Leftovers from the Browns' 27-17 victory over Houston:

TE KELLEN WINSLOW

(on getting beat up) That's what you get paid to do, that's my job, to make plays when it comes my way.

(Browns defense) They played huge. They got pressure all game. McDonald stepped up big-time for Eric Wright. It was a total team effort. It feels good when it's a total team effort.

(on his physical condition) I do stuff I have to do before the games. I don't know about 100 percent. But once the off-season comes we'll talk about what I need to do to get as healthy as I can.

(on a 10-catch day) When the ball's in the air, you don't hear anything, all I see is the ball. I don't remember any of my catches, I remember my drops. That's the perfection side of it.

When the ball is in the air, it's my ball. I don't worry about getting hit, I don't worry about anything else except my ball.

(his and Braylon Edwards' chemistry with Derek Anderson) After practice we work with DA a lot, talking things out. We still have a long way to go. All of us are getting better. The line is doing a hellvua job, they're the MVPs of this team. If you give the quarterback time to throw, we can make plays.

LB KAMERION WIMBLEY

(on the defense) Last week Brodney Pool took one back, this week a new guy Brandon McDonald made a big play when it's needed. We're having confidence in each other and we're doing our responsibilities.

LB ANDRA DAVIS

At 7-4, I'm like a kid in a candy store. But we've still got a long ways to go.

(key plays when needed) We're having a lot of success because we make plays when we need them the most.

(This show the defense making strides) I think so. We know we've got a long ways to go.

COACH ROMEO CRENNEL

(On FB Lawrence Vickers) We needed for him to block well. If Jamal gets those kind of yards that says he's doing a pretty good job. It looks like he threw it in there pretty good. It looks like he was trying to be aggressive and go after them.

(Third down stops) They are all important. Defensively our third down percentage was pretty good today. That helps you win the game.

(does the team expect to win) I think every time you have some success your confidence level grows. When we were able to win some games at the beginning of the season, that helped the confidence grow. Right now they feel pretty decent about themselves and what they're able to do.

(running the ball) Running the ball takes its toll physically and mentally on a defense.

(Anderson) He played like our team played, got off to a slow start, then he turned it on and started making some plays. There were one or two throws I'm sure he'd like to have back, particularly that interception, he shouldn't have thrown that one. But he's still playing well enough for us to win.

(scratch your head on his interception) All players are going to have some plays they'd like to have back. The thing you want to know if he realized he shouldn't have made the throw. Right away he knew that was one he wanted back, so I think he learned from it.

QB DEREK ANDERSON

The defense played great today, held 'em to 10 pretty much until the end. They're improving every week and guys are understanding what they have to do.

(Winslow TD) Down in the red zone that was kind of a game plan, we knew the way Ryans got depth down there either him or Joe was going to be open. I threw it low and he made a good catch on it.

(interception) I had Braylon, didn't really step into it. I threw it all arm and it got caught up in the wind.

(running game) I had a good feeling coming into it. As physical as Jamal is at the end of the game, those guys don't want to tackle him. Jamal played his butt off today.

(relief to not win in final seconds) It was kinda nice. I still wish we would have converted a few more of those drives into touchdowns instead of field goals and we would have not had to worry about it a little sooner. It was good to get a win and a lot better than a one-point win.

(control playoff destiny) We're going to focus on one game at a time, the way we've been doing it. We can't really worry about what everybody else is doing. As long as we're taking care of business, everything else is going to be all right.

(Winslow) His agility, his speed, he knows how to use his body. You've got to put a 'backer in the game and try to stop the run or put a safety or a nickel on him, then we may run the ball. It gives different matchups for the defense.

He goes and gets it. He always tells me and I trust him. As long as it's one on one I'm going to give him a chance to make plays for us.

(home field advantage) I think just in general, guys are bonding, we pick up for each other. When the defense isn't playing good, we've got to go get something. When we're not moving it, the defense is getting stops. The special teams have been playing great for us all year.

(7-4 record) I wouldn't say it's completely surprised me. We didn't have a great preseason. But in practice through camp we were moving the ball, you kind of feel it out and see what are going to be our key components. You match it all together and get a nice little chemistry.

(team have a swagger) Not in a bad way. But in a good way. You've got to be confident in what you're doing. I try to bring that to our guys in the huddle. 'This is what we're doing and how we're going to do it.' As long as we stay believing in what we're doing, we're going to be fine.

WR JOE JUREVICIUS

There's no reason to talk about the playoffs where we still have five games to go and there's a lot of teams that are kind of bottled up right now.

LT JOE THOMAS

The defense played probably their best game of the year. Our offense started off slow, but toward the end we kind of put it together. I think we can be a pretty good team when we're both firing.

(matchup with Mario Williams) He's a great player and we played him tough all day.

