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Ex-Zips player Domenik Hixon does Giants proud
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.: If there was an eerie glow at Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport in the wee hours this morning, it might have been a bonfire of brown pants.
Changing the Browns' traditional uniforms brought a rush of bad luck Monday night at Giants Stadium. The Browns rallied from a 27-point, second-quarter deficit but still fell 37-34 to the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
Making matters worse was the loss of starting quarterback Derek Anderson, who left the game with 13:17 to go in the second quarter. He was taken to the locker room for what was announced as an evaluation of a possible concussion.
Also injured were starting safety Brodney Pool (concussion), receiver/returner Joshua Cribbs (left ankle) and linebacker Leon Williams (neck).
The only joy the game brought in Northeast Ohio was for those with University of
Akron ties. Ex-Zips receiver Domenik Hixon scored three touchdowns, including an 82-yard return of a free kick.
Anderson was hurt on a sack by right end Osi Umenyiora, landing hard on his right shoulder. He completed just 4-of-10 passes for 20 yards. The only score he produced came on a 56-yard Phil Dawson field goal on the Browns' first series.
Backup quarterback Brady Quinn rallied the Browns from a 30-3 deficit, completing 7-of-12 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown before Ken Dorsey came on with 10:03 to go. Receiver Syndric Steptoe scored on a 7-yard run on a lateral from Quinn and caught a 44-yard touchdown pass.
The defense capitalized on a turnover for another touchdown. Blitzing nickel back Mike Adams forced backup quarterback Anthony Wright's fumble and cornerback Eric Wright plucked it out of the air and returned it 15 yards for the touchdown.
The Giants were thin in the receiving corps with their top three out — Plaxico Burress (ankle), Amani Toomer (knee) and Super Bowl hero David Tyree (knee) — along with rookie Mario Manningham (quadriceps). But Hixon made New York fans forget that at least for one night and probably cemented a roster spot in the process.
Hixon's position was not totally secure, since he didn't join the Giants until Oct. 3, picked up off waivers from the Denver Broncos. Although he played in 12 regular-season games, his action was light until December, when he became the Giants' regular kickoff returner. A graduate of Columbus Whitehall-Yearling High School, Hixon went on to set a team postseason record with 290 kickoff return yards in four games.
Against the Browns, Hixon caught scoring passes of 11 and 24 yards from quarterback Eli Manning. On the second, Hixon deftly got his toes inside the back end-zone line as strong safety Sean Jones slipped and fell. Eric Wright was the defender on Hixon's first touchdown, which he snagged in the right corner of the end zone.
On Hixon's kick return, only cornerback A.J. Davis got a hand on him, that just after Hixon fielded the ball.
A 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Giants safety James Butler after Anderson botched a handoff to running back Jamal Lewis and a blocked punt for a safety also helped the Giants build their big lead. Ex-Browns running back Reuben Droughns had a hand in the latter. Running back Travis Thomas was attempting to block Droughns and Thomas got pushed back, his left shoulder hitting punter Dave Zastudil.
The Browns' made a mockery of coach Romeo Crennel's goal of playing ''smart, solid, sound football'' by being whistled for 98 yards in penalties in the first quarter. With 6:11 left in the first quarter, they'd hit 93 yards.
A huge chunk came on Eric Wright's 53-yard pass interference penalty to start the Giants' second possession. Wright grabbed the left arm of receiver Sinorice Moss, momentarily preventing a touchdown.
Adding to the 98 yards was a 10-yard Steve Heiden holding penalty on what would have been a 43-yard kickoff return by Cribbs, a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on linebacker Andra Davis (who swung and missed, the referee said), a 15-yarder for fair-catch interference on Adams, a 4-yarder for offensive pass interference on Kellen Winslow and a 1-yarder on linebacker Kris Griffin for being offsides on a punt formation.
After Cribbs went to the locker room in the first half, Steptoe turned it on, also returning kickoffs for 40 and 90 yards. He took the ball out of the hands of cornerback Kevin Dockery for the touchdown reception.
Brownies
Pool might have been hurt on his tackle of running back Brandon Jacobs on the Giants' second series. . . . Dawson had the wind with him on his 56-yard field goal. His longest made and attempted in the regular season is 52 yards.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.: If there was an eerie glow at Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport in the wee hours this morning, it might have been a bonfire of brown pants.
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