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Browns can't get anything going as Cowboys ruin season opener
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Monday, Sep 08, 2008
CLEVELAND: The debut of the Browns' season of great expectations turned into a showcase of the haves and the hadnots.
Cleveland didn't have right guard Rex Hadnot, or much of anything Sunday. Led by the seemingly effortless passing of quarterback Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys proved why they're Super Bowl favorites in a 28-10 victory over the Browns before a crowd of 73,012.
On this day, Dallas looked so far superior in talent that the Cowboys seemed to be merely toying with the Browns.
''We faced a good football team and we made them better,'' Browns coach Romeo Crennel said.
If cornerback Eric Wright hadn't picked off a third-quarter pass intended for receiver Terrell Owens when the Cowboys faced second and goal from the Cleveland 4, the outcome would have been more lopsided.
Three Cowboys — Owens (5-87), tight end Jason Witten (6-96) and Patrick Crayton (6-82) — nearly reached 100 yards receiving. Romo completed 24 of 32 for 320 yards and a TD and a 103.6 rating. After starting running back Marion Barber (16 carries, 80 yards) left in the third quarter with bruised ribs, backup Felix Jones (9-62) nearly outgained him.
Team-wise, the numbers were also staggering. Cleveland's offense, eighth in the league a year ago, managed just 205 total yards to Dallas' 487. The Cowboys had a 30-11 edge in first downs.
''I thought we were clicking on all cylinders,'' Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. ''A lot of it is the quarterback and the protection. He had tremendous protection for most of the game. Their defensive line is a big, strong group, so that tells me a lot about our offensive line.''
The Browns were without Pro Bowl kick returner Joshua Cribbs, inactive with a high ankle sprain, and No. 2 receiver Donte' Stallworth, who suffered a groin injury in pregame warm-ups. That and long preseason injury layoffs for quarterback Derek Anderson, running back Jamal Lewis and receiver Braylon Edwards led to offensive dysfunction.
But Cleveland, now 1-9 in openers at Cleveland Browns Stadium, took solace in last year bouncing back from a 34-7 loss to Pittsburgh to finish 10-6.
''If our guys will play as a unit, we can be a good football team. If you look at the first half and the missed opportunities, you can see that,'' Crennel said.
''Dallas played their game and we didn't play our game,'' Lewis said. ''I know we didn't play together today. I'll [do] my best to do my leadership thing and try to pull this together and get ready for the rest of the season. This is just the first one and it's a wake-up call. We'll be all right. I'm not worried at all.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
CLEVELAND: The debut of the Browns' season of great expectations turned into a showcase of the haves and the hadnots.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Posted 06:33 AM, 09/08/2008
Edwards couldn't hold onto the ball, Anderson looked scared, there was no offense, no defense, no coaching. It was a mess.
Alliance, Oh
Posted 07:04 AM, 09/08/2008
The defense looks even WORSE than last year! No pass rush. The LB's are too slow and the DB's are rookies. We'd better outscore everybody ala the Indians of the 90's who had no pitching!
Bethesda, MD
Posted 07:37 AM, 09/08/2008
How boring was this? The Indian's game was more exciting.
Posted 08:05 AM, 09/08/2008
I really thought they would come back and win once Brainless decided to go for 3 points.
Bethesda, MD
Posted 08:12 AM, 09/08/2008
This blog works as well as the Browns do.
Posted 09:09 AM, 09/08/2008
Does this mean Anderson gets traded?
Posted 09:13 AM, 09/08/2008
What a surprise too bad it's nothing new for the Browns to look like Clowns.
Posted 09:49 AM, 09/08/2008
I'll give the Browns a chance still this year...but not this forum. Terrible
Posted 10:28 AM, 09/08/2008
This forum is horrible!!!
Akron, OH
Posted 10:47 AM, 09/08/2008
This forum is great. It makes racist fools who used to act up on here vanish.
Hiram, GA
Posted 11:32 AM, 09/08/2008
Boring, boring, boring!
Hiram, GA
Posted 11:34 AM, 09/08/2008
Hey Grump, where are you? Sign up so we can witness more of your two bit, third class and fourth rate garbage. Surely this one has you reaching for your Geritol!
akron, oh
Posted 01:26 PM, 09/08/2008
what's up with this ?????
akron, oh
Posted 02:04 PM, 09/08/2008
Freedom of speach is gone.
Posted 02:26 PM, 09/08/2008
THIS SUCKS. TOPIX WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY BETTER.
niles, oh
Posted 03:11 PM, 09/08/2008
next is pittsburg score 41 to 10 pittsburg. Crennel and Savage MUST GO
Posted 12:38 AM, 09/09/2008
This comment system absolutely sucks... Cleveland.com here I come.
Posted 12:39 AM, 09/09/2008
I posted a message before that one, and it doesnt appear. Ohio.com = facist...
Akron, OH
Posted 10:56 AM, 09/09/2008
FYI- Cleveland.com has pretty much same comment system.
Posted 07:43 PM, 09/09/2008
Hmmm. It appears that if one dares to compare this comment tool to the way the Browns have played so far, on is unlikely to see one's comment posted.
