Cleveland 2-0 on Monday Night

Browns look to make it 3-0 against the Eagles

The Cleveland Browns have won just four games this season, but they’ve grabbed two of their victories on Monday Night Football.

The Browns (4-9) will try to summon some prime-time magic for a third time when they play the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday evening. It will be no easy task, as the host Eagles (7-5-1) are battling for a playoff berth and have posted impressive victories over the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants in their two most-recent games.

Brian Westbrook rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown and also caught a scoring pass from Donovan McNabb as the Eagles beat the host Giants 20-14 at the Meadowlands last Sunday. It was just the second defeat of the season for the Giants, who hadn’t lost since falling to the Browns 35-14 in a Monday night shocker at Cleveland on Oct. 13.

The victory over the Giants has been the high point of the season for the Browns, who also won for a second time in front of the ESPN broadcast crew and Monday Night Football audience on Nov. 17, when they edged the Buffalo Bills 29-27.

The Browns haven’t crossed the goal line since the game at Buffalo, accumulating seven field goals but scoring no touchdowns in consecutive defeats against the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. The rugged Eagles defense awaits Monday at Lincoln Financial Field.

“They are a great defense,” Browns quarterback Ken Dorsey said about the Eagles. “Not only are they great schematically, but great personnel-wise. They have been giving offenses fits for many years now. That’s part of the fun and excitement of playing Philadelphia.”

“The Philly fans, they’re enthusiastic and I’m sure they’ll be excited about us coming down,” said Browns head coach Romeo Crennel. “We’ll have to deal with that enthusiasm. We’ve been able to handle the noise pretty much all year and with Ken (Dorsey) having the knowledge of the system, he’ll be able to handle it very well.”

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Browns tight end Kellen Winslow will miss his second consecutive game with an ankle sprain. Dorsey will make his second straight start at quarterback following the season-ending injuries to Brady Quinn (broken finger) and Derek Anderson (torn MCL in his left knee).

Crennel said at his Monday press conference on Dec. 8 that the Browns would expand the role of Joshua Cribbs, the standout kickoff returner and backup wide receiver who has been used as a change-of-pace quarterback in the wildcat formation. On Thursday, Crennel said that Cribbs has been dealing with tightness in his lower back but should be able to play against the Eagles.

“We have a Cribbs package, and we will use it in the game,” Crennel said. “I know Josh will do everything he can to be ready to go and play. I don’t think he will jeopardize himself as far as the back goes.”

For the Eagles, Westbrook has scored six touchdowns (three rushing and three receiving) over the last two games. On the season, the seventh-year pro from Villanova has rushed for 788 yards and nine touchdowns, and he also has caught 43 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns.

“He is a versatile guy,” Browns cornerback Brandon McDonald said about Westbrook. “He does so much for their offense. He can get out, run routes and catch passes. One-on-one with a linebacker is sort of a mismatch for most teams. He is just a playmaker.”

McNabb has completed 59.9 percent of his passes on the season for 3,221 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Over the past two games, the Philadelphia quarterback has thrown for five touchdowns and has not been intercepted.

“McNabb is a great quarterback,” the Browns’ McDonald said about the Eagles’ McNabb, who is in his 10 th season in the NFL. “They’ve got a great receiver in (DeSean) Jackson, a fast guy who can do different things. They have a good defense, a lockdown corner in (Asante) Samuel. It’s going to be a tough win just like it is every week. They are hungry. They are fighting for a playoff spot. They are definitely going to come out with their ‘A’ game.”

By Tom Kessler
ProFootball-fans.com Cleveland Browns Correspondent