Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Poor machine maintenance blamed for fire at Akron business
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Indians add 7 players to 40-man roster
Body with gunshot wounds found in Canton Township creek
Blogs:
Pets:
Sick Pets Get High-tech Health Care
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
The proposed new LeBron mural doesn't do it for me
Akron Zips:
Two blowouts, one night
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Hey, somebody's gotta stick up for the Browns
Kent State Sports:
Singletary update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Muslim McCarthyism & Death Prayers
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Norma asks if Barkitecture is still at Stan Hywet.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Browns player agrees with critical comments made about teammates
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008
BEREA: When Browns running back Jamal Lewis called out his teammates for quitting and said they needed to ''check their egos at the door and find some heart'' to play hard, he was not pointing the finger at Joshua Cribbs.
Returning punts, kickoffs and leading the special teams in tackles, Pro Bowler Cribbs is the epitome of the standard Lewis wants to set.
Cribbs does know what Lewis meant when he lashed out after the loss Thursday night to the Denver Broncos and went him one better Monday.
''Jamal is a hard runner. He goes out there and busts his tail every day, every game,'' Cribbs said. ''I do the same, and it hurts when players don't do the same and don't show the same will and don't show the same fire and desire to win. It's a shame sometimes, but we just have to pull together as a team, weed out those guys and play the rest of the season out.''
Lewis' comments came after the Browns blew a double-digit, third-quarter lead for the second consecutive game and fell 34-30 to the Broncos. The loss dropped them to 3-6 going into the nationally televised game Monday night at the Buffalo Bills (5-4).
After letting a 23-10 advantage against the Broncos and a 27-13 edge over the Baltimore Ravens get away in back-to-back home games, the players had plenty to ponder with three days off.
''When you have a team like that, that comes into our house, and we're capable of beating them; the first thing that comes to your mind is guys quitting,'' Cribbs said. ''We can't figure out what's in everyone's head when
they're playing, but that's what it looked like; that some guys quit. And [Lewis] didn't say any names, because he couldn't say any names. You don't know who those guys were. But we know if everybody didn't quit, we would've won that ball game.''
Cribbs said on the drive to work Monday, he thought about the rest of the season and the attitude that he wanted the Browns to take.
''We have a seven-game season left, and we have to win these seven games,'' Cribbs said. ''It would be great to win seven games in a row and shock everyone.
''I don't care what our record is; I'm going all out every time I step on the field. And I'm going to try to instill that within each player, so we have a renewed sense of life out there on the field.''
Changes likely ahead
Browns coach Romeo Crennel hinted at possible personnel changes, one of which might be an ''experiment'' to move around underachieving linebacker Kamerion Wimbley. Crennel, though, wouldn't get specific until he addressed the team.
''There may be one or two things we might do, but I'm not talking about that until after I talk with the players,'' Crennel said.
Asked if the changes were minor or major, Crennel said, ''I would classify them as secret right now.''
So that turned the talk to the outburst by Lewis, who said he was the most frustrated he has been in his nine years in the league. Browns co-captain Andra Davis expected an interesting discussion at the weekly players-only meeting Monday.
''It'll be brought up. Guys are going to express themselves,'' Davis said.
''We want to win, and I guess he sees something that I guess everyone else probably sees, and he's explaining it,'' defensive end Shaun Smith said of Lewis. ''To me, he's basically saying check your ego, have some pride and play. I don't know exactly who he was talking about, but you gotta keep playing.''
That Lewis won a Super Bowl with the Ravens during the 2000 season carries more weight.
''He's an established veteran with a Super Bowl ring so, of course, everybody is going to listen,'' Smith said. ''He doesn't say too much, so when he does speak up, it's gotta mean something.''
The ''check their egos at the door'' remark stuck with Crennel.
''Overall, I think the guys played hard,'' Crennel said. ''I think somebody said, 'If you've got a lead, that means you haven't quit.' The thing we didn't do is hold the lead. If we play smarter, we'll be able to hold the lead.''
Quinn apologetic
Quarterback Brady Quinn, who made his first NFL start against the Broncos, was still blaming himself for the loss.
When Lewis' comments came up, Quinn said: ''I didn't hear that or see that. I didn't necessarily feel that way, either.
''I think the past two games for us have been tough, having a lead, not being able to hold on to it in the end. After watching film, I put it on me. At the end of the game, we had an opportunity to score and win the game; you've got to take responsibility for that.
''I didn't do enough to lead us down the field to score.''
Trying to win his teammates over after the shock of having Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Anderson benched, Quinn perhaps wisely did not insert himself into this fray. But Davis, who has trained with Lewis in the offseason, also put heavy stock in what Lewis said.
''Jamal is a true professional,'' Davis said.
''He's been to the top, he knows what it takes to get to the [Super] Bowl. So his input is very valuable to this team. If he says something like that, guys really need to check their egos.
