'Just Another Game'

Is this what free agency have wrought?  A couple of media members did a double take in the Browns locker room when Shaun Smith downplayed the importance of this Sunday night's Browns-Steelers game that's being televised nationally on NBC (WKYC Channel 3)

"It's just another game.  We're trying to get better and trying to get a 'W'," Smith said. "I know it's a big rivalry as you guys (the media) make it, but to us it's just another game on the schedule that we have to go out and play and try to make something happen."

I'm willing to give Smith the benefit of the doubt on this one for not wanting to give the Steelers any bulletin board material.  But in this part of the NFL universe, he could have at least acknowledge the importance of the game on some level.

Sean Jones out

As reported in Marla Ridenour's blog post earlier, Sean Jones is out because of knee problems and will have arthroscopic surgery on it in the hopes of remedying the problem.   It will fall to backup Mike Adams to help fill the void in the defensive backfield. He said he's up to the responsibility.

"I'm ready for the challenge.  I'm out there getting everything right. I'm looking at film for anything and everything, so I'll definitely be ready." 

He'll have his word cut out for him with having to deal with Hines Ward and Heath Miller.

Just a Little Recognition

Browns center Hank Fraley recognizes that this game goes beyond being "just another game" in that he believes that it's still a rivalry.  More importantly, however, he understands the predicament the Browns could find themselves.

"It's been a long time for us to be at the top and here's a chance to be there.  We go 1-1 for the season and 1-0 in our division. It's a big game for us.  They're going to be up for it; we're going to be up for it.  It's going to be exciting Sunday Night Football."

From the Other Side

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger left his team's opener with an injured shoulder this past Sunday and didn't practice today. 

"Today has been a good mental day for me watching and learning about the blitzes and the new plays we put in, so that will be a very above-the-shoulders productive day today, so we'll take it one day at a time," he said in a conference call with reporters.

Browns fans shouldn't count on Roethlisberger not playing.  His coach, Mike Tomlin, said there's little dobut he will.

- Browns Coach Romeo Crennel has always struck me like a bear in appearance and demeanor.   With respect to the latter, he only growls when necessary and in private.  But that hibernation-like demeanor kind of leaves me wondering whether he can ultimately hang on to the confidence of his players.

Take today's press conference for instance:

"We are trying to get ready to play the game we have on Sunday night. It’s a big game for us because we lost the last one and we need a win and it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers who are right down the road. We haven’t done very well against those guys since we have been here so I think that adds more importance to it. It’s going to be critical that we play good. We have to play good to have a chance because they are a pretty good team as you saw last week and what they were able to get done. Our guys will accept the challenge and step up. We are going to work and we are going to fight and we will see what happens. "

The words don't exactly inspire.  Then again, it's the media so he doesn't have to inspire us.

But even the casual observer of the Browns-Steelers rivalry have to raise an eyebrow when it comes to this statement Crennel made about the longstanding feud:

“I can’t speak for before I was here, but since I have been here they have been able to beat us and basically play better. Even when it looked like we had a chance we haven’t been able to finish. We are going to have to see if we can get off to a good start and then see if we can finish a game."

Again, not inspiring.  However, I will give Crennel credit for cutting to the chase on one issue: team defense.  Maybe the so-so way in which he delivers his message is coming from a coach who knows that didn't get everything worked out in the pre-season.  While the offense can claim some legitimate near misses on several plays. The defense was never close with the Dallas Cowboys being able to run and pass at will.  Realistically, the Cowboys should have scored more than 40 points and Crennel knows it.

“I don’t think you can say anybody played well. Shaun (Rogers) was able to get some push in the pocket in the second half a little bit, but when you give up almost 500 yards of offense there’s not much that can look good.”

Let's see how the Browns deal with this one.  Donte Stallworth, wide receiver, is questionable for the game with a groin injury.

The injury occurred during pre-game warmups.  Syndric Steptoe started in his place.

It looks as if running back Jamal Lewis is going to give it a go against the Dallas Cowboys this afternoon.

Here's a rundown of the team's inactives:

Ken Dorsey (emergency QB)

Josh Cribbs

Brodney Pool

Kris Griffin

Rex Hadnot

Ryan Tucker

Martin Rucker

Missing Tucker and Hadnot is especially troublesome because it affects the right side of the line, which is likely where the the Cowboys would attack the Browns passing game.  With those two out, McKinney will have to bring his A-game and will need as much help as the Browns can spare, including leaving a back in for pass protection.

