STEVE DOERSCHUK
Canton Repository
August 08, 2008 01:21 am
—
CLEVELAND — What a difference an hour makes.
When the storm hit with 4:11 left in the first quarter, the Browns first-team offense and defense were slated for one more series of work.
After a 60-minute delay, though, coach Romeo Crennel decided not to risk injury to his most important men.
Instead, he turned over the offense to one of his most interesting men, Brady Quinn.
The No. 2 quarterback was greeted with loud cheers as he trotted onto the field. A smattering of boos arose in response, perhaps in protest against starter Derek Anderson being disrespected.
Quinn set into action amid a smattering of longshots to make the team.
His first series was a reflection of what training camp has been like. In Berea, Quinn has struggled with the “twos” while Anderson takes most of the snaps with the No. 1 offense.
Quinn trotted out Thursday with this offensive line, from left tackle to right tackle: Undrafted rookie James Lee, undrafted rookie Derrick Morse, veteran backup Lennie Friedman, undrafted rookie Nathan Bennett and 2006 Round 4 pick Isaac Sowells, who has played one game in two years.
Quinn’s skill group was more promising. Travis Wilson and Joshua Cribbs manned the wideout spots. Running backs Jason Wright and Jerome Harrison alternated.
Quinn quickly advanced this group into field goal range before second-string syndrome kicked in.
Bennett, the right guard, ruined a nice catch-and-run by Wright by being illegally downfield.
Lee, nine months removed from his last game at South Carolina State, was caught holding.
Cribbs got the crowd going when he refused to go down on a 13-yard catch and smash, but on the next play, Quinn fired a short pass that bounced off the hands of 2007 Round 7 pick Syndric Steptoe and into the mitts of Jets linebacker Eric Barton.
Quinn had better luck on his second series, a nine-play, 65-yard touchdown march.
The variety was impressive, with Quinn turning a sack into a scrambling first-down run, hitting Wilson for a nice downfield gain into the red zone, and setting up the TD with a crisp pass to Steve Sanders in the right flat.
The drive, ending in front of the Dawg Pound, gave the Browns a 14-7 lead.
Quinn calmly trotted to the end zone and tapped every orange helmet he could find.
When he ran off the field, the first man to greet him was wearing No. 3.
Anderson reached out and tapped Quinn lightly on the hand.
First impressions
Scenes from the first unit’s brief appearance against the Jets:
n Cribbs shook off a hamstring problem, suited up and played. Cribbs wasn’t babied. He charged down the field on the opening kickoff and was in on the tackle.
n Trade acquisition Corey Williams, ticketed for a huge defensive line role, did not start. Instead, second-year Brown Shaun Smith started at right end.
n Shaun Rogers got double-teamed on an inside run but kept both men occupied while Willie McGinest flew to the ball and made a tackle after a one-yard gain. Rogers found McGinest and gave him a love tap on the helmet.
n McGinest’s tackle set up a fourth-and-one on which Rogers, playing nose tackle, helped stuff a quarterback sneak.
n Jamal Lewis powered up the middle for 11 yards on the Browns’ first offensive play. Donté Stallworth gained seven yards on a slant from Anderson on the second play.
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