Injury Report
Cleveland: Did Not Participate in Practice: CB Leigh Bodden (back); Limited Participation in Practice: LB Antwan Peek (ankle), DL Orpheus Roye (knee), DL Robaire Smith (back), DL Shaun Smith (back).
Cincinnati: Did Not Participate in Practice: HB Rudi Johnson (hamstring), CB Deltha O’Neal (illness); Limited Participation in Practice: S Dexter Jackson (calf); S Madius Williams (Quad); Full Participation in Practice: OT Willie Andrews (knee), G Stacy Andrews (knee), WR Chris Henry (ankle), DT Domata Peko (ankle).
News and Notes
Big Days Against the Bengals: Despite his record setting rushing performance with the Baltimore Ravens against the Browns earlier in his career, RB Jamal Lewis has more 100-yard rushing performances and rushing TDs against the Bengals than any other team in the NFL. During his seven years with the Ravens and after one game against the Bengals as a member of the Browns, Lewis has played in 12 games against Cincinnati and totaled 1,459 yards rushing on 263 carries (5.5 avg.) and 10 rushing TDs. Earlier this season, Lewis rushed for a season-high 216 yards on 27 carries and one rushing TD in the Browns 51-45 win over the Bengals on Sept. 16, 2007. In those 12 games, Lewis rushed for nine 100-yard games, including seven consecutive games from 2000-04.
During his career against the Browns, Lewis set the NFL record with 295 yards rushing on Sept. 14, 2003. In his 12 career games against the Browns, Lewis rushed for 1,524 yards on 271 carries (5.6 avg.) and 8 rushing TDs. Lewis had six 100-yard rushing performances in his 12 games against Cleveland.
Date: Att-Yards-TD (avg)
9-24-00: 25-116-1 (4.6 avg)
11-5-00: 22-109-0 (5.0 avg)
11-10-02: 21-135-2 (6.4 avg)
12-1-02: 22-121-0 (5.5 avg)
10-19-03 19-101-0 (5.3 avg)
12-7-03 30-180-3 (6.0 avg)
9-26-04 18-186-1 (10.3 avg)
11-6-05: 15-49-0 (3.3 avg)
11-27-05: 23-113-1 (4.9 avg)
11-5-06: 24-72-1 (3.0 avg)
11-30-06: 17-61-0 (3.6 avg)
9-16-07: 27-216-1 (8.0 avg)
Career: 263-1459-10 (5.5 avg)
The Century Club: Browns offensive lineman Ryan Tucker will be making his 100th career start in the NFL. Tucker has played in 12 games this season and has started six contests at right guard. Tucker has contributed to an offensive line that ranks tied for second in fewest sacks allowed (17) and has paved the way for a 1,000-yard rusher (Jamal Lewis).
Going for the Sweep: The Browns are attempting to complete a season sweep of the Cincinnati Bengals for the first time since the 2002 season. That year, the Browns defeated the Bengals 20-7 on Sept. 15, 2002 at Cleveland and 27-20 on Nov. 17, 2002 in Cincinnati. Earlier this season, the Browns survived a 51-45 win over the Bengals in Week 2. This season the Browns have already swept another AFC North rival, the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns currently have a 3-2 division mark and are looking to finish with a division record above .500 for the first time since returning to the NFL in 1999.
Cleveland Browns Division Record (since 1999):
1999: 1-9*
2000: 2-8*
2001: 5-5*
2002: 3-3
2003: 2-4
2004: 2-4
2005: 1-5
2006: 0-6
2007: 3-2
* Jacksonville and Tennessee were in the AFC North prior to realignment for the 2002 season.
Aloha Braylon, Aloha Joshua: Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards and kick returner Joshua Cribbs were named to the 2008 AFC Pro Bowl roster, the league announced on Tuesday. Edwards and Cribbs are the first Browns players selected to the Pro Bowl since LB Jamir Miller was named during the 2001 season (2002 Pro Bowl).
Edwards leads the Browns with 1,170 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns and ranks second on the club with 69 receptions. Edwards is currently fifth in the NFL with 1,170 yards receiving and his 13 touchdowns rank third in the league.
Cribbs has totaled 53 kickoff returns for 1,637 yards (30.9 avg.) and two touchdowns and has added 24 punt returns for 243 yards (10.1 avg.). Cribbs leads the league with 1,637 return yards and a 30.9 kickoff return average. His 10.1 punt return average ranks seventh in the league. Cribbs is also tied for the team lead with 18 special teams tackles.
In addition, four Browns players were named as first alternates for the Pro Bowl: QB Derek Anderson, LG Eric Steinbach, LT Joe Thomas and TE Kellen Winslow. Browns FB Lawrence
Vickers was named second alternate and K Phil Dawson was named third alternate at their respective positions.
From the Locker Room
Head Coach Romeo Crennel
(On whether he would be surprised if the game with the Bengals is similar to the Week Two game and becomes a high-scoring shootout)- “Every Sunday is a different Sunday and you never know what’s going to happen. I know that they can score and they’re a dangerous team because of the weapons they have. [Bengals WR T.J.] Houshmandzadeh just got voted to the Pro Bowl. [Bengals WR] Chad [Johnson] is a Prow Bowl player. [Bengals QB Carson] Palmer is a Pro Bowl player. I know [Bengals RB] Rudi [Johnson] has a little injury deal he’s working with, but they’ve got a stable of running backs that are good. They’ve got a huge offensive line. And as I mentioned before, they seem to match up pretty good against us. We’re expecting their best. If it develops into a shootout and we can score 51 and they can score 45, I’ll take it.”
(On how much of an impact Steinbach joining the Browns and leaving the Bengals has had on both teams)- “I’m not able to speak to their offensive line, but it has helped up tremendously and he’s done a nice job since he’s been here. I think that kind of ability helped solidify the line along with adding [OL] Joe [Thomas] to that side. Those guys have developed into a pretty good left side.”
QB Derek Anderson
(On what it has meant to his season to have OL Eric Steinbach and Joe Thomas protecting his left side)- “It’s been great. Those guys have kind of anchored the whole deal, but they’ve all been playing great and are really the reason we’ve had success on offense. Without that we really can’t do anything. It showed last week with the way we were able to run the ball because of those guys and [TE] Steve [Heiden] and [WR] Joe Jurevicius getting that extra guy in the box for us.”
(On his progress this season)- “It’s been alright. It’s had some ups and downs, but overall I’m happy with where we are right now. We’re in a good position to finish the season strong.”
RB Jamal Lewis
(On having Pro Bowl numbers but not even being named an alternate) – “It doesn’t matter. It’s individual efforts. I know I wasn’t going to be in it anyways. The guys that are going, they’ve earned it and they had the numbers for it. Congratulations to them.”
(On what it has meant to his season to have Steinbach and Thomas on the left side) – “They mean a lot. You have a great free agent come in – Steinbach – and then Joe Thomas being drafted and jumping right in there, not giving up sacks, not having a lot of mental errors and going out there handling his business. Both of those guys are a great duo on that left side.”
(On them not playing a typical 5-9 team with what’s at stake) – “The Cincinnati Bengals are in our division and it’s going to be a fight pretty much every time we play them, just like last time was a fight. We just have to go out and control things that we can control. We have to try and execute the plays that we put in this week in practice. Every game is important and this is the next one. We want to come out with a win.”
TE Kellen Winslow
(On whether it’s nice to know that they control their own destiny with the playoffs) – “All we know is that we have to win out and we’re in. We don’t care about other people losing. We just have to take care of our business and we’re in.”