Boardman native John Greco is in his second season with the Cleveland Browns.

On the heels of signing a two-year extension with the team, the offensive lineman said he’s happy to be playing closer to home.

“I just like the opportunity to come back and play with the little kids and you know, have fun playing the sport that I do for a living,” Greco said Thursday during a youth football clinic in Boardman.

One hundred kids ages 5-14 took part in the Cleveland Browns football clinic at Boardman High School. They’re all members of the Youngstown Youth Flag Football Association, so what they learned will really help them with their skills and drills.

“The main focus of flag football is to teach kids fundamentals, to be able to get better at the game of football as they prepare themselves for tackle football. There’s no better venue than a clinic like this that actually reinforces those,” said YYFFA president Elliott Giles.

The kids went through stations, where Browns coaches worked with them on things like catching, running and tackling.

“It’s my favorite sport and I can’t believe I’m a girl and I’m doing it,” said 9-year-old Bella Lamparty.

“It helps people be better at football. It just makes you look better than everybody else. I try to be good and I work my hardest at it,” said 10-year-old Nathan Cuttica.

Representatives for the Cleveland Browns said programs like this get kids engaged early on, keeping them active.

“Football is a game that starts at the grassroots level and when you see kids out here 5, 6 years old, learning how to play the game, appreciate the game, that’s our goal from a youth football programming perspective,” said Matt Yunker, youth football manager for the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns organization also will be in town Friday for a sold out luncheon at the Maronite Center, where Greco will speak, along with head coach Pat Shurmur.

One way to knock Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden off his game is to collapse the pocket, said two college defensive coordinators who beat the former Oklahoma State star, according to The Plain Dealer.

“He got quick feet. He got nervous,” Iowa State defensive coordinator Wally Berman said of Weeden’s tendency facing a pass rush.

Berman’s defense didn’t shut down Weeden this past season, but the Cyclones did hand the Cowboys their only loss. Weeden threw for 476 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions against Iowa State.

“We didn’t fear his running like we did (Robert Griffin III) or even (Ryan) Tannehill,” he said of two of the three QBs taken ahead of Weeden in the NFL draft. All three played in the Big 12.

“Because he’s so accurate, it was hard to defense everything he did,” Berman added.

Although many evaluators think Weeden has the right skills to make it in a pro-style offense, the quarterback has to adapt after playing in Oklahoma State’s shotgun-heavy, quick-pass system.

The offensive setup made it difficult to get pressure on Weeden, said former Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, now at Clemson.

“The challenge in the NFL will be when the pocket’s collapsing,” Venables said.

(Re-post from last April, as the 2011 NFL draft approached)

Today we finish our countdown of the Cleveland Browns’ 100 best draft picks of all time.

Previously, we have posted the Browns best all-time picks Nos. 100-81, followed by Nos. 80-61 and Nos. 60-41 and Nos. 40-21.

This is not a ranking of the 100 best players drafted by Cleveland. Instead, it’s an estimation of the 100 best Browns’ picks in terms of value. Simply, a Player A taken by the Browns with, say, the 120th overall pick, turned out to be a better pick for value than did a Player B who might have contributed a little more but was a 55th overall pick.

Only players who played at least three seasons with the Browns after being picked by the team in the annual draft were considered. Players acquired through a rare supplemental draft, such as Bernie Kosar, Kevin Mack and Mike Johnson, aren’t included because the mechanics of the supplemental draft are not comparable to the regular draft.

Browns greats such as Otto Graham, Marion Motley, Lou Groza, Dante Lavelli, etc., aren’t included, as they began their Browns’ careers in the All-America Football Conference.

Performance with the Browns only is considered. For instance, future Hall of Famers Doug Atkins, Willie Davis, Henry Jordan and Dick LeBeau were Browns’ draft picks from 1953-59. LeBeau was cut by the Browns before playing for them. The other three were traded by the Browns after just two seasons each as part-time players.

Playoff game performances were considered. Statistics are only for what a player did with the Browns. Statistical considerations in the rankings recognize that the game has become more pass-oriented in the last 30 years or so. Also, some players’ values are enhanced by what the Browns eventually got for them in trades.

Only occasionally is it considered whom the Browns didn’t take. The value of 1976 picks Mike Pruitt (seventh) and Dave Logan (65th) shouldn’t be diminished because they and no other team selected future Hall of Fame tackle Jackie Slater until the Los Angeles Rams took him 86th.

Positions: Offense — QB, quarterback; RB, running back; FB, fullback; WR, wide receiver; TE, tight end; C, center; G, guard; T, tackle; PK, placekicker; P, punter; Rtn, kickoff and/or punt returner; LS, long snapper.

Defense — E, end; T, tackle; NT, nose tackle; LB, linebacker; CB, cornerback; S, safety; DB, cornerback and safety.

Key: ranking number, player, position, year drafted, round/overall pick number, college, years with Browns.

20. Ray Renfro, WR-RB, 1952, 4/48, North Texas, 1952-63. Earned Pro Bowl or second-team all-league recognition in five different seasons. Sprinter’s speed helped him average 19.6 yards on his 281 pass receptions, the 15th best career yards-per-catch in NFL history.. Caught 50 touchdown passes and ran for four more TDs. Caught seven passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns in the Browns’ 1954 and 1955 championship game wins.

19. Joe Thomas, T, 2007, 1/3, Wisconsin, 2007-10. Assuming he stays healthy, Thomas is on track to move up on any list like this in the future. Made the Pro Bowl team each of his four seasons and named to all-pro first-teams each of the last two seasons. Has started all 64 games at left tackle. (Ranking was made prior to the 2011 season)

18. Gary Collins, WR-P, 1962, 1/4, Maryland, 1962-71. Three-time first-team all-pro. Averaged 16 yards on his 331 career receptions, and caught 70 touchdown passes. After playing as a backup his rookie season, caught 61 TD passes in his six full seasons — many on the famed “(Frank) Ryan to Collins post pattern” — the 61 TDs a remarkable number in a running game-oriented era of 14-game seasons. Scored five touchdowns in postseason play. Three of them (18, 42 and 51 yards) were the game’s only TDs in the Browns’ 27-0 upset win over the Baltimore Colts in the 1964 championship game. Was the Browns’ punter his first six seasons. Led the NFL with a 46.7-yard punting average in 1965.

Video: Highlights of the Browns’ last two regular season games in 1964, and the 27-0 title game win over the Colts, when Gary Collins caught three touchdown passes (videos from youtube.com):

The Plain Dealer’s Browns History Database includes PD stories on every regular season and playoff game the Browns have played in. The late Chuck Heaton, the PD’s longtime Browns beat writer, wrote about the Browns’ title game win over the Colts on Dec. 27, 1964 at Cleveland Stadium.

