CLEVELAND Against Cards, Browns all aces

Kelly Holcomb and Andre' Davis led Cleveland to a 44-6 rout of Arizona.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- For 60 minutes, at least, all of the controversies were put to rest.
Taking their place was a Cleveland Browns team that fans longed to see -- one that could win convincingly and draw attention on the field, instead of on the police blotter and waiver wire.
OK, so they beat up on the punchless Arizona Cardinals 44-6 Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Nonetheless, any win at this stage of the season is important, especially one week before the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town.
"We needed to make a stand," Browns coach Butch Davis said. "It was put up or shut up for us."
All-around attack
Quarterback Kelly Holcomb, a revised stable of receivers and the Browns defense made receiver Kevin Johnson's release and running back William Green's suspension for substance abuse seem not as vital.
Holcomb completed 29-of-35 passes for 392 yards and three touchdowns, James Jackson ran for two touchdowns and Phil Dawson kicked three field goals as the Browns (4-6) bounced back from a three-game losing streak.
"This is probably the most complete game we've played in my 2 1/2 years as head coach," Davis said. "A large part of that started early in the week with the players' commitment to trust each other and go out and focus."
By utilizing eight different receivers, Holcomb became the Browns' leader for passing yards in a regular season game. He surpassed Bernie Kosar, who had 353 in a 23-17 loss at Indianapolis in 1989.
"It shows what a good week of preparation can do," Holcomb said. "To come out here and do it on Sunday is gratifying.
"The offense had been struggling and we hadn't had many big plays," he added. "We took it upon ourselves to put the emphasis on [correcting] that."
Strong start
The Browns were so efficient on offense, they scored on their first four possessions for the first time this season. Their previous high was three against Pittsburgh on Oct. 5.
"We did a great job of mixing things up," Davis said. "We had a variety of different guys involved in the game, and every phase [of the team] played a huge part in our success."
With Johnson's absence seemingly having no negative impact in the first half, Holcomb threw two touchdown passes and Dawson kicked two field goals to put the Browns ahead 20-3.
Holcomb's scoring tosses went for 4 yards to Andre' Davis and 1 yard to Dennis Northcutt, the latter on a shovel pass with 4 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the half that put Cleveland up 20-0.
"It's considerably easier to be aggressive as a coordinator or a quarterback when you have your offensive line back," said Butch Davis, referring to the Browns' line that had been battered by injury.
Holcomb added, "The offensive line kept the protection solid. When you go through an NFL game and not get hit much, that's an unbelievable job."
Time to work
That protection allowed Holcomb to find his many receivers.
Of the Browns' balanced receiving corps, Andre' Davis led the way against Arizona with career highs in catches (seven) and yards (117).
He was backed by Quincy Morgan's five catches for 116 yards and a touchdown and Northcutt's six catches for 56 yards and a score.
"I've said from day one that we've got guys who can get down field and make plays for us," Holcomb said.
Dawson completed the Browns' first-half scoring by kicking field goals of 34 and 24 yards. The latter was his 100th career attempt spanning five years in the NFL. Dawson added a 29-yarder in the fourth quarter, making him 82-of-101 (81 percent) for his career.
One week after losing soundly in Pittsburgh, Arizona (3-7) fared no better Sunday. The Cardinals' offense, run by quarterback Jeff Blake, was lethargic (187 total yards) and their defense, to say the least, struggled.
"This is as bad as I've ever seen a defensive team execute," Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis said.
richesson@vindy.com