PRO FOOTBALL Browns are struggling; Bills wary

Cleveland is seeking first road win of the year, and first victory under Robiskie.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns are banged up, have lost six straight, have an interim head coach and are giving rookie quarterback Luke McCown his second career start.
Sounds like easy pickings today for the suddenly surging Buffalo Bills.
Not so fast, Lawyer Milloy said.
"This is a dangerous situation to be in," the safety said. "You can look at it as a team that's desperate, trying to figure out what they're going to do for next year. ... And I think that's the way we're looking at it."
It might be easy for Bills fans and perhaps the rest of the NFL to underestimate the Browns (3-9), a team in disarray that's lost all five road games this year.
Bills in wild playoff race
But the Bills (6-6) didn't get this far, overcoming an 0-4 start to climb back into playoff contention, by looking too far ahead.
The importance of this game cannot be understated for Buffalo, in a five-team race for the AFC's sixth and final playoff berth. What's sobering is the Bills, because of tie-breaking scenarios, don't control their destiny and won't be guaranteed anything even if they win their remaining four games.
Milloy gets a laugh out of how fickle people are, noting that many of the same critics who wrote off the Bills as recently as last month are now touting them as a playoff team.
"That's the reason why we can't get caught up with you guys starting to flip it, talking about the playoffs and everything," Milloy said. "We have to take it one game at a time, respect our opponent."
The Bills are clicking in all phases, having won three straight and six of their last eight.
Running back Willis McGahee has sparked the offense since replacing now-injured Travis Henry as the starter in October. In seven starts, McGahee has five 100-yard rushing games, and the Bills have won six times.
Quarterback Drew Bledsoe appears rejuvenated in leading a team that's scored 117 points in its last three games, matching a franchise best over that stretch.
The defense is playing with more cohesion after wilting in the clutch, three times blowing fourth-quarter leads in the Bills' first four losses.
Special teams are special
And it made no difference they allowed a season-high 32 points in last weekend's 42-32 win at Miami. The Bills made up for it by forcing seven turnovers, almost half as many as 18 Buffalo had last season, and clinched the victory when tackle Pat Williams returned an interception for a touchdown.
Then there's Terrence McGee, who has put the special back into the Bills' special teams. He's returned three kickoffs for scores this season, including a franchise record 104-yarder against Miami.
As difficult as the first month was, the Bills believe it helped build the team's resilience.
"We were really down and had to battle back through that," Bledsoe said. "And when you fight through some of that adversity, it gives you the confidence to say, 'OK, we can do it again."'
If not for the woeful Dolphins and 49ers, the Browns might be the NFL's all-adversity team.
Terry Robiskie is the interim coach, taking over after Butch Davis resigned following Cleveland's 58-48 loss to Cincinnati on Nov. 28.
Robiskie inherited a team that's missing eight regulars, has 14 players on injured reserve and has been outscored 100-63 in its last two games.
And the Browns have a quarterback controversy brewing now that McCown will get his second straight start, even though Jeff Garcia is considered healthy enough to return from a shoulder injury.
Robiskie says McCown, a fourth-round pick, gives Cleveland the best chance to win after going 20-for-34 for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in last weekend's 42-15 loss to New England.
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