ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The snapshot looked like one that would be cherished for years. Derek Anderson sliding headfirst through inches of fresh snow to celebrate an 8-0 win over the Bills.
The Browns had survived a blizzard, the playoffs were around the corner and Anderson had established himself as the starting quarterback.
But the pure joy felt on that December day was fleeting. Anderson threw four interceptions the next week in the Cincinnati wind, the Browns missed the playoffs and neither has been the same since.
The vivid and bittersweet memories of last year’s victory over the Bills have relevance today.
The Lake Erie neighbors will meet again, this time on the giant stage of “Monday Night Football.” While the weather promises to be similar — snow showers, wind and cold, but no blizzard — the vibe surrounding the Browns is completely different.
They’ve had 10 days off to dwell on a season-killing five-day stretch that started with a home loss in which Baltimore scored 24 unanswered points to finish. Anderson was benched in favor of Brady Quinn, and the defense allowed 21 fourth-quarter points in another home loss to Denver four days later. Jamal Lewis and Joshua Cribbs then accused teammates of quitting.
The Browns, left with a 3-6 record, are all but out of playoff contention and closing in on a major overhaul as coach Romeo Crennel needs a turnaround — how drastic? — to save his job for 2009.
“I’m concerned about the fact that we haven’t won enough games,” he said last week, dismissing worry about his job status. “The team is my team and the product that is out there on the field is a reflection on me.
“We’ve got seven games to go, so we can still do something about that. You can’t worry about what’s going to happen in the future.”
Crennel took the quitting comments as a personal insult to his leadership, but the majority of players viewed them as a non-issue, neither disparaging nor motivating. They’re too busy trying to salvage something from the season.
“We have a seven-game season left and we have to win these seven games,” Cribbs said.
“I’m down for that. Anything could happen. This season’s been pretty crazy,” Kellen Winslow said.
The Browns aren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but they’re a long shot in the vein of Ralph Nader. The rest of the season will most likely be about jobs – Crennel’s, general manager Phil Savage’s, a number of players’ – and the progression of Quinn.
He looked good in his first NFL start, putting up 30 points. He completed 23 of 35 passes (65.7 percent) for 239 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 104.3 rating.
But he was facing a Broncos defense ranked 29th and with little time to prepare. The Bills (5-4) are 13th and have had 10 days to watch film and devise a game plan to take away Quinn’s strength, the underneath pass to his tight ends and running backs.
The Bills, on a three-game skid and fighting to stay in the playoff hunt, have only 13 sacks, but Quinn expects them to blitz often.
“If you’re a young quarterback in this league, that’s how it’s going to be,” he said. “Teams are going to pressure you and try to test you.”
While the 11 months since the last Buffalo meeting have been largely disappointing, the memories of that game still bring smiles. Fans were reminded of playing in the snow when they were kids, Lewis carried 33 times for 163 yards and Phil Dawson defied logic and physics.
He hit two field goals – hooking the 35-yarder toward the Dawg Pound and slicing the 49-yarder into the closed end – and aimed the long one halfway between the left upright and the sideline.
“I don’t know how it could have gotten any worse,” Dawson said of the conditions. “Snow was everywhere, not only coming down but already on the ground. You couldn’t see the field, you had no idea where you were. It was ridiculous.
“I got lucky. It was a crapshoot at best. I wish I could sit here and say I had it all planned out, but sometimes you just go out there and try your best.”
The wind is always a kicker’s worst enemy, and it was particularly nasty that day, gusting to 40 mph. Dawson hit a kick in warm-ups that made him do a double take.
“I missed it left, it stopped in midair, turned around and came back the other way,” he said. “There were no rules that applied to that day.”
More than 2 inches of snow fell during the game and the wind chill was frigid. Winslow said “thawing out” was his chief recollection.
“I couldn’t wait for the game to be over,” he said. “It’s hard to watch on film, you can’t even see.
“But the pictures from the game are pretty cool.”

Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.

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