By Starting Blocks

March 24, 2010, 9:45AM

Detroit Free Press reporter Nicholas J. Cotsonika writes how Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini must have been uncomfortable during a particular session with all of the coaches at the NFL meetings

Coach Eric Mangini.In this session, all 32 coaches were in a room for a presentation by NFL Films president Steve Sabol. He showed the highlights of the Lions’ 38-37 victory Nov. 22 over the Browns.

Remember, that was quarterback Matthew Stafford's great game. NFL Films wired Stafford for sound, and the footage was so dramatic, it has been nominated for an Emmy.

It figures that a Browns' loss is up for an award. Instead of storming out of the room, Mangini found some humor.

“Am I going to get part of that Emmy?” Mangini said today, smiling. “Are they going to call me up?”

Mangini held up a hand, as if he were holding a microphone on stage at an awards ceremony.

“ ‘I’d like to thank Eric Mangini,’ ” he said. “Wave. We should all get an Emmy for that.”

Mangini paused.

“Yeah,” he said. “I saw it.”

Unfortunately we all saw how Stafford led the Lions to the Cleveland 32 with eight seconds left. He took the snap, scrambled around, heaved the ball into the end zone and took a vicious hit. But a pass interference call gave the Lions one more play. Stafford was on the sideline and was able to come back into the game because Mangini called a timeout. Backup Daunte Culpepper had come onto the field.

But NFL Films caught all the drama as Stafford heard the timeout announcement over the loudspeakers, ran past the Lions’ doctors, went back into the game and threw the winning touchdown with no time left.