Browns plan to get Josh Cribbs more involved in the offense Sunday in Baltimore.
Big plays, such as this 65-yard touchdown pass to Josh Cribbs against Kansas City and defensive back Brandon Carr, have been rare so far in 2010 for the Browns offense, which is why coaches want Cribbs to touch the ball more Sunday in Baltimore."I think more touches for Josh would be a good thing," Daboll said. "When things are getting kind of stale, it's usually good to go to 16 and give him the ball a few times; hopefully get you into a little bit of a rhythm."
It shouldn't be hard to find reps for Josh Cribbs against the Ravens, especially with receiver Brian Robiskie doubtful for the game with a pulled hamstring and rookie Carlton Mitchell suffering a head injury in practice. Mitchell sat out practice Friday and is listed as questionable. Cribbs tweaked his left ankle early in practice Friday, but is listed as probable.
"[Cribbs] will get plenty of reps," Daboll said.
Cribbs, who touched the ball only six times against the Chiefs -- including returns -- is eager for the increased role.
"Oh yeah, it's an opportunity for me to just hone in more on my receiving skills," he said. "More is expected out of me and I'll do my best to try to do more and make more plays."
With the other receivers struggling to produce, Cribbs has suddenly become the Browns' biggest threat at the position. Against the Chiefs -- when Mohamed Massaquoi was held to one catch for 9 yards and Robiskie one for 12 -- Cribbs led all receivers with three receptions for 74 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown.
"I think it re-affirms [him as a receiver]," Daboll said. "He's come a ways. He did a nice job with the route. He had to read it and go to the right spot."
Mangini praised the big play, something the Browns have had few of this season.
"I like the fact that Josh is becoming -- and I hope you guys see it -- the type of receiver that he's becoming," Mangini said. "I think that will help open things up."
Mangini also lamented the Browns scant use of the wildcat formation against the Chiefs -- one time to be exact -- and would like to see more of it, especially with Seneca Wallace starting at quarterback.
Since Josh Cribbs is the team's most dangerous offensive player, the Browns have decided they should try to get the ball to him more often during games. That move will be popular with fans, who congratulate Cribbs after he leapt into the Dawg Pound after scoring a touchdown against the Chiefs."Whether [teams are] catching up or not catching up to it, giving Josh a few more chances to carry the ball -- he changes things. Yes, [I want to use it more] to get Josh more touches. I think with him, they may load the box, they may do a lot of different things -- but he's got a chance on any play."
Against the Chiefs, Cribbs ran once out of the wildcat for 1 yard, caught the three passes, returned one punt for 5 yards and one kickoff for 19 yards. The Chiefs kicked away from him all game, but Cribbs expects his old special teams coach Jerry Rosburg, now with the Ravens, to kick right to him.
"Rosburg is the kind of guy not to back down," Cribbs said. "Even when he was here, I remember we used to play good returners and we used to get up for games when we had good returners. If I gash them with a big return, they'll start pop-kicking. But they have really good special teams and we'll have our work cut out for us. He [Rosburg] gave me my start in the NFL and he knows me in and out."
Cribbs returned seven kickoffs for 245 yards during an overtime victory over the Ravens in 2007 and had kick returns totaling 237 yards -- including a 92-yard touchdown -- in a loss a year later.
"We're not scared of anyone," safety Haruki Nakamura, a St. Edward grad, told the Carroll County Times in Maryland. "We respect everybody, especially him. He's a great player, the best player they've got, but you don't want to just concede field position."
Likewise, the Ravens are geared up to stop the wildcat.
"If we stop it early, then they won't come back to it as often," defensive tackle Haloti Ngata told the Carroll County Times. "We've just got to make sure that when they run it, it's getting Cribbs down as fast as we can. He's such a dangerous player. He can make you miss, he can run you over. If we play strong up front and get him stopped or not creating any holes for him, we'll be able to stop the wildcat pretty easy."
However he handles the ball, he gives the Browns the best chance against the Ravens.
"He's hard to tackle," Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. "There's no hesitation in him. I don't know if there's a guy in the league that breaks tackles better than Josh Cribbs."