17. Greg Pruitt, RB-Rtn, 1973, 2/30, Oklahoma, 1973-81. Made the Pro Bowl his first two seasons due in large part to his return game, and made it in 1976 and 1977 because of his play at halfback. Rushed for 5,496 yards as a Brown, averaging 4.7 yards a carry. Caught 323 passes and totaled 43 touchdowns. Missed much of the 1979 season with a knee injury, and was used primarily as a receiver the next two years.

16. Hanford Dixon, CB, 1981, 1/22, Southern Mississippi, 1981-89. Dixon, and the Browns other cornerback, Frank Minnifield, both played man-to-man pass coverage as well as virtually any DB in the 80′s. Named first-team all-pro twice. Missed just three games, not counting the three “replacement player games” during the 24-day players strike in 1987. Intercepted 26 passes.

15. Ken Konz, CB-S, 1951, 1/14, Louisiana State, 1953-59. Served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War before joining the Browns in 1953. A first-team all-pro twice. Intercepted 30 passes (four returned for touchdowns) during regular season games — and had two INTs in the Browns’ 56-10 championship game win over the Lions in 1954, and two more in the 38-14 title win over the Rams in 1955. Led the league with a 14.4-yard punt return average in 1956. Occasionally used as a punter.

14. Jerry Sherk, DT, 1970, 2/47, Oklahoma State, 1970-81. Didn’t miss a game in his first seven seasons, and again in 1978, but was slowed by injuries his last three years. One of the quickest tackles in the league, he was a stalwart run-stopper and a fine pass rusher. Played in four Pro Bowls and was first-team all-league twice.

Video: Highlights of a 27-17 Browns’ win in 1972 at Philadelphia, including some glimpses of Jerry Sherk (72).

13. Bobby Mitchell, RB-Rtn, 1958, 7/84, Illinois, 1958-61. Played halfbaack with Jim Brown at fullback. Rushed for 2,297 yards, 5.4 per carry, and 16 touchdowns as a Brown. Averaged 11.4 yards on 128 receptions, with 16 touchdowns. Returned 62 kickoffs for a 25-yard average and three TDs, and 54 punts for an 11.2-yard average and three touchdowns. Traded with halfback Leroy Jackson, the Browns’ 11th pick in the 1962 draft, to Washington for the first pick in the draft, halfback and 1961 Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. Davis was stricken with leukemia that summer, and died on May 18, 1963. Mitchell was used primarily at wide receiver with Washington, where he continued to build on his Hall of Fame career.

12. Clay Matthews, LB, 1978, 1/12, Southern California, 1978-93. The Browns’ all-time sacks leader with 76 1/2. Played in four Pro Bowls and was first-team all-pro once. Played in a Browns’ record 232 games, including 216 starts. Adept at covering receivers out of the backfield and excellent against the run. Clinched the Browns’ 1989 playoff game win over Buffalo, 34-30, with a late interception of a Jim Kelly pass near the Browns’ goal line.

11. Cody Risien, G-T, 1979, 7/183, Texas A&M, 1979-89. Became a starter as a rookie. One of his era’s taller offensive linemen at 6-7, Risien excelled in both run and pass blocking. Missed the 1984 season with a knee injury. Was first-team all-league twice and played in two Pro Bowls.

10. Walt Michaels, LB, 1951, 7/86, Washington & Lee, 1952-61. We’re including Michaels even though the Browns traded him to Green Bay during his rookie season training camp. They re-acquired him via trade the next April. Played in five Pro Bowls and was first-team all-league three times. Helped the Browns to five championship games. Intercepted a pass in each of the two title game wins, 1954 and 1955.

9. Michael Dean Perry, DT-DE, 1988, 2/50, Clemson, 1988-94. Great run-stopper who provided a terrific inside pass rush, with 51 1/2 quarterback sacks. Combination of strength and quickness. Played in five Pro Bowls, and made one or another first-team all-league team in each of his last six seasons with the Browns.

8. Dick Schafrath, T, 1959, 2/23, Ohio State, 1959-71. Replaced Hall of Famer Lou Groza at left tackle in 1960, after Groza retired after starting at the position since the Browns’ inception in 1946. Groza ended his one-year retirement to resume his legendary place-kicking career in 1961. Schafrath made first-team all-pro four times and played in six Pro Bowls. Missed just two games. A strong case can be made that he should be in the Hall of Fame.

Video: From the first segment of the 1965 Browns highlight film, see Dick Schafrath (77) pass protect for Frank Ryan and run block for Jim Brown and Ernie Green (one of the very few games Schafrath missed during his career was the 1965 championship game, a 23-12 Browns’ loss to Green Bay, which he sat out with an injury):

7. Brian Sipe, QB, 1972, 13/330, San Diego State, 1974-83. Sipe was on the Browns “taxi squad” as an inactive roster player in 1972 and 1973. Had mixed results in the several games he played for the poor 1974-75 Browns teams. Took over in 1976 and was the ringleader of the “Kardiac Kids,” known for their late-game heroics. Though the 1980 season ended with the interception of a Sipe pass in the end zone, clinching an Oakland playoff game win, the Browns would have never been there without the season-long brilliance that earned Sipe the NFL MVP Award. Cleveland’s all-time leader in several career passing categories.

6. Paul Warfield, WR, 1964, 1/11, Ohio State, 1964-69, 76-77. After playing halfback at Ohio State, the Browns turned Warfield into a wide receiver during his rookie training camp in 1964. He was first-team all-pro and a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie, and also in 1968 and 1969. Despite missing almost all of the 1965 season with a broken collarbone, Warfield caught 215 passes, averaging 20.2 yards a catch, and scored 44 touchdowns before he was traded to Miami after the 1969 campaign. He had also caught 24 passes for 404 yards and a touchdown in seven playoff games.

Warfield was sent to the Dolphins for their first pick, the third overall, in the 1970 draft. The Browns’ rationale for the trade was that they had to groom a quarterback to eventually replace their Pro Bowl QB, Bill Nelsen, whose knees were getting worse game by game. Cleveland used the pick to draft Purdue star QB Mike Phipps. Phipps replaced Nelsen one game into the 1972 season and led the Browns to a 10-3 record the rest of the way and a playoff berth. Cleveland was on the verge of the playoffs the next year before losing its last two games, and the Browns were a combined 7-21 in 1974-75.

