Nothing for Browns to say after loss
10/20/2009BEREA, Ohio - Wearing a novelty T-shirt, baseball cap, and sweat pants, Browns quarterback Derek Anderson shuffled past reporters and cameramen inside Cleveland's deserted locker room.
"Oh Lord no, I'm not talking today," Anderson, who never speaks on the day after a game, said playfully.
And really, after another loss in Pittsburgh, what's there to say?
Plagued by turnovers, missed tackles, more dropped passes, and a defense that gave up 543 yards and couldn't stop Ben Roethlisberger, the Browns were beaten 27-14 on Sunday by the Steelers, who won their 12th straight over Cleveland in a rivalry that's been dead for nearly a decade.
Yesterday, Browns coach Eric Mangini struggled to find many positives in his team's erratic performance. There wasn't much to feel good about or build off, so Mangini harped on the team's need to work on the little things to improve the bigger picture.
"It doesn't happen overnight," he said. "But it's got to keep going forward."
Mangini pledged to stick with Anderson, who is just 11-for-41 passing in his last two starts and had two fumbles and an interception against the Steelers. Anderson, though, was again victimized by drops. Cleveland's receivers dropped at least eight passes one week after failing to catch eight throws in Buffalo.
Anderson, who replaced Brady Quinn in Week 3, isn't the only problem. Just one of many for an offense that has produced four touchdowns in the last 12 games.
"There have been times where we've moved the ball really effectively," Mangini said. "We have to do a much better job of not stopping ourselves whether it be with the dropped balls or some throws that are a little bit off, or it could be tightening up the protection or tightening up the routes - all those things - I think we can get better at that."
ALLEN PARK, Mich. - Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz is optimistic his team will be at full strength after this week's bye.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Calvin Johnson did not play in the Lions' latest loss because of their injured right knees.
Daunte Culpepper couldn't finish the game because he hurt his right hamstring.
"The injuries that we have are short term," Schwartz said yesterday. "Short term may mean that they're back on the practice field this week. It may mean that they have two or three more weeks, but they're all in that sort of time frame."
The Lions plan to have workouts tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday.
"I'm not a believer in taking the whole week off," Schwartz said. "There's a lot of work to do."