Cleveland Browns fans have little to feel good about regarding Sunday’s victory over the lowly Seattle Seahawks. The Browns hardly impressed during the 6-3 win, and were, truth be told, rather lucky to get a bit of help from the officials during a second half punt return. Cleveland may very well be the least impressive 3-3 football team in the league right now. Unfortunately, the problems for the Browns don’t simply begin and end on the field.

3 final thoughts on Browns vs. Seahawks game: Examining McCoy

If it’s not the second quarter, Cleveland QB Colt McCoy(notes) isn’t going to be an inaccurate passer. There’s no denying that halfway through the current campaign. With that said, McCoy absolutely deserves a bit of a break from fans calling for yet another new offensive leader. He is getting absolutely killed while in the pocket, taking an average of over six hits per game thus far this season. McCoy has also been forced to play around the Peyton Hillis(notes) Saga, one which has created issues on and off the field for a Browns team not talented enough to survive such distractions. Unlike quarterbacks playing on better offenses, McCoy is also without a single go-to playmaker. Josh Cribbs gives it his all each and every down. Montario Hardesty(notes) and Greg Little(notes) have both shown promise. Not one of those guys is currently capable of taking a game over when the need for such a player arises during a game. Any second-year quarterback, McCoy included, would struggle in this offense.

3 final thoughts on Browns vs. Seahawks game: More Hardesty

I’m beyond over the Peyton Hillis Saga. I don’t know where he’s at physically or mentally, nor do I care. Neither Hillis nor Hardesty have made monumental highlights thus far this season, although I’m positive the duo would average more yards on the ground per carry if both could manage to stay healthy for longer than a week. I do like what I’ve seen from a fully healthy Hardesty thus far, so much so that I think he should now be the feature back for the Browns heading into at least this Sunday’s game at the San Francisco 49ers.

It’s quite possible Hardesty, not Hillis, is the future of Cleveland’s running game. That future should begin now. In a perfect world, touches would be about a 1.5-to-1 ratio in favor of Hardesty over Hillis as long as Hardesty is 100 percent. Hardesty is a well-rounded running back, one who can keep Hillis fresh for the latter portions of contests. Of course, that scenario involves Hillis actually being an option for the Browns.

3 final thoughts on Browns vs. Seahawks game: Change the rule

The Block in the Back penalty which erased what should have been a Seattle touchdown on a punt return was an awful call. There’s not a lot you can do about that, as refs make bad calls every game. The Unnecessary Roughness penalty called on Kam Chancellor(notes) in the first quarter wasn’t the result of the official making an error. The flag was thrown in this instance because of the NFL’s desire to protect any and all quarterbacks.

I understand not being able to hit a quarterback up high, and also believe all helmet-to-helmet shots should result in penalties. Chancellor made what my middle school football coach would refer to as a “form tackle” on Colt McCoy. He didn’t make contact with his helmet, nor did he hit the QB in any way that should have resulted in a flag being thrown.

I’m all for the “I know it when I see it” definition regarding hits on QBs. Instead of defining Roughing the Passer, let’s just allow refs to use judgment in such instances. I’m a lifelong fan of the Browns, and even I can’t defend that horrendous penalty. It was quite possibly the worst I’ve seen this season.

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BEREA, Ohio — Browns running back Montario Hardesty is eager to start Sunday against the Seahawks and leave the Raiders game out on the West Coast, where it belongs. It was a long trip home, and an even longer week waiting for the Seahawks to arrive.

Hardesty is expected to get the nod in place of Peyton Hillis, who is listed as questionable and hasn’t practiced all week after suffering a pulled hamstring during the 24-17 loss to Oakland. Stepping in as the third-down back is Chris Ogbonnaya, who was signed Tuesday off the Texans’ practice squad.

“I’m definitely ready to get back out on the field and get the taste of last week’s game out of my mouth,” said Hardesty. “I don’t think I played too well in that game, so I’m definitely going to come out better than that and try to help the team get a win.”

Hardesty, who started against the Dolphins in Week 3 when Hillis sat out with strep throat, struggled with his blocking-assignment blitz pickups against the Raiders and dropped two more passes. The week before, against the Titans, he dropped four passes, including several short ones over the middle.

He finished the Oakland game with 35 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 18 yards — both on the fourth-quarter touchdown drive that pulled the Browns to within 24-17.

“Maybe the first drop carried over from the week before,” he said. “But I made two good catches on the last drive when we came down the field and scored. So I’ve just got to put that behind me and move on. It was frustrating for me, but I’m going to catch my balls and play better.”

Hardesty, who’s been a good receiver out of the backfield, isn’t sure why he’s suddenly been struggling. “The main thing this week is coming out early and getting extra work at it,” he said. “It’s not something I’ve ever thought about before. I just have to get back to doing that.”

Hardesty acknowledged that the drops have been mental, beginning with the Titans game.

“They got in my head, and I started pressing that game,” he said. “I did it on three plays, already looking upfield and trying to make extra yards instead of securing the catch and then doing it.”

He dropped another short one over the middle in practice on Friday, and coach Pat Shurmur pulled him out and replaced him with Ogbonnaya for a few plays. Hardesty came to the sideline and dropped down for some pushups.

“He dropped the ball, and we don’t want him to drop the ball,” said Shurmur. “We work on catching. You get what you emphasize, and we’ve worked on him catching the football.”

Hardesty said he appreciated the coach coming down on him at that moment.

“I’m hard on myself to get better, and I like when someone else looks at it the same way,” he said. “I want to get everything right.”

Hardesty was also tough on himself for struggling to pick up the Raiders’ blitzes, many of which they hadn’t shown before. It was part of the reason Hillis wanted to return in the fourth quarter despite the pulled hamstring — to give Hardesty a break and help out on pass protection.