Browns fans who were thrilled the team used the third overall pick on Wisconsin left tackle Joe Thomas should have a better idea of how the rookie is coming along after Sunday's home game against Houston. Thomas will line up against Mario Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft.

Browns coach Romeo Crennel seemed confident about how Thomas will fare.

"Joe has faced some pretty good guys already this year," Crennel said. "Because this is still his rookie year, every game is a test for him to see how he can hold up and how he can handle the situation. At this point we feel a little better about him being able to handle the situation than maybe at the first game of the year. We have confidence in what he can do and we think he will represent himself well."

Thomas loves going against the league's best, so facing Williams doesn't faze him. Williams comes in tied for the team lead with five sacks, along with 29 tackles, five quarterback pressures, a pass defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

"Every week is a fun week, it's another great challenge," Thomas said. "Being the No. 1 pick from last year, there's a lot of things he does well. He's a big, strong, physical guy, good athlete. He moves around really well."

Thomas said Williams will be on his side for most of the game.

"It looks like on third and long they put him over the right tackle," Thomas said.

Browns right tackle Kevin Shaffer has been limited in practice with a knee injury. So when Williams moves, Cleveland could shift Thomas to the right side, as he's done already this season.

There is much talk surrounding Sunday's Browns-Texans game about the expansion teams' bid for the playoffs. Cleveland (6-4) has been to the post-season just once since the franchise returned in 1999, that after the 2002 season. Houston (5-5), now in its fifth season, has never finished better than 7-9.

But Browns tight end Kellen Winslow would have none of that storyline.

"Us an expansion team?" Winslow said on a conference call with Houston media. "No, we're not an expansion team. I mean, we're the Cleveland Browns. There’s history here.

"I would say the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars, those are expansion teams. We go back way back in the day with the Cleveland Browns. So there's a lot of history in this city and people are glad the Browns are back."

Coach Romeo Crennel said the Browns won't shed that label until it achieves continuity. That certainly hasn't been the case in Cleveland, which has had three coaches in its nine years.

"What happens with an expansion franchise is because everybody wants to win right now, you get a program started, it doesn't happen right away, and then you change," Crennel said on a conference call. "You change the front office, or you change the coach, you change players. Now the little bit that you’ve gained in two years, even though it doesn't show up on the won/loss record, you lose all of that when you bring somebody else new in. You're always starting over.

"The case here, it was six years, but was still an expansion team after six years, whereas if some continuity had been maintained year one, two, three, four, and five, then the team could have been a different team."

Crennel said people underestimate how long it takes to establish an organization "because this is a microwave society we live in and everyone wants it done yesterday."

Patience must not be a virtue just of the coach, Crennel said. He needs that understanding from owner Randy Lerner. His late father, Al Lerner, was awarded the franchise on Sept. 8, 1998 for a then-NFL record $530 million.

"Sure, I knew how difficult it was going to be, but whether I had patience or not really didn't make a difference. If the guys that call the shots, Mr. Lerner, does he have the patience?

"I think he's shown that he understands that it takes some time to build and to build the right way. He wanted to build it the right way so we can be in place for a long time and be a good, solid team for a long time. No overnight wonders."

Having games come down to Phil Dawson kicks for three consecutive weeks is taking its toll on Cleveland quarterback Derek Anderson.

"I'm lost right now," Anderson said after the 33-30 overtime victory at Baltimore. "There's way too much to think about. I'm excited for everybody we won it."

But as for the stress involved, Anderson siad, "I wouldn't recommend it. I try to stay calm and know we're going to get a chance. I looked at the clock 28 seconds (in regulation), three timeouts. They're kicking it to Josh, you might get it on the 1-inch line."

Here are some other jumbled thoughts Anderson had afterward.

(immediate reaction) Little crazy, huh? I'm kind of in awe right now. I was talking to Kyle (Boller) and saying, 'That was not very good.'
It's not always going to be perfect. Kellen made a great play to seal it.¶
(the last 3 weeks) It's been a little crazy. From one inch away we miss it and that's two more losses. It seems like every game I've been in is like that. It's a good feeling.¶
(penalties) We've got to correct that. I don't know what Chud's goimg to call on second and 35. It's a loud atmosphere, we have to stay confident and be poised in there.
(Ravens defense) They're a top five defense and I thought they had a good plan trying to take away Kellen and braylon. it was frustrating at times, but we kept fighting.¶
(pass to Braylon in regulation) I had to give it a chance. We had three seconds left. If I take a sack, it's over. I knew the middle of the field was going to be open and we had three timeouts. I missed him the play before. We ran a pump and he was wide open running down the sideline.¶
(last kick evidence) I didn't think about it. I was standing in the huddle and Hank goes, 'How did they get the machine fixed?'

