Jerome Harrison knows he can't continue mishandling the football if he wants to hold onto his starting role in the Browns backfield.
Jerome Harrison eluded Detroit's Dre Bly on this first-quarter run, but the Browns' starting running back struggled to find room in gaining 31 yards in 10 carries Saturday night.DETROIT -- Jerome Harrison promised Saturday that he'll get his fumbling issue fixed -- and soon.
"It's definitely not a part of my game," the Browns' starting running back said. "I definitely don't want it. I just have to be more conscious of it and get back to [protecting the ball]. But I'm not worried about it. It's something I've never been big on doing and I'll definitely get it fixed before [the opener] comes around."
Harrison put the ball on the ground twice in the driving rain last week against St. Louis and then fumbled Sunday in Detroit with 3:40 left in the first half. Chris Houston recovered and scored on a 14-yard return to pull Detroit to within 17-14.
Browns coach Eric Mangini talked to Harrison about the fumble at halftime. The Browns' three errors in the game all led to TDs.
"It's got to get better," said Mangini. "When you have the ball in your hands, you have the whole team in your hands and there's no statistic that determines the outcome of games more than turnovers.
"When you trust someone with that responsibility, they have to protect the football. I know that he can protect the ball effectively. I have faith in Jerome. I don't expect it to be a continuing trend."
Harrison said Mangini knows how much he hates making mistakes. Last season, he fumbled only twice in 194 carries.
"He knows me as a player, and when I make a mistake, it's something the whole week I'll be conscious of," Harrison said. "I'm constantly, constantly working on it. I'm going to go watch film with my running back coach and see what I'm doing wrong."
It appeared that safety Randy Phillips knocked the ball out with his knee, but Harrison wasn't sure.
"It was a good shot," he said. "I don't know how it came out yet; I thought I had it tucked away."
Harrison gained 34 yards on 11 carries. It was consistent with his preseason totals: 23 carries for 72 yards for a 3.1 average. He hasn't yet produced like the Harrison who ran for 561 yards over the final three games of last season.
"My run reads have been better," he said. "I have to break some more tackles and get back to hitting the home-run ball. The offensive line is giving me holes to pick and choose from, and all of the backs are going to hit them when it's time to."
He praised the offensive line's performance against the Lions.
"They handled their front four very, very well," he said. "They picked up the pressure and won their battles."
Nick's okay: The Browns got great news right after the game: safety Nick Sorensen was released from a Detroit hospital and was headed back to Cleveland. All tests were negative after he took a hard blow to the head from the helmets of two Detroit players on a kickoff return.
Sorensen was immobilized and carted off while players from both teams prayed. His head was still hurting Saturday night, but he was otherwise okay.
"I couldn't be happier," said Mangini. "That's the scary part of the game."
Wright on: Eric Wright continues to show his improved play. He recovered a fumble and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown and also made a touchdown-saving tackle on Jahvid Best after a 51-yard blast on the Lions' first play.
"We're always looking to score on defense, so [Brian Schaefering] made a great play to get the ball out and I was able to scoop it up and run it in for a touchdown," Wright said.
Delhomme sensational: Jake Delhomme continues to play like a seasoned NFL quarterback, completing 20 of 25 attempts for 152 yards and one touchdown for a 105.3 rating. Overall, he's completing 79.2 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 110.5 rating.
"It's funny, I got text from my wife. She said, 'good job, that smile is back,'" Delhomme said after the game. "We've been together for a long time, since we were in high school. I believe in having fun. I'm having whole lot of fun right now."
Said Mangini: "I thought he was outstanding. I think he's been outstanding the whole preseason. The way he gets us into a good play when we're not necessarily in the best situation, that's what I'm looking for."
Delhomme threw a beautiful sideline catch to Josh Cribbs and a 5-yard TD to a wide-open Lawrence Vickers in the end zone. He spread the ball around to 10 receivers in his one half of play.
Just like high school? Another player having a ton of fun is running back Peyton Hillis, who had a combined 66 yards, including 40 on four catches. He also rushed for a touchdown.
"This feels like high school again," he said. "It's so much fun playing for the guys on this team and the fans in this city. People are always [doubting me] and I like to override that train of thought."
Hillis caught a short third-quarter pass from Seneca Wallace and turned it into a 25-yard gain. It led to a field goal.
"I'm just grateful for any opportunity I get," he said.
Davis not sure: Running back James Davis got limited chances, but helped himself with a 26-yard catch from Seneca Wallace. He's not certain if he'll make the team, but hopeful.
"I'm always pretty confident in my ability," he said. "I would never doubt myself. I come to work everyday and work hard. That decision is up to coaches on what they want to do. There's 32 teams out there. That's the way you've got to look at it. You can't look down on yourself. You've just got to come out and do what you've got to do."
Back in action: Linebacker David Bowens played for the first time since last season and said he felt "rubbery."
"It's a matter of getting back in game shape," he said. "But it felt good to get back out there."