The Browns will take a break from Berea and practice in gamelike conditions today in the Family Day Brown and White scrimmage at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
View full sizeQuarterback Seneca Wallace will start for the White team in today's scrimmage at Cleveland Browns Stadium.BEREA, Ohio — Browns fans can catch their first glimpse of the 2010 team in gamelike conditions today at the Family Day Brown and White Scrimmage at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
"It's going to be a lot of fun," said quarterback Seneca Wallace. "It'll be my first time at the Stadium, so just to get out there and run around will be a lot of fun. Hopefully a lot of fans will be out there. I'm sure everyone's going to put on a good show for them."
The scrimmage, which begins at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public, will feature the first-team offense in brown jerseys vs. the first-team defense in white jerseys. Then, it will be the second-team offense in white vs. the second-team defense in brown.
"The coaches want to see some real good competition, so for it to go ones vs. ones, that's the best way for us to see how good each side is," said guard Eric Steinbach.
To spice things up, coach Eric Mangini put something on the line: Winners will have their curfew lifted for the night and get to come in a little later for meetings Sunday. Losers still will have curfew and will have to come in a little earlier. Last year, it got so competitive that Derek Anderson accused Brady Quinn of relaying the opposing offensive signals to his defense.
"There might be a little secret talk going back and forth with the coaches and players, but it will be good," said Steinbach. "Even if coach really didn't have anything on the line, the team would still go out there and play hard, but a little added incentive never hurts."
Quarterback Jake Delhomme will start for the brown team, with Brett Ratliff as his backup. Wallace will start for the white team, and rookie Colt McCoy will back him up. But Wallace will have his new go-to guy, Josh Cribbs, on his team, and anything can happen when those two are on the field.
"I expect that he'll throw to Josh Cribbs a lot," said Mangini. "If I was on the other team, I'd probably guard Josh Cribbs pretty well."
View full sizePunter Dave Zastudil might face more surgery on his right knee.Mangini said Cribbs continues to improve as a receiver.
"You guys have seen some of the catches he's made -- that one-handed catch the other day, and he had a really nice play in the one-on-ones yesterday," Mangini said. "A beautiful, really nice throw-and-catch in the back of the end zone on the last plays of the situations."
Mangini said the scrimmage will function much like a game -- without the tackling.
"The officials will decide where the ball is spotted," he said. "Their rule is final. We're not hitting the quarterback. We're not hitting the punter and kicker. It's a penalty if you get too close. We're shortening it from 15 minutes to 10 minutes just because of the numbers that we have on each side, but the mechanics of challenges, two-minute warning, penalties, game operation, we'll have a full crew. We'll have a full crew of NFL officials. Coaches will be in the booth to get it as much as we can to a game-like environment."
Surgery for Zastudil? Punter Dave Zastudil returned to Berea on Friday after having his surgically repaired right knee re-examined by his surgeon but did not practice. Mangini did not rule out the possibility of more surgery for Zastudil.
"I don't think we've drawn any conclusions right now," said Mangini. "I don't think there's anything new as of yet. We'll talk about it and see where it goes."
Zastudil has been recovering from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his plant leg but has kicked only once in camp, on the first day last Saturday. Reggie Hodges has handled the punting duties in his place.
Not playing: A handful of players will sit out the scrimmage, including running back Montario Hardesty and defensive back Chris Roberson. The three players on the physically unable to perform list also will sit: Shaun Rogers, C.J. Mosley and Coye Francies. Running back Peyton Hillis also most likely will be idle, although Mangini said he's getting better.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670