Archives for December 2010

Cleveland Browns punter Reggie Hodges enjoying the winter of his NFL content (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Denver’s busted Broncos reinforces wisdom of Cleveland Browns’ restructured front office (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Jake Delhomme preparing for third straight start at QB (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

With 4 games left, a look at what’s behind Mangini’s best work (Canton Repository)

Eric Mangini knows just how Josh McDaniels feels (Canton Repository)

Hodges’ hot foot (Canton Repository)

Peyton Hillis heats up Browns’ running game (Willoughby News Herald)

Mangini deserves an extended stay with Browns (Willoughby News Herald)

Punter Hodges has been valuable weapon (Willoughby News Herald)

Abram Elam’s impact with Browns tough to miss (Elyria Chronicle Telegram)

Browns QB Colt McCoy out today, could practice this week (Elyria Chronicle Telegram)

Watson having solid season (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

Hillis, Watson react to firing of McDaniels (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

Browns relish bad weather (Akron Beacon Journal)

Hodges punts on award from NFL (Akron Beacon Journal)

Browns DB Haden shining (AP)

Browns QB McCoy remains sidelined (AP)

Inside slant (The Sports Xchange)

Strategy and personnel (The Sports Xchange)

Notes, quotes (The Sports Xchange)

Six Browns miss practice (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Player Quotes – 12/8 (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Mangini press conf. transcript – 12/8 (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Browns Deck the House (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Mangini: ‘Bills are resilient’ (ClevelandBrowns.com)

Hodges named Player of the Week (ClevelandBrowns.com)

What to Watch For: Browns-Bills (ClevelandBrowns.com)

‘”I’m excited to come back and play center, that’s more of a natural position for me,” Wood said. “I played it all through college. Guard is a lot of fun; you get to throw your weight around a little bit more. But center is a position I loved in college and I’m excited to get back to playing it.”‘

‘With a 60 percent chance of snow or freezing rain in the forecast, both teams better have their running games in order. Buffalo’s 32nd-ranked run defense must find a way to slow down Cleveland RB Peyton Hillis, the kind of big, bruising back that usually tops 100-plus yards with ease. Stopping Hillis and putting the game in QB Jake Delhomme’s hands would be a good move. Delhomme, who will start if rookie Colt McCoy (high ankle sprain) remains sidelined, has completed almost 70 percent of his throws in McCoy’s absence but was also intercepted three times by Buffalo in a 20-9 Carolina loss a year ago. Buffalo’s running game has sputtered of late and needs more of a contribution from rookie C.J. Spiller. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick needs an error-free game and can’t be such a risk-taker in what figures to be a close, low-scoring game.’

‘Rookie RB C.J. Spiller, a native of Florida, is getting used to all the snow that’s already fallen in Western New York. “This is the most snow I have seen, (but) it’s nothing that I’m freaking out about it,” he said. “This will be my first time if it does snow Sunday, of course it will be my first time playing in the snow. It’s something that you can’t control and it’s something that I can’t let distract me on how I perform. I still have a job at hand and my teammates expect me to go out there and get my job done and that’s what I’m expecting as well.”‘

‘”There are some little nuances of the position that are different than any other spot,” he said. “Obviously, playing your hand between your legs is one of them. (I’m) just getting used to that and getting adjusted to coming back to playing.”‘

‘”I’ve done all kinds of tests,” he said. “I’ve had so many needles stuck in me that I’m tired of needles. We’re just really trying to pinpoint it all."’

‘”It’s no fun to try to create continuity in a situation where there is none,” coach Chan Gailey said. “You can’t do it in a short period of time. We’re just going to have to work and do the best we can to patch a group together that can go play.”‘

‘Whitner says the two sides have been negotiating for more than a month, but no deal has been reached. Whitner hopes a new contract can be reached because he’d prefer remaining in Buffalo (2-10) and help turn around a team that will miss the playoffs for an 11th straight season. Buffalo hosts Cleveland (5-7) on Sunday.’

‘That’s caused a domino effect. Starting right guard Eric Wood, who returns after missing two games because of an ankle injury, shifts to center, and backups Ed Wang and Cordaro Howard split right-guard duties.’

‘"The old cliche is I expected to come in here and make the team," Nelson said. "I’m not going to lie to you, that’s not the case. I didn’t come in here expecting to be on the roster. I didn’t come in here expecting to be in the position I’m at right now. I came in expecting to just be given an opportunity to compete. That’s all I was asking for."’

‘Although the Browns seemingly have advanced to the stage of expecting to win against a foe like Buffalo, bear in mind the last three times the teams have played each other. Strange things happen when the I-90 rivals meet.’

‘It isn’t completely hopeless. At least, it didn’t seem so before the Bills were embarrassed at Minnesota.’

‘The moves were made Tuesday, two days after Urbik hurt his right knee in a 38-14 loss at Minnesota. Urbik started the game at right guard, but was hurt filling in at center after Geoff Hangartner(notes) hurt his right knee.’

‘Rinehart (6’5″, 307), who has four NFL starts in his career, was added to the Bills practice squad on Oct. 18 and has been lining up mainly at guard in the practice setting for Buffalo. Recently he’s also been getting some snaps at center, so it’s likely that he’ll be a reserve at both guard and center.’

‘He didn’t just run by Bills defenders. He ran over and through them, too.’