“I want to go out there and be a perfectionist on the field,” said Hardesty. “I don’t want to have any missed assignments, and I want to maximize every opportunity I have on the field. I don’t think I did that against the Raiders. I looked myself in the mirror and focused on the things that I didn’t do well, critiqued myself,” he said. “I’ve been working real hard to have a real good game on Sunday.”

Shurmur has called for Hardesty to run with authority against the Seahawks’ seventh-ranked run defense — one that allows an NFL-best 3.13 yards per attempt.

“Ballcarriers know that they need to break an arm tackle, make a guy miss and all of that to get those explosive runs, so that’s what we’re looking for,” said Shurmur. “We’ve got to carve out those 4- to 6-yard [runs], and from his standpoint, if he can make a guy miss and turn 6 into 20, then that’s what we’re looking for.”

In Hardesty’s only other NFL game as the featured back — against the Dolphins — he rushed for an impressive 67 yards on 14 carries for a 4.8-yard average. He also had a long run of 19 yards.

“I got to do it one game this year, and I’m really looking forward to doing it again,” he said. “Growing up, this is something that I always wanted to do. So I’m going to take on the challenge, get better every day and get ready to play this game.”

He said he’s starting to get back in the groove after sitting out all last year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

“My knee isn’t bothering me at all,” he said. “Now it’s just repetition, seeing all the different things that defenses do, because in the NFL, they do a lot more disguises with their blitzes. I just need to make sure I’m comfortable with that so I can go out and play fast.”

He said the running game — ranked 30th in the NFL — didn’t play up to its potential against the Raiders.

“I felt like as a team, we weren’t as physical as we could’ve been,” he said. “We want to get our [physicality] back in the running game and execute our runs. If we can do that, it will definitely take pressure off Colt [McCoy], and that can keep us on track on offense.”

He plans to do his part.

“I’m going to respond,” he said. “I feel like every game I’ve got something to prove, and there’s no better stage than doing it on Sundays.”

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

When the Seattle Seahawks take on the Cleveland Browns on the road October 23, the team will be coming off a bye week after their big win over the New York Giants. The bye week was a good thing, allowing some of the injured Seahawks and chance to heal up.

The extra week has helped clear the Seahawks’ injury report. The latest edition shows offensive guard Robert Gallery(notes), wide receiver Mike Williams, running back Marshawn Lynch(notes), and linebacker Malcolm Smith(notes) participating in full practices October 19 and looking good for availability on Sunday. Tight end Zach Miller and center Max Unger(notes) did not practice are still doubtful.

The only other name on the injury report is Tarvaris Jackson(notes). He suited up for Wednesday’s practice and participated in the run-drill. He’s not throwing passes yet, and his status is still unclear. The team is impressed with the speed of his recovery, but is still moving ahead as if Charlie Whitehurst(notes) will be the starting quarterback in Cleveland.

The good news there is that both of them demonstrated they can move the offense and get points in the win over the Giants. Whichever QB ends up under center, I think Seattle will come back home with another big road win and a 3-3 record. I expect to see Whitehurst, but Jackson could complete his recovery in time.

If they want to compete in the NFC West, they need wins. The San Francisco Giants have given notice that the division will not be won with a losing overall record this year. The 49ers are at 5-1. Only the undefeated Green Bay Packers have a better record, and the New England Patriots are the only other team in the NFL at 5-1.

Seahawks on a streak

Seattle has won two of their last three, and came close to a comeback win in the loss against the Atlanta Falcons. The offense is producing points, especially in the hurry-up. Defensively, the Seahawks are making crucial stops when they need to.

The Browns are a different story. They have an identical 2-3 record, but their wins came against the winless Indianapolis Colts and the equally winless Miami Dolphins. On a sidenote, how odd does that sound, the Colts and Dolphins with zero wins between them?

The Browns’ offense will likely missing running back Peyton Hillis(notes), who is out with a hamstring injury. The Browns’ injury report indicates he did not practice Wednesday, so it’s doubtful he will be on the field for kickoff Sunday. This one looks like a ripe opportunity for the Seahawks to pick up a road win. After the game, Seattle fans will have to throw their support behind Cleveland for the next game. The Browns will take on the 49ers in Candlestick Park October 30.

Jeff Musall has been a fan of the Seattle Seahawks since he was a kid living in a small Idaho town, watching Jim Zorn move the team down the field.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns host the Seattle Seahawks in a matchup of 2-3 teams on Sunday at Browns Stadium.

The game is certain to stir memories for Browns president Mike Holmgren. He coached Seattle to an 86-74 record, and 4-6 in playoff games, from 1999-2008. Holmgren and the Seahawks reached the 2005 Super Bowl, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-10.

Holmgren was interviewed today on Seattle radio station KJR 950/AM, on the Mitch in the Morning Show.

Click here to hear Holmgren’s interview on KJR’s Mitch in the Morning.

A couple highlights of what Holmgren had to say, from the Waiting For Next Year blog:

Mitch: How long you going to do this?  In 10 years are you going to be the President of the Cleveland Browns?

Holmgren: Well, you know it’s hard to tell for sure.  I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be 10 years.  We still have our home in Seattle.  The kids are there.  The grandkids are there.  I don’t think they’re going to be moving anytime soon.  Our vision is to get back into that area at some point.  Exactly when that is?  I’d like to see improvement here and lay the foundation here so that they can feel good about the team again before I make any changes.

Mitch: What kind of team are the Seahawks going to face this week on Sunday?  Is it a good football team?  Is it an O.K. football team?  What’s your honest assessment of what kind of Browns squad you’ve got over there?

Holmgren: You’ll watch us play, and you know we’re a young football team.  You combine the youth we have on the team and a new coach and at times we kind of look young out there.  And then at other times we actually play pretty well.  I think we play pretty good defense.  Dick Jauron, who’s the defensive coordinator, is doing a heck of a job.  Ray Rhodes is on the staff who you know.  They’re doing a great job.

Offensively, we’re inconsistent.  That comes with having a young quarterback, young receivers, rookie starting at left guard and all those things.  But, when we can eliminate our own mistakes we aren’t bad.  So, you know. We’ll see.

