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Brown 'n' serve Palmer comes under fire after blowout losses
BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Another one or two of those lopsided losses by the Cleveland Browns and head coach Chris Palmer could be in danger of losing something, too. His job. With the Browns outscored 92-7 and embarrassed the past two weeks in Baltimore and Jacksonville, there is growing speculation that if his team doesn't play competitively in its final two games, Palmer may not be back for his third season in Cleveland. "I don't think about that a lot," Palmer said Wednesday. "All I'm trying to worry about is getting the team better. Those decisions are made by other people, so I have no control over that." Control and confidence have been hot topics in Cleveland since Sunday's 48-0 thrashing in Jacksonville when the Browns' offense had negative passing yardage, picked up two first downs and failed to cross the 50-yard line. Following the game, cornerback Daylon McCutcheon said there were a few players who had lost confidence in Palmer. Then on Wednesday, Palmer's performance was analyzed under a (Cleveland) Plain Dealer headline that asked: "Is Palmer in trouble?" "I read the paper," Browns tight end Mark Campbell said. "I think anytime you're losing everything is under question. I'm worried about my job. I think everyone in here is worried about their jobs." It was a little more than a month ago that Palmer was given a vote of confidence by team president Carmen Policy and owner Al Lerner, who guaranteed the coach would be back next season. "We haven't even considered the fact that he wouldn't be here next year," Policy said Nov. 2. But three consecutive losses by a combined 116-17 and an offense that has produced 12 first downs in that time may have changed the long-range thinking of the Browns' brass. Palmer said it wouldn't make any difference if ownership came out now and gave him another pat on the back. "He's already said it," Palmer said of Lerner. "But this is like the Florida election, we change it every day." Palmer, hired to bring the Browns back into a new era, is 5-25 in his two seasons in Cleveland. But this season has been a disaster as the Browns have been decimated by injuries. The Browns are currently tied for the NFL lead with Chicago for the most players on the injured reserve list. Cleveland has 12; the league average is 5.5. It's bad enough to have so many players hurt, but it's the quality of those injured players which has undermined the Browns' growth. Cleveland is without quarterback Tim Couch, running back Errict Rhett, guard Jim Pyne, wideout JaJuan Dawson -- all starters -- as well as several key backups, including QB Ty Detmer. "Look at Oakland," Palmer said. "They have one guy on IR. That's a pretty good deal. Take eight guys away from any team in this league, it has an effect. Take the St. Louis Rams, they lose one or two guys and you see the effect it has. "You have to be realistic when you're trying to build something. There are five teams with three wins, and only one of them has been in existence for two years."
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