Monday, December 21, 2009
By TONY GROSSI
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Eric Mangini is not going down without a fight.
On a day of record-breaking individual performances by Jerome Harrison and Josh Cribbs, the embattled coach may have emerged the biggest winner in the Browns’ 41-34 triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Amid reports that Mike Holmgren is on the verge of accepting an offer to be the club’s president, general manager and coach — anything and everything Holmgren wants — Mangini’s team played like it wants him to stay.
UHarrison broke Jim Brown’s franchise record and posted the third-highest rushing total in NFL history with a remarkable 34-carry, 286-yard rushing game that included touchdown runs of 71, eight and 28 yards.
U As a team, the Browns crushed the Chiefs for 351 yards on the ground on 49 attempts. The rushing total was one off the franchise record set in a game in 1958.
UCribbs ripped off kickoff return touchdowns of 100 and 103 yards, matching Cleveland native Ted Ginn Jr. of Miami as the only players in history to do that. Cribbs totaled 269 yards on kickoff returns, 36 on punt returns, ran three times from scrimmage for 8 yards, caught a pass for 3 yards and threw a pass into the end zone that was broken up.
The win was their second in a row, and first back-to-back in 24 games. It was also the Browns’ first victory in Arrowhead Stadium since 1988.
Mangini, of course, noted all these facts in comments after the game as he intensified his defense to keep his job.
“They are what they are,” Mangini said of the rampant reports that Holmgren would change coaches if he joins the Browns. “I am coaching this team. I am proud of this team and the things we have done. I am proud of the progress we have made and that is the only thing I am concerned with.”
Harrison said, “We can’t control none of that. We’re just playing and coming together as a team. Everything’s just falling in line.”
Quarterback Brady Quinn, who won his second game in a row with pedestrian numbers (10-of-17 for 66 yards, two interceptions and a 27.7 passer rating), said the team is trying to save Mangini’s job.
“There’s no doubt,” Quinn said. “Everybody’s trying to make this work.”
Harrison and Cribbs also are auditioning for new contracts. Harrison’s contract is up after this year and Cribbs continues to campaign for a redone deal. Those aren’t the motivating factors for their surreal performances on Sunday, of course, but the two players have struck up a personal competition.
Cribbs struck for his touchdown returns in the first and second quarters. The second one was in direct response to a Chiefs’ touchdown resulting in an errant snap on a punt that was covered by Kansas City’s Andy Studebaker in the end zone.
The rare miscommunication between Browns upback Nick Sorensen, who calls the signals, and long snapper Ryan Pontbriand gave the Chiefs a 24-13 lead. Cribbs’ runback was an emphatic statement that the Browns would not go quietly.
In the locker room at halftime, Mangini scolded his team, “You can’t have Josh Cribbs bailing us out every week.”
Harrison accepted the challenge.
“For the past two to three weeks, me and Josh have had a personal vendetta to outperform each other,” he said. “At halftime, I told Josh, ‘I’m coming at you.’ ”
Harrison had a good first half — 73 yards on 12 carries — but his second half was surreal.
On the Browns’ first possession, Harrison cut to the right on an inside run, skipped over a tackler and sprinted 71 yards for a touchdown. It moved the Browns ahead, 27-24.
With 5:18 to play in the fourth quarter, Harrison blasted up the middle from 8 yards for a touchdown and a 34-24 Browns lead.
Then, with 52 seconds left in the game, Harrison scooted around right end and then straddled the goal line for a few seconds to run the clock before stepping over for a 28-yard touchdown to seemingly seal the win, 41-34.
Harrison’s awareness paid off because it gave Kansas City one less play to attempt to tie the game at the end.
The Browns’ defense couldn’t cover anybody all day. Quarterback Matt Cassel threw for 331 yards and would have hit 400 if not for at least five drops. Cassel moved the Chiefs 55 yards in 31 seconds before his final pass in the end zone banged off the goal post.