BEREA — It hasn’t rained in Northeast Ohio for several days, but the dark clouds are still swirling around Browns quarterback Derek Anderson.
“The sun came up today,” he said Wednesday. “It took a while, but it came up.”
It has only taken two regular-season games — and two losses — for Anderson to go from the toast of the town to the scapegoat for many of the team’s problems.
With Cleveland traveling to Baltimore in Week 3, the pressure will be even greater for him to succeed against one of the NFL’s most feared defenses Sunday.
“It’s never easy to lose and it hurts everybody, so you just keep fighting and plugging away,” Anderson said. “It’s the same guys that were here last year. It’s the same players, the same coaches. Nobody’s changed. We’ve just got to get clicking.
“We’re all fine, we’re not blinking. We’re just going to keep working.”
While wide receiver Braylon Edwards has been erratic, at best, and running back Jamal Lewis is seeing few holes to blast through, the key to the Browns offense is getting Anderson going.
The 2007 Pro Bowler ranks in the bottom half of the NFL in every quarterback statistical category, including 26th in completion percentage (.518), 28th in yards per attempt (5.00) and 29th in passer rating (57.1).
Those poor numbers have been reflected on the scoreboard, where Cleveland has just one touchdown and 16 points in eight quarters.
“We just have to keep playing, keep doing the things we’re doing, and executing,” said Anderson, who is 29-of-56 for 280 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. “Anybody’s going to be upset with themselves, as I am when I miss throws. I think everybody’s still got confidence in (offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski) and the guys who are on the field.”
The Browns’ problem, though, has occurred when those confident players actually line up and the ball is snapped.
Injuries have kept Joe Jurevicius, Donte Stallworth, Joshua Cribbs, Anderson and Edwards in the trainer’s room for extended periods since the start of camp, leading to timing problems on normally routine pass patterns.
“It’s frustrating,” said Anderson, who sat out three weeks with a concussion. “I thought going into the first preseason game about how well we were playing, everybody was on the same page, and things were feeling good.
“Now we lose guys here and there, I’m out, and guys are getting mixed and matched. Obviously, that’s hard, but it’s not an excuse.”
Since Anderson’s easy-going demeanor never changes — in the best or worst of times — there have been concerns about how well he is handling Cleveland’s 0-2 start behind the scenes.
Coach Romeo Crennel, though, says there is no reason to worry about “D.A.”
“I think he has good confidence and he feels like this offense is going to jell,” he said. “Last year, he was able to stay on his feet for all the games and got all the practice time. I think that impacts a guy, as well as who he practices with, the timing, and all of the things that go into it.”
One short-term option to take some of the pressure off Anderson is to rely more heavily on Lewis and using a fullback at all times. The team feels good about the blocking skills of Lawrence Vickers and Charles Ali, so it is equipped with the personnel to do so.
Surprisingly, though, neither Crennel nor his quarterback want to consider a run-heavy style. They went 10-6 last season primarily by passing and see no reason to shift gears.
“It’s not us,” Anderson said. “I think you just keep forcing the issue (passing) and keep working. You can’t just run the ball once and take a pass, take a pass, and end up in predictable situations. If we can throw the ball a little bit more, it’s more of a groove thing. Guys will start feeling it.”
Contact Brian Dulik may be reached at (330) 721-4059 or brisports@hotmail.com. 

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