Video: CBS Sports Seahawks vs. Browns Preview

After a big win over the Giants last week, the Seattle Seahawks will travel to take on the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon. Who will come out on top? NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan and Jason Horowitz preview this game.

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Browns Team Leaders Share Intersecting Bonds

One man is Mike Holmgren, the Browns’ president, Shurmur’s boss. Another is Shurmur’s uncle, Fritz Shurmur, the revered defensive coordinator who won a Super Bowl with Holmgren in Green Bay, who followed Holmgren to Seattle, found out he had cancer and died in 1999 before the season started.

Fritz Shurmur last coached in the N.F.L. in 1998. His nephew first coached in the N.F.L. in 1999. On Sunday, with the Seahawks in Cleveland — in the 37th consecutive N.F.L. season with a Shurmur on the sidelines — Holmgren and Pat Shurmur will probably remember how they ended up here, both in part because of Uncle Fritz.

“My dad interviewed for the Browns job in 1989,” Scott Shurmur, Pat’s cousin, said. “So when they hired Pat, when Mike hired Pat, it was just so eerie, a grand design, like it was meant to be.”

Sometimes, in quiet moments, Holmgren entertains Pat Shurmur with stories. Like how he and Fritz would shake hands before games, two religious men who always promised to later forget the salty arguments that inevitably followed. Or how Fritz, on his honeymoon, took his wife, Peggy Jane, ice fishing in Michigan, and caught a 43-inch northern pike.

Mostly, though, when they talk Fritz, they talk football. Holmgren described Fritz as “the consummate football coach,” his highest praise for someone who “taught defense and taught it well and wasn’t caught up in publicity.”

Fritz wrote four books on defense, drawing on real-life innovations. In Los Angeles, with the Rams in 1989, he ran a 2-5 scheme, heavy on linebackers and defensive backs, out of necessity. In Green Bay, he sometimes dropped Gilbert Brown, a 325-pound defensive tackle, into pass coverage. In 1994, his Packers’ unit held the Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders to minus 1 yard on 13 carries in a playoff game.

Raised in blue-collar Michigan in a devout Catholic family, Fritz played football at Albion College. He then accepted a graduate assistant post there in 1954. Among his initial charges was Joe Shurmur, his younger brother by 10 years. “Dad always felt like Fritz was harder on him,” said Pat, who sometimes baby-sat his cousins.

Pat went to Michigan State, played center, served as captain on the Spartans’ Rose Bowl team in 1987. With Fritz in Los Angeles, the family descended on Southern California for a reunion that centered, appropriately, on football.

After college, Joe joined the Navy, went to medical school at Michigan and became an orthopedic surgeon. His son, like his brother, went into coaching. And in an avuncular career swap, Fritz’s son became a doctor.

Joe’s death, to cancer in 1996, drew Pat and Fritz closer, with coaching their connection. By then, Pat guided tight ends at Michigan State and worked with special teams. His uncle always told him to be patient, to not look too far ahead. In 1999, Fritz recommended Pat to the new coach in Philadelphia, Andy Reid, but first warned his nephew, “Don’t screw it up.”

By then, Fritz and Holmgren had joined forces. For much of the 1980s, they had matched wits; Holmgren as an offensive force in San Francisco, Fritz his defensive foil with the Rams.

Holmgren went to Green Bay in 1992. Two seasons later, when his team’s defensive coordinator job opened, Fritz was his first choice. They complemented each other: two men who considered themselves teachers as much as coaches, a defensive expert and an offensive one. As they grew closer, Holmgren turned to Fritz for advice beyond football, with family and with faith.

“I honestly think he loved my dad,” Sally Ann Shurmur said.

The 1996 season culminated at the Super Bowl, where the Packers beat New England and Fritz, a longtime coordinator who never became an N.F.L. head coach, validated his life’s work. Pat Shurmur watched the triumph at Michigan State. The rest of the family attended the game and the victory party. A photo of Sally Ann’s parents holding the Lombardi Trophy that night hangs in the entryway of her home.

