fans.

The Browns couldn’t stop the run, and they couldn’t run it themselves. They dropped five more passes, increasing their league-leading total to 35. And, they once again had a special teams breakdown as Baltimore’s Lardarius Webb returned a punt 68 yards for a TD in the fourth quarter.

Still, Shurmur insisted he believes his young team is growing, and he’s determined to help them develop.

“It’s just like everything you do, you just keep plugging ahead, and this thing will turn when we least expect it,” he said.

There’s a chance the Browns may have to face the Steelers without McCoy, who was injured in the first quarter of Sunday’s game.

McCoy was backpedaling to throw a screen pass when he was hit low by Ravens defensive end Arthur Rhodes. McCoy fell awkwardly, and for a moment, appeared to be in bad shape. He limped to the sideline but only missed one play before coming back and finishing the game.

Shurmur said McCoy does not have any structural damage and believes he will be able to play against the Steelers.

“He’s probably just sore,” Shurmur said.

And he has every right to be mad at a few of his teammates.

McCoy, who is 0-7 in games against division opponents, isn’t getting much help from his receivers. They can’t hang on to the ball, and the biggest offender is rookie wide receiver Greg Little, who has had six drops in the past two weeks and 11 this season.