The Browns are still buzzing about Joshua Cribbs' kickoff returns of 100 and 90 yards at Pittsburgh, which led to 14 points in a 31-28 loss.¶

"I'm happy for him. He came a long ways," said Browns defensive back and special teamer Mike Adams. He was speaking more in reference to Cribbs being an undrafted free agent quarterback from Kent State than the distance Cribbs has covered on the field.¶

"Now he's turning into a potential Pro Bowl player," Adams said. "I tip my hat to him. Somebody gives him a crease, he's gone."¶

Cleveland hasn't had a Pro Bowl selection since linebacker Jamir Miller in 2002.¶

With his fourth career kickoff return for a score, Cribbs became Cleveland's all-time leader in that category. But surprisingly Cribbs' 100-yarder merely tied for the fourth-longest kickoff return in Browns' history. Above him are Carl Ward (104 vs. Washington, 1967), Leroy Bolden (102 vs. Chicago, 1958) and Eric Metcalf (101 at Houston, 1990). Cribbs tied Gerald "Ice Cube" McNeil (100 at Pittsburgh, 1986).¶

But Cribbs' 100-yarder may go down as the most unusual after he mufffed a squib kick. It rolled nearly to the goal line before he fielded it.¶

"It was on the inch line," Adams said. "It was one of those, 'Don't, don't, yes, good play."'
¶
Tight end Darnell Dinkins said, "Once I heard the crowd cheering, I thought he fumbled the ball. When I looked back he got past three guys, I had to side-step him. It was an amazing play."¶

Center Hank Fraley didn't mind seeing Cribbs' pluck it nearly off the line.¶

"Even if he does get stopped, most of the time it's still to the 20," Fraley said. "Rarely does he get stopped inside the 20. The 10 guys blocking in front of him do a great job. They've been all on the same page lately."¶

Cribbs said he didn't see daylight until linebacker Chaun Thompson took out kicker Jeff Reed around midfield.¶

"Before that I saw a lot of black jerseys running at me full speed," Cribbs said. "It felt like a
punt return, a lot of guys were on me real quick."¶

Quarterback Derek Anderson wasn't surprised that Cribbs scored his second TD of the season on a kickoff.¶

"When he grabbed it, those things happen sometimes, they get out of their lanes and guys start freelancing," Anderson said. "You see that happen more often than the guy getting stuck on the 1-yard line."¶

But Cribbs did not spike the ball after he scored, and it wasn't because he was too tired. The play survived a Pittsburgh challenge that looked to see if he stepped out of bounds. It gave Cleveland a 28-24 lead with 11:14 remaining.¶

"I didn't want to show too much celebration because of the point of the game," he said. "I didn't want to make it seem like giving me too much credit. I cut that celebration thing out."¶

Cribbs ranks second in the league in kickoffs with a 32.4 average, trailing the New York Jets' Leon Washington (33.5). Cribbs has also helped Cleveland achieve the best average drive start in the league following kickoffs at the 33.9 yard line.¶

"Our defense is excited on one hand, but upset because they've got to go right back out there," Fraley said. "We're pretty excited, we're just going to run down and kick (an extra point) and block for about a second or a second and a half. ¶

"We get real excited when Josh does that even if he doesn't return it (for a score). The field position he gives us, whenever you get the ball at the 50 you're more than likely going to score three or seven. When you're back up at the 20 or farther, the stats aren't there of scoring, most of the time you punt the ball. When you get it at the 50 your opportunity goes way up."¶

But Cribbs brings more than that, Anderson said.¶

"I think Josh brings energy to our offense," he said.¶

Cleveland has tangible reasons for its three-game winning streak and a 5-3 record going into Sunday's game at Pittsburgh. They include the outstanding play of quarterback Derek Anderson, the upgrade of the offensive line with Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach, the maturity of receiver Braylon Edwards and tight end Kellen Winslow and the running threat Jamal Lewis provides.

But there also may be some intangibles at work.

Cleveland's team seems closer than at any time since it returned in 1999 and the improved chemistry comes up often during interviews. It seems a far cry from when tight end Darnell Sanders didn't even know defensive end Courtney Brown's name, pointing to the opposite side of the locker room and calling him "92."

Asked about the improved chemistry, Edwards said, "Guys are doing their part, playing their roles, getting better in what they do as opposed to worrying so much about what's going on with the back side, the left side, the interior, the backfield. Guys are worrying about themselves. As we're getting better individually, we're getting better collectively as well."

But the players also seem to care more about each other.

"I think guys are playing for each other, they're becoming closer and beginning to understand one another a lot more and they're beginning to disprove some of the things they may have thought about other people," Edwards said. "We're definitely playing for each other and it's showing."

Browns running back Jamal Lewis may be playing on a one-year contract and sharing snaps with Jason Wright and Jerome Harrison, but he couldn't seem more upbeat.