About no longer being on the field as a coach, Holmgren said: 

After being on the field for so long and feeling like you have some control over the outcome or what’s happening out there, now I’m upstairs and I have no control over anything. I’m working through that. I’m better this year than I was last year. That’s a tough thing because that’s the chess game of calling plays and outfoxing the defense and the emotions of what’s happening on the field. That’s why you get into coaching in the first place….

 

 

OAKLAND, Calif. — Peyton Hilli is a deeply religious man who doesn’t believe in The Madden Curse. But his star-crossed season took another hit Sunday when he suffered a pulled left hamstring on his second run of the game and managed only four carries thereafter.

Hillis, who ran six times for 14 yards, will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury.

“It’s all frustrating,” said Hillis. “But when it rains it pours and you just kinda roll with the punches. Everything’s a life-learned lesson. The more optimistic you are about it, the more positive you can be and have an open mindset about it, the better off you’ll be.”

Hillis, who sat out the Dolphins game with strep throat and flu-like symptoms, pulled the hamstring on the opening run of the second drive, a six-yarder.

“It was my second run when I went outside and one of the defensive backs pushed me out of bounds and I overextended,” he said. “I tried to play there a couple of series afterward the best I could.”

Hillis remained in on that drive, but netted two yards on his three subsequent carries. He sat out the next possession and then tried to play in another second-quarter drive, eking out a four-yard run and catching a 16-yard pass that was nullified by a penalty. For most of the rest of the game, he stood on the sidelines with his helmet in hand.

Entering Sunday, coach Pat Shurmur had promised to get his embattled running back “the bulk of the carries.”. Colt McCoy was looking forward to the renewed commitment to Hillis.

“That’s nobody’s fault,” said Hillis, who’s been the focus of talk-show debate for his absence against Miami and ongoing contract talks with the Browns. “You pull a hamstring, you try to go out there and do your best. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s just unfortunate, disappointing.”

In the fourth quarter, with the Browns trailing, 24-7, Hillis was determined to do something to help. After Montario Hardesty missed a safety blitz and watched McCoy get drilled on the field goal drive, Hillis trotted out to shore up the pass protection. He blocked on back-to-back plays and then had to depart again.

“I felt it was a critical part in the game,” said Hillis. “I didn’t want to leave Montario hanging out there, so I felt if I could go in there and do a little pass protection, do what I could do to help the team win…”

But it wasn’t long before he realized that he couldn’t play.

“Yeah, it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do,” he said. “But I wanted to help the team win. I was anxious to get out there and help. It was a critical point, we were just two possessions down and if we got that touchdown — you saw how things worked out with the onside kick and stuff, we knew it was within reach.”

Did he make it worse by re-entering the game? “I don’t know,” he said. “We’ll have to see about that tomorrow.

“Hopefully I can try to play next week. If I’m not 100 percent, I still want to play. We’ll see how that works out, see what the trainers say and hopefully I can be out there next week.”

Safety Usama Young sat out all four preseason games with a pulled hamstring.

“It’s low, that’s good,” he said. “I hear the lower it is, the better off you’ll be. That’s good news.”

Meanwhile, Hardesty sat at his locker with a dejected look on his face. He finished with 35 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 18 yards. But he also dropped two passes and let McCoy get slammed on the blitz.

“There was only one time that I got my quarterback hit but that was a big play of the game,” said Hardesty. “We ended up getting a field goal on the drive, but I let my quarterback get hit and I don’t ever want to be the man to let my quarterback get hit.

“I’m definitely going to watch the film and correct everything that I did wrong so next week I can perform better and help us come out with a win.”

He said he didn’t think he was being too hard on himself.

“I want to be a perfectionist on the field and I don’t think I had a perfect game today.”

He might have plenty of opportunities next week to get it right.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Yes, one of the problems that the Cleveland Browns have that likely will not go away during their bye week is the lack of an established big-play wide receiver.

Well, right now, Terrell Owens, 37, is without a team. Kate Arhar writes for Dawg Pound Daily that there are three reasons that the Browns need Owens.

Part of one reason, writes Arhar:

One of the things that I believe about this season is that the front office needs to evaluate Colt McCoy and decide if he is our quarterback of the future. I think we can all agree on that. What we can’t seem to agree on is the criteria being used to complete that evaluation. While I can argue that his stats and the team’s record are not the most important things, they are hard to ignore. We have a group of young receivers learning a new offensive scheme after a shortened preseason. They are struggling to get separation, run routes, block, and most importantly catch passes. Is this McCoy’s fault?  If we had some magically amazing wide receiver on the field would Colt look better? Would he BE better? That is the question.

Meanwhile, Owens tells ESPN that he should be ready to play within a few weeks.

The Browns (2-2) play their next game on Oct. 16, against the Raiders (2-2) in Oakland.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes the Browns Insider video show, with reporters Tony Grossi and Dennis Manoloff talking about the Browns; Browns safety T.J. Ward interviewed on Starting Blocks TV; and, more.

Goal to goal

Browns quarterback Colt McCoy is comparable to a young Drew Brees, Browns linebacker Scott Fujita says. By Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Fujita was with the 2009 Saints when Brees led them to the Super Bowl championship.

The Browns need to solve any problems in the locker room, Bob Frantz writes for the News-Herald.

Browns quarterly awards, Part 1, by Dave Kolonich for Scout.com’s Orange and Brown Report. 

Punter Brad Maynard has helped the Browns, Vic Carucci writes for clevelandbrowns.com.

Colt McCoy shows toughness on the field, Matt Florjancic writes for clevelandbrowns.com.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — T.J. Ward looked around and nailed the somber mood that permeated the locker room.

“You can hear a pin drop in here right now, because that’s not the same defense we’ve been,” the Browns’ second-year safety said Sunday. “It was just a bad day for us and it’s embarrassing.”

