Up until the final quarter it really looked like the Browns may pull off another win. They had a first quarter touchdown and even had a 10-point lead at one point in the game. Then, there was the touchdown right before halftime. They were looking pretty good.

Then, the second half came. The third quarter was like looking into a crystal ball of what the fourth would bring: sheer heartbreak. The Browns just could not keep up the pace in the second half.

Greg Little(notes) is getting a lot of the blame for today’s loss to the Bengals. In the first half, he grabbed his first touchdown pass [of his career]. On the other hand, he had four drops, one of which was in the fourth quarter and caused the Browns to have to kick that 55-yard attempt that ultimately failed due to a bad snap. If this field goal would have been shorter, the Browns would have likely had 23 points and the game would have turned out differently, given the snap was good too. We cannot completely blame Little, but his drop did play a major role.

The Browns had Peyton Hillis(notes) back this week. He did modestly for his first week playing in weeks.

“It’s tough when you don’t know how things are going to go until you get in the rhythm of things,” said Hillis. “Things started going well toward the middle of the game and toward the end. I expect big things. I expect to progress and I’m looking forward to next week.”

I am sure Hillis will continue to progress as long as he stays healthy and on the field practicing and playing. The Browns really need everyone healthy with the schedule they have coming up. They cannot afford the mistakes like they made in this game. We face the Baltimore Ravens next week and then the Pittsburgh Steelers the week after that. Then, the Arizona Cardinals and then the Ravens and Steelers again. The next five weeks are going to be challenging for the Browns and fans alike. The Bengals game was a really important game, if for nothing else than to instill confidence in the team. Let’s hope that this loss will be nothing more than a learning experience and that the Browns will win at home next week against the Ravens.

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

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BEREA, Ohio — Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi made it through practice this week with no concussion symptoms and will return Sunday against the Jaguars.

“I would anticipate he plays, for sure,” said coach Pat Shurmur. “I think that’s fair to say.”

“I’m real optimistic right now,” said Massaquoi, who’s listed as probable. “I’ve had no setbacks and I feel really good. I’m just looking forward to Sunday.”

Massaquoi, who received plenty of reps in practice, said he won’t be concerned about a recurrence because the team medical staff has been so careful. He also said he’s ready for a full load if called upon to start.

“If I’m active, I’m going to feel comfortable,” he said. “I’m not going to play restricted. I’m not going to play cautious.”

He said he won’t worry about going over the middle or taking a big hit.

“No, because whenever you start playing timid and you start worrying about other things then you leave yourself vulnerable for other things that may pop up that wouldn’t have happened if you had just gone out there and played normally,” he said.

Massaquoi, who’s missed most of the last three games with his concussion, has 18 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns this season.

No drills for Hardesty: Running back Montario Hardesty (calf) ran on his own for the third straight day but didn’t participate in drills. Hardesty is listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision, but it looks as if he might need another week. “He’s increasing his workload and we’ll see on Sunday,” Shurmur said.

Ward in boot: Safety T.J. Ward had his cast removed Friday and is now in a walking boot. The Browns are confident Ward, who has a sprained foot, will play again this season. Meanwhile, Usama Young, coming off a good game against the Rams, will start again in his place.

Lauvao fined: It took the NFL a week to announce the fine, but guard Shaun Lauvao was fined $7,500 for head-butting linebacker Brian Cushing in Houston on Nov. 6.

Mitchell back: Starting defensive end Jayme Mitchell was back on the field Friday after missing Thursday’s practice for a personal reason, and is expected to play Sunday. He sat out last week with chest and ankle injuries and was replaced by Emmanuel Stephens, who had four tackles. “He’s back out here and he’s doing great,” said Shurmur of Mitchell.

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Read More: Peyton Hillis (RB – CLE), Montario Hardesty (RB – CLE), Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns running back Montario Hardesty did not participate in practice with teammates indoors on Wednesday, but he did test his injured calf during a supervised outdoor workout, as reported by Tom Withers of the AP. 

“I want to play, but right now we’re still working to get there,” he said. “So we’re just gonna keep on progressing. I’ve been running, just keep on progressing and see how I feel.”

Hardesty has missed two straight games after tearing a muscle in his right calf in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 30, as the Browns have been hit hard at running back with both Hardesty and Peyton Hillis missing time with injuries.