Here you go Browns fans.  A couple of minor surprises in the receivers they cut:

Waived

TE Brad Cieslak

DB A.J. Davis

WR Efrem Hill

TE Kolomona Kapanui

DB Travis Key

OL James Lee

WR Lance Leggett

LB David McMillan

DB Brandon Mitchell

LB Chase Ortiz

OL Jonathan Palmer

DB Jereme Perry

DL Melila Purcell

K Jason Reda

WR Steve Sanders

WR Travis Wilson

Terminated-Vested Veteran

LB Shantee Orr

Waived-Injured

OL Derrick Morse

OL Marvin Philip

DL Chase Pittman

RB Travis Thomas

You guys watched it; it wasn't pretty. I won't continue the pain here.

Romeo Crennel proved true to his word. While the third preseason game is the one where first teamers see the most action, Crennel said in a recent practice that he wouldn't be telling them when they were coming out of the game - primarily because he thought it mad them in a hurry to get in and get out.

Quinn, starting for Anderson, opened the third quarter and began to march the team down the field until stalling no a fourth-and-two play that resulted in an incompletion to running back Jerome Harrison that almost saw him throwing from his backside.

Quinn's third possession doesn't bode any better.  Again three and out with ineffective blocks courtesy of the right side of the line leads to Quinn getting splattered to the turf on his tookes.

The Browns just succeeded in making Dan Orlvosky look Favre-esque twice on the Lions first possession of the second quarter.  And Kevin Smith brought back memories of Barry Sanders with a 35-yard touchdown run where no one really laid a finger on him.

Hmmm…Quinn begins to get into a rhythm, dinking and dunking the ball around when he finally throws an intermediate pass, it's dropped by Travis Wilson.  Quinn and company finally break the scoring drought to go make the score 13-3.  They blew a golden opportunity to score a TD by imploding near the goal line.

On the next drive he once again looked to get something going, but incompletions and near picks undo it.  Phil Dawson salvages it with a 53-yard field goal.  Overall Quinn is up and down on the drive, but at the same time he can't be completely blamed

First drive:  All of a sudden Jon Kitna looks like a junior Fran Tarkenton (for those of you under 40, look him up).  He completes two third and eights on the drive after scrambling away from pressure.  The good news is the Browns are getting pressure; the bad is that Kitna is evading it.  The run defense also looked good with Shaun Rodgers making a couple of stuffs. After it looks as if the Lions will march in for a score courtesy of those two scrambles, the Lions settle for a field goal.

It should be noted that the Browns are missing Brodney Pool and Sean Jones in the secondary.

This is for all of those 10-13 year old girls out there who couldn't wait to see Brady Quinn get a chance to play.  Sorry, but given that two of his most potent weapons - Jamal Lewis and Braylon Edwards - aren't playing, I don't have great expectations.

Quinn's first drive: An inauspicous occasion.  Offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski allows him to go deep to start and he overthrows the ball.  He hits on a two-yarder to Kellen Winslow and misses Donte Stallworth on a short out route.

Lions take a 6-0 lead.  Browns again bend but don't break, but there's something troubling about watching receivers get three yards beyond DBs on pass plays.  They do only give up just one significant run.  Shaun Rodgers already has four tackles and has plastered the Lions Kevin Smith on most of them.

Quinn goes three and out and misses Donte Stallworth on a short pass.

Jon Kitna's apparently got his work in for the day…he's pulled for Dan Orlovsky.  You get time off in the preseason when you go 9-for-11 for 98 yards.

Obviously the Browns brain trust saw what most fans saw in two pre-season games - problems in the defensive backfield.

Today, they went out and did something about it.  They acquired defensive back Travis Daniels, 6-1, 195 lbs, from the Miami Dolphins for an undisclosed draft pick.  The Browns waived DB Mil'Von James.

Per a team news release:

Daniels is a three-year veteran who has played in 44 career games with Miami, including 25 starts, and has totaled 125 tackles, 92 solo, three interceptions and 19 passes defensed.

Daniels, who can play both the corner and safety positions, had a career-high 14 starts and 62 tackles during his rookie season with the Dolphins in 2005. Last season with Miami, he appeared in all 16 games, including five starts, and added 27 tackles, one interception and four passes defensed.