Phipps separated his right (throwing) shoulder in the 1976 season opener, and Brian Sipe took over at QB. The Browns traded Phipps to the Bears and, as part of the deal, got a 1978 first-round pick in return. They used it to take tight end Ozzie Newsome with the 23rd overall pick.

Warfield, a Hall of Famer, helped the Dolphins win two Super Bowls. He returned to the Browns for his final two seasons, totaling 56 catches for 864 yards and eight touchdowns.

Video: From the Browns’ 1969 highlight film, Paul Warfield helps the Browns to a 38-14 rout of the Cowboys in a playoff game at Dallas.

5. Jim Ray Smith, G-T-DE, 1954, 6/64, Baylor, 1956-62. Spent nearly two years in the U.S. Army before joining the Browns several games into the 1956 season. Played the rest of the campaign at defensive end, before being moved to guard for the 1957 seaon. He proceeded to make one or another first-team all-pro team in each of his remaining six seasons with the Browns, and to play in five Pro Bowl games.

4. Ozzie Newsome, TE, 1978, 1/23, Alabama, 1978-90. Hall of Famer, as one of the tight ends who revolutionized the position with their ability to make plays downfield. All-time Browns leader in receptions (662) and receiving yardage (7,980). Didn’t fumble in his last three seasons. Missed just three games. First-team all-pro twice and second-team five times.

Video: A segment from a Monday Night Football game on ABC in 1979, when the Browns routed Dallas, 26-7. Two Browns’ touchdowns, including an Ozzie Newsome catch of a Brian Sipe pass.

3. Leroy Kelly, RB-Rtn, 1964, 8/110, Morgan State, 1964-73. Hall of Famer. Excelled as a punt-kickoff returner his first two seasons, and as a backup running back. Took over as the Browns’ featured runner after Jim Brown’s retirement in 1966. Rushed for 7,274 yards, leading the NFL twice. Also led in yards per carry twice and in rushing touchdowns three times. Caught 190 passes. Returned kickoffs and punts for 2,774 yards. Led league in yards per punt return once. Totaled 90 touchdowns. Made one or another first-team all-pro team five times and played in six Pro Bowls.

Chuck Heaton wrote in his Plain Dealer game story about Kelly’s great performance running with the football and catching it, too, during the Browns’ 35-17 win over the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 10, 1968, in Cleveland.

2. Gene Hickerson, G, 1957, 7/78, Mississippi, 1958-73. Hall of Famer. First-team all-pro five times and second-team another time. Played in six Pro Bowls. Missed the 1961 season with a broken leg. Missed just two other games. One of the fastest pulling guards ever, he led the way on the famed Browns sweep for Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green.

1. Jim Brown, RB, 1957, 1/6, Syracuse, 1957-65. Hall of Famer regarded by many as the greatest player ever. Won various NFL MVP awards in four seasons, and was consensus first-team all-pro in every season except 1962, when he got some first-and second-team recognition. Held virtually every rushing record when he retired. Rushed for 12,312 yards and 5.2 yards per carry. Caught 262 passes for 2,499 yards. Scored 106 rushing TDs and 20 receiving TDs. Averaged 104 rushing yards a game over the 118 games in his career, as NFL seasons were 12 games his first four seasons and 14 games his last five campaigns. Ran for 114 yards in the Browns’ 27-0 win over the Colts in the 1964 championship game.

Video: From the Browns’ 1961 highlights film, Jim Brown ties his own record — then the NFL record — with 237 rushing yards in a 45-24 Browns’ win over the Eagles in Cleveland Stadium:

The Cleveland Browns are now the proud owners of a 4^th pick in the 2012 NFL draft. This gives the Browns a decent chance to pick up a good player in the draft. But, what do they go after? Fans are getting really tired of hearing, “there is always next year,” so the Browns really need to choose well so that 2012 can be “the year” for the Browns to at least make it to the postseason.

The Browns need a receiver. Holding the record for most drops will not get them far in 2012. Right now they need to do what needs to be done to get Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon.

In the 2011 season, the Browns’ best receiver – Greg Little – only had two touchdowns and caught 61 passes for 709 yards. So, while a lot of folks are yelling for a new quarterback, and I am not saying that we have awesome quarterbacks, it is evident that our receiving end is in desperate need of attention.

The Browns could go for quarterback Robert Griffin III and probably have a better chance at getting him with a number four pick. However, you can have the best quarterback in the game, but if your receivers cannot catch a ball, a great pass really means nothing.

We also have to look at the overall youth of the Browns’ team. This is a very young team, and in the 2011 season, they had a handful of rookie starters. This could have certainly had an impact on the game because so many guys are learning the NFL level of playing at one time. Do we really want another year of a rookie quarterback, regardless of how great he is on the college level?

“We don’t want to sit here and keep trying to grind with bringing in a young quarterback and having to go through those growing pains,” Seneca Wallace said. “You guys have been hard on us all season long and what we need is to win and win now.”

He isn’t wrong. The Browns need a winning 2012 season. No more of this “next year” stuff. They need players who will catch passes and make touchdowns.

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.

BEREA, Ohio — Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown, who’s seen a lot in his 10 years in the NFL, held court on a getaway day Monday and said he’s not waiting for a college star such as Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III to come in and be the savior of this 4-12 team.

“I’m definitely not, and if you are, you’re crazy,” he said.

Brown stressed that one or two rookies — the Browns will have the fourth overall pick in the April draft and the Falcons’ first-round pick in the 20s, aren’t going to change the fortunes of this rebuilding team, at least not overnight.

“My thing is, if you’re dependent on a draft pick to come in here and change your life, then you’re kidding yourself,” he said. “This game is too hard. There’s too big of a jump to come from college and think that he’s going to come in … who does it? Maybe Randy Moss did it. So you already know the pattern. It’s not that.”

So what will it take for the Browns to compete in the AFC North, where their three foes are skipping off to the playoffs?

“The guys here have to step their game up to another level because they’re experienced,” said Brown. “When you lose close games, you can go back and maybe point to one or two drops, or one or two miscues. When things like that happen, I bet you go back and you say ‘ah, [it was] a young player [who] hadn’t been in that situation. Hadn’t experienced it.’ Well now he’s experienced it and he won’t do it again.

“Most rookies, anyway, they get hurt because they get tired and they don’t understand the speed and the strength of this game at the professional level. So I’m never sold on high draft picks.”

Brown said he’s not spewing lip service when he says the Browns are close to being a good team. They lost six games by seven points or less, and went down to the wire most games with their division rivals, although they finished 0-6 in the division for only the second time since 1999.

