1.) The Browns Defense showed its first signs of returning to any semblance of the once proud Dawg Defense tradition. Def. Coordinator Todd Grantham and Head Coach Romeo Crennel admittedly had a near-bare cupboard when they jumped on board this team. However, some coaches are good enough to "coach up" some of their players to be better than they might really be. ILB Andra Davis had another stellar game, leading the team with 11 tackles. Chaun Thompson had a sack, while Stewart and Crocker pulled down INTs. Some very impressive 3rd and 4th down stops were made in the 2nd half which preserved the shutout.
2.) Charlie Frye got his first NFL action and we saw a few nice connections with fellow rookie standout Braylon Edwards. Frye's footwork was noticeably horrible and he seemed to be struggling to stay standing when being chased. It almost seemed as if his cleats were simply not good enough for the field conditions presented. Frye did thrown 1 INT in this game, though. Inexplicably, Crennel did a bit of musical chairs with Frye, bringing in Dilfer later in the game after having pulled him. At 4-6, the Browns aren't really mathematically eliminated, but they are 3 games out of the race with 6 to go. That's like the Mt. Everest of uphill climbs... We need to see much more out of Frye before we can judge his future.
3.) It is safe to say that our top pick, Braylon Edwards will now start to see the field more. He made at least 2 catches that no other Browns receiver could have made and finished with 90 yards on 6 receptions.
Droughns was basically the story of the day, chewing up both game clock and yardage in a 30 carry, 166 yard, 1 TD performance. The 1 TD came on a 75-yard jaunt on the Browns' first play from scrimmage. It is eerily familiar that Droughns wears #34, like one of the last 1,000 yard backs to sport the seal brown and orange (Kevin Mack). They do have very similar running abilities. Let's just hope that the only while line Reuben seeks is the goal line and the only hash he seeks are the hash marks.
FINAL SCORE: Cleveland 22, Miami 0