Pound puppy? Johnson eyes leap

Cincinnati’s outspoken
receiver plans to jump into
the Dawg Pound after a TD.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Chad Johnson kicked off his touchdown-celebration tour Monday night on Cincinnati’s sideline, where the Bengals outlandish wide receiver slipped a faux gold Hall of Fame blazer over his shoulder pads.

Canton, he’s predicting, will be a final destination.

Until then, next stop: The Dawg Pound.

“I hope I get in there,” Johnson said in preparation of Cincinnati’s visit to Cleveland.

“They can give me some popcorn — throw some beers at me — whatever they want to do. I’m going to jump in the Dawg Pound.”

It remains to be seen if anyone will be sitting there.

Even the most die-hard Browns fled early from last week’s season-opening 34-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a humiliating defeat that prompted Cleveland general manager Phil Savage to trade starting quarterback Charlie Frye to Seattle two days later.

The Browns, just 18-39 at home since their 1999 expansion return, are fumbling and bumbling once again.

And now that Frye has been jettisoned, the Browns will start Derek Anderson, their former No. 2 QB who failed to win the starter’s job in training camp and was inserted to replace a rattled Frye in the first half last week.

Brady waiting

Anderson’s future under center could last one play, one quarter or a few games.

He’ll stay in as long as he’s healthy and as long as he’s not throwing passes to the opposition.

That’s when rookie Brady Quinn will get the call from coach Romeo Crennel.

For Cleveland to have any chance, the Browns, beaten 30-0 by the Bengals last season at home, must do a better job on pass defense after allowing Ben Roethlisberger to throw four touchdowns passes a week ago. Two of those scores came on broken coverage by Cleveland’s secondary.

The Browns’ No. 1 priority will be trying to contain No. 85, the affable Johnson who, in addition to leaping into the stands, could make a significant jump in the Bengals’ record books.

Johnson has enjoyed modest success against the Browns, scoring six TDs in 12 career games.

Cleveland has been able to contain him largely because of cornerback Leigh Bodden, who Johnson calls a friend and “one of the best cover corners in the NFL.”

Bodden missed Cleveland’s last meeting with the Bengals because of an ankle injury, but he’s looking forward to another crack at Johnson.

Bodden’s aware of Johnson’s latest plan to enter Cleveland’s notoriously rowdy bleacher section without a ticket.

He has ideas of his own.

“If I’m going to be on him all game, I’m responsible for him getting in the end zone,” Bodden said. “So he’s not going to get in the end zone.”

And if Johnson does, Bodden says he should go ahead with his jump.

“If he wants to get beaten up,” Bodden said.