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Coach has wait-and-see approach for victims of Jets
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008
BEREA: Even if it had been newly acquired New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre burning the Browns' inexperienced secondary Thursday night, it wouldn't have been easy to take.
But Brett Ratliff?
The first-year player from Utah toasted the Browns' backups on touchdowns of 71 and 70 yards to receiver David Clowney in the Jets' 24-20 triumph. On the first, A.J. Davis and Nick Sorensen gave chase. On the second, since-released Steve Cargile and Mil'Von James, a rookie from UNLV, were the victims.
But Browns coach Romeo Crennel refused to jump to conclusions about the secondary's lack of depth after one performance.
''I don't think you can make a generalization about the secondary depth on two plays,'' Crennel said. ''You're always concerned about players not doing the right thing. If they give up those kinds of plays the next game, then I will be more concerned.''
The Browns don't play again until Monday, when the team visits the Meadowlands for a nationally televised preseason game against the New York Giants. But Crennel has already noticed improvement in the four practices since the Jets game.
''They're working harder and trying to concentrate more,'' Crennel said Monday. ''But it's different out here than it is in the game. We'll have to wait until the game to see if they really learned anything.''
The Browns brought in two new safeties Saturday, ex-Buckeye Brandon Mitchell and Travis Key, a rookie from Michigan State. But Sorensen, a seven-year veteran and valuable special teams player after he was picked up last October, doesn't feel more heat.
''Every day is like that,'' Sorensen said. ''I treat every day the same, regardless of what happens in the game, good, bad, whatever. That's how I'm always going to approach it.
''[Clowney] was fast. Everyone's fast. They had a good play and that was pretty much it. We had to do our job and we didn't. We don't want to ever give up touchdowns. We worked on it; we're good.''
Starting cornerbacks Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald and safeties Sean Jones and Brodney Pool haven't lost faith in their brethren.
''It all comes down to making a big play and preventing the big play,'' Wright said. ''Overall, they had a pretty decent night. They had two big plays that make it look like they did a horrible job. We made sure they corrected those mistakes. Those guys are working hard every day out here and in the classroom to make sure those kinds of things don't happen.''
Pool didn't believe the backups had that bad of a night.
''You see one or two plays go over their head, but overall they came back,'' Pool said. ''A.J. did well. They're young, so they're still learning.''
Pool wouldn't overemphasize the importance of Monday's game for them.
''We've got a long ways to go,'' Pool said.
Edwards update
Crennel said receiver Braylon Edwards, who needed stitches and spent the night in the Cleveland Clinic after teammate Donte' Stallworth stepped on his right heel Saturday with his cleats, was resting at home. Crennel did not seem overly angry that Edwards was jogging at the end of practice in his socks.
''Kids are kids. They take their shoes off and run around all the time,'' Crennel said. ''Maybe his feet were hurting that day. We'll educate them a little bit more about keeping their shoes on until they get inside. Things like this, we don't want them to happen, we don't like them to happen, but they happen. What can you do about it? You educate them.''
Asked whether it mattered if Edwards didn't play the rest of the preseason, Crennel said, ''That's not a concern because he's a Pro Bowl player and I know he'll work to get back.''
Injury update
Crennel said receiver Kevin Kasper tweaked his hamstring again last week and will have to ''start from scratch again.''
Guard Seth McKinney was back in uniform after being sidelined for two weeks with a high ankle sprain. ''I'm getting there,'' McKinney said. ''It's a start. These things take time. It's a weird injury.'' Also more involved were tight end Steve Heiden (knee), tight end Kellen Winslow (hamstring) and fullback Lawrence Vickers (hamstring).
Brownies
Quarterback Derek Anderson called friend Ben Curtis Sunday night after the former Kent State All-American and Stow resident earned a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team with a tie for second at the PGA Championship. ''I was fired up for him,'' Anderson said. ''Obviously, he was a little disappointed in how yesterday went. Pretty sweet he made the Ryder Cup.'' . . . Crennel said the starters will play into the second quarter against the Giants. . . . The final two-a-day practices of camp are today from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
BEREA: Even if it had been newly acquired New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre burning the Browns' inexperienced secondary Thursday night, it wouldn't have been easy to take.
Get the full article here.