“We’re very close,” said Brown, who went to the playoffs with the Eagles six times, including one Super Bowl. “It’s one or two plays each game. You just have to find the playmakers and they just have to understand the sense of urgency and make the play.”

But don’t Browns fans hear the same thing every year?

“I didn’t tell you this last year,” he said. “I thought we were way off last year, from a lot of other things we were having to deal with. You can say whatever you want to say, but I do believe that and I came from an organization where we’d start 0-4 — sometimes 0-3 — and we were one or two plays out, and we found a way to start making those plays. Then we’d run off eight in a row, and then the people that were laughing, they don’t seem to laugh any more.”

Brown is convinced coach Pat Shurmur — who took a critical beating by some fans and media this season — is the right man for the job.

“I think he did a tremendous job, dealing with being a head coach for the first time,” said Brown. “Everybody thinks it’s an easy job, everybody wants to sit in a room and say, ‘I can do this better, I can do that better.’ He dealt with the situations the best he could, and he kept this football team fighting. For me, that’s how I judge a head coach.

“If a football team goes out there and competes week in and week out, through thick and through thin — and it was very thick this year — but we didn’t quit. So that tells me that the leader is in place and the guys believe in him and they will fight. If you put a football team out there that’s giving up 40 points, scoring nothing and they’re quitting, that tells me that the leader in place is not the guy.”

Can he make the jump in year two?

“He can definitely make a jump,” said Brown. “But the most important thing is that the players have to make the jump. And the players have to make the plays.

“I think this coaching staff is in place for a while. The worst thing that I’ve known of the history of the Browns is, one or two years and they want to blow it up. People want to think that it changes in one or two years. There’s a process that you have to go through in this league and you have to be patient to do it.

“The coaching staff did the best [they could] with their knowledge of the players, not having an off-season to really get to know the guys. They put them in the best positions that they knew how to make plays on the field, and I think it’s heading in the right direction.”

As for the defense, which finished 10th overall, Brown is certain it’s on solid footing.

“Anytime you have a [middle] linebacker like D’Qwell Jackson, your foundation is in place,” said Brown. “Anytime you have a starting defensive tackle — and I’ve played with some good ones — like Ahtyba Rubin, motor doesn’t stop, intense guy, angry player, studies, and he brings the young guys like Jabaal Sheard and Phil Taylor along with him, it’s in place. You’ve got Joe Haden, T.J. Ward, young players in the secondary, the foundation is in place.

“We had to go through the growing pains of being young, but the foundation is in place and I think it’s going in the right direction.”

While losing teams such as the Rams and Bucs fired their coaches Monday, other Browns agreed that this is a 4-12 team on the rise.

“My rookie year I played for Green Bay and we were 6-10 and there wasn’t a whole lot of turnover on that roster,” said tight end Evan Moore. “They had a lot of young guys that they let grow up in that system and look at them now. Granted, that team has a lot of talent and I believe we do, too. We have a lot of young guys I think are only going to get better.

“I think it goes without saying that a foundation needs time. Guys need time to mature and I think we have the makings here of something that could be pretty impressive if guys are given time to mature.”

Said kicker Phil Dawson: “We were in a lot of games. It’s death by inches, though. How are you going to look at that? Are we that close, or is that just the nature of the league? It depends on your personality, how you’re going to view that.

“In my little world, if my plant foot misses the spot by a quarter-inch, I miss the kick. That will probably tell you how I look at it. Everybody looks at themselves critically and figures out how they can improve. If we do that, now these close games are coming out in our favor. Hopefully that’s the way guys respond to it.”

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

The
Pittsburgh Steelers
had no problems getting by without
Ben Roethlisberger
in their latest game, but the franchise quarterback says he plans to play in the team’s potentially significant regular-season
finale in Cleveland.

The progress of a game on the opposite end of Ohio may determine how much.

A first-round bye is in sight for the Steelers with a victory over the Browns on Sunday and some help, but otherwise they’d
likely need to win three times on the road to make a return trip to the Super Bowl.

After suffering a high ankle sprain in a 14-3 win over Cleveland in Week 14, Roethlisberger played through pain in a 20-3
loss at San Francisco 11 days later, throwing three interceptions as Pittsburgh blew a chance to stay in the driver’s seat
for the AFC’s top seed.

Needing two wins and a Baltimore loss to win the AFC North and guarantee at least a first-round bye, the Steelers (11-4) rested
Roethlisberger in favor of
Charlie Batch
last weekend against St. Louis. Batch threw for 208 yards while Pittsburgh rode a 116-yard rushing performance from
Rashard Mendenhall
and a dominant defensive effort to a 27-0 win.

Baltimore held off a late rally by the Browns to win 20-14 that same day, but the division’s current leader – by virtue of
a head-to-head sweep of the Steelers – hardly has it easy in Week 17. The Ravens travel to Cincinnati, where a win would put
the Bengals in the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 6 seed and third qualifier from the North.

A Baltimore loss and Pittsburgh win would give the Steelers the No. 2 seed, and potentially No. 1 should New England falter.
But anything else leaves Pittsburgh as the AFC’s fifth seed with no week off, almost certainly requiring the defending conference
champions to win three road games to reach a fourth Super Bowl in seven years.

It was unclear early in the week if the Steelers would risk Roethlisberger for what amounts to a 50-50 shot at best at a bye,
but Thursday the recently named Pro Bowl passer said he’d give it a go.

“As long as I can deal with pain, I’ll be out there,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t want to let the guys down, so I’ll do
what I can to be out there.”

Coach Mike Tomlin’s offensive coordinator agrees – to a point.

“I want him out there but not at the risk of injuring himself,” Bruce Arians said. “If he can’t move around and get out of
the way, there’s no sense in getting him out there.”

While the Steelers need help from the Bengals – offensive lineman
Trai Essex
said he “might peek a couple of times” at the scoreboard – they’re focused on the Browns (4-11), especially considering they
didn’t put the Dec. 8 meeting away until a 79-yard Roethlisberger-to-
Antonio Brown
touchdown with 2:52 left.

“Cleveland’s going to do whatever they can to put a damper on our season as much as possible,” Essex told the Steelers’ official
website. “They’re not having the year I’m sure they wanted to, but whenever we play against each other it doesn’t matter what
our record is, we’re going to get their best and they’re going to get ours.”

Roethlisberger isn’t the only quarterback to have sustained a potentially significant injury in the first meeting. Browns
quarterback
Colt McCoy
took a helmet-to-helmet shot from Steelers linebacker
James Harrison
late in the fourth quarter, a hit that drew Harrison a one-game suspension and opened the door to Cleveland’s coaching staff
receiving plenty of criticism.