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Browns Sign Running Back Ogbonnaya

With running back Peyton Hillis nursing a hamstring injury, the club signed running back Chris Ogbonnaya to their active roster from Houston's practice squad.

The team also waived rookie running back Armond Smith, clearing a roster spot for Ogbonnaya (O-BONN-I-ah), who played in two games for the Texans this season.

Ogbonnaya can give the Browns protection until Hillis gets completely healthy after straining his left hamstring during the first half of Sunday's loss to Oakland.

An MRI taken Monday showed Hillis hurt his leg, debunking speculation he was benched during the game by coach Pat Shurmur.

The NFL's trading deadline passed without the Browns making a deal despite reports the club was taking inquiries about Hillis, who has had a drama-filled second season in Cleveland.

On Monday, Shurmur emphasized that Hillis, who is trying to get a long-term contract extension from the club, was not on the market.

Hillis can be a free agent following the season.

Ogbonnaya was originally drafted in the seventh round by St. Louis in 2009, when Shurmur was the Rams' offensive coordinator. He spent the first 11 weeks of his rookie season on the Rams' practice squad before appearing in two games. He had 11 carries for 50 yards in Shurmur's offense.

The 6-foot, 225-pounder played college ball at Texas, where he was a teammate with Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. As a senior, Ogbonnaya rushed for 597 yards and had 792 yards receiving during his career with the Longhorns.

Perhaps the Browns' fastest player, Smith, who was signed as an undrafted free agent, had three carries for 2 yards.

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Browns' Hillis Has Hamstring Injury

A new movie mounts a troubling campaign to debunk Shakespeare.

A long-lost father resurfaces. Or does he?

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Browns CB Haden, C Mack Not Practicing

Republicans are trying to unravel workers’ rights that have existed since the Great Depression

If Medicaid’s equal access provision goes unenforced, providers will not participate.

He’s been ridiculed right and left, but Room for Debate asks, is his “9-9-9” plan so far-fetched?

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Browns’ Hillis to get more carries

NFL.com Staff | Tags: Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns, Montario Hardesty

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Perhaps channeling his inner Mike Shanahan, Browns coach Pat Shurmur says he wants to get more touches for Peyton Hillis. This comes nearly two weeks after Shurmur talked about getting more carries for Montario Hardesty. In Hillis’ Week 3 absence, Hardesty had 14 carries for 67 yards. Then in Week 4, with Hillis back on the field, the pair split carries — 10 for Hillis, seven for Hardesty — lending credence to Shurmur’s previous statement.

If the Browns really are leaning toward Hillis getting more touches, it will either come at the expense of Hardesty or in the form of fewer passing attempts for Colt McCoy (who threw the ball 61 times on Sunday). Since the number of passing attempts is partially dictated by the score, it sounds as though Hardesty might be headed back to the four carries per game he was getting in the first two weeks of the season. For fantasy owners with Hillis on the roster, it’s good news for the near future. But if Shurmur changed his mind once, he’s liable to do it again. Stay tuned.

– Marcas Grant

Posted in: Fantasy  

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Video – CBS Titans vs. Browns Week Four Preview

Matt Hasselbeck and the Tennessee Titans will face off against Colt McCoy and the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon. Who has the advantage? Jason Horowitz and NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan break down this upcoming game. Watch the game on CBS at 1 PM ET

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Browns Let One Slip Away Against Bengals

After watching the Bengals build a 10-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter., the Browns gained momentum back before halftime by establishing a 14-13 halftime lead.

The Browns would tack on a FG in the 3rd Qtr., and the score would remain that way until there was less than 6 minutes to go in the 4th Qtr., when Cincinnati’s back-up QB, Bruce Gradkowski, hit rookie WR, A.J. Green, for a 41-yard score that gave the Bengals a 20-17 lead late in the game.

