|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Bill Belichick returns to the place where he coached for five seasons when the New England Patriots visit the Cleveland Browns today. Belichick led the old Browns to an 11-5 record and a trip to the playoffs in 1994. Ironically, Cleveland beat the New England Patriots, then coached by his former mentor Bill Parcells, 20-13, in the wild card round before falling to Pittsburgh. But Belichick was the lame duck coach when the old Browns announced their move to Baltimore following the 1995 season. Sabotaged by the turmoil surrounding the stunning announcement, the Browns finished 5-11 in 1995 and Belichick was dismissed. He compiled a 37-45 record with one trip to the playoffs in his five years with Cleveland. Browns coach Chris Palmer is also a Parcells disciple and was the quarterbacks coach for Drew Bledsoe in 1996. He went to Jacksonville and served as offensive coordinator before taking over the revived Browns in 1999. In his second year as Browns coach, Palmer has compiled a 4-22 record. Cleveland won two of its first three games, but season-ending injuries to Errict Rhett and quarterback Tim Couch crippled the team. While Cleveland has lost seven straight, the Patriots have struggled in Belichick's first season. After back-to-back wins over Denver and Indianapolis, New England has dropped three straight. The Patriots hope quarterback Bledsoe will be ready to go today. He suffered a jammed right thumb in the first quarter of last week's 16-13 overtime loss to Buffalo. After he banged his hand on the helmet of Bills linebacker Sam Rogers late in the first quarter, Bledsoe left the game in the second quarter. John Friesz replaced Bledsoe and completed 11-of-21 passes for just 66 yards with an interception. The Browns have not reached the end zone in three games without Couch, who broke his thumb in practice on October 19, ending his season. Cleveland has just two field goals in the three games. After alternating Doug Pederson and rookie Spergon Wynn at quarterback, Palmer went the whole way with Pederson in last week's 24-3 loss to the New York Giants. Pederson was 17-of-29 for 176 yards with an interception. Terry Glenn, a Columbus, Ohio native who played at Ohio State, had career bests of 13 receptions and 214 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown, in New England's 19-7 win at Cleveland in October 1999. Bledsoe completed 28-of-42 passes for 389 yards. The Browns lead the series, 11-5.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
