Browns can’t stop the Titans, 28-9

By TONY GROSSI

Tennessee clinched the AFC South championship.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Three more weeks of this?

Three more games of offensive futility and defensive breakdowns, preceded by endless speculation about Bill Cowher, Marty Schottenheimer and anyone else who’s been an NFL head coach marching in to the rescue.

Who stays? Who goes? Who’s playing quarterback? Will they or won’t they quit?

“This is the worst year of my life,” a Browns official said on Sunday.

That was before the Browns were trampled in LP Field by running backs Chris Johnson and LenDale White of the Tennessee Titans, 28-9.

The Titans, who were 10-6 last year, celebrated their 12th win in 13 games and clinched the AFC South title. The Browns, who were 10-6 last year, fell to 4-9 after their third consecutive game without an offensive touchdown.

So Ken Dorsey completes the trifecta begun by Brady Quinn against Houston and Derek Anderson against Indianapolis.

Except for last season, scoring touchdowns has been an excruciating exercise for the Browns since their expansion rebirth. They last had a TD-less run like this one in 2000. That year they had eight games of fewer than 10 points. This was their fourth in 2008, with games remaining at Philadelphia, against Cincinnati and at Pittsburgh.

“I expect to go out next week and learn from what I did this week and get better, get more comfortable,” said Dorsey, who was 22-of-43 for 150 yards and threw one interception in his first NFL start in three years.

Those expecting an enlarged, creative role for ex-Kent State running quarterback Josh Cribbs were disappointed.

Out of 64 offensive plays, Cribbs lined up eight times as a shotgun quarterback. The first time, Dorsey motioned back under center before the snap. On six occasions, Cribbs ran with the ball, gaining 24 yards. One of those runs, for 30 yards, was reduced to 6 when Darnell Dinkins was called for holding.

Finally, after Tennessee’s last touchdown in the fourth quarter, Cribbs was allowed to pass the ball. He threw deep for Braylon Edwards down the right sideline, but Edwards was able to get only one foot in bounds. The Browns didn’t even bother to challenge the call.

Coach Romeo Crennel said it’s unfair to ask Cribbs to throw the ball much if the team doesn’t practice it during the week. Cribbs disputed that he received 45 percent of the offensive snaps this week in practice, as reported during the CBS broadcast of the game.

“Most of his [quarterback] stuff was done after practice [to prepare as an emergency quarterback],” Crennel said.

And so, limited by Dorsey’s minimal arm strength and Jamal Lewis’ rapidly declining season (seven carries for 7 yards), the Browns failed to score a touchdown despite an average drive start of their 37.

Two interceptions by linebacker D’Qwell Jackson and a fumble recovery by cornerback Eric Wright gave the Browns the ball at the Tennessee 25, 26 and 46. They resulted in three Phil Dawson field goals after the offense ran three plays, three plays, and 10 plays for 24 yards.

“I tried to make quick, efficient decisions,” Dorsey said. “At times I was too quick and other times not efficient enough.”

Dorsey completed a short pass to Braylon Edwards that went for 25 yards on the third play of the game. That was the offensive highlight. Dorsey said he was frustrated that he missed Edwards against single coverage in the end zone on two occasions.

Crennel said Dorsey “kept fighting, but their rush was pretty effective.”

Meantime, the defense allowed Johnson (19 carries for 136 yards and one touchdown) and White (24 for 99 and one TD) to live up to their nickname of Smash and Dash.

It’s a shame because Kerry Collins sure didn’t look like the field general of a 12-1 team.

He was 14-of-23 for 155 yards and two interceptions. He threw for two touchdowns, one on a short pass to fullback Ahmard Hall on a great fourth-down call with the Browns expecting a handoff to White, and the other on a bullet to Justin Gage in the back of the end zone when Wright lost coverage.