Head Coach Romeo Crennel is cautioning the team to focus on only the game ahead of them but everyone else is talking about this team and the playoffs. At the beginning of the season the team was ranked last in the NFL power rankings and the only speculation as to Coach Crennel was as to whether or not he would last until the bye week when it was expected that the team would be turned over to the rookie quarterback Brady Quinn.

After the first game - the beating by the Pittsburg Steelers - the preseason prognostications appeared to be absolutely accurate. The team then appeared to flounder by dumping Charlie Fry - the man who had just won the preseason quarterback competition and handed the job to Derek Anderson who had been roundly criticized during the preseason as blowing every opportunity handed to him. Then came the 2nd game shootout with Cincinnati and the collective question of where did this come from?

Transition to today. This morning on the Mike and Mike in the morning show the hot line guest was Coach Crennel and his lead in was as coach of the year. The quarterback situation has gone from a first round holdout and potential late year starter along with two position warmers to what has been termed one of the most envied quarterback situations in the league. The future of the team has not had to take a snap and Mr. Anderson will go from making minimum NFL wages to being a rich man. It is certainly possible that some team will want his services badly enough to sign him to a long term contract as a restricted free agent and to give the Browns a first and a third round draft pick. Not bad for a guy claimed off a practice squad as a 6th round pick!

{mosimage}Of course Joe Thomas has been everything that the Browns would want as a first round pick while the former bad boys - Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow have become both model citizens long with being two of the best receivers in the league. Week after week they along with Jurevious have come up with crucial and spectacular catches. Thus after years of draft failure the Browns have three first round choices who are allpro performers and one who cannot even break into the line up.

Then there is Josh Cribbs on special teams - leader of the team in special team tackles and, if it were not for Hester, the talk of the league as a punt and kickoff returner. This team has had only one probowler since its return to the league. It may have legitimate claims to multiple participants this year.

Finally all of this has seemed to come together and bad luck - the only luck of the Browns for the decades past may have also come to change. Remember the Drive, the Fumble, Red Right Eighty Eight, the Replay and the Bottles, the Helmet and all of those Browns' events that lead to catastrophic losses. Now we have the Bounce - that impossible rebound back through the goal posts and the reversal of the nonreviewable call by the referees. But teams make their luck and it was only great plays by the team that put them in the position even to attempt that kick.

For Browns fans worldwide - crank up the barbecue and pump up the keg for the last five weeks of the season may be a fun ride into a place where this team is not used to going. But to follow the advice of Coach Crennel - there is only one game to focus on and one team to play - so bring on the Cardinals.

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