The Cleveland Browns are 4-6 after snapping a two-game losing streak with a win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
Head coach Romeo Crennel is in his fourth season with the Browns. His resume includes 38 years of coaching experience, including 27 years in the NFL.
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Quarterback Brady Quinn made the first start of his career on Nov. 6 against the Denver Broncos. He threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns on 23 completions in the loss. This past Monday against the Bills, Quinn threw for 185 yards with no touchdowns, but he didn't commit a turnover and led the Browns on the game-winning drive in the final minutes. Quinn was the Browns' second first-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He moved into the starting lineup for Derek Anderson, who had thrown for 1,454 yards and nine touchdowns in eight games this season.
Running back: Former Baltimore Ravens first-round draft pick Jamal Lewis starts at running back for the Browns. He has run for 658 yards and four touchdowns through the first 10 games of the season. Lewis was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2003 and made the Pro Bowl that same season. He had 1,304 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in 2007, including 134 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries against the Texans last Nov. 25 at Cleveland.
Wide receiver/tight end: The Browns used their first-round draft choice in 2005 on wide receiver Braylon Edwards. Edwards was elected to the Pro Bowl after the 2007 season and leads the Browns with 576 yards receiving this season. He also has scored three touchdowns in 2008. The team's receptions leader is tight end Kellen Winslow, the Browns' first-round pick in 2004. Winslow has 39 receptions for 402 yards and three touchdowns this season. Winslow joined Edwards as a Pro Bowl selection last season. Speedy receiver Donte Stallworth missed the beginning of the season with a quad injury, but has 11 receptions for 104 yards since returning to the field in mid-October.
Offensive line: Joe Thomas, the third overall pick in the 2007 draft, stepped in immediately for the Browns at left tackle last season, becoming the cornerstone of their offensive line. Thomas was elected to the Pro Bowl after his rookie season. At left guard is Eric Steinbach, a sixth-year player who has started all but one of the games he has played in during his career. Center Hank Fraley is in his ninth season in the NFL. Former University of Houston offensive lineman Rex Hadnot starts at right guard, and seventh-year pro Kevin Shaffer plays right tackle.
DEFENSE
Defensive line: The Browns brought in a few new faces during the offseason to bolster their defensive line. Cleveland traded its second-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft to the Green Bay Packers for defensive end Corey Williams. Williams has 27 tackles and 0.5 sacks this season. The Browns also traded for nose tackle Shaun Rogers, who was an alternate in the 2008 Pro Bowl when he was with the Detroit Lions. Rogers is second on the team with 52 total tackles and leads the Browns with 4.5 sacks. Fifth-year pro Shaun Smith has played in seven games this season and has 17 tackles.
Linebacker: Fifteenth-year pro Willie McGinest provides veteran leadership at linebacker. McGinest, who won three Super Bowls as a New England Patriot and is a two-time Pro Bowl selection, has 27 tackles this season. Kamerion Wimbley was the Browns' first-round pick in the 2006 draft and set a Browns rookie record with 11 sacks in his first season in the NFL. He has 41 tackles and two sacks so far this season. Andra Davis is in his seventh year in the league and is third on the team with 50 tackles. D'Qwell Jackson leads the team with 99 tackles this season. Jackson also has recorded two sacks and has picked off one pass.
Secondary:The Browns' cornerbacks are both second-year players. Eric Wright has posted 42 tackles and three interceptions this season, while Brandon McDonald has 42 tackles and two interceptions. At strong safety is fifth-year pro Sean Jones, a second-round pick in 2004 who has 33 tackles and one forced fumble this season. Free safety Brodney Pool was a second-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Pool has 36 tackles, one sack and two interceptions this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicking: Former University of Texas kicker Phil Dawson handles all field goal and extra point attempts for the Browns. He has made 22-of-24 field goals this season and was five-of-five with a game-winning, career-long 56-yard field goal against the Bills in Week 11. Seventh-year pro Dave Zastudil handles all punting duties and has a 44.3-yard average this season.
Returning: Receiver Joshua Cribbs returns punts and kickoffs for the Browns. He has returned 26 kickoffs for 700 yards (26.9 average) this season, including a 92-yard touchdown against the Washington Redskins earlier this year. Cribbs has returned 20 punts for 180 yards.
