NFL Davis can't read into tale of two Browns



In the coach's 24 games with Cleveland, 12 have been decided in the final minute.
BEREA (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns reached the halfway point of their season as a halfway team.
Once again, they had a split personality during Sunday's game.
The Browns played poorly in a dreadful first half, falling behind by 18 points before rallying after halftime for a 24-21 win over the stunned New York Jets.
"As a head coach you wish you could figure out the magic potion that would make a football team play the first half like they play the second half," Browns coach Butch Davis said. "I don't know what it is."
Whatever it is, it's raising Davis' blood pressure and graying his hair.
Kardiac question
After walking into his press conference on Monday, Davis asked reporters about the 1980 Browns, who earned their nickname as the Kardiac Kids with one comeback win after another.
"Did the head coach survive?" Davis asked. "Did he have a heart attack?"
Sam Rutigliano made it through the '80 season. Davis isn't sure he can handle too much more.
In Davis' 24 games with the Browns, 12 have been decided in the final minute, including five already this season. They've also had six games in two seasons come down to the final play.
"We've had some unbelievable finishes," he said.
The Browns (4-4) have had to come from behind in three of their four wins this season, including in their past two -- victories over the expansion Houston Texans and the Jets.
The second-half comebacks have shown character, but they've also revealed some major flaws.
"We're great fighters," running back Jamel White said. "We just need to be great starters. Once we become great starters, there won't be a fight. If we get that under control, we'll be OK."
Until then, the Browns need to figure out how to get out of the gate more quickly.
In Sunday's game, breakdowns on offense, defense and special teams contributed to the Jets bolting to a 21-3 lead just two plays into the second quarter.
Chad Pennington exposed Browns cornerback Lewis Sanders for two scores, and Cleveland gave up a 63-yard punt return for a TD by Santana Moss.
The Browns barely avoided getting blown out, thanks to a couple turnovers and some miscues by the Jets.
"I don't think we could have scripted a worse scenario for starting the ball game," Davis said.
Sixty better than 30
"Once we made the adjustments, we came out and got things done," linebacker Earl Holmes said. "Hopefully next time it won't be as hard. We're showing signs of how good we can be. But we really want to play for 60 minutes instead of playing for 30."