''If you're a true professional, you're going to play hard regardless of the situation, regardless if you're 9-0 or 3-6.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
BEREA: When Browns running back Jamal Lewis called out his teammates for quitting and said they needed to ''check their egos at the door and find some heart'' to play hard, he was not pointing the finger at Joshua Cribbs.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Posted 06:25 AM, 11/11/2008
Obviously leadership is the problem! If you can't lead you MUST go!
Posted 06:47 AM, 11/11/2008
I'm surprised that I don't see any of Cribb's #16 jerseys in the team shops around town. He is the Browns best player and has local ties. He is a former QB and has leadership abilities.One of my disapointments with the offensive coordinator (the list is starting to get long)is that Josh is not involved more in the offense. When is he going to be allowed to pass the ball ?
Port Saint Lucie, Fl
Posted 07:37 AM, 11/11/2008
If the Browns are going to some kind of "cover two"/prevent defense late in games they are leading they will continue to lose.
They can turn things around even with less than stellar talent;look at the Dolphins.
kp
Port Saint Lucie,Fla.
Posted 07:46 AM, 11/11/2008
It is about tme someone stepped up and called some players out for their play. It shows leadership the way it should be. Cribbs, Lewis and Quinn are the types of gritty, hard nosed players a team needs to have. If you do not follow their example then hit the road
Posted 07:46 AM, 11/11/2008
FIRE CRENNEL and get new d-back core
Posted 09:15 AM, 11/11/2008
The offense builds the lead, the defense plays up to that point. I noticed in both losses that the turning point seemed to be after the opposing team converted a third and long...the same time Rogers is pulled and the defensive scheme changed up. The same as when Harrison and Cribbs were in and things were happening, then you don't see them again. Common denominator...idiot coaching.
edison, NJ
Posted 10:09 AM, 11/11/2008
the romeo-chud farewell tour is now underway, take a look at the defensive coordinator for the
giants as a potential head coach. he is tough, smart, and has put a strong defense together in the hard nosed nfc east.
Ravenna, OH
Posted 12:34 PM, 11/11/2008
Get rid of the Big-10 receiver who can't catch a ball and pick up some more MAC players.
Posted 12:39 PM, 11/11/2008
I know it will never happen but how about this for "checking egos at the door?" League wide everyone plays on a one year contract. If you want to make the big money you can load it with performance incentives out the ying yang. It is too easy for them to make gobs of money and put out this kind of effort.
It just isn't fair to watch a guy like J Cribbs make a fraction of the money Braylon Edwards makes and he contributes 1000 times more to this team. If I was J Cribbs I would be in Lerner's office getting that problem corrected!
Posted 12:40 PM, 11/11/2008
Nicholas I've to agree...it may be the farewell tour for Crennel. He's a great coordinator, but as a head coach he doesn't seem to have the gumption to get the job done. I'd hate to see chud go, he's creative and has some good schemes, he just doesn't stick to his game plan after he builds a lead, instead of attacking the whole game long, he puts it in cruise after he builds the lead. With our D the way it is, I would definately consider fire Tucker too. he can't seem to wrap his head around the 3-4 scheme. Giants D coordinator Spagnola would be a good fit, maybe stat fishing and throwing out big money to bring in Cowher...ha! Never happen, but always a thought.
Posted 12:51 PM, 11/11/2008
Too bad Edwards and Winslow can't take Cribbs's attitude. Winslow is too busy pointing at his "The U" tattoo every time he makes a good play to remember the five plays he made that cost us the game.
Heck, put Cribbs in at linebacker too. He'd make more of an effort than anyone out there and learn the position, just like he has special teams and receiver--two positions he has never played before.
Posted 03:54 PM, 11/11/2008
Cribbs is the best skilled player on the Cleveland Browns. The coaching staff needs to wake up and find ways to get him on the field. If the review the films the last two years when they have had a chance to win games Cribbs is putting them in that position with his limited opportunities on special teams. Get Cribbs the ball More!!!!!!!!!
If Browns would open their eyes. I believe they could use him like Chicago uses Hester. Try him at corner if that doesn't work try him at safety if that doesn't work, try him as a speed rusher on 3rd downs. It's pretty obvious he has a nose for the football and is good at making open field tackles. I haven't seen anyone on the Browns D this year that has half his nose for the ball. Guess what? If it works every team we play will punt a few more times his way.
Posted 04:37 PM, 11/11/2008
I've long said Cribbs would be an awesome safety. I think more that a few receivers would have trouble holding onto the ball after he hit them.
Posted 06:59 PM, 11/11/2008
It's too bad that Cribbs can't play every position but more players need to play with the heart that he has. I think some of the players that have given up play on defense. No one wants to mention names but if McDonald would have made that tackle instead of going for the pick we would have won that game. That's only one mistake. I think the ego checkers would have to do with Winslow and or Edwards. I also think Crennel should step down. Go Browns!
Posted 07:55 AM, 11/12/2008
Josh Cribbs is the epitome of what a Cleveland Brown should be.
