BROWNS Couch aware he needs to be more consistent

Cleveland is just a half-game behind the Steelers in the AFC North race.
BEREA (AP) -- Tim Couch can't count on another prayer being answered this Sunday.
The Browns quarterback, wildly inconsistent all season, had another shaky performance covered up last week at Jacksonville with a last-second, game-winning touchdown pass to Quincy Morgan.
The 50-yard heave wiped out a critical interception -- thrown into triple-coverage -- with 1:25 remaining.
Couch knows he'll need to be much sharper this week against Indianapolis (8-5).
"Consistency is my big thing," Couch said Wednesday. "I've had times this year where I've played as good as anybody, and I've had times where I've played pretty bad."
Playoff race
The Browns (7-6) need the good Couch to show up this week. Cleveland, which trails Pittsburgh by one-half game in the AFC North, needs to win its final three games -- two at home -- to have any shot at making the playoffs.
"We have to win out to have any chance," Morgan said.
To do so, Couch will have to play much better at home than he has so far this season.
So will the Browns, who have gone just 2-4 on the road compared to 5-2 at home, beating only Cincinnati (1-12) and expansion Houston (4-9).
Browns coach Butch Davis plans some changes to the club's weekend pregame routine.
"We may get on the plane, fly to Akron and fly back," Davis joked. "I asked if we could play in Columbus this week."
Rattled
Couch might welcome anything to shake him out of his funk at home.
The fourth-year QB admitted he was rattled by the mistreatment he got earlier this year from Browns fans, who booed him during a Sunday night loss to Baltimore and then cheered when he sustained a concussion and was replaced by Kelly Holcomb.
Since then, Couch, who has thrown just four of his 15 TD passes this season at home, said he's been trying too hard to win back the hearts of Cleveland fans.
He's had the same problem in road games, forcing passes that shouldn't be thrown at all.
That was the case late last Sunday when Couch, trying to rally the Browns, locked in on wide receiver Kevin Johnson running a crossing pattern and tried to thread a pass through three Jaguars defenders.
"My worst habit is trying to do too much sometimes," Couch said. "I'm trying to make the big throw when it's not really the time to make it.
"In the games I play really well, I just kind of let the game flow and get the ball to open guys and let them run with it. That's when I'm at my best, when I get rid of the ball quickly.
"It's when I set back there and try to make too much happen is when I force the bad throws. It's all fixable stuff and I'm going to fix it and get to the level where I want to be."