BEREA: Joshua Cribbs feels his flash is back, which could be good news for the struggling Browns.

Slated for a bigger role on offense this season, the Pro Bowl returner and receiver has been hampered by a high ankle sprain suffered in an Aug. 18 preseason game against the New York Giants.

The injury forced the former Kent State quarterback to sit out the opener against the Dallas Cowboys and limited his special teams duties when he returned Sept. 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But Cribbs showed a glimpse of his old self in the Browns' last game, a 20-12 victory over the Bengals on Sept. 28 at Cincinnati. He returned the opening kickoff of the second half 44 yards, his longest of the year.

Last weekend's bye also gave Cribbs time to rest other nagging injuries. He proclaimed himself fit and ready as the Browns (1-3) prepare to host the New York Giants (4-0) on Monday Night Football.

''I feel at full stride now,'' Cribbs said Monday. ''No excuses for myself. Don't give me any, either. I laid around so I can have a whole lot of energy going into the next game. I'm ready to practice right now. I've just got a lot of energy stored up in me.

''Everybody's going to play with some injuries, everybody's going to play a little hurt. Having that juice means a lot.''

The Bengals' game is long forgotten, except to Cribbs, who was brought down on his big return by their kicker, Shayne Graham.

''I started slipping out of nowhere,'' Cribbs said. ''I didn't think all my gears were back. I was so mad at myself, especially getting tackled by the kicker. I ran through him, but still, I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, not again.' ''

Offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski could use Cribbs as a spark on offense against the Giants, especially since a special ''Flash'' package installed for him and worked on extensively in training camp was shelved with his ankle injury. The Miami Dolphins have beaten New England and San Diego by using a smattering of the single-wing, which they call the ''Wildcat'' offense, featuring direct snaps to running back Ronnie Brown.

''If he can do something to help our offense I'm all for it,'' Browns special teams coach Ted Daisher said of Cribbs in July. ''He's a very electric player; he can make big plays in a variety of ways. I don't think that he's going to become that central of a role (on offense) with Donte (Stallworth) and Braylon (Edwards), at best he would be a third receiver. I think his role will still be special teams and hopefully add a couple big plays on offense.''

Chudzinski could revise that plan, especially since Cribbs is healthy and receiver Stallworth has missed four games with a quadriceps strain, although he could return Monday.

But the Browns know Cribbs' importance in the return game. In 2007, he led the league with a 30.7 kickoff return average and with 1,809 yards, the second-best total in NFL history. He also scored three touchdowns, two on kickoffs, one on a punt.

Thus far this year his averages of 23.6 yards on five kickoffs and 8.7 yards on nine punts trail his 2007 standards (13.5 yards on punts). When he saw the four-year, $30 million contract extension awarded to the Chicago Bears' Devin Hester in training camp, Cribbs asked for more money, a request unlikely to be granted since he signed a six-year extension in November 2006.

No matter his motivation, Cribbs feels he's ready to shine.

''I'm trying to make a run individually,'' Cribbs said. ''I want to start setting goals for myself. I want to start trying to reach those goals to help us as a team.''

Sanders waived

Receiver Steve Sanders, a product of Cleveland's East High School and Bowling Green, was waived, and safety Hamza Abdullah was signed to the active roster.

Abdullah, 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, is in his fourth NFL season and has played in 23 games, starting the final eight of 2007 for the Denver Broncos. A starter up until the third week of preseason, Abdullah was waived by the Broncos on Sept. 23. He finished '07 with 48 tackles and seven pass breakups.

Abdullah was a seventh-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2005 and the Broncos picked him up off the Bucs' practice squad that year.

Defensive back Travis Key, an undrafted rookie from Michigan State, had his practice squad contract terminated.