But while Hillis has already been ruled out for this week, Coach Pat Shurmur expects Hardesty to practice this week and hopes he can play on Sunday when the Browns take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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BEREA, Ohio (AP)—The Cleveland Browns began their practice week missing
two running backs, two safeties, a wide receiver and a cornerback.

Coach Pat Shurmur, whose first season with Cleveland has been made more
challenging by injuries, said Wednesday that starting safety T.J. Ward(notes) has a
cast on his injured right foot. Shurmur did not provide specifics about Ward’s
injury, and has not yet ruled him out of Sunday’s game against St. Louis.

Ward underwent an MRI on Monday, one day after he was injured in the fourth
quarter at Houston. He finished with five tackles.

“He’s in a cast and he’s getting it settled down,” Shurmur said of Ward,
who also dislocated a finger in Sunday’s loss. “We’ll just see (about Sunday).
As we move forward, I’ll give more details.”

It would be hard to imagine Ward playing if he’s still in a cast and unable
to practice.

Also, the Browns’ medical staff sent home wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi(notes)
again as he continues to struggle with post-concussion symptoms after sustaining
his second head injury in 13 months on Oct. 23. Massaquoi missed one game,
returned to practice last week and played briefly against the Texans before
leaving when he got “woozy.”

“He didn’t have any specific episode in the game to make him what we
consider worse,” Shurmur said.

Massaquoi also sustained a concussion last year when he was hit by Steelers
linebacker James Harrison(notes), who was fined $50,000 for the helmet-to-helmet blow.

The Browns began preparing for the Rams without safety Usama Young(notes) (hip) and
cornerback Dimitri Patterson(notes) (knee). Right tackle Tony Pashos(notes) was limited in
practice with an ankle injury that has nagged him all season.

Running backs Peyton Hillis(notes) (hamstring) and Montario Hardesty(notes) (calf) will
both miss this week’s game. Hillis has missed Cleveland’s past three games with
a strained left hamstring he initially hurt on Oct. 16 and reinjured last week
in practice. Shurmur said earlier this week that the team is trying to get
Hillis healthy and there are no immediate plans to put the beleaguered back on
injured reserve.

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This could be one ugly football game. I’m just fine with that if it results in a surprising Cleveland victory.

The San Francisco 49ers host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:15 pm and the game will air on CBS.

The Browns will win…

because, in theory, this is actually a pretty decent match-up for Cleveland. The Browns currently have the best pass defense in the NFL, and the fact that San Francisco struggles to move the ball through the air means Cleveland can load the box and force QB Alex Smith to make plays. I absolutely expect Cleveland’s defense to keep the Browns in the game until the last minutes of the fourth quarter. From there, it will be up to either Smith or Colt McCoy to get the job done in the clutch moments of the contest.

The Peyton Hillis Saga could actually benefit the Browns this week. It seems as if the Cleveland coaching staff went into this week expecting Hillis to be sidelined (hamstring/perhaps attitude), and Montario Hardesty has been the number one running back on the team’s depth chart for the last couple of weeks. Truth be told, I’m fine with this. Hardesty is certainly still learning on the job, but he’s progressing nicely.

The “Bye Week Blues” could also help the Browns this weekend. The Niners were one of the hottest teams in football just two weeks ago, having won four straight. During that stretch, San Fran defeated Cincy, the Dream Team-gles, Tampa Bay and the then undefeated Detroit Lions. Week 7 was, on paper, the worst time for an off week for this team.

The 49ers will win…

because the Cleveland Browns have zero offense whatsoever unless an opposing defense goes into prevent. Last Sunday’s 6-3 win over Seattle was quite possibly the worst football game I’ve watched in years, and San Fran’s defense is rested and ready for McCoy and company. Heading into this weekend, San Fran has given up the second fewest points in the league, and the Niners get into the backfield often during games. Poor McCoy, who’s taken quite a bit of hits already this season, may be running for his life throughout Sunday’s game.

Cleveland’s pass defense has undeniably impressed. The Browns are giving up roughly 120 yards on the ground per game, however, and the Niners currently have a top-six rushing attack. This may not lead to the 49ers scoring 30 points, but I certainly wouldn’t expect Cleveland to hold the football for 40 minutes against San Fran. Time of possession could be the most important stat in Sunday’s game, and Cleveland’s inability to move the ball on the ground coupled with a rested Frank Gore taking the field make me very, very nervous.

