Morgan answers critics with play
With Kevin Johnson gone, the Browns' other receivers had strong performances.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- The "Dawg Pound" bit Quincy Morgan.
A third-year NFL receiver, Morgan got a taste of disgruntled fans' feelings Sunday during the Cleveland Browns' 44-6 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
"Those people let me have it," Morgan said. "I thought I was in Pittsburgh."
In earshot of the "Dawg Pound," Morgan heard negative opinions about Cleveland's controversial release of receiver Kevin Johnson from earlier in the week.
"I love Kevin Johnson to death, but it's not about Kevin Johnson. It's about us now," said Morgan, who had five catches for 116 yards and a touchdown against Arizona.
Mainstay
Johnson became one of the Browns' most consistent players after being selected in the second round of the 1999 draft.
In fact, Sunday marked the first game in which Johnson didn't catch a pass for the Browns since they returned to the league in '99.
Fans grew attached to Johnson, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars this week, and they made Morgan aware of their disapproval.
"That's life. Not everybody is going to love you," Morgan said. "As long as the guys in this [locker] room love me, that's all that matters."
Browns receivers certainly showed they didn't need Johnson for them to be successful, orchestrating one of the most productive offensive performances since the team's return to the league.
Morgan teamed with Andre' Davis to give the Browns their first two 100-yard receivers in a game since Jan. 2, 1983, when Ozzie Newsome (123 yards) and Ricky Feacher (109) did it against Pittsburgh.
Davis had a career-high game, with seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Dennis Northcutt added six catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.
"We knew we had to go out with the attitude to take care of our own responsibilities and not worry about what was being written or said on TV," Davis said. "We wanted to perform for each other and have fun."
Browns unite
And that was the message being sent from the Browns' locker room. The team banded together in the face of criticism from the media and fans following Johnson's release.
"When you're the head football coach, the head of a company or the president of the United States, there's an awful lot of decisions that have to be made," Browns coach Butch Davis said. "You have to do what you truly believe is the right thing to do."
Quarterback Kelly Holcomb added, "We know the fans and everybody are for us, but when things get bad, you have to have each other. We've had a lot of stuff going on the last couple of weeks, and it's a credit to the guys in the locker room to handle that."
As for Morgan, fans did give him some love. When he caught his 68-yard touchdown pass from Holcomb in the third quarter, the receiver dove into the "Dawg Pound" and joined in the celebration.
What a difference winning makes.