Ailing Cribbs endures season of struggles with Browns

BEREA, Ohio -- Joshua Cribbs used his right hand to show what's wrong with his right foot.

Bending his fingers back, the Cleveland Browns' Pro Bowl return specialist explained that his toes were jammed back into the soft tissue of his foot earlier this season, an injury that has forced him to wear linemen's cleats for protection.

"It's excruciating pain," Cribbs said. "I can't even describe it."

Summarizing his season is just as hard.

The NFL's career leader in kickoff returns for touchdown hasn't broken one this season for the Browns (5-9), who have been ravaged by injuries. But even before he was hurt Nov. 14 while being tackled on a 37-yard reception, Cribbs wasn't the usual Cribbs.

With opposing teams scheming to keep the ball out of his hands on kickoffs and punts, Cribbs hasn't been able to do what he does best -- give Cleveland's offense quick points or a short field. He has averaged a career-low 20.4 yards on 33 kickoff returns this season.

"It has been humbling," said Cribbs, who had his contract reworked last winter by the Browns after some contentious negotiations. "But mostly it's been disappointing for me not to give some great fans what they deserve in my play, from an individual and team standpoint.

"I want to do so many great things to help my team and produce and wasn't able to. So I take that as a personal loss. But at this point, it's football and I want to play."

There's no denying Cribbs' heart. An undrafted free agent, he has fought for and earned everything he has. But without him at his best, the Browns' special teams have suffered.

Cribbs missed only one game after dislocating four toes, sitting Nov. 21 at Jacksonville. He has been on the field every other Sunday, but it's obvious that he hasn't been himself.

Not even close.

Cribbs can't push off as usual or accelerate. He's not hitting any holes or creases quickly enough to pop a big return. He's not breaking tackles. And the injury has inhibited the Browns from using him at quarterback in the Wildcat formation or at wide receiver.

Cribbs has two catches for 11 yards and one rush for minus-11 since being hurt.

"There are things I can't do," said Cribbs, his hooded sweatshirt covering his head. "The coaches are working with me, trying to allow me to do what I can. But it's football. I could easily sit down and be like, 'Coach, I'm going to try to take care of myself for next year.' I love football too much. Even my teammates ask me, 'If you ain't good, why don't you sit down?'

"This is what it's all about -- pushing through injuries, going to work when you don't have to and battling. This is Cleveland. How do I look with a foot injury and I can't go to work and make the money I'm supposed to make, and people got to work with worse circumstances than me? So I just gotta push through the injuries and do as much as I can for my team."

Cleveland's coaches know Cribbs' limitations. They understand he's hurting and that only a full offseason of rest will make him well. But until the season wraps Jan. 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cribbs intends to give his best.

As long as he can walk, Cribbs will run out and play.

"I don't want to get taken out," he said. "They are going to have to pull me off the field. Somebody is going to have to say, 'Look you can't play, your leg is broken.'"

Last season, Cribbs accounted for 2,510 all-purpose yards. With two games to play this season, he's at 1,109 yards. But despite the substantial drop-off, Browns coach Eric Mangini appreciates Cribbs' toughness and determination.

"I would obviously love for him to have the same level of production that he had last year, and he would love that too," Mangini said. "It's not like he ever sits back and says, 'I haven't done as much as I have hoped and better luck next year.' Josh is trying to be as helpful and productive and explosive as he can."

Cribbs is understandably frustrated. He's powerless to speed up his recovery. There's nothing to do but make the most of a bad situation.

If the Browns have designs on beating the Baltimore Ravens this week or the Steelers next Sunday, Cribbs might need to find a lane, get through it as fast as possible and not stop until he scores.

Does he have one in him?

"Oh yeah," he said. "That's what I'm trying to get done, what I'm trying to accomplish. I need to score for my football team. I need to score to keep things rolling for myself. But most importantly, for our football team, to let them know that we still have a powerful and dangerous kickoff return unit. We've yet to show that, but we're still working at it."

For Cribbs, it's been a painful process.

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Ryan: Jets will start Brunell vs. Bears if ailing Sanchez lacks 'zip'

The New York Jets might have to try to clinch a playoff spot this weekend without Mark Sanchez.

Jets coach Rex Ryan said Thursday that Sanchez's sore shoulder is worse than he first thought, though he still expects the quarterback to start Sunday at Chicago. If not, 40-year-old Mark Brunell would be under center.

"This one could be more of a game-time type decision than I thought it would be," Ryan said.

The Jets (10-4) will clinch a playoff berth if they beat the Bears (10-4) at Soldier Field.

Sanchez was limited in practice for the second consecutive day and "never had a ton of zip" on his passes, according to Ryan. But offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer saw it differently, offering a more optimistic evaluation.

"As he got going a little bit, he looked pretty good," Schottenheimer said. "Early in the day, Mark was trying to get loose. He had an 18-yard curl route that was awfully sharp."

Ryan wouldn't confirm published reports that an MRI exam Monday revealed a slight cartilage tear in Sanchez's shoulder, hurt during New York's second drive in last Sunday's 22-17 win at Pittsburgh.

NFL Network insider Albert Breer confirmed the report Wednesday through a league source.

Sanchez finished the game and played well through the injury. He was 19-of-29 passing for 170 yards and ran for a touchdown, stopping an eight-game interception streak.

