Cleveland Browns quarterback Tim Couch (2) is sacked by Green Bay Packers cornerback Erwin Swiney during the first quarter. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        GREEN BAY, Wis. — Lambeau Field isn't the only Green Bay institution in the midst of a makeover.

        Like their stadium refurbishing project that is 70 percent complete, the Green Bay Packers remain very much a work in progress.

        Despite beating the Cleveland Browns 27-20, the Packers culminated a week of sloppy practices with an ugly performance by their starters Monday night.

        Plus, Terry Glenn failed to make his much-anticipated Packers debut in the first game at the “new” Lambeau Field, which is halfway through a two-year, $295 million remodeling.

        The Browns returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and took a 14-0 lead by the time Brett Favre had taken his fourth snap.

        “The kickoff return for a touchdown is not the way we want to start,” Packers coach Mike Sherman said. “Our first offense didn't play particularly well. I don't think our first defense rushed the quarterback very well.”

        Sherman had planned to play Glenn, but the wide receiver's sprained left knee wasn't ready.

        “He had a few warmups. His knee stiffened up a little,” Sherman said. “I'd like to have gotten him in there but didn't want to risk it.”

        Glenn, acquired from New England in the offseason, has yet to play in the preseason. He declined to speak to reporters afterward about whether he thought he'd play in the exhibition finale Friday against Tennessee.

        “He's played a lot of football, so I think he'll get ready pretty quickly,” Sherman said.

        Browns quarterback Tim Couch took advantage of the Packers' missing starting cornerbacks and linemen's over-pursuit to complete 14 of 18 passes, the bulk of them screens, for 112 yards and a touchdown before leaving with a mild strain of his right forearm.

        X-rays were negative, but Couch will undergo an MRI back in Cleveland on Tuesday.

        “Hopefully, it's not too serious,” wide receiver Kevin Johnson said. “We need him for the season.”

        Couch is confident he'll be ready for the season opener but wasn't making any promises about Friday's preseason game against Carolina.

        “I'll be there for the Kansas City game with no question,” he said. “I'll be getting a lot of rehab and getting this thing right and get some rest. I'll definitely be ready to go.”

        All three phases of Green Bay's game gave Sherman fits early on until Cletidus Hunt blocked a field-goal attempt by Phil Dawson and Darren Sharper scooped it up and ran the final 35 yards for a touchdown 19 seconds before halftime that brought the Packers to 14-10.

        “We were in a situation where we really needed to turn the momentum around,” Hunt said. “I went in and told the guys I was going to get it.”

        With several defenders trying to pounce on the ball, it squiggled closer and closer to the north end zone.

        “I just kept trailing it,” Sharper said. “It kept spitting out, spitting out. I just decided to not fall on it and pick it up.”

        Until then, the record crowd of 62,668 hadn't had much to cheer.

        “It certainly got them back in the game when they weren't having a lot of success offensively,” Browns coach Butch Davis said. “It gave them life.”

        The Packers had just three first downs in the first half and the Packers receivers had one catch.

        Andre' Davis returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, and after the Packers went three-and-out, Couch threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Quincy Morgan to cap a 13-play, 77-yard drive that was highlighted by a costly 15-yard face mask penalty on rookie Marques Anderson.

        The Packers also went three-and-out on their second series, when Favre ran past the line of scrimmage before letting loose a deep pass.

        Packers starting cornerbacks Tyrone Williams (groin) and Mike McKenzie (calf) were out. McKenzie's replacement, Erwin Swiney played well at times but was beaten on Morgan's TD.

        The Packers pulled to 14-13 on Ryan Longwell's second field goal, a 33-yarder after Favre threw too high to top draft pick Javon Walker, who was wide open. Favre finished 10-of-14 for 63 yards and an interception.

        After Dawson's 28-yarder made it 17-13, Green Bay took its first lead when fullback Chris Gall hauled in a short pass from Doug Pederson and rumbled 35 yards for the score that put the Packers ahead 20-17.

        On the first play of the fourth quarter, Todd Franz intercepted a pass from Josh Booty and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown and gave Green Bay a 27-17 lead.

        Jay Taylor's 35-yard field goal with 7:13 left capped the scoring.

        Notes: Cleveland DE Kenard Lang (sprained right ankle) and WR Aaron Shea (sprained right shoulder) were among Browns players who were injured. ... Packers P Josh Bidwell got his left ankle stepped on, but said he's OK. ... Packers OLB Nate Wayne made his first start since offseason knee surgery, and FS Antuan Edwards made his preseason debut after missing most of camp with a groin injury.

        Couch strains right forearm

        GREEN BAY, Wis. — Cleveland quarterback Tim Couch sustained a mild strain of his right forearm in the Browns' game at Green Bay on Monday night.

        Couch left late in the first half and was taken for X-rays, which were negative. He will undergo a precautionary MRI on Tuesday in Cleveland.

        “Hopefully, it's not too serious,” wide receiver Kevin Johnson said. “We need him for the season.”

        Couch said he was confident he'll be ready for the Browns' season opener Sept. 8 against Kansas City but was unsure about playing against Carolina on Friday night in the final exhibition.

        “I'll be there against Kansas City, with no question,” he said. “I'll be getting a lot of rehab and getting this right and get some rest.”

        Couch completed 14 of 18 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown as the Browns built an early 14-0 lead.

        Couch said he felt pain while following through on an 8-yard pass to Quincy Morgan on the Browns' fourth offensive series. He threw two more passes before a punt and then was replaced by Kelly Holcomb with 2:45 left in the first half.

        “I thought the pain would kind of go away,” Couch said. “I threw a couple more passes but I just got to the point where I couldn't grip the ball.

        “I was worried at first. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I thought it would go away and I thought it was a temporary thing,” Couch added. “It's going to be fine. It's actually settled down a lot since it first happened.”

        The No. 1 pick in the 1999 NFL draft has been plagued by tendinitis in his right elbow the previous three seasons and had his season cut short after seven games in 2000 when he broke his right thumb.

        The Browns are hoping the injury is not serious, especially considering that they've already lost one of their top players for the season.

        Pro Bowl linebacker Jamir Miller tore his right Achilles' tendon during Cleveland's 27-15 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on August 10.

        Several other Browns also were injured in the game against the Packers.

        Defensive end Kenard Lang sprained his right ankle and offensive tackle Ryan Tucker sprained his left ankle. X-rays on both were negative.

        H-back Aaron Shea also sprained his right shoulder late in the second quarter, and defensive end Felipe Claybrooks injured his right knee in the third quarter.

        Defensive back Earl Little also left with a sprained ankle.

Another year, another Bengals QB Covington, 7 others released AFC's best division? Try the East Former Falcon agrees to deal with NFL champs Spurrier wears target Packers 27, Browns 20

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