Healing Eric Wright knows starting job is in jeopardy: Cleveland Browns Insider

With rookie Joe Haden playing well, Eric Wright knows he may have lost his starting left cornerback job.

BEREA, Ohio — Browns cornerback Eric Wright, who is listed as probable for the game against Miami on Sunday with a knee injury, knows he might have lost his starting job to rookie Joe Haden.

"First, I have to get healthy and give myself a chance to do what I've done my whole life," said Wright. "I've never been a backup. I've never been on the bench my whole entire life. I don't know what that feels like and I don't want to know what that feels like. But for the team, if that decision is made, then I'm going to move on and do what I can."

Wright has watched Haden develop into a bona fide NFL starter, one who has had an interception in each of the past three games for a total of four on the season.

"Coming into [the season], you have a small margin of error anyway," said Wright. "They bring in Sheldon [Brown], who's a great player, and then draft a young guy that early [No. 7], he's going to play eventually. For [Haden] to go out here and do the things that he's doing, he deserves to be on the field. He's a great player and he's going to be even better."

Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said the issue of who starts is tougher on the players than the coaches because they all play so much anyway.

"You want to hear your name called out and all of that," said Ryan. "[But] Joe Haden's done a super job and he could probably start for every team in the league, including ours. So whatever happens there, we'd be happy to get Eric back obviously and have all three of those guys back at full strength."

Brown, whose locker is near Wright's, overheard the line of questioning and jumped to his defense.

"I'm just telling you, the guy is going to play a lot, even if he has to split time with me," said Brown. "The guy can play ball and he's going to be on the field."

Wright said it would be a huge adjustment for him to play only in the nickel and dime coverages.

"You have to change your mentality a little bit," he said. "You have to get acclimated and try to make the best of it because you're not in a rhythm.

"You have to come off on third down and make a stop. You have to get off the field on third down. You can't get into a good rhythm, learning the receivers and getting a feel for what they're trying to do. It's a tough spot. I've always had great respect for guys that are just nickel guys. It's hard. It really is."

But the Browns have praised Haden, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month, so much lately, it's clear they think he's earned the job.

"He's such a good tackler and he's very physical," said Ryan. "The thing I'm most impressed with is the way he competes. Not just on Sundays but all through the week in practice. He makes plays on the ball, he's got great leaping ability, great hands and he really is everything you want in a corner. He really is. He's going to be great for a long time."

Cribbs is ready: Josh Cribbs, who is listed as questionable with his foot injury, said he thinks he can add some offense to his duties this week, along with kick returns.

"Of course, it's not 100 percent, but I can move around and be effective in both aspects of the game," said Cribbs. "I found that out. I can be effective on offense as well. It's just a matter of battling through it."

Other players listed as questionable include Eric Barton (shoulder), Kenyon Coleman (knee), Shaun Rogers (ankle, hip) and T.J. Ward (thigh).

Cribbs was one of a number of Browns who attended the Cavs-Heat game Thursday night.

"I really think Cleveland fans would have rather cheered for [LeBron James] than against him," said Cribbs. "They'd rather him be on our team. It was a loss that we all felt when he left. But it is what it is. This is a great sports city, sports town, and it showed that yesterday by the passion that they showed, how they came out, the signs and everything. It's just the passion of the city."

Good answer: Coach Eric Mangini said he was "satisfied with the answer we got back from the league" on the controversial ruling at the end of the Panthers game that nearly cost the Browns the victory.

He declined to get specific about what NFL officials told him, but indicated they agreed with his take that time should have run out and John Kasay should not have been allowed to attempt the field goal.

The play in question was the 28-yard catch by Brandon LaFell to the Browns' 24 with four seconds remaining that set up Kasay's 42-yard field goal attempt, which glanced off the left upright.

Mangini argued that LaFell was touched by Brown in-bounds and the clock should have run down to zero. When officials decided to review whether it was a catch, Mangini was assured that even if the catch was upheld, there would be no time left to attempt the kick. Instead, the catch stood, but officials left four seconds on the clock.

Fortunately for the Browns, Kasay missed the kick. Otherwise, Mangini could have ended up on the hotseat.

"That happens a lot, and everybody is trying to do their best to get it right, I get that," said Mangini. "If you're on the plus side of that decision you're happy, and if you're on the down side of it you're miserable. It just depends where you sit."

Hillis absent, honored: Peyton Hillis, who missed Friday because of a personal reason but will play in Miami, was named FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week. He totaled 131 rushing yards on 26 attempts with three touchdowns, while getting six receptions for 63 yards in the Browns' 24-23 win over the Panthers.

It marked his fourth 100-yard performance of the season and third-highest total of the year. He joined Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly as the only Browns players to record 11 or more rushing touchdowns in a single season.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670