Prediction

All things equal, the 49ers are simply better than the Browns right now. There’s no way Cleveland fans can spin that. The 9-10 point spreads I’ve been seeing throughout the week seem absolutely ridiculous considering Cleveland’s defense and the fact that San Fran lost a bit of momentum due to the bye week. Still, one touchdown isn’t going to cut it against this Niners team playing at home.

49ers 16

Browns 10

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Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

On ESPN’s AFC North blog, the Cleveland Browns’ special teams are No. 1 when it comes to falling stocks.

The special teams are so bad, that the Baltimore Ravens’ wide receivers (a terrible cast of characters) are No.2.

1. Browns’ special teams: Yes, this group was on the list last week. But Cleveland’s special teams dipped farther down after two field goals were blocked and punter Brad Maynard booted a 9-yard kick Sunday. The Browns would’ve allowed another return for a touchdown this week if not for a very questionable block in the back penalty. This unit is having a major meltdown this year. 

But all isn’t bad for the Browns. The top rising stock in the AFC North is the Browns’ drafting of defensive players. Two starters on the defensive line — defensive tackle Phil Taylor and defensive end Jabaal Sheard — were drafted in the first two rounds this year, writes ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

. . . This explains the resurgence of the Browns’ defense, which has gone from 31st in 2009 (before these four starters were drafted) to No. 4 this week.

More Browns

The San Francisco 49ers take a new approach to the running game.

A Michigan man leads the 49ers.

News-Herald reporter Jeff Schudel writes that coach Pat Shurmur is not a phony.

The 49ers are rolling with their new coach.

Questions and answers.

Leave any suggestions in the comment box.

Fantasy football owners needing to find a quarterback to start this week should look no further than Charlie Whitehurst(notes) of the Seattle Seahawks . It looks like Whitehurst will get the chance to start for Seattle as the team takes on the Cleveland Browns Oct. 23, and this could be a way to take advantage of Week 7 opponents.

For fantasy football owners that have relied upon Sam Bradford(notes), Jason Campbell(notes), Tom Brady(notes), or Eli Manning(notes), Week 7 will require picking up a backup quarterback to lead the team. This is where having a great backup already on the roster serves as a big advantage, but where some owners simply rely upon the waiver wire to pick up a spot start. Tim Tebow(notes) is the best option out there on most waiver wires, but with the fan base he has, many owners will have to look to someone else this week. Enter Whitehurst .

Now the easy thing to do here is to write off the suggestion and call it a preposterous way to run a fantasy football team. It’s time to take a closer look at Whitehurst though. In Week 17 of last year, Whitehurst started against the St. Louis Rams and led the Seahawks to victory. He was 22-of-36 in the passing game, finishing with 192 yards and one touchdown. In Week 5 of this season against the New York Giants, he stepped in to finish off a great victory for the Seahawks . He went 11-of-18 in just the fourth quarter, passing for 149 yards and a touchdown.

The sample size for Whitehurst is quite small, but for those owners willing to take a risk, playing him could lead to some nice rewards this Sunday. Going up against the Browns, Whitehurst can now really prove what he can do. The Browns will have a tough time moving the ball without running back Peyton Hillis(notes), and that will give Whitehurst more opportunities to drive the Seahawks down the field. He has a healthy set of receivers in Sidney Rice(notes) and Mike Williams, and everything sets up for a break-out game.

If Whitehurst could tear the Giants defense at will, then why not the Browns on Sunday?

Reference:

Yahoo! Fantasy Football

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Gotta run!.

Read More: Scott Fujita (LB – CLE), Peyton Hillis (RB – CLE), Joe Haden (DB – CLE), Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns, Oct 23, 2011 12:00 PM CDT

The Cleveland Browns final injury report of the week came out on Friday afternoon with few surprises for those who read the reports coming out of Friday morning’s practice. Of note, though, are status updates for Peyton Hillis, Joe Haden and Scott Fujita regarding Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Hillis has been dealing with a hamstring injury as of late, even missing a portion of last week’s game after originally tweaking it in the third quarter. The Browns’ star running back didn’t practice at all this week, but he’s listed as questionable for this weekend’s game and will probably end up being a game-time decision.

While Hillis at least has a chance to play, Fujita has been ruled out for this weekend’s game. Fujita suffered a concussion against the Oakland Raiders and was sent home by Cleveland head coach Pat Shurmur earlier in the week. The news on Haden is a bit better as he was able to participate in some of Friday’s practice after being held out Wednesday and Thursday with a knee injury.

