Browns at their best, 22-0

By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- In the week leading up to Sunday's game, Browns wideout Braylon Edwards ripped the Miami Dolphins for not drafting him, accused that organization of lying about their intentions and demanded his current team get him the ball more.
"You guys made a lot out of it," Edwards said. "The receiver position is a hot subject right now."
Maybe, but Edwards' comments -- especially in light of the Browns' performance in last week's 34-21 loss to the Steelers -- meant the rookie would need to step up in his first NFL start.
"I've got no problem with guys wanting the ball as long as they respond," Browns quarterback Trent Dilfer said, "and he did."
Best game of year
Edwards caught six passes for 90 yards, running back Reuben Droughns continued to play well and the Cleveland defense had its best game of the season as the Browns beat the Dolphins in a surprisingly controversial 22-0 win at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
"When you get drafted third [overall], there's a lot expected of you," Edwards said. "It's not like, 'Oh, good job, you did it.' It's what you're supposed to do.
"I'd rather talk about what I didn't do. I dropped a pass and missed a couple blocks."
Still, it was a solid offensive performance by the Browns, who took a 6-0 lead on their first offensive play when Droughns took a simple end-around 75 yards for a touchdown.
"I felt like I ran 200 yards," Droughns said of the touchdown. "I saw it open on the outside so I tried to work my way over there. I broke one tackle inside and saw a couple good blocks by Braylon and [center Jeff] Faine and tried to take it from there."
Defense gets shutout
The Browns defense, meanwhile, posted its first shutout since 2001, holding the Dolphins to a season-low 194 yards of total offense.
"This was the most disappointing game in terms of how the team competed," Dolphins coach Nick Saban said. "Our toughness and tenacity was not what it has been all year long.
"I'm not sure if I did a poor job psychologically of getting guys ready to play or whether they did not have the proper respect for their opponent."
Miami quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who played in place of injured starter Gus Frerotte, completed 5 of 10 passes for 14 yards and two interceptions. Frerotte entered the game in the second half but didn't fare much better, completing 4 of 18 passes for 53 yards. The two quarterbacks combined for an 11.6 rating.
"We got our butts kicked," Frerotte said.
Season high
Droughns finished with a season-high 166 yards on 30 carries and now has 868 yards on the year. He's on pace for 1,263 yards, which would make him the first Cleveland running back to pass 1,000 yards since Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner both did it in 1985.
"Reuben is a beast," Browns tight end Aaron Shea said. "I am just glad he is on my team."
Edwards, meanwhile, backed up his boasting with his best game of the season. His only mistake came in the fourth quarter when he bobbled one of Charlie Frye's passes, allowing Travares Tillman to pick it off.
"I had no problem with it," said Browns quarterback Trent Dilfer, when asked about Edwards' comments. "I didn't read it. I'd have to be an idiot to read the papers these days."
Dilfer was unhappy about having to split time with Frye (see story on C5) and has faced criticism for his play in recent weeks. His performance on Sunday should quiet some of the criticism, but the controversy is likely to spill over into this week.
Still, it was an encouraging win for the Browns (4-6), who had lost four of five.
"We as a team played good, but the credit goes to the defense," Edwards said. "They played great."
scalzo@vindy.com