McCoy returned to the game, but was later diagnosed with a concussion. The decision to send him back in led to the NFL instituting
a policy that requires teams to have a certified athletic trainer in the press box help medical staffs evaluate injured players.

One of the harshest critics of the Browns’ handling of the situation was none other than Harrison, who said last week that
Cleveland should be disciplined since he was docked one game.

As for his play, Harrison claims he’s lowered his target area. Browns linebacker D’Qwell Jackson isn’t so sure.

“Harrison is who he is and whether you fine him, you suspend him, he’s not going to change,” Jackson said.

McCoy, who missed the past two games, has not been medically cleared and is unlikely to return for the finale.
Seneca Wallace
figures to get the call again after throwing for 373 yards, two TDs and an interception in losses to the Cardinals and Ravens.

“We have to try to take advantage of every opportunity and make sure we do it at 100 percent,” Wallace said. “Do it at a high
level and minimize mistakes. Against teams in this division, we can’t give them easy ones.”

As long as Roethlisberger’s been in Pittsburgh, matchups with Cleveland have typically been just that. The Steelers are 13-1
against the Browns with Roethlisberger starting, and he’s thrown seven touchdown passes without a pick in his last four visits
to Cleveland.

“You never want to lose to Cleveland,” Steelers safety
Ryan Clark
said. “When you are in this city, when you play for this organization, that’s a game you don’t want to lose.”

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Notes, observations and some facts on the fourth quarter …

• On super-important first possession, Browns complete 3-and-out with a third-down swing pass to Peyton Hillis. Groans. Minus-3 yards. Punt.

• Ben Roethlisberger’s shovel pass to Hines Ward results in 3-yard loss on alert hit by D’Qwell Jackson. Nonetheless, Steelers celebrate Ward’s 1,000th career catch.

• Isaac Redman loses the ball on a hit by Chris Gocong. Eric Hagg recovers and refs tack on 15 yards on a facemask penalty. Browns have it at Steelers’ 43.

• Mohamed Massaquoi gets a first down with a catch at the 32. Peyton Hillis out with a knee injury.

• Wallace’s pass over middle a little behind Massaquoi, but catchable. Dropped at the Steelers’ 19.

• After a Wallace throw two yards out of bounds, Browns punt from the Steelers’ 34 with 10:11 to go.

• Buster Skrine’s pass interference against Jerricho Cotchery bails out Steelers. First down at 26.

• Redman coughs up another after a 22-yard gain, and it’s recovered by the Browns at their 39.

• After one first down, Wallace’s passes on second and third down are off mark and almost intercepted. One fourth-and-10 with 4:59 to go, Browns elect to punt.

• Ben Roethlisberger makes a big throw to Heath Miller for 11 yards and a first down at the Steelers’ 29. Browns use their last timeout with 2:44 to go.

• Steelers can’t close the game out on offense, as Roethlisberger’s third-down pass is knocked away by Joe Haden. Browns, with no timeouts, get one last chance after Cribbs fumbles the punt out of bounds at their 24.

• Evan Moore catches one for eight yards at the 32, clock runs. Cribbs drops a short dump pass, but that at least stops the clock. Is there any play that’s more than 15 yards downfield?

• On third down, Cribbs catches another dumpoff for a first down. But can’t succeed doing this.

• Sideline pass to Massaquoi … just four yards downfield … is dropped.

• Snow coming down heavily on second down. Moore catches it over the middle and runs out of bounds to the Browns 45.

• Just 41 seconds left … have to go downfield. Carlton Mitchell grabs his first reception for 18 yards, and Wallace spikes the ball with 22 seconds left at the Steelers 37. Pittsburgh calls their second timeout.

• Snowglobe conditions. Moore catches a pattern near the sidelines, but can’t get out of bounds. Ball is clocked with five seconds remaining at the Steelers 25.

• Last play is … delayed by the Steelers’ last timeout. Will Browns have some final trick play to end the season?

• Hail Mary sees Greg Little get his hands on the ball in the end zone, but the ball is knocked harmlessly to the ground. End of game. End of season.

Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace will go out this season the same way he came in: determined to prove he should be the Browns’ starting quarterback.

With Colt McCoy officially ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Steelers, Wallace will make his third straight start, and he indicated it shouldn’t have taken so long for him to get his chance.

“At the end of the day, I can control what I can control,” he said. “Yeah, I get frustrated that, hey, I feel like I deserve a shot or I want a shot. But at the end of the day, it’s just a matter of making sure I lead my teammates in the right direction. The rest will take care of itself.”

Asked if he should he have a chance to compete for the starting job next season, Wallace said: “Maybe so. I don’t know. I’ll let you guys evaluate that.”

Before the season, Wallace, who had just signed a new three-year deal worth $9 million, told The Plain Dealer that he’d do everything he could to beat out McCoy for the starting job in camp.

“I still want the opportunity to go out and be able to play myself, so I’m not just going to sit back and watch,” he said then. “I’d rather go out there and play.”

During an interview Thursday on FM/92.3, Wallace said it’s been “very tough” for him to sit all season.

“Do I feel like things always are fair? No. And that’s just the way it is. . . . It was Pat [Shurmur's] decision to give Colt an opportunity, and that’s what it was.”

A nine-year pro, Wallace reiterated what he told The Plain Dealer in June — that he wasn’t going to share all his knowledge of the West Coast offense with McCoy because he wanted to beat him for the job.

Asked during Thursday’s interview how much mentoring he’s done with McCoy this season, Wallace said: “Not much. Not much. That was Jake [Delhomme's] deal. He did a lot of some stuff with him last year. But that’s not my thing. It’s just one thing I don’t do. I came in with the mind-set I wanted to compete, whatever case that was.”

Wallace said he’d answer any questions McCoy might have about the West Coast offense, but he wouldn’t offer unsolicited help.

Also during his radio interview Thursday, Wallace changed his tune a little about the botched ending of the first half in Baltimore. Instead of assuming full blame for not spiking the ball as he did after the game, he put some of it on Shurmur. He said the players looked over to the sideline after tight end Evan Moore wasn’t ruled out of bounds and the clock was ticking down.

“I don’t know if Pat was ready to have his next call, or whatever the case may be,” Wallace said. “It was just a miscommunication between us, at that point.”

Jackson, Adams honored: The local chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America voted linebacker D’Qwell Jackson as the Browns Player of the Year, and safety Mike Adams was voted the winner of the Good Guy Award for his cooperation with the media and for the way he carries himself in the community and with his teammates.

