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Browns take another wrong turn on the road to respectabilityFootball Betting Lines12/13/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In this season of giving, the Cleveland Browns showed plenty of holiday spirit in last Thursday's 27-7 whooping at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The defense was in a particularly festive mood, as the unit gave their bitter rivals carte blanche to roll up numbers that seemed previously unattainable considering the Steelers' injury concerns on that side of the ball. Cleveland was most submissive against the run, as Pittsburgh amassed an eye-opening 303 yards on the ground and speedy back Willie Parker broke a 35-year-old franchise record with a sizzling 32-carry, 223-yard performance. The offense wasn't much better, despite a strong effort out of quarterback Derek Anderson in his first career start. The Cleveland line apparently decided to take a holiday, as the Browns were dominated up front by Pittsburgh's formidable front seven and mustered a paltry 18 rushing yards over the course of the night. "We couldn't run it, they ran it consistently," said Browns head coach Romeo Crennel. "We couldn't catch it, they caught it when they needed to. When you can't stop them and you can't move it, you get beat." Cleveland's subpar performance showed once again that this is a franchise that continues to be stuck in neutral. Just when it seems the Browns are making progress, out comes a stinker like this one to temper any enthusiasm. The team was on a high just five days earlier, when Anderson stepped in for an injured Charlie Frye and orchestrated a dramatic 31-28 comeback victory over Kansas City. It not like this hasn't happened before, either. The Browns put together back- to-back strong efforts in Weeks 10 and 11, a four-point road win over Atlanta and a last-second loss to the Steelers, then followed up with a 30-0 waxing on their home turf at the hands of Cincinnati. "It's almost like we cannot stand prosperity," said Crennel. "If we win everybody feels like, wow, we've arrived. And then the next week we've arrived and we don't have to be as up because we've arrived and we're going to make it happen. "It doesn't generally work that way in the NFL," he continued. "Every week you have to be up." QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSY? Anderson performed ably in his first NFL action as a starter, as the second- year pro hit on 21-of-37 passes for a career-high 276 yards with one interception. He also connected with wideout Braylon Edwards for a 45-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. "I thought I played all right," said Anderson afterward. "I thought I made mostly good decisions." The former Oregon State star could get his second start this Sunday at Baltimore, as Frye is still bothered by the deep bone bruise in his right wrist which kept him out of the Pittsburgh game. Considering the way Anderson has impressed in his limited time and Frye's inconsistent play throughout this season, the Browns appear to be in no hurry to rush their No. 1 guy back into action. DOWN AND OUT Cleveland's already thin-defense lost two more key pieces, as starting end Orpheus Roye and free safety Brian Russell were both placed on season-ending injured reserve on Monday. Roye, who's been a mainstay in the Browns' lineup ever since the 33-year-old signed with the club prior to the 2000 season, sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the November 26 loss to Cincinnati and hasn't played since. Simon Fraser, who recorded seven tackles in Thursday's setback, has taken Roye's place in the starting lineup and will remain in that role for the rest of the year. Russell played against the Steelers with a laceration on his right elbow from a surgery performed just prior to the start of the season. Unfortunately the wound re-opened during the game and became infected, forcing the hard-nosed veteran into a Cleveland hospital. Russell was still hospitalized as of Monday. Brodney Pool, a younger and more athletic player than Russell, will take over at free safety. However, Crennel admits the 28-year-old's presence will be hard to replace. "Brian has been a leader back there as far as helping the young guys and getting those young guys on the same page," Crennel said. "When you lose that, that hurts a little bit." STRONG CONNECTION Anderson seemed to develop quite a rapport with wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, who established season-bests of seven catches and 111 yards during Thursday's loss. It was the fourth career 100-yard outing for the Cleveland native, who signed with his hometown club after putting together a career year with Seattle in 2005. Coming into the game, Jurevicius had just 24 receptions for 280 yards. He finished last season with 55 catches for 694 yards and a personal-best 10 touchdowns as a Seahawk. A CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION Cleveland faces another tough task this coming Sunday, when the struggling Browns visit Baltimore to take on the AFC North-leading Ravens, who have the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth with a victory. The division rivals played a nail-biter in Cleveland back in September, when Ravens quarterback Steve McNair engineered a late drive capped by a last- second field goal by Matt Stover which lifted Baltimore to a 15-14 decision. The Browns will also be looking to stop a three-game losing streak in Baltimore. Cleveland's last win in M&T Bank Stadium was a 14-13 triumph on December 22, 2002.
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