No Monday Night magic for the Browns

Browns fail to score an offensive touchdown again

Seeking their third prime-time victory of the season in front of the ESPN broadcast crew and Monday Night Football audience, the Browns were pummeled by the host Eagles 30-10.

The Browns offense failed to produce a touchdown for the fourth consecutive game and finished with a paltry 196 total yards. The Eagles, meanwhile, produced 418 yards of offense and were not forced to punt until midway through the fourth quarter, when quarterback Kevin Kolb and running back Kyle Eckel were mopping up in relief of starters Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook.

The Eagles (8-5-1) advanced inside the Cleveland 20-yard line on each of their seven possessions while McNabb was in the game, producing two touchdowns and three field goals. The Browns (4-10) managed to prevent the Philadelphia starting offense from scoring on just two occasions, intercepting a pass thrown by Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson midway through the second quarter and picking off another from McNabb on the last play of the first half.

Find a great selection of Cleveland Browns apparel & merchandise online through Pro Football Fans.

Browns cornerback Brandon McDonald, who intercepted McNabb in the end zone just before halftime and weaved down the right sideline for a 98-yard return before being stopped at the Philadelphia 7-yard line, produced Cleveland’s only touchdown with 9:11 left in the fourth quarter, when he picked off a miserably thrown pass by Kolb and ran it back 24 yards for the score. It was the Browns’ first touchdown since Nov. 17, when they defeated the Bills 29-27 in a Monday night game at Buffalo.

The Eagles held Browns running back Jamal Lewis to 32 yards rushing on 14 carries. Cleveland quarterback Ken Dorsey completed only 11 of 28 passes for 156 yards with two interceptions.

The Browns crossed the 50-yard line just twice in the game. They drove to the Philadelphia 9 on their opening possession but were forced to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Phil Dawson. The Browns began the second half by advancing to the Eagles 35 before punting.

The Eagles took control from the outset, receiving the opening kickoff and embarking upon a 64-yard drive that was culminated with a 14-yard touchdown pass from McNabb to Kevin Curtis.

After the two teams traded field goals, the Eagles increased their lead to 17-3 when cornerback Asante Samuel scored on a 50-yard interception return with 4:45 left in the second quarter.

Philadelphia began the second half with a pair of 34-yard field goals by David Akers. The Eagles went ahead 30-3 on a 10-yard pass from McNabb to Greg Lewis with 11:14 remaining in the fourth quarter. McNabb was able to take the rest of the night off after that, having completed 26 of 35 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

By Tom Kessler
ProFootball-fans.com Cleveland Browns Correspondent