Part of the reason has to be his relief to be out of Baltimore. His old team was drubbed 38-7 by Pittsburgh on Monday night to fall to 4-4. Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has drawn headlines for his criticism of coach Brian Billick's offense, but Jamal Lewis has been saying the same things since he arrived in Cleveland. (Ray Lewis also made similar remarks on a conference call with Ohio media before the Sept. 30 game.)

But Jamal Lewis also sounds happy about the choice he made to sign with Cleveland.

Asked how the chemistry compares to Baltimore, Lewis said, "It's way, way, way, way, way better on offense. We're clicking on all phases. We're running the ball well, we're throwing the ball well and we're putting up points. I've never put up this many points ever in a season, probably since college. I love it. I'm happy in this system, I'm happy with what we're doing.

"Everybody's playing together and has the will to win. We know we can execute the plays the offensive coordinator is putting in."

Lewis said he can see the confidence growing in the huddle.

"From everybody, from wide receivers to the offensive line. Everybody is pretty much confident in the huddle that we can make plays and get things done," he said.

He practically gushed about the Browns' offensive line, even though he played with a likely Hall of Famer in Baltimore's Jonathan Ogden.

"This line is younger, faster, they amaze me every time I get in the huddle because they're like, 'Let's go, let's go get these yards,"' Lewis said. "They're a great group of guys and they all have the will to fight and the will to win. I love to get behind them. I'm happy running behind this offensive line. They're young, they're motivated and they're ready to go."

Lewis also seemed nonchalant about losing his NFL single-game rushing record to Minnesota rookie Adrian Peterson last weekend. Peterson dashed for 296 yards against San Diego, breaking Lewis' mark of 295 set against Cleveland on Sept. 14, 2003.¶

"I thought eventually it would be broken because it wasn't actually out of reach," Lewis said. "At least a guy I really respect got it.

"He probably could have gone for more yards. He got started late. You can only imagine if he'd gotten cranked up in the first half."

Lewis was nostalgic about his big day, saying he could have gotten 350 because he was on such a roll. But he plans to contact Peterson to congratulate him, even though he had Peterson's number in his old cell phone and is still trying to track him down.

"I'll touch base sometime," Lewis said.

Browns 10-year veteran receiver Joe Jurevicius doesn't seem to care if he's angering opponents. Making big catches on third down is his trademark and he usually responds by emphatically signalling first down after he gets up.

He said he's been making the signal, "Probably since I started playing football. Sometimes it gets the crowd going and sometimes it gets the offense going. There's a time and a place to use it and if I feel it's applicable, I'm going to use it."

As for the opponents' reaction, he said, "We get the same thing right back to us, so whatever. Third down is a big part of the game. We've got a lot of people making plays on third down."

Offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski chuckled when it was suggested that the gesture seems a bit out of character for Jurevicius, always a team player.

"I kind of like it, too," Chudzinski said. "It's a good thing for us when it happens."

This week Jurevicius is tied for third in the NFL in third-down catches with 15 (for 189 yards and all three of his TDs). In that category, he trails Baltimore's Derrick Mason (20) and San Diego tight end Antonio Gates (18) and is tied with Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Jurevicius has 20 catches on the season.¶

But it doesn't seem surprising that one thing Jurevicius relishes when he moves the chains is more opportunities for receiver Braylon Edwards, tight end Kellen Winslow and running back Jamal Lewis.
¶
"I'm going to try and continue to be successful on third down because that gives us three extra downs to get the ball in Braylon's, Kellen's and Jamal's hands," he said.

Chudzinski, in his first year calling the Browns' plays, knows he can count on Jurevicius.

"Joe's been a tremendous guy in the locker room, a tremendous leader," Chudzinski said. "He really set the tempo in a lot of things we do. You know what you're going to get every single day."

Seattle coach Mike Holmgren used to like to pick quarterbacks in the sixth round while he was in Green Bay, with Matt Hasselbeck and Mark Brunell being examples. But even Holmgren isn't sure what he would do if he were in Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel's shoes and was watching sixth-rounder Derek Anderson succeed while first-round draft pick Brady Quinn sat on the bench.

"If you commit to them and you think you have gotten the right guy, they can absolutely come in and play," Holmgren said of sixth-rounders. "But it's been my experience that when a team goes and drafts a quarterback number one, when we traded our pick in Green Bay to get Brett Favre in his second year when he was with Atlanta, what you’re saying is this guy is going to be your quarterback. You don’t draft a guy number one and pay him all that money. Everyone knows that.

"So how long is it before Quinn plays, Cleveland knows better than anybody. They did not draft him to sit on the bench, I know that. In the meantime, this young guy is doing a great job. As far as the timing of the thing goes, only a few people there know what’s going on."

Crennel seems to be in no rush to play Quinn and Cleveland hasn't had a blowout where it's had the luxury of putting him in. Chances are with the 32nd-ranked defense in the league, Quinn may follow in the footsteps of Cincinnati's Carson Palmer and sit all season.