Browns notebook: Cribbs to compete against familiar faces

Sunday's trip to New England will be a peculiar bolt out of the past for Joshua Cribbs, the Browns' electrifying receiver-return man.

<p class="MsoNormal">Patriots Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees was Cribbs' head coach at Kent State.

<p class="MsoNormal">New England's offensive coordinator is Josh McDaniels, whose family history changed after Pees recruited Cribbs as a young quarterback.

<p class="MsoNormal">Ben McDaniels, Josh's kid brother, helped McKinley to two state high school championships and was on the verge of becoming Kent State's starting quarterback in 2001.

<p class="MsoNormal">McDaniels came out of spring practice as the frontrunner, but by the early part of the season, Cribbs emerged. In a Mid-American Conference opener, Cribbs made his first college start against Akron, for whom Charlie Frye also was making his first start.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Ben was the No. 1 quarterback when I got there," Cribbs said. "He was a great athlete. Coach Dean at the time felt they wanted to go in another direction.

<p class="MsoNormal">"There were about seven quarterbacks at one point, and I beat 'em all out."

<p class="MsoNormal">Pees, Josh McDaniels and Cribbs all converge in Sunday's game on top of their games.

<p class="MsoNormal">Pees' defense ranks first in the NFL, allowing 226.0 yards a game.

<p class="MsoNormal">Pittsburgh is second at 258.5.

<p class="MsoNormal">McDaniels' offense ranks second with 431.8 yards a game. Only Dallas (440.8) ranks higher.

<p class="MsoNormal">Cribbs leads the league in kick return average at 34.3. On Wednesday, he was named AFC special teams player of the month.

<p class="MsoNormal">Tucker in

<p class="MsoNormal">Indications are Ryan Tucker will regain his roster spot in the wake of a four-game, steroid-related suspension. However, a Browns offensive line that hasn't been allowing sacks figures to send out the same starters Sunday at New England.

<p class="MsoNormal">Crennel seems enthused about Tucker's level of execution and conditioning, which bodes well for line depth. There had been doubts because Tucker was banned from the team complex for a month.

<p class="MsoNormal">"He moves pretty well," Crennel said. "It was encouraging to see where he was."

<p class="MsoNormal">Tucker, a right tackle since 2002, will remain behind Kevin Shaffer. Crennel said Shaffer has done "a good job."

<p class="MsoNormal">Tucker also can play guard and could be weighed against Seth McKinney, who has started four games at the position.

<p class="MsoNormal">Extra points

<p class="MsoNormal">- Tom Brady on fellow Michigan alum Braylon Edwards: "I'm always rooting for Braylon. I saw him at a Cavaliers game this year, before the game in the finals. He's a great player who's made a bunch of great catches and is a spark for that team."

<p class="MsoNormal">- Ohio State alum Mike Vrabel, a linebacker by trade, caught his seventh regular-season touchdown pass as a Patriot on Monday at Cincinnati. "The median IQ in the huddle goes down 30 points" when Vrabel is in, Brady cracked.

<p class="MsoNormal">- Brady is the third player in NFL history to throw three or more touchdown passes in each of his first four games during a season. He joins Kurt Warner (1999) and Steve Young (1998).

<p class="MsoNormal">- Everyone had a good laugh over the soothing music flowing out of defensive end Orpheus Roye's locker stall Thursday. Players smiled and chatted in an easy manner as a mix of Lionel Richie, Peaches and Herb and The Temptations wafted out of Roye's boom box.

<p class="MsoNormal">- Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf and Greg Gumbel have been assigned to the CBS telecast of the Browns-Patriots game.

<p class="MsoNormal">Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

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