The defense, which geared up all week for veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and star running back C.J. Johnson, faltered on a few big plays that the team couldn’t overcome. Hasselbeck completed only 10 of 20 passes, but three went for touchdowns in the first half — including an 80-yarder for the second touchdown and a 57-yard reception that set up the third.

Hasselbeck threw a 12-yard TD to tight end Craig Stevens, the 80-yarder to tight end Jared Cook and a four-yard score to receiver Damian Williams after the 57-yard pass to Nate Washington.

The Browns also gave up a 25-yard run to Johnson that led to the first TD.

“[Hasselbeck] didn’t really have to do anything,” said Ward. “It’s not like he dunked us all the way down the field. He had two big plays. When you’re a quarterback and we make it that easy for you, you’re going to have a big day. He did what he had to do, but we gave him a lot of plays.”

After Johnson found a hole on the left side and sprinted past Chris Gocong for 25 yards, Hasselbeck found Stevens wide open at the left side of the end zone a few plays later for a 7-3 lead. The closest defender was Ward, but Stevens wasn’t supposed to be his man.

“It was a miscommunication,” said Ward. “That’s basically it. He snuck behind us and we weren’t playing our coverage completely. I was trying to play the middle of the field, and they caught us sleeping.”

On the first play of the next drive, Hasselbeck found Cook over the middle singled up on linebacker Scott Fujita. Cook dashed past Fujita, sprinted up the left sideline and avoided Usama Young, whose attempted tackle missed at about the Browns’ 45.

“It was just play-action where I had one false step and when you’re playing man-to-man coverage on a super-fast tight end, you can’t have any false steps,” said Fujita. “Then it becomes a footrace and you’re behind the 8-ball trying to catch up to him. I’ve got to be smarter than that.”

Young felt equally bad.

“I’ve made that play so many times,” he said. “That’s why it’s so frustrating. He’s running an over route, I saw him pretty open, and I tried to break on it. Once I broke on it, the receiver was in my way, so I had to undercut him. Once he got to the sideline, he was rolling.

“[I didn't] really have him at an angle to push him out of bounds. He’s a strong runner and he ran through my tackle. I wish I had the play back.”

Coach Pat Shurmur seemed to put more of the onus on Young for the score, which put the Titans up, 14-6, early in the second.

“We just have to tackle him,” said Shurmur. “They’re going to make plays where the ball get pitched downfield a few yards and then we have to eliminate the big play. Based on what I saw, they made a nice throw and catch, and we have to get him on the ground.”

If those plays weren’t bad enough, the defense — No. 3 against the pass heading in — gave up the 57-yarder to Washington. Tennessee’s Williams ducked his shoulder and picked nickelback Dimitri Patterson — perhaps illegally — which enabled Washington to get down the left side. One play later, Williams caught the 4-yard TD over Sheldon Brown to make it 21-6.

Should it have been offensive interference on Williams? You can bet the Browns will send the tape into the league office.

“It could be,” said Young. “If the receiver just goes right in front of the DB and almost blocks him, that would make it illegal. [But] sometimes we might hold or get away with a play, and you move onto the next one.”

By then, the Browns were deep in a hole. In the second half, Johnson churned out 60 of his 101 yards with the comfy lead.

“The big plays were what killed us,” said Fujita. “The Titans had a lot of scheme runs that we hadn’t seen before, but we kept it bottled up, minus one run that kind of popped out. It was just a shame that they had three or four big plays get behind us.”

Even Hasselbeck wasn’t expecting it to be this effortless.

“We thought it was going to be a challenge,” he said. “They’re top 10 in the league in every category when it comes to the passing game, even the red zone, and No. 2 in sacks. Rain was coming in off the lake, and we talked about throwing it while we could. Guys stepped up and made big plays against their man coverage.”

Said Ward: “We’re going to have this bad taste in our mouth for two weeks, so when we come out and play Oakland, we’re going to be completely prepared and ready.”

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Confession time: I didn’t see this coming.

Did you think the Browns really could win this game? That Colt McCoy could put together the best, most meaningful drive of his young pro career on an afternoon where he often appeared as shaky as his passes?

Didn’t you believe the excessive celebration penalty — and the horse-collar tackling penalty — and some other penalty or blown assignment would cost the Browns what became a 17-16 victory over Miami? Didn’t you fear that Miami quarterback Chad Henne would complete a couple of clutch passes to set up a field goal as the clock turned to 0:00?

“We lost a lot of games like that last year,” said Joshua Cribbs. “But that’s a thing of the past.”

How about losing games exactly like this on this exact same field for much of the last decade? Games Cribbs said “We should win.”

This time, the Browns did just that. They won despite what coach Pat Shurmur called “a freighter full of mistakes,” despite Peyton Hillis being out with a strep throat. They won despite Mohamed Massaquoi unable to practice with a sore ankle, and Cribbs unable to return punts and kicks because of a groin injury — yet finding a way to make his own jump-for-joy touchdown catch in the second quarter.

They won because they made the two biggest plays of the game. They won for a fan base that watched the team improve to 2-1 for the first time since 2002.

They won with a rookie coach, a new offense and defense and a quarterback making only his 11th pro start.

Maybe everyone being so new is why.

McCoy and the drive

Trailing, 16-10, McCoy authored an 80-yard drive that began with 3:23 left. He trudged onto the field with a Derek Anderson-like 10-of-26 passing line to his name. But Shurmur put the game in McCoy’s hands. No-huddle offense. Throw on every down. Hurry up, but don’t rush. Spread the ball around.

“One drive and we can win this thing,” McCoy said in the huddle. Then he completed nine of 13 passes to win the thing.

When it seemed Massaquoi was hurting and discouraged, he suddenly leaped as high as the Terminal Tower to snare a game-deciding 14-yard catch. The ball seemed to hang in the air longer than the Goodyear Blimp. Massaquoi and two Miami defenders left their feet at the same second, with it appearing that the pass was too long, that Massaquoi would catch it, but out of bounds.

