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Crennel says team will try to live up to expectations
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Thursday, May 15, 2008
BEREA: When voluntary offseason training activities began in 2007, the Browns barely could line up correctly in their new offense. The first practice open to the media was a disaster.
There will be no such grace period this year.
In 12 months, the Browns' expectations have gone from mud-pie to pie-in-the-sky levels.
A 10-6 season that ended one victory short of the playoffs brought a bounty of rewards. Six players, including two special teamers, went to the Pro Bowl. The Browns suddenly became television darlings, with five prime-time 2008 appearances, including three Monday night games and another in preseason.
The front office struck quickly in free agency to upgrade a defense that ranked 30th in the league, trading for defensive linemen Shaun Rogers (Detroit Lions) and Corey Williams (Green Bay Packers). It also re-signed quarterback Derek Anderson and gave him another big-play receiver in Dante Stallworth, formerly of the New England Patriots.
Now that the team has been resurrected from the depths, coach Romeo Crennel faces a new challenge: helping his team handle the spotlight. He'll have
to draw from his experience with the New York Giants and the Patriots, where Crennel earned five Super Bowl rings.
''I told them every season is a tough season in the NFL because everybody has firepower, everybody can play the game, games go down to the fourth quarter,'' Crennel said. ''We're going to embrace the fact that they want us on national television five times and try to live up to those expectations.''
The Browns seem excited by the attention but know the pressure that comes with it. The Browns have made only one appearance on Monday Night Football since 1995 — in 2003 against the St. Louis Rams. Now they'll also play on Sunday and Thursday nights and open the season Sept. 7 at home against the highly regarded Dallas Cowboys.
''That was a reward, being 10-6, to get these type of games and play exciting football and to want these networks to have us on their channel,'' linebacker Willie McGinest said. ''Now we've got to go out and prove we're worthy of it. Just because we got the games doesn't mean anything. You've got to win those big games, and it starts off with Dallas.''
Receiver Braylon Edwards, who set the Browns' single-season record with 16 touchdowns in '07, seems pumped.
''We're confident in what we did last year,'' Edwards said. ''We're confident in the ability we can have this year. We're confident that they gave us a schedule like this for a reason. It's going to be hard and this year is one of those schedules, but now we're on TV. We're confident because we see people trust us.
''With that said, all we can do is build on that trust and take this thing to a new level, hopefully.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
BEREA: When voluntary offseason training activities began in 2007, the Browns barely could line up correctly in their new offense. The first practice open to the media was a disaster.
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