Cincinnati would regain possession of the ball right before the 2:00 warning in the 4th Quarter. Cedric Benson finished off the Browns with a 39-yard scamper to the end zone for his first TD of the game.

Final Score: Bengals 27 – Browns 20

The Pat Shurmur era got off to a rough start against the Bengals. In the 1st Qtr. alone, the Browns new head coached watched his team manage 6 penalties and come-up with just 3 yards of total offense.

Cincinnati, however, took advantage of great field position on their first two drives, and rookie QB, Andy Dalton, surprised a few critics as he led the Bengals to a 10-0 1st Qtr. lead.

After the previous three kickoffs sailed out the end zone, Browns return-man, Joshua Cribbs, decided to finally bring one out. Cribbs’ return gave the Browns excellent field position, setting the offense up on the Cincinnati 42-yard line.

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Injury roundup: Browns lose Cribbs

Published: November 14th, 2010 | | Tags: Adam Snyder, Bernard Berrian, C.J. Spiller, Chad Henne, Chad Pennington, Chan Gailey, Dwight Lowery, Jake Long, Jerricho Cotchery, Joe Nedney, Joe Staley, John Sullivan, Joshua Cribbs, Kerry Collins, LaRod Stephens-Howling, Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Slauson, Mike Jenkins, Mike Nugent, Percy Harvin, Ramses Barden, Rodger Saffold, Scott Fujita, Sheldon Brown, Spencer Johnson, Tyler Thigpen, Week 10 injuries 2010, William James

It was a rough day on the injury front for the Browns, who lost WR Joshua Cribbs (foot), CB Sheldon Brown (shoulder) and LB Scott Fujita (knee) in the overtime loss to the Jets. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Cribbs dislocated four toes on his right foot.Jets WR Jerricho Cotchery suffered a groin injury late against the Browns and wasn’t able to finish the game. According to several reports, Cotchery appeared worried about the injury after the game and will undergo an MRI exam on Monday. The Jets also lost LG Matt Slauson (knee) and DB Dwight Lowery (head).Vikings WR Percy Harvin (left ankle) and C John Sullivan (calf) were sidelined against Bears and didn’t return. Bernard Berrian was active but was a late scratch due to a groin injury.Injuries to starter Chad Pennington (right shoulder) and former starter Chad Henne (left knee) forced the Dolphins to finish with third-stringer Tyler Thigpen. Coach Tony Sparano didn’t have an update on their status, and Albert Breer reports Henne will undergo an MRI exam tonight. NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi reported it’s Thigpen who will likely start against the Bears Thursday night. The Miami Herald also reported LT Jake Long suffered a dislocated shoulder.The Bills lost rookie RB C.J. Spiller to a hamstring injury. Coach Chan Gailey all but ruled Spiller out for next week, and he’s considered to be out indefinitely. Bills DE Spencer Johnson also injured a hamstring.Bengals K Mike Nugent suffered what is being reported as a severe knee injury during an onside kick late against the Colts. “It doesn’t look good,” Nugent told Bengals.com.Titans QB Kerry Collins suffered a calf injury at the end of the first half against the Dolphins and didn’t return.Matt Hasselbeck suffered a broken bone in his left wrist but was able to finish the game against the Cardinals. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said the injury “looks to be manageable.”The Giants lost WR Ramses Barden to a left ankle injury. Barden was on crutches after the game, according to the NY Daily News, and thinks he could miss 1-2 weeks.Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins didn’t return against the Giants after leaving during the second quarter with a neck injury. Fellow CB Terence Newman suffered a left ankle injury but was able to return.The Rams lost starting LT Rodger Saffold to a right ankle injury.The 49ers were another team hit hard by injuries, as LT Joe Staley (fractured left fibula), OL Adam Snyder (right shoulder sprain) and CB William James (concussion) left against the Rams and didn’t return. Kicker Joe Nedney suffered a right knee strain but stayed in the game.Cardinals returner LaRod Stephens-Howling played sparingly after injuring a hamstring during the first half against the Seahawks.Posted in: News  

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