But he grabbed it with 10 sticky fingers, with two feet in the end zone. Touchdown. With 43 seconds left, the Browns had transformed a 16-10 loss into a stunning victory.

“Colt knows how to win games,” said Shurmur.

When was the last time that was said about a Browns quarterback not named Bernie Kosar?

It’s never easy

But these are the Browns, so you know there were scary moments ahead.

After Massaquoi’s touchdown, they drew a flag for excessive celebration. Then Dimitri Patterson was flagged for an illegal tackle on the kickoff.

Miami had the ball on the Browns’ 47 with 36 seconds and one timeout left. All the Dolphins needed was a couple of completions and a field goal — and it would have been another discouraging day at the lakefront. Instead, Chad Henne threw three incompletions, then fired an interception to Michael Adams.

“The defense did a tremendous job of battling, play by play,” said Shurmur.

You can point to the Browns holding Miami to one touchdown. You can point to five sacks, and a strong performance by the defensive line. Or to D’Qwell Jackson’s 11 tackles and one fumble recovery. Or Joe Haden keeping star receiver Brandon Marshall under control (four catches for 43 yards). Or Ahtbya Rubin all over the field with nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, two more quarterback hits. Or Jayme Mitchell with 1.5 sacks and forcing a fumble.

Or to simply say when the Browns needed its defense, the defense delivered. When it was over, fans cheered and stomped and more than a few chanted, “Here we go Brownies, here we go … Woof, woof!”

“These are games we should win,” said Cribbs.

This time, they actually did just that.

I get it, Shurmur wont play a better running back cause he wants to prove Heckert correct…. Come on man, every player on the field, every coach on the sidelines and every employee in the front office wants the best players to play..

This is a business not some sandlot rag tag game. Its no fantasy football where a dude that works at a hardware store can pretend to be a GM… These people get paid major benjamins to produce and win.. But I guess opinions are like certain body parts—everyones got one.

BEREA, Ohio — There’s only one Peyton in Sunday’s game at Indianapolis, and it’s not Manning.

Remember . . . Peyton Hillis?

One week, he’s the Madden 12 NFL cover boy, the target of the Browns’ next contract extension. The next, he’s a seemingly forgotten component of the Browns’ offense.

“I don’t know if it’s time, but to run the ball at people would be nice,” Hillis said.

That seems to be the prevailing sentiment this week as the Browns try to avoid an 0-2 start for the fourth year in a row Sunday in Indianapolis.

Defensively, the Colts historically have regarded the handoff merely as an act of deception. They are built to attack the quarterback. For 13 years, with Peyton Manning running their show, the Colts typically struck for a 14-0 lead on offense and then unleashed defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis on the poor opposing quarterback.

You have to stop the run to win? Not the Colts. They are the only team ever to finish last in the league in defense against the run and win a Super Bowl. The past three years, they have ranked 25th, 24th and 24th in run defense. And they won 10, 14 and 12 games.

Makes you wonder if they delight in baiting teams into concentrating on the run in the practice week. Then that game plan goes out the window when you’re down, 14-0.

But the Colts’ great security blanket has been removed. Manning is out after neck surgery.

Kerry Collins — Colts Vice Chairman Bill Polian’s No. 1 draft pick for Carolina in 1995! — is their quarterback. In his first game at Houston last week, Collins, 38, lost fumbles on successive snaps in the first quarter, turning a 3-0 Colts deficit into 17-0.

The Texans went on to run the ball 37 times for 167 yards in a 34-7 romp. So now, in this traumatic post-Manning period for them, running on the Colts becomes more relevant.

“It’s about running the ball and getting a lead,” said Browns left tackle Joe Thomas.

And then running some more.

“I believe in running the football,” coach Pat Shurmur said Thursday. “I think it’s important we have to do it.”

For the record, the Browns passed 40 times and ran 26 in their 27-17 opening-game loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. But those numbers were skewed by 11 passes in their last 12 plays of the game after the Bengals forged ahead in the fourth quarter. Until then, the pass-run ratio was a well-balanced 29-25.

The play selections that stood out, however, were two Colt McCoy passes from inside the 5-yard line on the Browns’ first possession of the second half. On first down from the 3, a handoff to Hillis lost 1 yard. Then McCoy tossed two incompletions on fades for Evan Moore and Josh Cribbs. As the field-goal unit trotted on, Hillis demonstrated his unhappiness coming off the field.

“It was disconcerting because we didn’t score,” he said this week. “You wish you could do things differently to make sure you get the ball in the end zone.”

Hillis touched the ball 23 times in the game — six coming on receptions. He averaged 3.4 yards a rush. That average shrinks to 2.5 if you take away his long run of 17 yards. Meanwhile, Montario Hardesty gave a few sparks off the bench, carrying five times for 18 yards.

“I think it’s important that they both get their touches,” Shurmur said. “I think Montario did some good things. Each day, in my opinion, he looks better and better running. I feel he’s getting more and more comfortable with his leg and body every day.”

If Hardesty continues to relieve concerns about his comeback from anterior cruciate ligament surgery, which was done about a year ago, Shurmur intends to pair up the two dissimilar halfbacks. He said he has a handful of plays using them as a tandem. Both were on the field on the second play of the game against Cincinnati. Hardesty motioned out of the backfield to a receiver position, and Hillis took a handoff for 4 yards.

“We can definitely bring some things to the table that defenses would have to adjust to,” Hardesty said. “I’m excited to see it.”

But maybe that’s getting ahead of themselves. A downhill runner such as Hillis is the Manning-less Colts’ worst nightmare. Moreover, Indianapolis will be without its defensive captain, middle linebacker Gary Brackett, who is out with a shoulder injury.

“When you lose a Mike [middle] linebacker, there’s a lot going on in there in terms of leadership and getting guys lined up,” Shurmur said. “Him being out is something that we’re aware of. How it changes our plan, I wouldn’t say there’s anything different. I’m sure he’ll be missed.”

