Droughns still questionable; Bodden out

11.17.2006

Cornerback LeighBodden has been declared out for Sunday's game vs. Pittsburgh due to a lingering ankle injury, according to Friday's injury report.

The announcement came with little surprise, as Bodden said Thursday he wasn't optimistic about his chances to play this weekend. It will be the second consecutive game Bodden has missed. He injured the ankle two weeks ago at San Diego.

Running back Reuben Droughns, meanwhile, who is listed as questionable on the team's injury report with a foot injury, agreed Friday when he was asked if it was fair to say he was going to do 'everything humanly possible' to get onto the field Sunday during the team's game against arch rival Pittsburgh.

Droughns suffered the injury last week during the team's win at Atlanta but said it didn't become more severe until the following day. He missed portions of practice all week.

"It has gotten a lot better," Droughns said. "Hopefully coach can make that decision whether it's today, tomorrow, or Sunday. We'll find out real soon."

Perhaps no one was affected more by the team's 41-0 loss to the Steelers on Christmas Eve 2005 than Droughns.

At the beginning of the season, Droughns made a video of plays from the game, complete with the final score, and showed it to his fellow teammates to remind them of the embarrassing loss.

"That stayed on our memory all offseason," he said. "The (Steelers) can take credit for it because they came up here and beat our butts up and down the field. But (we are) a different unit and different team. A lot of guys know about it and we feel the same way. We don't want to let the same thing happen again."

Droughns' numbers are down from last year, when he rushed for the most yards by a Browns back since 1979.

Through nine games last season, Droughns had 702 rushing yards. This year, he has a mere 472 heading into the final seven games of the season. He averaged 4.0 yards per carry last year. This year he's averaging just 3.1.

Droughns is the first to admit the team's rushing game must improve for the remainder of the year if they are to finish the season strong -- and especially if they are to beat the Steelers Sunday.

"It's very significant," he said. As an offensive unit we noticed it. We're e looking to get better within these final seven games. It's us as a collective unit. We have to find a way to get better."

OTHER INJURY NEWS--The Browns' injury report remained mostly the same beyond Bodden's downgrade. Starting quarterback Charlie Frye (left wrist) was upgraded from questionable to probable.

Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher, meanwhile, made significant changes to his report, upgrading five players --James Harrison, Jeff Hartings, Dan Kreider, Troy Polamalu and Deshea Townsend -- from questionable to probable.

REMEMBERING BO--Browns receiver Braylon Edwards recalled his memories of former Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler Friday following his death Friday at age 77.

Edwards' father, Stanley, played under Schembechler from 1977-81, so the young Edwards knew him from youth. Braylon Edwards said Schembechler was like a "second father" to his father.

Braylon Edwards said Schembechler still had an office at the team's training facility, which is named after the coach, and he served as a mentor for the young receiver during his time at Michigan.

Schembechler spoke to the team before their matchup and victory over Ohio State in 2003.

"Hearing it in his voice we knew what it was about to play for Michigan," he said. "We knew what it was about to play in a Michigan-Ohio State game. We felt that deep in his soul everything he said he meant and felt."

He said the Wolverines will certainly be inspired by Schembechler's legacy.

"This game just took a whole other direction for the University of Michigan," Edwards said. "Bo Schembechler is Michigan football. That's all there is to it. The things he did, the talent he had, the way he coached, the wins he had, and his career -- even not coaching anymore and just being around the campus and facility. This game just took another step in the right direction for us. I think (Michigan will) utilize this as fuel and motivation for the game tomorrow."

WINSLOW WEIGHS IN--Tight end Kellen Winslow weighed in Friday on Sunday's matchup vs. the Steelers.

He said he looks at Sunday's matchup against the team's arch rival as similar to his matchups against Florida State while he was a player at the University of Miami.

"We can't lose," he said. "There's no room for error. Somebody has to move up (into third place in the AFC North). They have great players over there. We have great players here. We have to do it as a unit. It's going to be a great game."

He also said, despite his league-leading 56 catches as a tight end, he doesn't expect to be selected for the Pro Bowl.

"I don't think about that stuff," he said. "I probably won't make it because we're not often televised but I don't really care. I'm just trying to help this team win."

QUICK HITS--Browns linebacker Kamerion Wimbley is one half sack away from matching the Browns rookie sack record of 6.0 by Michael Dean Perry in 1988...The Browns haven't won consecutive games since 2003, but they did win consecutive home games last season. The team beat Tennessee and Miami on Nov. 6 and 20^th, respectively, in 2005.