BROWNS Opportunity knocks for Suggs, Northcutt

The offensive players are hoping for chances to play against the Bengals.
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BEREA -- They used to be a major part of the Cleveland Browns' offense.
One has been ineffective this season, the other invisible. One definitely will get a chance Sunday in Cincinnati; the other hopes for a chance.
For Dennis Northcutt and Lee Suggs, it's about opportunities, or lack thereof.
"I want to get a carry," Suggs said as the Browns prepared to face the Bengals. "I haven't had a carry since the first preseason game."
"At one point this season," Northcutt said, "I had let the fun slip away from me. I had to go back and say I'm playing. I could be at home doing nothing, in the ghetto, in the 'hood. I'm still doing what I love. I've got to get back to having fun playing this game."
Northcutt was a starter at receiver until the past three games, when rookie Braylon Edwards replaced him. Edwards' knee injury puts Northcutt back with the first unit.
"You get another opportunity," he said. "I had been demoted for a minute. Don't get mad and holler when that happens. It was what it was. I was totally fine with it. Now that he goes down, next person has to step up. That's me."
Catches and drops
It has been a disappointing season for Northcutt, whose 26 catches are overshadowed by his drops. Northcutt did not hide from the fact that he has dropped too many passes this season, but he said he has been affected by the fact that there have been four offensive coordinators and eight quarterbacks in his six seasons with the Browns.
"It's hard," Northcutt said. "The most consistent guy I had in a quarterback was Kelly Holcomb, and look how well we were connecting together. ... It's about chemistry."
Suggs used to be the Browns' biggest offensive threat against the Bengals.
In 2003 at Paul Brown Stadium, the running back rushed for a career-high 186 yards and two touchdowns, including a 78-yarder that tied for the third-longest in franchise history. In 2004 at Cleveland, he established career bests with five catches for 100 yards.
Injuries plague Suggs
Going into this weekend's road game with the AFC North-leading Bengals, injuries and Reuben Droughns have made Suggs a non-factor. Suggs missed the first two games of the season with a high ankle sprain from training camp, then spent six more on the inactive list when he broke his right thumb making a special-teams tackle Oct. 9 against the Chicago Bears. For the past two weeks, he has played only on special teams.
"I've got to hang in there," Suggs said. "I've got to keep looking forward. Things won't always be like this. I have to be patient and wait for my chance to come."