Harrison may get more chances

09.18.2008

It's just one big play.

But for an offense that has been lacking that aspect of their game this year, it could be big.

Jerome Harrison's 23-yard pass reception from quarterback Derek Anderson occurred on the first snap of the team's first drive of the fourth quarter in last Sunday night's 10-6 loss to the Steelers - and stands as one of the few big plays the Browns offense has produced this year.

The play helped lead to the final points of the game, a 38-yard Phil Dawson field goal.

With the Browns having scored just 16 points in two games, their 8.0 average per contest being well below the 25.1 figure they sported last year, head coach Romeo Crennel is looking for a spark. As such, he said Thursday that Harrison might get some more playing time in Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

The 5-foot-9, 205-pound Harrison is the quickest of the Browns backs, and also the most elusive. And he showed all of those traits on his big play, taking the short pass from Anderson in the left flat and bobbing and weaving his way through one of the NFL's top defenses. He made several Steelers miss before he was finally forced out of bounds at the Cleveland 43.

It is Harrison's only reception of the year through two games, and marks just the second time he has touched the ball. He also had a two-yard run against the Cowboys.

Last year while once again playing behind Lewis and Jason Wright, Harrison rushed 23 times for 142 yards -- a healthy 6.2 yards-per-carry average -- and caught two passes for 19 yards. As a rookie in 2006, he ran 20 times for 60 yards and had nine catches for 47 yards.

He was outstanding as both a runner and receiver at Washington State, which is why the Browns selected him in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. As a senior the previous year, he set a school record with 1,900 yards rushing and finished second on the all-purpose yards list with 2,113.

Now the Browns are hoping he can rack up more in an orange helmet.

UP NEXT: The Browns will wrap up the bulk of their physical preparations for the Ravens with a one-hour, 50-minute practice on Friday. They'll hold a walkthrough before flying to Baltimore Saturday.

QUOTABLE: " It looks like(Joe Flacco)has got some poise and some composure at the position. The throws they gave him to execute, he executed them very well. He handled himself very well, I thought. I think most defensive coordinators want to bring pressure on a young guy to see how he's going to react, because he is young and hasn't seen as much. You show him some stuff, and if he can't handle it, keep showing it to him." -- Crennel on what is usually done to rattle a young quarterback, such as the Ravens' Flacco, a rookie.