BEREA — Romeo Crennel opted against any celebratory backflips, cartwheels or somersaults. (Braylon Edwards took care of that in pregame introductions.)
Sure, the 35-14 win over the New York Giants on Monday night was a stunning upset with the potential to turn around the season, but Crennel doesn’t have the luxury of drinking in the excitement that continued throughout Cleveland on Tuesday. He, and his team, can’t afford the hangover.
“We enjoyed it for about an hour, and started thinking about the next week,” Crennel said Tuesday regarding a visit to the Washington Redskins. “We still have a lot of work to do. Just because we won one game, that doesn’t put us in the playoffs.
“As a matter of fact, we’re not even .500. We need to try to get to be .500. That’s going to be the focus this week.”
A 2-3 record is rarely reason for standing ovations and boisterous barking, but it’s the best the Browns could do after a humbling 0-3 start. They needed a fourth-quarter rally to beat the winless Bengals, then used the bye week to get healthier and fix the offensive woes responsible for the sluggish start.
“It’s a new season for us,” Edwards said after the game. “The first three games, they’re gone. We’re running an 11-game season from here on out.
“We’re pretty prepared. We’re pretty excited. But now we have to put this win behind us and get ready to play an equally talented Redskins team.”
The rebirth of the Derek Anderson-to-Braylon Edwards connection was one of the brightest spots in a sparkling performance.
Edwards caught five passes for 154 yards and a touchdown after totaling 95 yards through the first four games. Anderson was 18-for-29 for 310 yards, two touchdowns and a 121.3 rating after entering the game with the second-lowest rating in the NFL (49.9).
“We were just in a freakish rhythm, and if we continue that rhythm, who knows what can happen,” Edwards said. “It was a special rhythm that we had today and I told D.A., ‘I’ve never seen you play like this.’
“He was in a zone, and that’s the kind of guy that we need to finish the rest of the season.”
In order to be in playoff contention in December, the Browns must win seven of their remaining 11 games against a difficult schedule. They will need the offense that emerged Monday night.
The Browns converted nine of 13 third-down chances and didn’t punt for the first time since 1995. They had season highs in points (35), first downs (20), net yards (454), rushing yards (144) and passing yards (310), and didn’t allow a sack for the first time this season.
After just three plays of 20 yards or longer in the first four games, the Browns had five against the Giants — a 49-yard slant to Edwards, a 70-yard out-and-up to Edwards, a 33-yard reverse to Jerome Harrison, a 22-yard post to Darnell Dinkins for a touchdown and a 20-yard out to Syndric Steptoe.
“Last year we were all about the big plays,” center Hank Fraley said. “We’re finally starting to get back to that.”
The Browns, who hadn’t won on “Monday Night Football” since 1993, ended the Giants’ road win streak at 11 while dropping them to 4-1 on the year. The defense did its part by holding the league’s highest-scoring offense to two touchdowns and intercepting Eli Manning three times.
But Crennel quickly turned the page and has his motivational points ready for the short week ahead. The Redskins (4-2) will be looking to rebound following a 19-17 home loss to the previously winless Rams, and the Browns must sharpen their focus when it comes to penalties.
They committed 10 Monday night for 55 yards, including five for 30 yards on a touchdown drive in the second half. The Browns have committed 47 penalties for 292 yards this season, including two games with 10 and three games with nine.
Crennel insists he won’t have any trouble putting Monday’s win in perspective for his players.
“Right now the record is a losing record. I don’t think you can say you’re going to make the playoffs with a losing record,” he said.
There’s a surprising statistic that favors the Browns: Five teams have gone on the road after a Monday night game this year, and they’re 5-0.
“As long as we play to our potential, we can play with anybody,” cornerback Eric Wright said.
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com. 

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.

Need help? Email Us.