Winslow plays -- well -- through the pain

You wonder if Kellen Winslow goes home, lowers his body into a hot tub and goes, "Aaaaaggggghhhhh!"

<p class="MsoNormal">You can't be sure, because he's good at hiding his pain after games. He was all about calm and cool after Sunday's 27-13 win over the Ravens.

<p class="MsoNormal">He spent the afternoon trying to shield his slightly separated left shoulder from a defense with a rip-it-off-the-hinges bent.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I've been driving through pain since my rookie year, so it's nothing new," Winslow said amid a jocular din in the locker room. "When your adrenaline is rushing out there, you really don't feel much."

<p class="MsoNormal">He chuckled that little chuckle of his and added, "But I'm feeling it now."

<p class="MsoNormal">It's becoming clear why Butch Davis was so hot to draft Winslow in 2004 that he traded a Round 2 pick to move from No. 7 to No. 6 overall.

<p class="MsoNormal">At the quarter pole of the 2007 season, Winslow has games of:

<p class="MsoNormal">- four catches for 83 yards against Pittsburgh;

<p class="MsoNormal">- six catches for 100 yards against Cincinnati;

<p class="MsoNormal">- six catches for 88 yards at Oakland;

<p class="MsoNormal">- four catches for 96 yards against Baltimore.

<p class="MsoNormal">That's 20 catches for 367 yards.

<p class="MsoNormal">Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome, now Baltimore's general manager, had 37 yards in the entire 1987 season, in which the Browns reached the AFC title game.

<p class="MsoNormal">"K2" is no "Wizard of Oz" yet. Newsome hung up 1,000-plus yards twice in three seasons during his heyday.

<p class="MsoNormal">But Winslow is getting there. Everyone agrees Winslow and Browns teammate Joshua Cribbs are classic football players, no-fear tough guys.

<p class="MsoNormal">"This sounds cheesy," wideout Braylon Edwards said, "but Kellen is a soldier. When he said it in college, he meant it, and it shows."

<p class="MsoNormal">Facing a fierce defense with a shoulder issue was risky.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I never had a doubt in my mind about whether he would play," Edwards said.

<p class="MsoNormal">Winslow showed up right away. On third-and-3 from the Baltimore 33, he beat safety Dawan Landry over the middle for a 25-yard gain. That set up a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

<p class="MsoNormal">He killed Baltimore's bid for momentum. The Ravens were beginning to assert themselves in the third quarter. The Browns faced third-and-7 from midfield when Winslow beat Landry again. This time he gained 49 yards, setting up a field goal and a 27-6 lead.

<p class="MsoNormal">Winslow is on a pace to catch 80 passes for nearly 1,500 yards. Who does he think he is? Antonio Gates?

<p class="MsoNormal">He's not much into hyperbole at this stage of his life.

<p class="MsoNormal">"We've just got to concentrate on the Patriots now and get a win," he said.

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