Friday, December 10, 1999Browns Scouting Report
Couch, Johnson exceed expectations
Offense
• QUARTERBACK: Browns coach Chris Palmer said this week rookie Tim Couch has been better than he expected. Forget Rookie of the Year — give him the Red Badge of Courage. Couch has been sacked 49 times and is seven sacks from becoming the most-sacked Cleveland QB ever, yet he has a shot at becoming just the fifth rookie since the 1970 merger to have at least 10 touchdown passes and more TD passes than interceptions. The Bengals' Greg Cook had 15 TD passes and 11 interceptions a year before the merger.Couch has 13 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions and last month had two games (a 16-15 win at Pittsburgh and a 33-21 loss to visiting Tennessee) with passing ratings more than 90.
• RUNNING BACK: It's the Bengals' first look at Karim Abdul-Jabbar since the Browns got him in a trade from the Dolphins. He's averaging just 2.8 yards a carry since joining the club and hasn't been breaking tackles. The fact that Couch has the team's longest run (40 yards) reeks of expansion woes. Terry Kirby is a threat out of the backfield with 53 catches and three touchdowns, including a 78-yarder. Norwood's Marc Edwards plays his first game in Cincinnati as a pro fullback and is looking to add to his 23 catches and two touchdowns.
• RECEIVERS: Kevin Johnson leads all NFL rookies in catches, yards and touchdowns. With eight TDs, he and Couch are one shy of the most touchdown connections by a rookie duo since Boston's Jim Plunkett and Randy Vataha in 1971.
But Johnson has no help. Leslie Shepherd is hurt yet still has the fourth-most catches. Zola Davis, a rookie free agent plucked off waivers, is the third receiver but has no catches. The Bengals like the looks of 6-foot-2 Darrin Chiaverini, a fifth-round pick out of Colorado, opposite Johnson. But his longest catch is just 23 yards. The tight ends won't do much; they have a combined 20 catches all season.
• OFFENSIVE LINE: This unit has been the biggest disappointment for a team that invested millions to protect Couch. Left tackle Lomas Brown is out again with a bad knee. Chris Ruhman, a second-year waiver-wire pickup who has been with the team since the third game, will replace him. Ruhman was toasted two weeks ago by Jevon Kearse in the Titans' seven-sack game.
Defense
• DEFENSIVE LINE: The front four are battered and re-aligned since Corey Dillon dented them for 168 yards in October. Inside linebacker John Thierry has moved his 265 pounds to left end. Darius Holland is nicked with a bad knee, and fellow tackle John Jurkovic is out for the season with a hamstring injury. Right end Derrick Alexander may move to tackle for a few plays. The Browns get no push from the front, with 10.5 of the 24 sacks coming from a transplanted linebacker (Thierry) and outside linebacker (Jamir Miller).• LINEBACKERS: Miller has 4.5 sacks and the second-most tackles on the team, but he has yet to cause a turnover and has not been the same since injuring his shoulder seven weeks ago. The numbers tell the story about everyone else: The Browns are last in the league against the rush and have the third-fewest sacks.
• SECONDARY: Foes have made hay against the Browns' dime package, where struggling backup corner Antonio Langham and free safety Corey Fuller are on the outside. Fuller is still trying to figure how to cover Darnay Scott. Since putting in a no-trade-to-the-Bengals clause in his contract, starting cornerback Ryan McNeil has no interceptions. Rookie corner Daylon McCutcheon has been their most effective defensive rookie with one interception, the only one by a corner.
Rookie Marquis Smith, Akili's cousin, rotates at strong safety with Marquez Pope.
• SPECIAL TEAMS: Punter Chris Gardocki and kicker Phil Dawson have kept the Browns from being dreadful. The Browns have resorted to using rookies returning kicks and punts with a combined five fumbles.
— Geoff Hobson
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