Injury Report
Cleveland: Did Not Participate in Practice: LB Antwan Peek (ankle), DE Orpheus Roye (knee); Limited Participation in Practice: WR Joe Jurevicius (knee), DE Robaire Smith (neck), DL Shaun Smith (biceps), TE Kellen Winslow (knee).
San Francisco: Out: QB Trent Dilfer (concussion); Did Not Participate in Practice: QB Shaun Hill (back); Limited Participation in Practice: WR Arnaz Battle (ankle), RB Frank Gore (ankle), WR Jason Hill (groin), CB Marcus Hudson (knee), RB Michael Robinson (shoulder), LB Derek Smith (shoulder), CB Shawntae Spencer (quad); Full Participation in Practice: LB Jeff Ulbrich (ankle).
News and Notes
Joining Elite Company: Browns RB Jamal Lewis, who has rushed for 8,977 yards in his career, is 23 rushing yards away from becoming the 26th running back in NFL history to surpass the 9,000-yard mark. In the Browns Week 15 win over the Bills, Lewis went over the 1,000-yard plateau for the season, becoming the eighth Browns RB to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and marking the 21st time in Browns history that a RB has rushed for 1,000 yards or more. Lewis has now rushed for 1,000+ yards in six of the eight seasons he has been in the NFL. With 1,176 rushing yards on the season, Lewis ranks fifth in the AFC and seventh in the NFL.
NFL Rushing Leaders
Player Team Yards
LaDainian Tomlinson SD 1,418
Willie Parker Pit. 1,316
Adrian Peterson Min. 1,305
Brian Westbrook Phi. 1,291
Willis McGahee Bal. 1,207
Fred Taylor Jac. 1,202
Jamal Lewis Cle 1,176
In addition, Lewis currently has nine rushing touchdowns on the year. In 2006, Lewis finished the year with nine touchdowns and his season-high total is 14 set in 2003.
NFL Rushing TD Leaders
Player Team rushing TDs
LaDainian Tomlinson SD 15
Adrian Peterson Min. 12
Joseph Addai Ind. 12
Earnest Graham TB 10
Marion Barber Dal. 10
Jamal Lewis Cle 9
Maurice Jones-Drew (Jac.) and Clinton Portis (Was.) have nine rushing TDs.
Home Sweet Home: With a win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17 at Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Browns would establish a franchise high with seven home wins in one season. Thanks to H Thanks to their 8-0 win over the Bills in Week 15, the Browns marked their sixth consecutive victory at home. The last time the Browns won six-straight home games was in 1994. The six home wins also tie the franchise-record for home wins in a season and marks the 11th time in team history the Browns have won six games at home.
Double-Digit Delight: In addition to being able to set a franchise record for home wins in a season with a victory over the 49ers, the Browns would also finish the year with 10 victories. With a victory on Sunday, the Browns would reach double-digit wins for the first time since returning to the NFL in 1999 and for the first time since finishing 11-5 in 1994.
Getting His ‘Phil’: Browns K Phil Dawson needs four points in the Week 17 contest with the 49ers to set the franchise record for most points in a season by a kicker. Dawson is also 15 points away from breaking Jim Brown’s franchise record of 126 points in a season (1965).
Dorsey Three-Year Extension: The Browns signed QB Ken Dorsey to a three-year contract extension on Wednesday. Dorsey has been the third quarterback for the Browns in each of the last two seasons. Dorsey appeared in one game for the Browns in 2006 and has appeared in 12 career games, including ten starts, during his five year career with Cleveland and San Francisco. During his career, Dorsey is 171-of-317 passing for 1,712 yards with eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Roster Tidbits: On Wednesday, the Browns announced that they signed DE Bobby Hamilton, signed DE Melila Purcell from the practice squad to the active roster, and have signed DE Zach West to the practice squad. Hamilton is a 12-year NFL veteran and has played in 164 career games, including 102 starts, with the N.Y. Jets, New England and Oakland. Hamilton was a member of the 2001 and 2003 New England Super Bowl championship teams. Purcell was a sixth-round, 200th overall, draft choice of the Browns in the 2007 NFL Draft and has spent the entire season on the club’s practice squad. West spent two weeks this season on the New England Patriots practice squad. West is an undrafted rookie out of Texas El-Paso.
From The Locker Room
Head Coach Romeo Crennel
(On whether it will be devastating if they don’t get the help they need Sunday night because of all they have accomplished this season)- “If we don’t make it, we’ll be disappointed that we didn’t make it. But what we’ve been able to accomplish this year has been a lot of positive things for the community, for the team, for the organization and I don’t think you can take that away because – particularly if we win on Sunday – even if we don’t make it, it’s a 10-win season and a 7-1 home record. All of those things are tremendous accomplishments.”
(On whether he got the response he was looking for from his players yesterdays as they prepare for this weeks game)- “Morale was good. I didn’t see a hangover. I think guys are disappointed that we were not able to wrap it up when we had it our hands. Now they know that it’s somebody else’s hand and when you don’t have control you’re disappointed about it. But I think that they’re going to go play a good football game on Sunday and the attitude was good yesterday trying to get ready for it.”
(On how QB Derek Anderson has played this year)- “He’s played really good. When you think of what he has been able to do and where this team has come, he’s had a good year. Last week, he would like to have done a little bit better and I think this week he will do better. Overall, when you look at the total picture, it’s been a good year for him.”