“I guess it means a lot,” Adams said, laughing. “It also means you guys are slipping because I’ve been here for five years and you finally got it right. I commend you guys for finally getting it right. I appreciate it. It’s an honor. I always try to tell the truth and tell as much as I can without giving any secrets away. I try to be as honest as possible, straightforward and just try say what I’m feeling, and I guess a lot of people respect that.”

Adams, who’s contract is up after this season, said he’d love to be back with the Browns.

“It’s my first choice, but I have to embrace change if change happens,” he said. “I’ve been around this business a long time. I’ve seen guys I never thought would get released get released. I think I did a good job this year. I definitely think I showed I’m a starter and I showed that I can make plays, get my team lined up and make the right calls.”

He said the Browns have given no indication they want him back.

“There’s been no numbers, no contract talk,” he said. “But that’s OK because I didn’t want it to mess me up mentally.”

But he wants to be around when the good times roll.

“When we went 10-6, that feeling was like no other — and we didn’t even go to the playoffs,” he said. “I want to experience that here again.”

Hicks to start: Artis Hicks will start Sunday at right tackle in place of Tony Pashos, who has been out all week with a stomach issue. Pashos has also been battling an ankle injury.

“People always remember what they saw last, so you always want to leave your best stuff out there,” Hicks said.

He’s gearing up for outside linebacker James Harrison, who lines up all over.

“In their nickel packages, they’ll move him inside, he’ll come over, he’ll rush on the right side. When you have a guy like that who’s capable of creating havoc, you want to get him moved around and try to get matchups with him all game.”

Hicks said he won’t get hung up on trying to get revenge on Harrison for his hit on McCoy on Dec. 8.

“All I focus on is what’s happening right now in front of me,” he said.

Injury update: Several key Steelers are probable, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (ankle), safety Troy Polamalu (knee), Harrison (neck), center Maurkice Pouncey (ankle) and receiver Mike Wallace (ankle).

BEREA — Browns quarterback Colt McCoy (concussion) has been ruled out of Sunday’s season finale against the Steelers, and Seneca Wallace will make his third straight start of the season.

McCoy seemed to hold out hope on Thursday that he might at least be on the sidelines for the game. But he still hasn’t been cleared medically for football activity.

Coach Pat Shurmur said McCoy improved as a quarterback as the season progressed, but declined to provide much of an evaluation of his season. He re-iterated that it will be done after the season.

It means McCoy will miss the final three games after suffering his concussion Dec. 8 against the Steelers.

Wide receiver Jordan Norwood (concussion) and right tackle Tony Pashos (ankle, illness) have also been ruled out. Pashos, who’s been suffering from a stomach ailment, will be replaced by Artis Hicks. Norwood will miss his second straight game with his concussion.

In other Browns news, linebacker D’Qwell  Jackson has been voted Browns Player of the Year by the local chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. Safety Mike Adams has been voted the team’s Good Guy for the way he conducts himself with the media, in the community and with his teammates.

Adams, whose contract is up after this season, said he’d love to be back in Cleveland to be part of the winning seasons that are ahead.

 

BEREA, Ohio — Browns quarterback Colt McCoy hopes the crushing helmet-to-face-mask smash from Steelers’ linebacker James Harrison on Dec. 8 wasn’t the last big impact he’ll have in a Browns uniform.

McCoy suffered a concussion on the hit and because of lingering concussion symptoms, he is expected to miss his third straight start Sunday when the Browns host the Steelers. McCoy on Thursday spoke to the media for the first time since being diagnosed with the concussion on Dec. 9.

McCoy is hoping that when the fog clears and the dust settles, he’ll still be the Browns’ quarterback of the future.

“It’s unfortunate that I wasn’t able to play these last two games, but I think that’s a question you can ask [coach] Pat [Shurmur] or [General Manager] Tom [Heckert] or [President] Mike [Holmgren],” McCoy said. “Anytime you go through a season like this, every person is going to get evaluated, including me, the quarterback. I think that’s the right way to go about things.

“There are two things I can control: One, I can control how hard I work, how hard I prepare. And the second one is I can control how I feel. I want to be here. I love this city. I love my teammates. I’ll do anything. I want to be here, so after that, speculation has never gotten me anywhere. I’m a factual guy. That’s all I’ve got.”

Pressed later in the interview if he has a sense of how things will go, he said: “I want to be part of the resurrection of the Browns. That’s what I’m here for. Aside from that, I don’t know anything else.”

The Browns have publicly said they’ll wait until after the season to make a decision about McCoy’s future with the team, but McCoy said he’s received good feedback behind the scenes.

“Well, I think right now, throughout the year, you talk and you go over things, and it has been really positive and really good,” he said. “But I think, at this point, our team’s focus is on finishing strong. Our team’s focus is on beating Pittsburgh, and my focus is getting healthy and doing everything I can to be able to contribute this weekend, and then I think those talks will come at the end of the season.”

McCoy said he’s not afraid his dad’s comments to The Plain Dealer damaged his relationship with the Browns. Brad McCoy, a longtime high school football coach, said his son shouldn’t have gone back into the game Dec. 8 just two plays after Harrison’s hit. Brad McCoy said his son wasn’t examined thoroughly enough after the hit and that after the game Colt McCoy didn’t remember what happened.

“I have talked to my dad and I have addressed some things with my dad, and what we talk about I’m going to keep private and keep that between us,” he said.

Shurmur wasn’t shy about saying Thursday that he planned to watch Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III of Baylor play in Thursday night’s Alamo Bowl.

“Oh, yeah, once our day is over and we have the plan in, I’ll find a way to watch some of that game, I’m sure,” Shurmur said.

Shurmur said he’s seen Griffin play this year and that the junior is a tremendous talent.

McCoy declined to answer specific questions about the concussion, including what he does and doesn’t remember and what occurred on the sideline. He also declined to specify the nature of the lingering symptoms — the ones that have prevented him from passing a baseline concussion test and practicing with the team.

“I just don’t want to go there, guys,” he said. “I really don’t want to recreate anything. I don’t even want to think about it. I can tell you that I’m feeling a lot better, especially of late. I really feel like I’m coming out of this, and I hope to at least be able to be out there this weekend and help my team.”

McCoy also did not want to talk about Harrison, who was suspended for one game for the illegal hit and lost about $73,000 as a result. Asked if the hit was a cheap shot or if he has any animosity toward Harrison, he said: “No, I really have no opinion. I think the league has handled that, and I’m doing the best that I can to move forward and do the best I can to get healthy and get back and help our team.”

