ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -Joshua Cribbs scored on a 2-yard end around and Phil Dawson kicked two field goals to give the Cleveland Browns a 13-10 halftime lead over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
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Dawson’s field goals came after two of Edwards’ interceptions as Brady Quinn struggled to find consistency in the first road start of his career. He found his touch early in the second quarter, though, directing a 96-yard, 12-play scoring drive that took nearly six minutes.
Quinn completed passes to Braylon Edwards of 20, 18 and 10 yards, and Jamal Lewis added a 16-yard run around the right side to the 2. Cribbs scored at 9:52 to end the longest drive of the year for the Browns.
The Bills finally got untracked offensively, and they did it on the ground after their awful first quarter. After Leodis McKelvin had another sparkling kickoff return to the Buffalo 41, Fred Jackson had runs of 19 and 17 yards on consecutive plays, moving the ball to the Cleveland 17.
After Jackson lost a yard, Edwards hit Lynch in the left flat, and he weaved his way into the middle, breaking five tackles along the way, and lunged over the goal line to bring the Bills within 13-7 at 6:20.
The Browns then went three-and-out, and Edwards guided the Bills downfield to Rian Lindell’s 26-yard field goal. Edwards hit Steve Johnson for 11 yards, Lynch had an 8-yard run and Jackson followed with a 9-yard run to move the ball to the Cleveland 33.
in the end zone for Roscoe Parrish was batted away at the goal line and the Browns forced him to throw another away, setting up Lindell’s kick as time expired.
The Browns won the toss and deferred, and the Bills gained terrific field position when McKelvin returned the kick 38 yards to the Buffalo 44. Edwards’ first-down pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage by Shaun Rogers and intercepted by Kamerion Wimbley at the Cleveland 42.
The Browns responded by going three-and-out as Quinn threw two incompletions.
Four plays later, Cleveland had the ball again. After Edwards hit Parrish for 21 yards to get the towel-waving capacity crowd in a frenzy, linebacker Andra Davis stepped in front of another Edwards pass and intercepted it at midfield.
This time, the Browns took advantage. Quinn gained 12 yards around the right side on a bootleg and hit Charles Ali on a crossing route over the middle for another 12 yards to set up Dawson’s 40-yard field goal, the 200th of his career, at 9:29.
Neither team moved the ball on its next possessions, but the Browns got another break when Parrish, standing near his own 20, was in poor position to field a punt and it rolled dead at the 1. After Marshawn Lynch gained nine yards on two carries, Brandon McDonald intercepted Edwards’ pass at the Buffalo 22.
r tight end Kellen Winslow was broken up by Bryan Scott.
It was a midseason matchup with lots at stake between two teams that began the season expecting to be playoff contenders. The Bills (5-4) have lost three straight and four of five and have looked nothing like the team that started the season with four straight wins.
The Browns (3-6) are even worse off. Coming off two losses, they appear to be unraveling by the week, undone by a series of distractions that have led to some infighting, with running back Lewis questioning whether some teammates had quit.
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