But not as much as Manning.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: tgrossi@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

On Twitter: @TonyGrossi

BEREA, Ohio – As tough as it might be for them to accept, the Cleveland Browns were beaten by the Cincinnati Bengals — fair and square.

The quick snap was lethal and legal.

The Bengals did not violate the NFL’s substitution rule when they caught the Browns’ defence still huddling in the fourth quarter Sunday and quarterback Bruce Gradkowski alertly threw a 41-yard touchdown pass, a person familiar with the ruling told the Associated Press on Monday.

Gradkowski’s toss to rookie A.J. Green with 4:31 left came after a legal snap with 14 seconds left on the play clock, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because play reviews between the league and teams are kept confidential. The source said the Browns had “ample time” to substitute before the ill-fated play, which will now be added to Cleveland’s long list of heartbreaking plays.

Unlike most of the others, this one was preventable.

“It’s a disappointing play,” linebacker Scott Fujita said. “They caught the whole organization asleep on that one.”

As the Browns’ defence was waiting for a call to come in from the sideline, the Bengals hurried to the line and snapped the ball. Green, who had not caught a pass the entire game, hauled in Gradkowski’s toss and easily outran cornerback Joe Haden for the TD to give Cincinnati a 20-17 lead.

On Sunday, Browns first-year coach Pat Shurmur wasn’t sure if what the Bengals had done was permissible.

After reviewing videotape, Shurmur’s tone changed.

“There are no excuses,” he said. “If they no-huddle or quick huddle, we have to get out there and cover. If that doesn’t happen properly, let’s call a timeout. It got snapped so quickly, we couldn’t really get it because you’re initially trying to get everybody where they need to be.

“It’s something we’ll work on. We’ll make sure it never happens again.”

Because players were not running on and off the field, there was nothing unusual about what was happening before the snap, the source said. If the side officials had determined the Bengals had gotten an unfair advantage, they would have raised their arms and stopped the play before the snap.

The only thing the officials failed to notice was that Cleveland had 12 players in the huddle.

There’s no doubt the Browns were confused.

With the Bengals facing a third-and-11, Cleveland’s coaching staff wanted to get the proper coverage package on the field. Defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson sent in rookie nickelback Buster Skrine, not realizing that Dimitri Patterson, who had sat out the previous play with an ankle injury, was already back on the field.

Patterson said he forgot to tell Henderson he was going back in.

As the Browns waited for linebacker D’Qwell Jackson to give them the defensive call, the Bengals broke their huddle, snapped the ball and caught Cleveland’s players squeezing in an afternoon nap.

“We all had our eyes on D’Qwell,” Fujita said. “It was one of those things that we were in the middle of a personnel change and everything was just kind of frozen and then, bam, they came out in 2-point stances. I think they had been gearing up to do that, and we were slow coming out of the huddle earlier, but that’s on all of us.

“We just have to be quicker and have a greater sense of urgency.”

Still, the Browns could have stopped the Bengals simply by using one of their three timeouts. Surely there were enough eyes on the sideline that someone, anyone, noticed the Bengals were about to get away with some planned trickery. However, not one person on Cleveland’s sideline asked the officials to halt play.

Shurmur said in those situations it’s up to him and the coaching staff to call time or for one of his defensive players to signal for a stoppage.

None of them did. Fujita regrets not doing it himself.

“I should have called it,” he said. “Generally, we are supposed to get permission from the sideline before we can call a timeout on defence. But me being the crusty old bastard I am, I should have noticed it and I should have called it.”

Fujita said the Browns have only themselves to blame for getting beat on the controversial play.

“Whether it was (legal) or not, no one really cares,” he said. “We should have had better consciousness to what was going on on the field and on the sidelines the same thing, just from the top down, it was not good for anyone of us.”

Shurmur wasn’t going to blame one play for the Browns losing another season opener, his debut as coach.

He lamented too many penalties, poor execution on offence and a young roster that has to grow up. Shurmur saw enough positives to believe his team will rebound next week at Indianapolis. There’s time to correct the mistakes in practice, especially getting out of the huddle on time.

If it happens again, the Browns will be ready.

“Regardless what happens, when they line up with two wideouts out there, we have to cover,” Shurmur said. “I don’t care if we’re all standing in the middle holding hands — somebody has to cover those guys. We practice it, they know it. It’s a hard lesson to learn.”

Notes: Shurmur wouldn’t say if P Richmond McGee, who averaged 36 yards on eight kicks in his debut, had lost his job. But Shurmur said the team was “evaluating” the position. … RT Tony Pashos missed Sunday’s game with a foot injury and Shurmur said it’s possible the big man could sit out against the Colts as well.

BEREA, Ohio (AP)—As tough as it might be for them to accept, the Cleveland
Browns were beaten by the Cincinnati Bengals—fair and square.

The quick snap was lethal and legal.

The Bengals did not violate the NFL’s substitution rule when they caught the
Browns’ defense still huddling in the fourth quarter Sunday and quarterback
Bruce Gradkowski(notes) alertly threw a 41-yard touchdown pass, a person familiar with
the ruling told the Associated Press on Monday.

Gradkowski’s toss to rookie A.J. Green(notes) with 4:31 left came after a legal
snap with 14 seconds left on the play clock, said the person who spoke on
condition of anonymity because play reviews between the league and teams are
kept confidential. The source said the Browns had “ample time” to substitute
before the ill-fated play, which will now be added to Cleveland’s long list of
heartbreaking plays.

Unlike most of the others, this one was preventable.

“It’s a disappointing play,” linebacker Scott Fujita(notes) said. “They caught
the whole organization asleep on that one.”

As the Browns’ defense was waiting for a call to come in from the sideline,
the Bengals hurried to the line and snapped the ball. Green, who had not caught
a pass the entire game, hauled in Gradkowski’s toss and easily outran cornerback
Joe Haden(notes) for the TD to give Cincinnati a 20-17 lead.

