Miami Dolphins (0-5) at Cleveland Browns (2-3)
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 10/14/07
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS, Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots
OBR LIVE FEED:
http://www.theobr.com/livefeed
CHAT ROOM:
http://csites.securewebs.com/brownstng
GAME THREAD:
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=149&f=1547#s=149&f=1547&t=1216033
SERIES: 15th meeting. Dolphins lead 9-5 in this series but
haven't won in Cleveland since 1993. In the last meeting, the Browns shut out
the Dolphins 22-0 on Nov. 20, 2005 to fall to 3-7 behind former Browns back
Reuben Droughns' 166 yards. The Dolphins then reeled off six straight wins to
finish 9-7 under first-year head coach Nick Saban.
PREDICTION: Browns 24-19
KEYS TO THE GAME: QB Cleo Lemon gets his second career start
for the Dolphins, but Miami hopes to limit his exposure by leaning on Brown. The
Browns are allowing 4.9 yards per carry, and the more success Brown has, the
less pressure is put on a suspect offensive line. However, Lemon does need to
get WR Chris Chambers back involved (four catches for 40 yards in his past two
games). ... If Browns QB Derek Anderson makes smart decisions, there is plenty
of room to work against the Dolphins' weak secondary. And the Browns' offense
could be on Anderson's arm if RB Jamal Lewis is out or slowed by a sprained
foot. If Lewis can't play, untested Jason Wright would get the start and the
Dolphins, who allowed just 2.6 yards per carry with MLB Zach Thomas back in the
lineup last Sunday.
KEY INJURIES: Dolphins: QB Trent Green (concussion) is out
indefinitely; SS Donovin Darius (calf) will start after missing a game; OLB
Channing Crowder (ankle sprain) said he is questionable; DTs Vonnie Holliday
(ankle) and Rod Wright (ankle) are uncertain. Browns: Lewis (foot sprain) hopes
to play; WR Joe Jurevicius (knee) is limited and his status is uncertain.
FAST FACTS: The Dolphins are trying to avoid their second 0-6
start in franchise history. ... The Browns enter their bye week following the
game. ... Browns WR Braylon Edwards has three 100-yard receiving games this
season.
PERSONNEL NEWS:
Dolphins:
--DE Jason Taylor practiced on a limited basis with a bruised thigh and sore
neck, but odds are that he will make his team-record 120th straight start
Sunday.
--C Samson Satele returned to practice Thursday for the first time since
injuring his neck in the third quarter of last week's loss to Houston, and seems
likely to play Sunday.
--QB Trent Green is out indefinitely with a Grade 3 concussion and will be
replaced by Cleo Lemon, who is making his second career start against the
Browns.
--WR Derek Hagan (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis. Rookie WR Ted Ginn
Jr. will probably be the No. 3 receiver again this week.
--LB Channing Crowder, who sat out Sunday's game against the Texans with a
sprained left ankle, practiced without limitations Thursday.
--DT Rod Wright, who started in place of Vonnie Holliday (right ankle) last
week, returned to practice Thursday.
Browns:
--RB Jamal Lewis missed his second day of practice with a foot injury Thursday,
but the Browns remain hopeful he will play against the Dolphins.
--RG Seth McKinney, a former Dolphin, has been able to help his new teammates
with details about Jason Taylor and the rest of the Dolphins.
--TE Darnell Dinkins is still wearing a cast on his right hand. He is unlikely
to play except on special teams.
--Now that P Scott Player has been released, P Dave Zastudil is K Phil Dawson's
holder again. Zastudil was his holder last year and in the second game this
season.
--WR Joe Jurevicius will try to play with a right knee injury. Second-year
player Travis Wilson would be on the active list for the first time this season
if Jurevicius cannot play.
INSIDE THE CAMPS:
Dolphins:
In his heyday with the Steelers, three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter
backed up his trash-talking and guarantees.
Not this year or since joining the Miami Dolphins in the offseason for a $32
million deal, including $20 million large up front.
Porter, 30, boldly guaranteed a victory over the Oakland Raiders. Unfortunately
for the still winless Dolphins, neither his guarantee nor his signing bonus came
with a money-back guarantee.
This week he's going after his favorite target, Cleveland Browns tight end
Kellen Winslow, who since missing most of his first two seasons with injuries,
has blossomed into the premier player the Browns envisioned when they drafted
him out of the University of Miami with the sixth overall pick in 2004.
"It really hasn't been a war. It's been one-sided. I've never lost to him,"
Porter said. "You've got to win some to make it a war. If you get whipped four
times in a row it's not a war."
Granted, Porter was 6-0 with Pittsburgh against Cleveland since Winslow arrived,
but Winslow played in only the two defeats last season because of his
injury-prone beginning.
