Joe Haden's debut as a starting cornerback came with the performance fit for a Pro Bowler.
View full sizeAnother strong day by rookie cornerback Joe Haden -- here denying Miami's Marlon Moore in the second quarter -- earned plenty of praise in the Browns locker room. "Joe had a heckuva game," said linebacker David Bowens. "He's having a heckuva end of the season and I think he's going to be a great player in this league for a long time."MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Joe Haden showed his appreciation for winning a starting job at cornerback by having the kind of game against Miami that you'd expect from a Pro Bowler, not a rookie.
Haden, who kept the starting role despite the return of Eric Wright from a knee injury, had his best game as a Brown. It featured his fourth straight week with an interception, a huge breakup in the end zone, three other passes broken up and five tackles -- second-best on the team. He also made a special teams stop.
"He had a great game," said safety and fellow rookie T.J. Ward. "He made some clutch tackles and another pick -- four in a row -- and some more breakups. That's not just a great game for a rookie, it's a great game period."
Haden, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month, set the tone on the Dolphins' first drive when he knocked down a deep ball to Canton native and Ohio State alum Brian Hartline in the end zone. Three plays later, Shaun Rogers blocked a Dolphins' field goal attempt.
On the Dolphins' first play of the second quarter, Haden caught Hartline from behind and picked off Chad Henne's deep offering down the right side.
"It's the same thing that happened in Jacksonville," said Haden. "He ran a double move and I'm very aggressive, so I jumped the first one, but with my speed I caught up to him. He started looking back and his eyes got big like he was about to catch the ball so I just looked back and caught it."
On the next possession, Haden swatted away a pass to receiver Marlon Moore that helped end the drive.
But it was one third-quarter sequence in which Haden really shined against both the pass and the run. On consecutive plays, he stopped Ronnie Brown after a 2-yard gain, broke up a deep ball down the middle to Moore and then tackled Brown after a 3-yard run to force a punt.
View full size"This game definitely ranks right up there with any I've had," a jubilant Joe Haden said after Sunday's game. "But to do it in the league, it was a statement. I felt like it was really meaningful."It was an All-Haden drive.
"The last quarter of the season he's playing lights out," said David Bowens. "They tested him a few times and Joe held his own. Not only that, but in the tackling game, he supported well.
"Joe had a heckuva game. He's having a heckuva end of the season and I think he's going to be a great player in this league for a long time."
On Friday, Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said Haden is already ahead of where Raiders three-time Pro Bowler Nnamdi Asomugha was as a rookie.
"I missed Nnamdi's rookie year, but no, he wasn't [where Joe is]," said Ryan. "He had to make himself that great. Joe is much further along, absolutely."
Haden, who leads the team with five interceptions, was surprised the Dolphins kept throwing his way.
"I thought after I broke up the first two that they weren't going to throw two more," he said. "I just have to be ready every play. That's one of my strengths is the deep ball. They just kept trying and I just kept knocking it down."
He hopes teams won't think twice about doing it in the future.
"I like to make plays," said Haden, the No. 7 overall pick. "I hope they keep throwing it over there."
Haden and the entire defense worked hard to shore up the tackling problems they had the previous three weeks. He also tackled Brown after a 3-yard screen pass in the third quarter.
"I knew they were a very good screen team, especially with Ronnie Brown in there, so our coach told us, whenever they break through, they should never have a gain over 15 yards," said Haden.
Haden became the first Brown to record an interception in four straight games since Ernie Kellerman in 1968. That same season, Ben Davis had an interception in seven straight games from Oct. 20-Dec. 1. Haden is also the first rookie with five interceptions since Daven Holly in 2006.
"It feels great," he said. "This game definitely ranks right up there with any I've had. But to do it in the league, it was a statement, I felt like it was really meaningful."
He said he put no pressure on himself to play well. "The game is just slowing down for me and I'm feeling more comfortable," he said.
Browns coach Eric Mangini said next Haden will have to prove himself outside the sunny confines of Florida, where he played his college ball.
"Now we have to enter the frozen tundra over the next month," Mangini said. "I'll get him some foot warmers and stuff and hopefully he'll continue to play at the same level."