Work continues as season approaches

09.01.2009

An hour or so before Tuesday's practice, Eric Mangini said the M Word.

Minnesota.

Yes, the Browns still have plenty at stake - including roster spots - in Thursday's preseason finale at Chicago, but the real fun is ahead. Mangini said the Browns would spend a little time in Tuesday's practice introducing themselves to the Vikings, their opponent in the Sept. 13 season opener.

"The main emphasis is our preparation for Chicago," Mangini said. "But we have several things going on."

By Saturday, the roster will be trimmed to the regular season size of 53. The Browns got the roster to 75 by placing Ryan Tucker and Fred Weary on injured-reserve and trading Louis Leonard on Tuesday.

When those 53 reconvene this weekend, it will be full steam ahead with plans for the Vikings, who had a national audience for their preseason win in Houston Monday night.

"I'm not going to lie, I watched a little bit of the game," Brady Quinn said. "Yeah, we're preparing for Chicago. But I might slide a little Minnesota tape in, too."

Mangini said he didn't watch the Vikings game live because he prefers to watch from the angles provided by the coach's copy, which he expected to receive by Tuesday afternoon or evening.

NO WORD - Speaking of Mangini and Quinn, the coach again didn't name a starter for the game in Chicago. Quinn started the preseason opener and again last week, while Derek Anderson started the Browns' Aug. 22 game against the Lions.

"That's all up to Coach. He hasn't said anything to us," Anderson said. "We go to practice. All we can do is just continue to compete, try to do things we're asked to do every week and let Coach be the one to make a decision."

"Other than just trying to be the best we can every day, no, there's nothing new," Quinn said. "We'll continue to try to keep playing well, continue to get better, try to get a win."