Last season, Winslow had 89 catches for 875 yards and three touchdowns,
including eight catches for 55 yards against Pittsburgh. This season, he already
has 24 catches for 416 yards with two touchdowns.
"He's a receiver really. He's not a tight end. He's not going to block nobody,"
Porter said with disdain.
"If you ask me who is going to win the Joey Porter-Kellen Winslow battle, it's
me hands down because he's not going to stop me from doing anything I want to
do."
In the past, Porter called Winslow a derogatory name for a homosexual and was
fined $10,000 by the NFL. He has called him soft for what he perceived as taking
a cheap shot at then-Steelers teammate James Farrior.
Winslow took the high road Wednesday and basically said that Porter needs, "a
hug," and should worry more about his 0-5 team than challenging an opponent.
When told of Winslow's comments, Porter, who has no sacks and a nondescript 16
tackles in five games, seemed to lose some of his cockiness.
"He's saying all the right things I guess," Porter said. "Unlike me, I'm the
type of person who says how I feel but at the same time we are looking for our
first win so obviously the personal battle he turned that down. We're going to
cross each other's path at some point of time during the game."
Porter was supposed to make a star-studded defense elite, but instead the
fourth-ranked unit of 2006 has plummeted to 24th overall and an embarrassing
31st vs. the run.
Sure, his offseason knee surgery and playing in a different scheme have played a
role in his so-so production, but one would think with Jason Taylor coming off
one edge and Porter - who is one of only two players in NFL history with 60
career sacks and 10 interceptions - coming off the other that opposing
quarterbacks would be trembling.
Instead, teams are taking away the pass rush by running so successfully and
quarterbacks are scrambling away from the pressure and completing passes,
particularly in the second half of games, when the Dolphins' aging defense seems
to be wilting. Opponents have outscored the Dolphins 80-48 in the second half.
The Dolphins who had 47 sacks last season, nearly 3.0 sacks per game, have just
seven in five games.
"A guy signs for $32 million you expect him to go out there and put up $32
million stats," Porter said. "I'm not mad at you for that. At the same time you
got to understand football ... look at what I'm asked to do."
Porter has been playing more inside linebacker and defensive end, neither of
which are his specialties.
Browns:
Kellen Winslow Jr. is doing his best to not let any personal differences with
Miami linebacker Joey Porter carry over to Sunday when the Browns and Dolphins
meet Sunday in Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Their feud began last year when Porter played with the Steelers. Winslow knocked
Porter down with a stiff-arm in the game in Cleveland. In Pittsburgh Winslow
blocked Pittsburgh linebacker James Farrior well after the whistle blew. Winslow
was flagged for a personal foul on the play. The hit on Farrior prompted Porter
to call Winslow a slur for a homosexual. He was fined $10,000 by the NFL.
Porter was released by the Steelers March 1 and signed by the Dolphins six days
later. He lit another match Wednesday as he spoke to reporters in Miami. This
time he was careful not to say anything that would cost him money.
"If you ask me who is going to win the Joey Porter-Kellen Winslow battle it's
me, hands down, because he's not going to stop me from doing anything I want to
do," Porter said. "He's a receiver, really. He's not a tight end. He's not going
to block nobody."
When he was told Porter said he could do anything he wants to Winslow, Winslow
responded:
"He doesn't have to worry about me. He should be worried about the team concept.
They're 0-5. He should be looking for a win, just like we are.
"I'm not worried about Joey. He isn't even their best player. (End) Jason Taylor
is their best player. (Linebacker) Zach Thomas does a good job. (Safety) Donovin
Darius is back. They're going to be confident going in. We have to get focused
on Miami and do the things we need to do to win the game."
Winslow, 24, has controlled his temper this season. He has not drawn a personal
foul penalty. He says he has grown up as a player.
Winslow is tied with Braylon Edwards for the team lead with 24 catches. He has
416 receiving yards, 69 fewer than Edwards, and two touchdowns. He has played
with a partially dislocated shoulder the last three weeks.
Winslow said his shoulder is improving, but he is looking forward to the bye
next week so he can rest it. Meanwhile, he has his theory on how to beat the
Dolphins, and it is not very complicated. He says all the Browns have to do is
not beat themselves with turnovers and penalties. The Browns rank eighth in the
league offensively. Last year they finished 31st.
"You can't play bad football," Winslow said. "We play great football, and then
we play bad football. We have to be more consistent offensively.
"I don't think anybody can really stop us. It's just when we turn the ball over
and have mentals (errors) -- that sort of thing you can't have."
The Browns have turned the ball over 13 times. Derek Anderson has thrown eight
interceptions. The Browns have fumbled nine times and lost the ball four times.
Charlie Frye threw one interception in the opener and was traded to Seattle two
days later.
The Browns have eight takeaways -- three interceptions and five fumble
recoveries.