On Sunday, Browns first-year coach Pat Shurmur wasn’t sure if what the
Bengals had done was permissible.

After reviewing videotape, Shurmur’s tone changed.

“There are no excuses,” he said. “If they no-huddle or quick huddle, we
have to get out there and cover. If that doesn’t happen properly, let’s call a
timeout. It got snapped so quickly, we couldn’t really get it because you’re
initially trying to get everybody where they need to be.

“It’s something we’ll work on. We’ll make sure it never happens again.”

Because players were not running on and off the field, there was nothing
unusual about what was happening before the snap, the source said. If the side
officials had determined the Bengals had gotten an unfair advantage, they would
have raised their arms and stopped the play before the snap.

The only thing the officials failed to notice was that Cleveland had 12
players in the huddle.

There’s no doubt the Browns were confused.

With the Bengals facing a third-and-11, Cleveland’s coaching staff wanted to
get the proper coverage package on the field. Defensive backs coach Jerome
Henderson sent in rookie nickelback Buster Skrine(notes), not realizing that Dimitri
Patterson(notes), who had sat out the previous play with an ankle injury, was already
back on the field.

Patterson said he forgot to tell Henderson he was going back in.

As the Browns waited for linebacker D’Qwell Jackson(notes) to give them the
defensive call, the Bengals broke their huddle, snapped the ball and caught
Cleveland’s players squeezing in an afternoon nap.

“We all had our eyes on D’Qwell,” Fujita said. “It was one of those
things that we were in the middle of a personnel change and everything was just
kind of frozen and then, bam, they came out in 2-point stances. I think they had
been gearing up to do that, and we were slow coming out of the huddle earlier,
but that’s on all of us.

“We just have to be quicker and have a greater sense of urgency.”

Still, the Browns could have stopped the Bengals simply by using one of
their three timeouts. Surely there were enough eyes on the sideline that
someone, anyone, noticed the Bengals were about to get away with some planned
trickery. However, not one person on Cleveland’s sideline asked the officials to
halt play.

Shurmur said in those situations it’s up to him and the coaching staff to
call time or for one of his defensive players to signal for a stoppage.

None of them did. Fujita regrets not doing it himself.

“I should have called it,” he said. “Generally, we are supposed to get
permission from the sideline before we can call a timeout on defense. But me
being the crusty old bastard I am, I should have noticed it and I should have
called it.”

Fujita said the Browns have only themselves to blame for getting beat on the
controversial play.

“Whether it was (legal) or not, no one really cares,” he said. “We should
have had better consciousness to what was going on on the field and on the
sidelines the same thing, just from the top down, it was not good for anyone of
us.”

Shurmur wasn’t going to blame one play for the Browns losing another season
opener, his debut as coach.

He lamented too many penalties, poor execution on offense and a young roster
that has to grow up. Shurmur saw enough positives to believe his team will
rebound next week at Indianapolis. There’s time to correct the mistakes in
practice, especially getting out of the huddle on time.

If it happens again, the Browns will be ready.

“Regardless what happens, when they line up with two wideouts out there, we
have to cover,” Shurmur said. “I don’t care if we’re all standing in the
middle holding hands—somebody has to cover those guys. We practice it, they
know it. It’s a hard lesson to learn.”

Notes: Shurmur wouldn’t say if P Richmond McGee(notes), who averaged 36 yards on
eight kicks in his debut, had lost his job. But Shurmur said the team was
“evaluating” the position. … RT Tony Pashos(notes) missed Sunday’s game with a foot
injury and Shurmur said it’s possible the big man could sit out against the
Colts as well.

BEREA, Ohio — The NFL determined Monday, according to a league source, that the Bengals’ game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass was perfectly legal — and that Browns were just taking a quick nap during the quick snap.

The source said officials reviewed the play and found “no substitution violation” on the part of the Bengals, who went up, 20-17, en route to their 27-17 victory.

Yes, the Bengals did change personnel on the play, but the Browns had “ample time” to do the same before Cincinnati snapped the ball with 14 seconds left on the play clock, the source said. If the Browns hadn’t had ample time, the play would’ve been illegal — which is what coach Pat Shurmur thought after the game had happened.

The only thing the officials did wrong, the source said, was miss the fact the Browns had 12 men on the field. If they’d been flagged for that, Cinci would have declined, and the TD would have stood.

Instead, the Browns stood frozen in their defensive huddle, trying to straighten out their goofed-up personnel and get their call in, while Bruce Gradkowski took the snap and launched the pass to rookie A.J. Green. Joe Haden took off after him, but Green had a 20-yard spot.

“It’s just a situation where they caught us off guard,” said linebacker Scott Fujita. “It’s a disappointing play. They caught the whole organization asleep on that one. Hats off to them, they snuck one by us and it’s a shame that it came down to that.”

Fujita said whether or not the play was legal, “no one really cares. We should’ve had better consciousness to what was going on on the field — and on the sidelines the same thing — just from the top down, it was not good for any one of us.”

He even blamed himself for not calling the timeout.

“Typically, in a situation like that if I would’ve noticed, I probably would’ve just called it,” he said. “I should’ve called it. Generally we’re supposed to get permission from the sideline before we can call a timeout on defense. But me being the crusty old bastard I am, I should’ve noticed it and I should have called it.”

Shurmur reviewed the play and concluded there are no excuses.

“If they no-huddle or quick huddle, we have to get out there and cover down,” he said. “If that doesn’t happen properly, let’s try to blow it dead, call a timeout. I don’t care if we’re all standing in the middle holding hands. Somebody has to cover those [two wideouts]. We practice it, they know it. It’s a hard lesson to learn. We’ll make sure that never happens again.”

Adding to the confusion, the Browns had an extra defensive back on the field. Therefore, they had 12 confused men instead of 11.

