BEREA – Fear not, Browns fans, your favorite team will be on local television Sunday.

Cleveland’s home game against the San Diego Chargers will be shown on Channel 19 beginning at 4 p.m., the team announced Friday afternoon.

The Browns had been given a 24-hour extension by the NFL to distribute the remaining tickets for the game, which they managed to do with the help of the Raycom-owned station and 35 Northeast Ohio bars.

“Hell, our fans are great,” Cleveland defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said. “They’ll be in there supporting us, just like always. I love these fans. They’re great people. They just want to win and they want a great football team, like we all do.”

The Browns/Chargers game, however, still is not sold out – as the team’s press release makes clear. Fans can purchase the remaining seats through Ticketmaster or at the Cleveland Browns Stadium box office.

The Browns will distribute a portion of their unsold tickets to the Cleveland Food Bank, United Way, Red Cross and Salvation Army, while Channel 19 and the participating bars are giving away additional seats as part of promotions.

The station and the bars stood to lose significant money had the blackout not been lifted.

Cleveland’s last home game not to be shown on local TV was Dec. 17, 1995, when the original Browns won their Cleveland Stadium finale over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Browns’ next home game – Thursday night against Pittsburgh – is already sold out, but their final two are virtually certain to be blacked out.

Cleveland hosts the lowly Oakland Raiders on Dec. 27, then finishes the season against Jacksonville on Jan. 3. Thousands of tickets remain for both of those 1 p.m. matchups.

Ryan: Don’t blow it up

The Browns’ offense and defense have been ranked near the bottom of the NFL all season, while their 1-10 win-loss record is tied for last in the league.

Ryan, though, says the coaching staff has the ability to turn the team around – and lobbied owner Randy Lerner to stick with the status quo.

“If they blow it up, I think that would be a huge mistake,” he said. “I know we’ve got the right leader in Eric and I know they’ve got the right coordinator in me. They’d have to hire two damn good coaches to do better than us.”

Ryan went on to say there was only one defensive coordinator who could “do better than me, and he’s retired,” referring to his father, legendary coach Buddy Ryan.

He did admit change could be coming, though, but said it would not affect the way he does his job.

“You can’t coach scared,” Ryan said. “When I was young, you worry about it. Now I know I’m a great coach and I can go anywhere in this league. I want to compete and kick some (butt) this season yet.”

Passing not so fancy

Browns backup Derek Anderson remains the 33rd and lowest-ranked quarterback in the NFL with a 36.2 passer rating, but will no longer qualify for the league leaders unless he plays against the Chargers.

Cleveland starter Brady Quinn is 27th at 66.7. The players between the local duo are Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, the Jets’ Mark Sanchez, Tennessee’s Kerry Collins, Carolina’s Jake Delhomme and Oakland’s JaMarcus Russell.

• San Diego’s Philip Rivers is fifth in the same category at 101.6, and has a big fan in Ryan.

“I love Philip Rivers as a competitor,” the defensive coordinator said. “You can see that leadership just oozes off the guy. He holds onto the ball like a warrior does. You like those guys because you can knock the crap out of them, but he keeps bouncing up.”

Injury update

The Browns officially declared defensive end Kenyon Coleman (knee) out, but listed guard Rex Hadnot (knee), fullback Lawrence Vickers (hamstring), linebacker Kamerion Wimbley (knee) and cornerback Eric Wright (hamstring) as questionable.

Cornerback Mike Adams (finger), wide receiver Jake Allen (hip), linebackers David Bowens (knee) and Blake Costanzo (shoulder), center Hank Fraley (elbow), running back Chris Jennings (shoulder) and tight end Robert Royal (thigh, finger) are all probable.

• The Chargers designated safety Eric Weddle (knee) as out, and defensive end Luis Castillo (calf), center Nick Hardwick (ankle) and linebacker Shawne Merriman (foot) as doubtful.

Robiskie to play?

Cleveland rookie wide receiver Brian Robiskie was a healthy scratch last week in Cincinnati, but could be active against the Chargers.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said Robiskie’s game-day inactive status occurred because he did not prepare properly for the Bengals.

“Now this week, Brian had a good week of practice and we’ll see where that gets him,” Daboll said. “I told him, ‘Look, there are times that I get yelled at, and my first thought is (expletive) that guy. But you have to realize they’re just trying to help you and take it for that.

“Different guys respond differently, and he’s had a pretty good attitude all through the process.”

Not giving up

Ryan disputed the claim of cornerback Brandon McDonald, who said he was demoted from the second-string defense to special teams duty.

“That’s not the truth,” Ryan said. “I think a young man gets disappointed a little bit, like we all do, if someone rips you or whatever. During the week, he wasn’t working as hard as he should have.”

Ryan indicated that McDonald’s demotion was temporary, saying: “He’s a good, competitive player and he’s going to get better. The kid is a hard-working guy, he’s a competitor. No one is giving up on anybody.”

Special guests

The Shaker Heights Fire football team, which will play in the Pop Warner National Championships in Orlando, Fla. this weekend, was feted with a surprise reception at the training facility.

Quinn, Mangini and team president Mike Keenan each gave short speeches to the players, who are between 8 and 11 years old.

The Fire initially did not have the funds to make the trip, which prompted the Cleveland Browns Foundation to make a contribution. Browns defensive backs Brodney Pool and Wright also donated money to the effort.

Quote of the day

“The best player I’ve ever seen on the field is LT, without a doubt. He’s a future Hall of Famer, and nobody has helped him get there more than I have. He’s killed me more than any other coach. Please don’t look it up.” – Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com.

---

Print this story
Report an inappropriate comment

---

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

Need help? Email Us.

---