Game Preview: Cleveland Browns

Since we previewed the Browns just a few weeks ago during preseason, we'll change it up a little.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

We had the old "Brownie the Elf" logo a few weeks ago, so today we'll shout out the "Dawg Pound."

2008 Record: 1-3

Head Coach: Romeo Crennel

Last time they met: The last time the Giants and Browns met in the regular season was in 2004, and saw the Giants beat the Browns, 27-10 at Giants Stadium.

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Rob Chudzinski

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Mel Tucker

OFFENSIVE AVERAGES (league rank): PTS 11.5 (31^st) YDS 210.8 (32^nd) PASS YDS 123.8 (32^nd) RUSH YDS 87.0 (25^th)

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS (league rank): PTS 19.5 (10^th) YDS 313.0 (15^th) PASS YDS 187.0 (10^th) RUSH YDS 126.0 (22^nd)

Notes and Quotes:

• The Browns last played the Giants on Sept. 26, 2004, in a game that foretold how the rest of the season would go. The Browns were hammered, 27-10. The Browns were without injured starting CBs Daylon McCutcheon and Anthony Henry. They were missing RT Ryan Tucker, RB Lee Suggs and TE Kellen Winslow on offense. Joaquin Gonzalez started at right tackle in place of injured Tucker and was eaten alive by Michael Strahan.
• Bernie Kosar was a rookie in 1985 the last time the Browns beat the Giants. Earnest Byner scored the winning touchdown on a nine-yard run to put the Browns ahead 35-33. The Giants had an excellent chance to win, but Eric Schubert missed a 34-yard field goal wide left on the final play of the game.
• The Giants were the only team to shut the Browns out in the 13 years Paul Brown coached the Browns in the NFL. On Oct. 1, 1950, in the third game the Browns played in the NFL after four years in the AAFC, the Giants won 6-0 on a three-yard touchdown run by Eddie Price. The Giants held Otto Graham without a completion in the first half. The Browns got to the Giants 10 in the third quarter and lost the ball on a fumble. They got to the 12 in the fourth quarter and turned the ball over on downs.
• Even though the Giants beat the Browns twice in the regular season in 1950 -- the Browns' only two defeats that year -- they met in a playoff game because both teams finished 10-2. The Browns won, 10-3, in 10-degree weather in Cleveland Stadium. The Browns broke a 3-3 tie in the fourth quarter on a field goal by Lou Groza and then added a safety for an 8-3 victory. Otto Graham completed only three of eight passes for 43 yards, but he led the Browns in rushing with 70 yards on eight carries.
• The Browns and Giants met in another divisional playoff in 1958 when both teams finished 9-3 in the NFL East. The Giants held the Browns to 86 yards total offense and won, 10-0, on a 10-yard run by Charley Connerly after taking a lateral from Frank Gifford. Pat Summerall added the PAT and a field goal. The next week, the Colts won the NFL championship by beating the Giants 23-17 in overtime.
• Leroy Kelly rushed for four touchdowns on Dec. 1, 1968 when the Browns beat the Giants, 45-10, before 83,153 fans in Cleveland Stadium.

BY THE NUMBERS: 37 -- Penalties committed by the Browns in four games.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "The Giants will eventually lose a game; there isn't going to be another undefeated team like NE last year; this could be a trap game for the Giants, due to overconfidence based on our record and what they did to us the last time.

I say Browns 24, Giants 20."---Dawg Nuts, from SB Nation's "Dawgs By Nature."

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Here are some stories out of Cleveland on the game:

• Tony Grossi scouts the New York Giants - Cleveland.com
• Illness could idle Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow, but the Browns won't say what it is.
• Cleveland.com talks with former University Of Akron star Domenik Hixon.
• Ohio.com - Romeo Crennel wants Browns to block political distractions