"I still think he's going to play, but I was shocked a little bit," Ryan said. "The fact that he played the game and he looked great, I think I made an assumption that maybe I shouldn't have."

Earlier in the week, Ryan said he was 99 percent sure that Sanchez would play. The coach downgraded that number to 80 percent Thursday.

Sanchez wasn't available to the media because he talks on Wednesdays, but he has said he's "playing, that's all there is to it."

Ryan said the decision whether or not Sanchez plays will be made by the team, along with input from the quarterback. The coach said he made a mistake earlier this season when he allowed cornerback Darrelle Revis to decide if he was ready to return from a tweaked hamstring, and it worsened.

Sanchez threw more passes during practice Thursday than he did Wednesday, an encouraging sign. Both Ryan and Schottenheimer believe the decision likely will come down to Sanchez's threshold for pain, but the team won't put him in if he can't perform.

"He's still got to improve before we'll be comfortable with him out there as our starting quarterback," Ryan said. "Do we think he will? Yes, we do think he'll be better. This is what I've said the whole time about it being a sore shoulder."

Brunell, signed during the offseason after two years with the New Orleans Saints, is prepared to step in for Sanchez if needed. Brunell's last start came in the regular-season finale last year as Drew Brees rested for the Saints' eventual Super Bowl-winning push.

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"You have to be ready, that's the job of a backup," Brunell said.

Schottenheimer said the Jets wouldn't have to change much of their offensive game plan if Brunell starts, except for the fact he's left-handed.

"There'd be a few things here or there you might want to flip over and run the other way," Schottenheimer said. "For the most part, you don't change too much."

Ryan said it's "not essential" that Sanchez plays against the Bears if he's still hurting, especially since the Jets have confidence in the experienced Brunell.

"He's smart, he's done it all," Ryan said of the 18-year veteran. "We're not talking about a guy who's never done it before in his career. This guy was a Pro Bowl quarterback for a number of years. Is he as good as Mark Brunell was back then? No, because he'd be our starting quarterback. I feel comfortable with Mark, I really do."

Notes: Safety Eric Smith (concussion) was ruled out for the second consecutive game, as was RT Damien Woody (right knee). ... WR Santonio Holmes (turf toe) was limited in practice, but Ryan expects him to play Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ailing Browns' fashion statement: The protective boot

The Cleveland Browns have new team colors: bruised and orange.

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As many as seven starters, including quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace and running back Peyton Hillis, missed their second consecutive practice Thursday as the Browns, banged up on both sides of the line, prepared to face the well-rested Pittsburgh Steelers.

The injury bug has bitten deep into the Browns this season and won't let go.

"It's football," Wallace said. "Injuries happen."

They seem to be coming at an inordinate rate in Cleveland.

Wallace, a career backup who made four starts while Delhomme recovered from a high ankle sprain in the season opener, confirmed he suffered the same injury when he was sacked during the first half of last Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Wallace entered the locker room Thursday wearing a plastic protective walking boot, which has become something of a fashion trend with the Browns.

"A lot of people are wearing boots around here. Mike Holmgren started that," Wallace said, referring to the Browns' president, who recently shed his boot after undergoing foot surgery this summer. "He was walking around with the boot earlier in training camp, and nobody had a boot on. Now it seems like it's the thing."

With both of his experienced quarterbacks limping and potentially out for several weeks, Browns coach Eric Mangini will start rookie Colt McCoy against the Steelers, a team source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora on Thursday.

McCoy took the majority of the snaps with the first-team offense Wednesday, and he worked with the starters again Thursday during the 30 minutes of practice open to the media. Mangini was impressed with McCoy's composure on the field during the workout, which ended with the rookie leading the Browns in their post-practice "breakdown" huddle for the first time as a pro.

"That's probably what he was used to doing for years and years, being in that role, and he just fell back into that role," Mangini said.

In all, nine players -- down from Wednesday's 11 -- sat out practice Thursday, and four others were limited. In addition to Delhomme, Wallace and Hillis (thigh), the Browns' walking wounded includes defensive linemen Shaun Rogers (elbow) and Robaire Smith (back), center Alex Mack (shoulder), guard Floyd Womack (knee), tackle John St. Clair (ankle) and tight end Robert Royal (shoulder).

Wide receiver/returner Joshua Cribbs (ankle), safety Abram Elam (knee) and safety Nick Sorensen (calf) missed part of practice.

Mangini is hopeful he'll have more players back Friday. He needs Hillis -- badly.

The punishing back pulled his quadriceps muscle in practice last week. After gaining more than 100 yards in consecutive games, he was hindered by the injury against the Falcons and managed just 28 yards on 10 carries. The Browns will need Hillis at full strength against Pittsburgh's No. 1-ranked rushing defense, which is giving up just 62 yards per game and is coming off a bye week.

McCoy will have to deal with a defense that has a nasty reputation.

"It is Blitzburgh," Mangini said.

Therefore, McCoy's challenge will be to recognize when the Steelers are coming, and, if he can, audible into plays to offset Pittsburgh's pass rush.

Mangini doesn't expect Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and Co. to show McCoy any mercy.

"I'm sure that they're going to do things that they think is going to beat the protection, beat the scheme, and there is always something creative that they come up with each game," the coach said. "That's something that they've done for a long time, they've done well for a long time. It hasn't really been exclusively with young quarterbacks; sometimes when it gets rolling, it happens a little bit more."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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