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Browns 6, Bills 3: Ugly game OK with Browns

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — When good teams meet, the one with the ball at the end usually prevails.

When terrible teams meet, it’s the one who makes the latest biggest mistake that loses.

Exhibit A: Browns 6, Bills 3 on Sunday afternoon at a gusty Ralph Wilson Stadium.

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The beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder victory snapped a 10-game losing streak for the Browns (1-4). Fans finally had a reason to celebrate. Players could take a breath. And Eric Mangini could turn that frown upside down after notching his first win as Cleveland’s coach.

“The way it turned out, I thought it was beautiful,” said Mangini, who got a hug on his way off the field from quarterback Derek Anderson, who completed just two passes.

“Coach got a game ball,” left tackle Joe Thomas said. “I think it was really special for everybody, and I know it was special for him.”

The first win since November — again against the Lake Erie neighbor — wouldn’t have been possible without Roscoe Parrish muffing a punt with 2:59 remaining in a 3-3 game. The last of Dave Zastudil’s nine punts landed between up man Fred Jackson (on the field because the wind was so tricky) and deep man Roscoe Parrish. After it rolled for a few yards, Parrish tried to pick it up and booted it. Blake “Psycho” Costanzo recovered on the 16-yard line.

“I just wanted that ball,” said Costanzo, who has three special teams fumble recoveries this year. “I went after it with all I got.”

Six Jamal Lewis runs and an 18-yard Billy Cundiff field goal through uprights shaking in the wind won the game with 23 seconds left.

The Bills fell to 1-4, and coach Dick Jauron might want to start making plans for some unanticipated free time. The hot seat turned scorching after Buffalo was penalized 13 times, including nine false starts they blamed on trying to go with quick snap counts.

“If they would’ve been doing laps during training camp, that wouldn’t have happened,” Browns guard Eric Steinbach said, referencing Mangini’s punishment policy for committing a penalty in practice.

“I can’t stand to see it get any worse,” Bills receiver Lee Evans said.

The Browns were saying the same thing two weeks ago, but they made progress in an overtime loss to Cincinnati (4-1), then gritted out the win Sunday.

“The best team won today,” receiver Joshua Cribbs said. “We were due.”

The “best team’s” quarterback went 2-for-17 for 23 yards, an interception and a 15.1 rating. The yards and completions were the second lowest in team history (15 and one vs. Detroit on Dec. 19, 1954), and the one passing first down equaled the third fewest in team history. Anderson’s rating was the second lowest of his career (12.3 vs. Tampa Bay on Dec. 24, 2006).

“I love my teammates for helping me out because I didn’t do a lot today to get us this,” Anderson said. “Our defense and special teams won us the game.”

Anderson didn’t get much help from his receiving corps. Mohamed Massaquoi (two), Jerome Harrison (two), Robert Royal (two), newcomer Chansi Stuckey and Cribbs all dropped passes.

“I really think Derek played a real good game,” Massaquoi said. “He put it where it needed to be. The wind picked it up sometimes, but we have to go out there and make plays.”

Royal’s second drop was the worst, as he couldn’t handle a perfect deep ball on the 23-yard line that may have gone for a touchdown.

“I don’t care if it moves left or right, up or down,” he said. “I still got to have it. I’m a lot better than that.”

The two completions — a comeback to Massaquoi and a hook to Steve Heiden — in a win are the fewest since Cincinnati beat Denver 31-21 on Oct. 22, 2000. Corey Dillon rushed for a then-league-record 278 yards and the Bengals totaled 407 rushing yards. Akili Smith was 2-for-9 passing for 34 yards, and Scott Mitchell was 0-for-5.

The Browns’ game plan all week was to run the ball, and that only intensified when they showed up at the stadium to find the wind howling. Brian Daboll called 41 running plays that picked up 171 yards. Jamal Lewis, who’d missed the last two weeks with a sore hamstring, totaled 117 on 31 carries.

“They put eight guys in the box and we got tough yards,” Anderson said. “I’ve got to credit the O-line, Jamal and (Harrison) for getting the yards. It was tough sledding in there.”

The teams combined for 16 punts and 22 first downs. The Browns led 3-0 at halftime, and Buffalo tied it early in the third quarter.

“It’s good Midwestern football right there,” Thomas said.

Special teams played a huge role. Zastudil netted 42.1 yards on nine punts, including balls that were downed at the 1-, 1- and 4-yard line. Costanzo recovered the critical fumble and Cundiff improved to 5-for-5 in three games with the Browns.

“Eighteen yards is as easy as you get,” he said of the winner. “It’s shorter than an extra point. I just got to kick the ball straight.”

Cundiff almost turned goat after booting the final kickoff out of bounds. It gave the Bills a chance, and the ball at the 40-yard line with 23 seconds left.

“I know I gave the special teams coach a heart attack,” he said. “I just got too aggressive. It’s just like in golf. I tried to hit it too hard.”

Mangini yelled at Cundiff when he walked by on the sideline.

“Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?” Mangini said of his thoughts. “That ball should not be out of bounds — wind, rain, sleet, act of God, it stays inbounds.”

The anger was temporary, as the Bills’ desperation lateral play ended in a fumble.

One final mistake in a game that won’t be shown on ESPN Classic, but will forever be remembered by Mangini.

A bad day for D.A.

The Browns got their first win of the year Sunday despite some anemic numbers from QB Derek Anderson …

  • 2: Total completions, the fewest by a winning team since the Bengals beat the Broncos in 2000 and second fewest in Browns history.
  • 23: Total passing yards, the second fewest in team history.
  • 15.1: Quarterback passer rating.
  • 8: Dropped passes, which added to Anderson’s ugly day.

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Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.



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