Sporting a three-week old beard — a new look for the typically clean-shaven QB — McCoy looked as if he had emerged from an extended stay in a man cave.

“Well, I really haven’t done much, so [the beard] just kind of happens,” he said.

He repeatedly said the Browns’ medical staff shouldn’t be maligned for how it handled things on the sidelines in Pittsburgh.

“Their first priority is safety of the players. I think if you asked anybody in this locker room, they’re pro health for the players,” McCoy said. “What I can tell you is our medical staff does an outstanding job, and that should never be in question.”

McCoy’s concussion is one of the worst — if not the worst — of the 12 suffered by nine Browns players this season.

Tight end Ben Watson will have missed the final three games of the season because of a concussion suffered against the Steelers, but he said his symptoms were gone a few days after the game and that going on injured reserve was to prevent a fourth concussion this season.

The other players with concussions have missed two games or fewer, including receiver Jordan Norwood, who will miss his second Sunday.

“I can tell you that I’m feeling a lot better and I’ve made a ton of progress, especially of late, and I feel really good,” McCoy said. “I’m really close.”

Because of how things were handled in Pittsburgh — from the time of Harrison’s hit until the end of the game — the NFL ordered a certified athletic trainer to be in the press box at all games. Doctors can also now carry cellphones on the sidelines. The league did not fine the Browns, but the NFL Players Association will decide as early as next week whether to file a grievance against the team.

McCoy might be cleared in time to at least be on the sideline for the Steelers game.

“I’d do anything to be out there and play,” he said. “I’d love to. I feel better and [I'm] really trying to be out there this weekend.”

BEREA — Browns quarterback Colt McCoy spoke publicly for the first time Thursday since being diagnosed with his concussionafter the Pittsburgh game on Dec. 8.

He declined to re-create that fateful and controversial night, refusing to answer questions about what he does and doesn’t remember about the crushing hit by linebacker James Harrison and the aftermath.

McCoy did praise the Browns medical staff for their handling of the situation, despite the fact they didn’t see the hit and unwittingly sent him back into the game with the concussion. “Our medical staff does an outstanding job and that should never be in question.”

* He said the Browns won’t hold his father Brad McCoy’s comments to the Plain Dealer against him. McCoy said that his son had a concussion after the huge hit and should not have gone back into the game. ”I don’t think it has any effects here,” said McCoy.

* He said he’s addressed things with his dad, but chooses to keep them private.

* He declined to say what his lingering symptoms are but said ”I’m feeling a lot better. I can tell you that I’m making progress.” He wishes he could play Sunday but has no idea if he’ll be active. “I’d do anything to be out there. I’d love to. Hopefully I’ll be able to contribute to the team this weekend.”

* He said he wants to be a Cleveland Brown for the long-term.  “I love this place. I want to be part of the resurrection with the Browns.”

* He said the hardest part is not being around his teammates and not being able to help them in games.

* He said the feedback from the Browns about him “has been positive” but that he doesn’t know what their postseason evaluation will be.

* He said of the NFL’s handling of the situation, “I think that their first priority is safety of the players.”

* He said he’s not worried about the long-term effects. “I’m really close (to being healthy) and I feel good. I feel much better.”

* Asked if the hit was a cheapshot and if he has any animosity toward Harrison, he said, “No, I really have no opinion. I think the league has handled that. And I’m doing the best I can to move forward and to get healthy and get back and help our team.

 

CLEVELAND — Joe Thomas never has missed a snap — or a Pro Bowl — with the Browns.

Cleveland’s steady left offensive tackle was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl team for the fifth consecutive year Tuesday, joining Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown as the only players in team history to be selected in each of their first five seasons. Brown made it nine years in a row.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” Thomas said. “It’s a big-time dream and it’s kind of hard to believe. It’s a true honor and it will never get old.”

Cincinnati’s top draft pick this season, receiver A.J. Green, also made the team.

The Browns selected Thomas with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 draft. They put him in the starting lineup in the opener as a rookie that season, and Thomas has not missed a play since, quite an accomplishment considering the number of injuries the Browns have sustained in that period.

“I try not to think about it too much,” Thomas said of his durability. “Crazy things can happen. I pride myself as a guy who is out there for every play.”

This selection was a little different for Thomas. It was his first season without dependable left guard Eric Steinbach at his right side. Steinbach was lost for the year when he underwent back surgery in training camp, forcing the Browns to start rookie Jason Pinkston in his spot.

“It was a fun challenge for us,” said Thomas, who praised Pinkston. “It’s been a great year being in there with him.”

Only Brown, Lou Groza (nine), Leroy Kelly (six), Gene Hickerson (six) and Dick Shafrath (six) have made more Pro Bowls than Thomas in team history. Thomas and former Miami lineman Richmond Webb are the only NFL offensive linemen to make the Pro Bowl in each of their first five seasons since 1970.

Thomas was the only Browns player selected to the team that will face the NFC’s stars Jan. 29 in Honolulu.

Green, selected by Bengals with the fourth pick in this year’s draft, is the first Cincinnati player to be voted in for the game since 2007. He also is the first rookie receiver voted to the game since Arizona’s Anquan Boldin in 2003 and the first Bengals rookie at any position since receiver Cris Collinsworth in 1981.

Green, a 6-foot-4, 211-pounder from Georgia, broke Collinsworth’s rookie record for yards in a season with 1,031 and needs just three catches to break the receptions mark. Collinsworth had 65 catches for 1,009 yards in his rookie season.

Green had 63 catches this season with seven touchdowns. He had four 100-yard games this season and leads all rookies in receptions and receiving yards, and is tied in touchdowns with Baltimore’s Torrey Smith.

Cleveland linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was selected a first alternate, and Josh Cribbs was selected as a second alternative as a kick returner and third alternate as a special teamer.

First alternates for the Bengals are quarterback Andy Dalton, defensive tackle Geno Atkins and kicker Mike Nugent. Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth is a second alternate and tight end Jermaine Gresham is a third alternate.

Thomas felt Jackson, Cribbs, defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin and Alex Mack all warranted consideration.

“I definitely think we have a number of guys who deserve to be out there with me,” said Thomas, who signed a seven-year contract extension worth $84 million in August.

Jackson could be up for NFL Comeback Player of the Year. After missing most of the past two seasons with torn chest muscles, Jackson has been an inside force for the Browns this season. He’s second in the league with 145 tackles, has recorded a career-high 3 1/2 sacks and has forced three fumbles.

