Browns' Dilfer may not be ready to play

BEREA (AP) -- After unstrapping ice bags from both swollen, aching knees, Trent Dilfer hobbled down the hallway and into Cleveland's locker room. Forcing a smile, the Browns' battered quarterback updated his medical condition.
"I'm walking," he said Monday, "which is good."
The Browns are moving, too. In reverse.
At times during Sunday's 24-12 loss at Minnesota, the Browns looked unorganized, undisciplined and unmotivated as a medley of mistakes sent them to one of their most lopsided losses -- one week after shutting out Miami 22-0.
"We took a huge step back," running back Reuben Droughns said. "We got pretty much demolished out there."
Dilfer took the brunt of the beating, getting sacked five times and roughed up countless others by a relentless Vikings defensive front that mostly overpowered the Browns' offensive line.
Dilfer underwent MRIs on both knees at the Cleveland Clinic, and the club was awaiting test results on the 33-year-old. Following a "rough" night, Dilfer arrived at the club's training facility at 7:30 a.m. for treatment.
Will start if able
Browns coach Romeo Crennel said that barring an injury, Dilfer will remain his starting quarterback. Although he plans to play backup Charlie Frye, Crennel isn't ready to start the rookie just yet.
"Probably not this week," he said. "It's my choice and I'm deciding to stay with the veteran if he's healthy and he can go."
Judging by Dilfer's current gimpy condition, Frye's chances of making his first NFL start have never been better.
A 12-year veteran who has played through pain many times, Dilfer didn't want to guess about the severity of his injury or whether he'll be able to play Sunday against Jacksonville.
"I hate speculating about that because I've had things that have hurt so bad before I didn't think I'd be able to walk and I was fine the next day," said Dilfer, who sprained a knee ligament in 2002 when he was with Seattle. "I've had stuff that hasn't hurt that bad and it holds you out."
Crushed during sack
On a sack in the third quarter, Dilfer's right knee was crushed under the weight of having both Vikings defensive end Darrion Scott and Browns left tackle L.J. Shelton, listed at 345 pounds, fall on him.
"The one hit, I thought I was done," Dilfer said. "There was a sharp pain, I didn't think I would be able to get up. But that's happened before and you get up and move it around a little bit and you realize it's not a catastrophic injury at the time. When I realized it wasn't, I wasn't going to come out."
Dilfer limped badly throughout most of the second half when the Browns (4-7) were still within two touchdowns and trying to rally. He didn't want to sit if he didn't have to, displaying a toughness that impressed his teammates.
"You could tell he was in some pain and that definitely showed me a lot," center Jeff Faine said. "I knew he had that. But that was an actual, real example of some true heart and some true determination."
Too many mistakes
Aside from Dilfer's toughness, the Browns did little else to show they're improving under Crennel.
Beginning with a pass by Dilfer that rookie wide receiver Braylon Edwards let tip off his fingertips for an easy interception, the Browns made too many forced and unforced errors to have any chance of winning.
Cleveland had three turnovers -- two when Dilfer fumbled after being blindsided -- inside their own 35-yard line. The Vikings converted each into touchdowns, needing to go only 84 yards for 21 points.
Crennel has preached patience during another year of rebuilding in Cleveland, but he said it's time for the Browns to pick up the pace.
"I thought that we had made some progress and had gotten past jumping off-sides, losing containment, fumbling the ball and turnovers," he said. "We hadn't gotten past it. It came back."