NFL Browns still have hopes for playoffs

Cleveland has a 4-5 record but Coach Butch Davis sees more right than wrong about the club.
BEREA (AP) -- The wear and tear of nine tumultuous weeks showed in every corner of Butch Davis' 50-year-old face.
As he massaged his temples in small circles, Cleveland's coach pressed his hands tightly over his eyes and exhaled before assessing what has been a chaotic season for his Browns.
A 4-5 record doesn't begin to explain what already has happened in 2002 to the Browns, whose toughest loss occurred with the recent death of popular owner Al Lerner.
"The bye week came at a perfect time for us," Davis said. "We needed it."
For so many reasons.
Pivotal time
Cleveland is at a critical juncture in its second season under Davis, who has spent much of the past week evaluating how much his club has improved and how far it needs to go.
"I think there's a lot more right with this team than there is wrong," said Davis, criticized by Browns fans for a boring offense, an inconsistent defense and undisciplined team.
"I know we're doing the right things," he said. "We're getting the right pieces of the puzzle."
It seems so. Despite losing their season opener when linebacker Dwayne Rudd stupidly threw his helmet; losing at Pittsburgh in overtime on a freakish play; and seeing quarterback Tim Couch suffer an emotional breakdown, the Browns haven't given up hope that they're a playoff team.
"I still believe there's a chance," Davis said. "A lot of it will come to fruition in the next two or three weeks. If we go 2-1 or 3-1 the next three or four weeks, and we're sitting at 7-6 with three games to go, then anything can happen.
"One thing we have going for us is, a year ago at this time, we had put eight guys on injured reserve. This year we have none. "
The Browns are one of six teams in their conference with four wins, and they trail the Steelers by just 11/2 games in the weak -- and very winnable -- AFC North.
But although they're mathematically in the hunt, and might stay that way for another month, the Browns are not close to being the team Davis wants them to be.
Obvious conclusions
After breaking down film of last Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh, Davis and his staff crunched some numbers. The data spit out some obvious conclusions:
Cleveland's offense needs to run the ball better.
The defense needs to create more turnovers.
The Browns are taking way too many penalties.
Special teams have carried them.
Davis' stated priority in the last seven games is to improve Cleveland's nonexistent running game, currently averaging just 72.3 yards per game, a league low.
"Regardless of the score, you just can't put yourself in a position where it's all throw," Davis said.
Davis began by digging into the playbook this week and tearing out pages containing running plays that haven't worked. Like the one where rookie back William Green gets thrown for a 2-yard loss.
Green's inability to break a long run, and his woeful rushing totals (161 yards, 2.3 average, 1 TD) through nine games, have Cleveland fans wondering if Davis made a big mistake with the No. 16 overall pick in this year's draft.
Davis, though, remains Green's best blocker.
Davis isn't shying away from playoff talk. He shouldn't. Cleveland's remaining schedule includes games against Cincinnati (1-7), Carolina (3-5), Jacksonville (3-5) and Baltimore (3-5). The Browns toughest remaining match-ups are with New Orleans (6-2), Indianapolis (4-4) and Atlanta (5-3), with the latter two at home.