Jackson can become a free agent after the season, but general manager Tom Heckert recently said the Browns don’t intend to let the 28-year-old get away and would like to sign him to a long-term contract.

Cribbs had an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown last week against Baltimore. It was his 11th career score on a punt or kickoff return, and his first since 2009. Although the rules changes on kickoffs have limited Cribbs’ chances, he still has managed to be one of the league’s top returners. He also has excelled on coverage teams.

The Browns went 10-6 in Thomas’ first season and just missed the playoffs, But they’ve been annual losers since, going 4-12, 5-11 and 5-11. They’ll take a 4-11 mark into Sunday’s season finale against Pittsburgh. Despite another dreadful season, Thomas thinks the Browns are on the cusp of a turnaround.

“I definitely think we have it headed in the right direction,” he said. “It’s not going to be long before we start winning.”

Read More: James Harrison (LB – PIT), Colt McCoy (QB – CLE), Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy could return for the season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to a story in the National Football Post. McCoy has been out with a concussion since Dec. 8 — coincidentally in a game against the Steelers — but could receive clearance to practice as soon as Wednesday.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur didn’t exactly guarantee McCoy’s return, but definitely did not rule out his participation in comments to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

“I can’t cross that bridge yet,” said Shurmur. “We’ll know more Wednesday when we start practicing for the Steelers and then we’ll talk about it then. And I’m not trying to be vague. That’s the case.”

James Harrison received a one-game suspension for the helmet-to-helmet hit that gave McCoy the concussion, although he did remain in the game. He was not diagnosed until the next day, when he revealed that he did not remember parts of the game. McCoy has had a solid, if unspectacular year, throwing 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

For more on McCoy’s possible return, be sure to check out Browns blog Dawgs by Nature.

BEREA, Ohio — Colt McCoy is making progress from his concussion and still has a chance to start Sunday. But will the Browns start their second-year QB against James Harrison and the Steelers’ No. 1-ranked defense?

McCoy, who sat out games in Arizona and Baltimore, hasn’t yet been cleared to practice, but coach Pat Shurmur said Monday that if he’s able to practice on Wednesday “there’s a chance he can play.” But Shurmur was still unwilling to commit to McCoy, even if he gets the green light from the medical staff.

“I can’t cross that bridge yet,” said Shurmur. “We’ll know more Wednesday when we start practicing for the Steelers and then we’ll talk about it then. And I’m not trying to be vague. That’s the case.”

McCoy felt better last week, but not enough to make the trip to Baltimore. He did some physical activity, including using the elliptical machine, but apparently still had symptoms that prevented him from team practices.

Shurmur said McCoy has increased his activity this week, but wasn’t specific. The Browns are off on Tuesday and begin full preparation for the Steelers on Wednesday.

“Colt worked out [Monday] and was in all of the meetings,” said Shurmur. “He’s making improvement.”

If McCoy is cleared to start, will the Browns throw him back in there? Here are a number of things to consider:

1. He’d be going up against Harrison, whose helmet-to-helmet blow on Dec. 8 gave him the concussion.

2. Harrison was suspended a game for the hit, which cost him about $73,000. He spoke out last week, saying the Browns should’ve been fined for putting McCoy back in the game with a concussion. He’s probably not going to be in the holiday spirit this game.

3. Should the Browns risk McCoy so soon after the concussion — especially with the NFLPA still trying to decide whether or not to file a grievance against the Browns? A source said the union should make its decision the first week of January.

4. With nothing at stake for the Browns, should they just let McCoy rest and also avoid the second-guessing it will invite if he plays?

5. The Browns have said they’ve seen enough of McCoy to make a decision on whether or not he can be their quarterback of the future. If that’s the case, why play him?

6. Will one more game with Seneca Wallace help the Browns determine if the offensive woes this season can be attributed to a lack of playmakers and not so much the quarterback?

7. Has Wallace moved the offense well enough the past two games to earn him another start? He’s 0-2 in his two starts with an average of 12 points a game.

Wallace reiterated Monday what he said after the 20-17 overtime loss in Arizona on Dec. 18: the job should be McCoy’s if he’s healthy.

“Like I said before, I would’ve loved to have been able to try to help this team out longer … but coaches made the decision at the beginning of the season to have Colt as the starter,” said Wallace. “If he’s healthy enough, I feel like he should come back and finish the season like he did.

“If I was the leader of this team at the beginning of the season and got knocked out and had a chance to come back and play, I’d want to finish the season out.”

How much would Wallace like to bounce back from the Ravens loss?

“I’m excited regardless,” he said. “I don’t care who it is, if it’s Pittsburgh or the St. Louis Rams. You’re playing football. We can go out and compete another time. That’s the opportunity we love to go out and play football.”

Wallace is coming off a 20-14 loss to the Ravens in which the offense scored just seven points. He completed 19 of 33 attempts for 147 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He made two crucial mistakes: an interception on the opening drive and letting the first-half clock run out deep in Ravens territory without getting at least a field-goal attempt.

As for the interception, Shurmur said, “there was a little bit of heat inside. Seneca flushed to his right. We have to make sure we’re smart with the football. I have to do a better job of getting protection where he doesn’t get heat up the middle. I’ll take responsibility for that. But we can’t turn the ball over there.”

Shurmur said he needs to do a better job of communicating to Wallace to get the ball spiked at the end of the half. But Wallace took responsibility.

“It’s not all [Shurmur's] fault,” he said. “If you’re a man, you’ve got to take responsibility for what you do on the field. … He’s going to try to back us because he’s the head coach. But at the end of the day, we get on the field and we’re playing between those lines, we’ve got to take responsibility for what we do out there.

“So yeah, it was a communication error, but at the same time, it’s not 100 percent his fault.”

What injury? Browns linebacker Kaluka Maiava suffered a broken left hand on the opening kickoff of the second half in Baltimore. But he’ll play with a cast Sunday. He said he broke a little piece of his index finger and that it won’t require surgery.

It won’t be the first time he’s dealt with this kind of injury.

“I told the doctor I think I’ve been playing with a cast on my hand since my junior year in high school,” he said. “Every year I had something on my hand.”

Extra points: Shurmur said he’ll ask the NFL for clarification on why Evan Moore wasn’t ruled out of bounds on the second-to-last play of the first half. Moore was told he needed to take a step forward out of bounds. Shurmur seems to think he was out. … Pro Bowl teams will be announced Tuesday, and Shurmur said several Browns are deserving. He declined to say who. … Remember, the Steelers game has been moved from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Sunday as a result of flex scheduling.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot