Seeking redemption - Defense still smarting from September onslaught (Post)

[oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]Browns to face vengeful Cincinnati Bengals[/b][/size]
by Tony Grossi
Thursday December 20, 2007, 7:40 AM

Carson Palmer may have done Browns coach Romeo Crennel a favor Wednesday.
The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback assured everybody that his team doesn't intend to lie down Sunday and let the Browns clinch a spot in the playoffs in Paul Brown Stadium.

Crennel has preached this gospel to his players. Hearing it from an opponent should ensure it sinks in.

"It's an exciting game for us to play because we have nothing to lose," Palmer said on a conference call. "We're coming out firing on all cylinders and really playing like we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

"Cleveland's in a spot where they have everything to lose. They have to win this game. We're going to come out loose and have fun because there's really no pressure on us.

"We can just come out and swing all over the place and really have fun with it and just try to knock these guys off the pedestal they're on right now."

The role of spoiler is a powerful motivator.

"Oh, definitely," Palmer said. "They did it to us a couple years ago."

In 2003, the Bengals needed a win in their final game to go 9-7 and keep alive playoff hopes. The Browns were 5-10 after five losses in a row. And they surprised the Bengals, 22-14.

The Bengals made the playoffs two years later then reverted to 8-8 last season. This year was supposed to be different.

The Bengals opened with an impressive, physical win over Baltimore in the first "Monday Night Football" game of the year. It was a game that validated coach Marvin Lewis' stated intention of making the playoffs.

And then they came to Cleveland and were stunned by the Browns, 51-45.

"Really, they kind of slowed us down," Palmer said. "We had a good season going and we went into the second game and, really, it's been all downhill since then. I guess you can say there's a little bit of revenge factor [on our minds]."

Not only did the Bengals lose the game to the Browns, they lost two key players to injuries. And then they played in Seattle the next week and lost two more.

Another loss - to New England - followed before their bye. The week off didn't revive them. They came out and lost to Kansas City, and then two of their next three games. They were 2-6 - and finished.

Palmer believes the first meeting in Cleveland was a turning point for both teams.

"They were coming off a big loss to pissburgh. Really, we kind of catapulted them into the season they've had," he said. "Since that game, we really haven't got back on track. Too bad it was Game 2 because it's a long season for us. It kind of set the tone for the season for both teams, the winner and the loser."

Since that game in Cleveland, the Bengals have scored 21 or fewer points in nine of 12 games. Palmer had six touchdown passes against the Browns - only 16 over the next 12 games.

Even though the Browns still hold down the No. 32 ranking overall on defense, Palmer sounds like he respects what he has seen from them since.

"Their defense has really come along really nicely, gotten better each week," he said. "It's a different team we're playing in Week 15 as opposed to Week 2."

In that first meeting, cornerback Eric Wright was still a raw rookie and safeties Sean Jones and Brodney Pool were having problems adjusting to life after Brian Russell.

"They're really figuring out their system, their scheme, how each guy's supposed to play in certain schemes," Palmer said. "They've just come a long way. I think they've gotten better in the run game, but the biggest difference you see is in the secondary.

"We can't expect anything. We've got to come out gunning with nothing to lose."

That's a dangerous mentality for any team to oppose. But in the case of the Browns, it may keep them from playing down to their competition. Every game on the road for them has been a challenge.[/quote]


[url="http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2007/12/cleveland_browns_to_face_venge.html"]http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/...face_venge.html[/url]

[oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]Bengals will be 'gunning,' says QB Palmer [/b][/size]
[size=3][b]He expects team to be loose, ready to knock Browns off pedestal[/b][/size]

By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter


Published on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007

BEREA: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer gave the Browns more reason to be wary of the matchup Sunday in Paul Brown Stadium when he vowed Wednesday, ''We're going to come out gunning.''

The Bengals have won five of the past six meetings, but the Browns prevailed 51-45 on Sept. 16. Revenge could be on the Bengals' minds.

''I don't know if 'get even' is the right word,'' Palmer said on a conference call. ''It's an exciting game for us to play in. We're coming out firing on all cylinders and really playing like we've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

''Cleveland's in a spot where they've got everything to lose; they've got to win this game. We're going to come out loose, having a great time, having fun because there's really no pressure on us. We can swing it all over the place, really have fun with it and try to knock these guys off the pedestal they're on right now.''

The Browns (9-5) can clinch an AFC wild-card berth with a victory but will need help to make the playoffs if they lose. The Bengals (5-9) lost to the struggling San Francisco 49ers on Saturday and are assured of their first season below .500 since 2002.

The September meeting proved to be the turning point for both franchises. The Browns had been pummeled 34-7 by the pissburgh Steelers in the opener and traded starting quarterback Charlie Frye to the Seattle Seahawks two days later. The Bengals had defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-20, and their season looked to be full of promise.

''They were coming off a big loss to pissburgh, and we catapulted them into the season they've had,'' Palmer said. ''We had a good team going into that second game, and it's really been all downhill since then. It kind of set the tone of the season for both teams.''

Palmer mentioned that the Browns have played the spoiler for the Bengals before. That was in 2003, when Palmer was a rookie and did not play: The Browns (then 4-11) beat the Bengals (then 8-7) in the final game of the season, 22-14.

Palmer dismissed an Internet report that receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh were tearing the Bengals' locker room apart.

''The rumors about them yelling at everybody, yelling at me, running the team and this and that, it's not true,'' Palmer said.

[b]Derek's buddy [/b]

The most talked about portion of ESPN's feature on Browns quarterback Derek Anderson and his hometown of Scappoose, Ore., last week on Sunday NFL Countdown was Anderson's friendship with 2007 Playboy Playmate of the Year Sara Jean Underwood.

''We went to high school together,'' Anderson said. ''My wife and her were friends growing up. When we started dating, our groups started hanging out together and doing more fun things.''

Underwood had never modeled before Playboy came to Oregon State for its ''Girls of the Pac-10'' issue in October 2005. She ended up making the cover and appeared in the magazine again in July 2006.

Anderson said his wife, Lisa, was not upset that Underwood got all the airtime on ESPN, but her friends were.

''Her friends were, 'That's garbage, she talked more than you and got in there.' My wife's like, 'Whatever,' '' Anderson said.

Anderson said some of his teammates had asked if he could fix them up.

''She's got a boyfriend, though, as far as I know,'' Anderson said.


[b]Winslow waits[/b]

The Browns had four players — Anderson, left tackle Joe Thomas, left guard Eric Steinbach and tight end Kellen Winslow — selected as first alternates for the Pro Bowl on Tuesday. All seemed to take it in stride.

''I kind of knew that was going to happen when you have a guy like Tony Gonzalez, hall of famer, and Antonio (Gates), future hall of famer,'' Winslow said. ''It's just not my time yet. People don't know what I've been through just to come back on the field, and people don't really care. I have to keep on pushing and being consistent, and my time will come.''


[b]Brownies . . . [/b]
Missing practice for the Browns were linebacker Antwan Peek (ankle) and defensive linemen Orpheus Roye (knee), Robaire Smith (back) and Shaun Smith (back). For the Bengals, running back Rudi Johnson (hamstring) and receiver Chris Henry (ankle) sat out. . . . Thomas' wife, Annie, who played basketball at the University of Wisconsin, is an assistant coach for the women's team at Cleveland State.[/quote]



[url="http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/12652336.html"]http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/12652336.html[/url]

[cinci1fan1]

I want some fucking revenge for what they done in 2004 for fucking injuries we got last yr and defeat this yr.No matter what shit happens with stoolers I want them to crush the brownies this week end and play spoiler


But alas looks like this team has packed in already.May be its too much to expect out of this team now

[Nati Ice]

the fans are vengeful, but the team is not

[bengalsfan850]

i'm not gonna get to even see the game i'll be at the jags-raiders game with family

[oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]Bengals, Browns trade stakes[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]This time, Cleveland has playoff hopes[/b][/size]
BY SHANNON RUSSELL | SRUSSELL@ENQUIRER.COM

As offensive guard Bobbie Williams put it Wednesday afternoon, there "isn't going to be any celebration in Cincinnati" any time soon.

Not for a playoff berth, and not for a season well-executed. The most the Bengals hope to gain out of Sunday's second installment of their intrastate rivalry with the Browns is, well, a win.

Crimping Cleveland's playoff plans isn't as important as clinching one last victory before a home crowd, several players said.


"It'll be fun to beat them just because it's the next game, not because you want to see them upset," defensive tackle John Thornton said. "They'll probably still make the playoffs even if they lose to us, so we can't worry about the spoiler role."

The Bengals and Browns were two different teams when they met Sept. 16.

The Bengals, considered playoff contenders in the preseason, entered the game 1-0 after a huge defensive effort that included six take- aways against Baltimore.

The Browns were smarting from a 34-7 drubbing by pissburgh, during which quarterback Charlie Frye played little more than a quarter and was 4-of-10 passing for 34 yards and an interception. Derek Anderson replaced him - a fate that became permanent when the Browns traded Frye to Seattle before their game against the Bengals.

But the Browns - seemingly destined for a bout of growing pains - defeated the Bengals 51-45.

Since then, the teams have had different destinies. One has thrived; the other hasn't.

The Bengals dropped five of their next seven games and eventually ensured themselves of the first losing season in the Marvin Lewis coaching era.

The Browns went on to post an 8-4 record in their next 12 games and put themselves in playoff contention.

"I think it was huge for us to be able to win (Game 2)," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "We'd lost the first one, and not in a good way. Then if we'd lost the second one, then we'd have been down two games in the division and all the naysayers would have been saying we're no good. You know what goes along with losing. So that would have been bad for us."

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said the loss to Cleveland snuffed some of Cincinnati's momentum. Indeed, it started a four- game losing streak.

"I think it kind of set the tone for both teams this season. They had just lost at home to pissburgh, badly, and they really kind of went on a run after us and got some confidence," Palmer said of the Browns. "Maybe we lost a little (momentum), and we went downhill."

In the 12 games since the Bengals-Browns showdown, opponents have outscored Cincinnati by 24 points. The Bengals have edged their foes in average total yards (347 to 333) and passing yards (253 to 222), but their opponents have the advantage in the run game (112 yards to 94).

The Browns have outscored their foes 310 to 277 in the last 12 games, but they've lost the other major categorical battles. Opponents have amassed more total yards (367 to 343), rushing yards (122 to 111) and passing yards (245 to 232).

Yet Cleveland has won four of its last five games.

"Stats don't mean everything," Bengals wide receiver Antonio Chatman said. "They're still winning games. They just find a way to win."

The Bengals' ability to convert gains to touchdowns will play a huge role in Sunday's game. And players say winning the Battle of Ohio means something, even if the season's outcome isn't what they expected heading into Game 2.

"We came in that game with high hopes; we'd just beat Baltimore and played a really good game. And we came out of that (Cleveland) game shocked, basically," Thornton said. "It hurt us, but it didn't ruin us."[/quote]




[url="http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071221/SPT02/712210360/1066/rss07"]http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...0360/1066/rss07[/url]

[oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]Seeking redemption [/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Defense still smarting from September onslaught[/b][/size]

By Kevin Goheen
Post staff reporter

Braylon Edwards had no pity or mercy for Leon Hall when the two former Michigan Wolverines matched up against each other on Sept. 16. No one from the Cleveland Browns offense had anything but touchdowns on their mind against the Bengals that Sunday afternoon on the shore of Lake Erie.

The Browns got six touchdowns against the Bengals, and tacked on three field goals in beating the Bengals 51-45. In only one other game in the 40-season history of the Bengals franchise had the opponent scored more points than the Browns did that day.

The Bengals defense would like to exact some revenge on the Browns when they host Cleveland on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. Cleveland is 9-5 and would clinch a playoff berth with a win against the Bengals.

Quarterback Derek Anderson threw for 328 yards and five touchdown passes, two each to wide receivers Edwards and Joe Jurevicius and one other to tight end Kellen Winslow. Edwards and Winslow each had 100-yard receiving days, while running back Jamal Lewis ran roughshod over the Bengals - again - for 216 yards on 27 carries, including a 66-yard touchdown run.

"I take it as a personal challenge because of what happened the last time," said Hall, who was beaten for three touchdowns that day. "I want to prove to myself and my team that I can do this. Anytime you go up against big receivers, big-name receivers, be it Braylon and Winslow this week or if you go up against Randy Moss or some other Pro Bowl guy you want to get up and challenge yourself to play well in that game.

"But those two, it's a big week."

Hall leads the Bengals with four interceptions. His 71 tackles are the best among the Cincinnati cornerbacks and sixth overall on the team. He also has 10 pass breakups and a forced fumble to go along with nine tackles on special teams.

The Bengals and Browns both rank among the worst defenses in terms of yards allowed and points allowed. Cleveland is last in the NFL in yards allowed, giving up 378.4 yards per game, while the Bengals are 28th at 347.4. The Browns are allowing 25.4 points per game, 29th in the league, while the Bengals are 26th at 24.7 points per game.

The Browns have held opponents to 18 points or less in three of their last four games, while the Cincinnati defense has allowed 21 points or less in five of the last six. Two of the touchdowns Arizona scored in its 35-27 win came on interception returns.

"We take it real personal," said defensive tackle Domata Peko. "We're going to come out this week and try not to let them score at all. That's our goal, to stop the run and get after their young quarterback. He's done a great job for them but he's still young. We have to get in his face, force him to throw some bad balls so we can get some INTs and some turnovers. It all starts with stopping Jamal."

This is the third game in a row the Bengals have faced tackling a running back bringing at least 223 pounds of momentum at them. They held St. Louis' Steven Jackson to 91 yards on 18 carries, 54 of which came on one run. San Francisco's offensive line and running back Frank Gore got the better of the Bengals. Gore gained 138 of the 49ers' 156 rushing yards on 29 carries to become the first back in six games to rush for more than 100 yards against Cincinnati.

Lewis is the biggest of the three backs, listed at 245 pounds. His 216 yards against the Bengals in Week 2 gave him a ninth career 100-yard game against Cincinnati. The first eight times he did it as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

Lewis signed with Cleveland as a free agent in the offseason.

"He's had so much happen in his career, from blowing out his knee in 2001, he's had the bad ankle and he's been to prison," said defensive tackle John Thornton. "He's had a lot happen, from Super Bowl to tragedy to coming back. He's a good story, and he's still young. But we don't add to the story. We don't want to add any pages. We're already in it enough."[/quote]



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