Dimitri Patterson, who missed the previous play and others with an aggravated ankle injury, ran out onto the field. But he forgot to tell secondary coach Jerome Henderson he was going back in.

“Usually when I go in, I tell Henderson, ‘I’m good now,’” said Patterson. “You know, I didn’t tell him.”

Henderson, thinking Patterson was still ailing, sent rookie Buster Skrine in to replace him. But when Skrine got to the huddle, he saw Patterson was already there.

“[Henderson] didn’t know Dimitri was in, so there were 12 of us in there,” said Skrine. “But that didn’t really affect why we didn’t break the huddle.”

Did he try to get off the field?

“No, because I thought we were in dime,” he said. “I ran over to the other side of the field.”

Did Jackson ever get the call from defensive coordinator Dick Jauron in his headset? Was the defensive staff thrown off by the extra nickel back on the field?

“We all had our eyes on D’Qwell waiting for the call,” said Fujita. “So it was one of those things that we were in the middle of a personnel change and everything was just kind of frozen and then bam, they came out in two-point stances. I think they’d been gearing up to do that, and we were slow coming out of the huddle earlier, but that’s on all of us. We just have to be quicker and have a greater sense of urgency.”

Said Patterson: “They huddled for a quick second, lined up, they just caught us sleeping. That’s all it was. Fair play. Fair play. Tough deal.”

Fujita admitted the loss hurts even more because of the way it went down.

“As much as we say we’ve already turned the page, I mean it’s going to haunt me tonight, tomorrow and then once I start watching film on Indy tomorrow morning, I’ll move past it,” he said. “But yeah, things like that, they hurt and the more you hurt the more it shows you care, so that’s just the way this business rolls.”

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

BEREA, Ohio — If an NFL player’s biggest improvement occurs from his first season to his second, then what can we expect from Browns cornerback Joe Haden in Year Two?

He led the Browns with six interceptions as a rookie, despite coming off the bench his first nine games and running down on punts.

Pressed for his expectations, Haden mentions the Pro Bowl and “double-digit” interceptions as reasonable individual goals.

“My goal is to be the best corner I can be, one of the top five corners in the league, a lock ‘em down-type corner,” Haden said.

Teammate Sheldon Brown takes a more global view. Brown, entering his 10th NFL season, has been a positive influence on Haden. He sees Haden expanding his game in ways that statistics don’t measure.

“He’s turned into a good pro,” Brown said. “On and off the field. Obviously, we know what he can do on the football field. But the little things, the intangibles — studying, carrying himself well, respecting the game, respecting the others that played before us. He’s doing all of that.

“He’ll be playing this game for a while.”

As Haden prepares to kick off his second season Sunday with an intriguing matchup against Cincinnati rookie receiver A.J. Green, his ever-present smile is wide and vibrant. Only 22 — 15 months younger than Green — Haden carries himself now like a player who knows what he didn’t know a year ago.

“It’s not even a comparison how I feel going into this year compared to last year,” Haden said. “It’s not about the stress [of being a rookie]. It’s about feeling more comfortable, understanding the game, knowing how to study film, understanding the concepts of routes.

“Last year I was fresh out of college. You don’t really understand the receivers and quarterbacks, how they like to throw the ball. It’s like night and day.”

The Haden vs. Green matchup should be a scintillating game-within-the-game on Sunday, reminiscent of past Browns-Bengals skirmishes such as Hanford Dixon-Chris Collinsworth in the 1980s and Leigh Bodden-Chad Johnson of recent vintage.

Haden played from 2007 to’09 at Florida, Green from 2008 to’10 at Georgia. Haden was the NFL’s seventh overall draft choice in 2010, Green the fourth overall this year.

Haden said Green was one of the two best receivers he played against in college. The other he battled at practice — Florida teammate Percy Harvin. Green is 6-4, Haden 5-11.

“He’s just big, tall, and not only does he have speed, but being so tall, he can still come out of his breaks really well,” Haden said.

Although the Browns have never said it, few believe they would have passed on Green if he had fallen to their sixth position in the draft.

“He was a receiver that I thought was pretty refined coming out of college,” said Browns coach Pat Shurmur. “He’s got size, he can run and he can catch. So he had, in our opinion, what you need to have, skill- and ability-wise, to have success. He’s already showing up as a guy who’s going to be a playmaker for Cincinnati.”

Green poses such a potential threat that you wonder why Haden wouldn’t be assigned exclusively to cover him wherever Green goes on the field. That would be against convention. Most teams assign their cornerbacks to either the left side or the right side of the field, no matter the opponent.

That’s certainly the way it was under coach Eric Mangini, who was burned by this unbending approach when quarterbacks repeatedly picked on Eric Wright last season.

But there is a hint of openness in the new Browns coaches to exploiting Haden’s coverage skills by matching him against the opponent’s best receiver.

Asked if Haden would match Green the entire game, defensive coordinator Dick Jauron coyly demurred, “I wouldn’t think there’s a good reason to answer that.”

The fresh possibilities of Jauron’s defensive scheme is another reason Haden is so excited about his second season. He already senses more trust from Jauron to allow his cornerbacks to play more man-to-man coverage.

“This year it’s a lot of one-on-one, bump-and-run, man-to-man coverage,” Haden said. “I like the man-to-man. I like that he has a whole lot of confidence in the corners to play outside by themselves. I like being able to prove myself. If I get beat, it’s on me. That’s my man.”

In Cincinnati, Green is the single reason nobody is lamenting the breakup of the T. Ocho Show — diva receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. The Bengals’ own weekly game release unequivocally states of Green, “No Bengals first-rounder in recent memory has been so widely considered a cinch to not only start as a rookie, but to stand out.”

Haden relishes the opportunity to teach the rook a thing or two in his first NFL game.

“When I was there, I was really, really nervous,” Haden said. “Preseason, you think you’re getting a feel for it. But when that first game comes, it’s a whole lot different.”

Yes, Haden knows now what he didn’t know then.