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The Browns did themselves proud Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.
The team with nothing to play for beat the team with everything to play for.
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The Browns squashed the Cincinnati Bengals' playoff hopes and ended a disappointing 5-11 season on an uplifting note with a 22-14 victory.
They won behind the running of rookie Lee Suggs, who ran 26 times for 186 yards
and two touchdowns. They won behind a patchwork offensive line that included
Joaquin Gonzalez and Enoch DeMar at left tackle and guard. That line opened
holes for Suggs all day.
"This was a testament to these guys, their willingness to keep trying and
to keep the faith," coach Butch Davis said.
"I think we were just sick of losing," offensive tackle Ryan Tucker
said. "That's the bottom line. We had a couple feel-good games and still
lost, and we were sick of it."
In winning, the Browns eliminated the Bengals from playoff contention and gave
Art Modell a present -- a playoff berth and division championship for his Baltimore
Ravens.
The Browns were giddy about ending the Bengals' season.
"That's the last team you want going to the playoffs," wide receiver
Quincy Morgan said. "That's our crosstown rivals."
"I don't want anyone else to win except for me," cornerback Daylon
McCutcheon said. "That's part of being a competitor. I know someone is
going to win a Super Bowl, but I don't want to be the person to help them at
all.
"They're not going to feel sorry for us going home this off-season. I'm
not going to feel sorry for any team going home along with us."
The win even prompted Davis to express some more public angst. Davis said he'd
let the team down this year.
"There are a lot of things I could have done better," he said. "These
guys today kind of bailed me out."
Davis said he would elaborate on what more he could have done today.
The key to the win clearly was the running of Suggs, the Browns' fourth-round
draft pick. His 186 yards were the most by a Browns back since Earnest Byner
had 188 against the Houston Oilers in 1984. Suggs' 78-yard touchdown run was
the longest scoring run by a Brown in 26 years, and tied Pruitt for the third-longest
scoring run in Browns history.
"I've been waiting for this the whole season," Suggs said.
Suggs started the season sidelined by off-season shoulder surgery, but has seen
his playing time increase the past month following the suspension of William
Green.
"That's kind of the spark we were missing," Tucker said. "He
stepped in there and hit the hole and ran like an animal."
Jamel White added 54 yards on nine carries as the Browns had 264 yards rushing
-- by far the best team total since the Browns' rebirth in 1999.
"That's an offensive lineman's dream to rush for as many yards as we did,"
Gonzalez said.
Suggs' 78-yard score with 2:06 left in the first half gave the Browns a 13-7
lead. The Bengals drove right back down the field to the Browns 3-yard line,
but failed to even get a field goal when Jon Kitna failed to throw the ball
away on the last play of the half.
Tyrone Rogers' sack brought a smattering of boos from the home fans.
The Bengals took a 14-13 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Browns came right
back, scoring on Suggs' 25-yard run with 7:54 left. On that drive, Tim Couch
twice completed key third-and-long passes.
Brett Conway's field goal with 1:13 left provided the final margin, and Robert
Griffith's interception ended Cincinnati's last drive.
Players said one key to the win was the play-calling of offensive coordinator
Bruce Arians.
"B.A. did a great job of sticking with the game-plan and just running,"
guard Shaun O'Hara said. "No matter what happened, we were going to run
the ball."
"We stuck to the game plan," Tucker said, "and just ran it up
their butts."
Players and coaches did not try to argue that the win erased a disappointing
season.
"There was nothing great or joyous about it," Davis said.
But it did provide a decent way to end the year and look to 2004.
What do the Browns need as they look ahead?
"Patience from the people upstairs," Tucker said. "Right now
the worst thing we can do is have a huge turnover. We have the talent on this
team. If you can't watch this game and think we can do it, then you're crazy.
"The bottom line is to keep as many people as we can and keep going with
what we've got. Experience is everything in this league. Right now we have a
lot of experienced young guys, and that's what every team dreams of."