Browns face AFC rivals in Jacksonville

Cleveland looks to rebound against Jaguars

Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel is confident that his team can set aside the turmoil regarding the suspension of tight end Kellen Winslow and focus upon the task at hand in Jacksonville on Sunday.

In need of a victory to keep alive their flickering playoff hopes, the Browns (2-4) will be faced with another rugged challenge in their meat-grinder of a schedule when they line up against the Jaguars at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

“We know that we can play good football when we execute and do things right, so that is what we are going to try to do,” Crennel said. “I think that we have won on the road and last week we came close to winning on the road (in a 14-11 loss to the Washington Redskins). That kind of gives us a little confidence knowing that you can go into a hostile situation like we are going into, deal with the crowd noise and all those things that you have to deal with and then play good football. If we do that, that gives us the best chance to win.”

The tough loss to the Redskins last Sunday was just the beginning of a tumultuous week for the Browns. In an interview with the media after the game, Winslow criticized the Browns organization and called out General Manager Phil Savage for not visiting him when he spent three recent nights in the Cleveland Clinic with a staph infection.

Savage responded to Winslow's comments (which included the remark that the team treated him “like a piece of meat”) by suspending the standout tight end for one game without pay.

Winslow appealed the suspension but is unlikely to play against the Jaguars even if the NFL were to consider his appeal and rule in his favor prior to game time.

“Once the ruling is made, whatever time that is, then I have to make a decision,” Crennel said Thursday. “If it is made before we leave, then I have to decide. If it is made after I leave, then the decision is made for me. I’m not going to sit here and stress over whether the ruling is going to be made before or after we leave. I’m just going to say if it is made before we leave, I will make a decision. If it is made after we leave then it is made for me, and that is where it is.”

Crennel was asked if the Browns will discipline Winslow regardless of the league's decision.

“That depends on when the ruling comes down and that depends on what I decide after the ruling comes down,” Crennel said. “It depends on how you look at it. If the ruling comes down on Saturday and I don’t play him on Sunday, that is not necessarily punishing him. He hasn’t practiced all week and on Saturday, if I find out he is available and I choose not to play him at that time, that is coaching decision. If I choose to play him, that is a coaching decision and I will make that decision when the ruling comes down.”

Winslow's teammates say they have no choice but to be prepared to play without him.

“We didn’t have him versus New York (in a 35-14 upset over the defending Super Bowl champion Giants on Oct. 13), and we were able to get some things done,” quarterback Derek Anderson said. “I think (Steve) Heiden, (Darnell) Dinkins and Martin (Rucker) are all good players and can hopefully fill the void.”

Heiden is expected to start at tight end on Sunday, with Dinkins and possibly Rucker also seeing action.

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“We want our guys to come in and pick up the slack where (Winslow) left,” said Browns wide receiver and kick returner Joshua Cribbs. “The ship doesn’t stop because of one guy. It gets stronger with him, but it doesn’t stop. We are going to keep going forward and keep fighting.”

The Browns will be battling against a Jacksonville team that also needs to win. The Jaguars (3-3) are tied with the Indianapolis Colts for second place behind the Tennessee Titans (6-0) in the AFC South Division.

“I think the two football teams matched up this week are very similar, both hungry football teams, both find ourselves three games behind our division leaders,” said Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio. “We’ve played in and lost a couple close ballgames, so right now we’re just looking forward to getting back at it this week after a week off. We get a few guys back and we need to bring great energy and great focus for this ballgame and it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”

Jacksonville has played a tough schedule thus far. The Jaguars have lost to Tennessee, Buffalo and Pittsburgh, and they have beaten Indianapolis, Houston and Denver. All six of Jacksonville's games have been decided by seven points or less. In their most-recent contest on Oct. 12, the Jaguars defeated the Denver Broncos, 24-17.

Maurice Jones-Drew leads the Jaguars with 301 yards rushing, while veteran Fred Taylor has run for 242 yards. Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 1,259 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

The Browns, who trail Pittsburgh (5-1) and Baltimore (3-3) in the AFC North Division, have little or no margin for error in their quest to remain in the playoff chase.

“We really can’t afford to keep losing; we all know that,” Browns center Hank Fraley said. “There are a couple teams that have kind of separated themselves from the pack. There’s a lot of teams that are 4-3, 3-3 and 2-4, so it is a big hill for us to stay there and try to get to 3-4, to stay with the pack and don’t keep getting pushed back behind the leader. It’s definitely a big game for us in Jacksonville.”

Prediction: Jaguars 24, Browns 20

By Tom Kessler
ProFootball-fans.com Cleveland Browns Correspondent