Gotta run!.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Welcome to today’s edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Bill Lubinger.

The Browns are 2-1 heading into Sunday’s 1 p.m. home game against the Tennessee Titans. Which team will win, and by how much? That’s the question in today’s Starting Blocks poll.

Today’s guest on SBTV is Plain Dealer Browns reporter Tony Grossi, who says he expects the Browns to win in a close game.

Tony also answers fan questions from his weekly Hey, Tony! feature. Today, he answers questions about how good the current Browns defensive line can be; whether linebacker Chris Gocong is worth the new contract he received this week; and what kind of job he thinks Browns general manager Tom Heckert has done so far.

SBTV will return Monday with Plain Dealer Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot breaking down Sunday’s Browns-Titans game.

And don’t miss this week’s edition of the Browns Insider webcast, which streamed at 10 a.m. Thursday and is available in archived version now.

Thanks for reading! .

BEREA — Browns running back Peyton Hillis was back in team meetings today after sitting out Sunday’s game with strep throat and weakness from a fever and throwing up on Saturday.

“My understanding in talking to the trainers is that he feels better today,” said coach Pat Shurmur.

Shurmur said Hillis spent Saturday night at the team hotel with the rest of the team and that the Browns hoped he’d be ready to play Sunday.

“He was in all the meetings,” said Shurmur. “He was getting better. He got really sick in the middle of the week, then he was getting better, so he was at the team hotel on Saturday night. We were hoping he’d get a good night’s sleep and then get better. Then it didn’t happen.  We were going through the process of getting him ready to play and he felt like he couldn’t go.  I made the comment yesterday, with his illness, I felt like if he couldn’t play, the best thing for him to do was go home and get better.”

Shurmur declined to share his pre-game chat with Hillis: ”We visited. That’s obviously between the player and the coach. He couldn’t go.”

In other Browns news:

* Cornerback Sheldon Brown and linebacker Chris Gocong both suffered strained groins during the Dolphins game and might be limited in practice. 

* Left tackle Joe Thomas suffered a little bit of a knee strain during the game “but our understanding is that he’ll be fine. I just want you to be aware of it in case he may be a little bit limited early in the week.”

* Right tackle Tony Pashos will get more reps this week “and will make an effort to come back even stronger than he did last week.”

* Defensive tackle Phil Taylor’s knee, which originally thought to be an mcl sprain, is fine, Shurmur said.

*  Receivers Mohamed Massaquoi (ankle) and Josh Cribbs (groin) came through the game no worse for the wear, Shurmur said.

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Browns need a QB who can win week in and week out. Not play O K every other week. Recent #1 overall picks Stafford, Bradford, and Newton are proof that the guesswork of a first drafted QB is improving by leaps and bounds. Colt is great in front of a mic, but you put him behind center and half is O K and half is not.

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BEREA — Browns coach Pat Shurmur said that he’s hoping to have oft-injured right tackle Tony Pashos back at practice this week.

“Pashos is going to try to come back and be ready to roll,” Shurmur said. 

“It’s hard to say how that’s going to progress. He’s going to plan to do more this week.”

Pashos has missed the first two games with a left ankle injury. In his place the Browns have rotated Oniel Cousins and Artis Hicks. Each has recorded one start and both have played.

McGee getting second opinion:
 Injured Browns punter Richmond McGee is seeing the same spine specialist today that treated Peyton Manning.

 McGee, whose agent said he suffered a herniated disc prior to the team’s home opener against Cincinnati, is in southern California to receive a second opinion on the injury from Dr. Robert Watkins in Marina Del Ray, Calif.

 The Browns placed McGee on injured reserve last week. He was replaced by veteran Brad Maynard, who had a big game in the Browns’ win in Indianpolis.

 David Canter, McGee’s agent, said there has been no discussion with the Browns about an injury settlement. “He’s still injured,” Canter said.

 Cribbs honored: Josh Cribbs was named AFC Special teams player of the week by the NFL. Cribbs jumpstarted the Browns in Indianapolis with a 52-yard kickoff return to set up one touchdown and spurred another with a 43-yard punt return in the Browns’ 27-19 win. It’s the fourth time in his career Cribbs won the weekly award. He also has three monthly awrds. 

What do you guys think about this.