Cleveland Browns wrongly received a fourth timeout prior to Josh Cribbs' injury

By Tony Grossi

BEREA, Ohio -- The injury to Josh Cribbs on the last play of the Browns' game against Baltimore would never have happened if not for a screwup by the game officials.

The Browns called four timeouts in the second half and were awarded all four.

Mike Pereira, head of NFL officials, admitted the blunder in his weekly appearance on NFL Network.

The Browns called timeouts with 3:24 left in the third quarter, 3:35 left in the fourth quarter and then with 3:29 left. At that point, the Cleveland Browns Stadium scoreboard erroneously showed they had one timeout left.

The Browns called it with 1:55 to go.

Pereira said, "It happened because we as a group -- as a crew -- failed to record on our card the timeout at 3:24 mark of the third quarter. There was a question on whether or not we could measure after movement of the ball. And then everybody on the field basically forgot to record the penalty -- I mean, the timeout -- and the scoreboard did, too. We didn't have on our cards, it showed on the scoreboard that when we got to the two-minute warning we had one left. So therefore, we granted the first play after the two-minute warning a fourth timeout. All our fault."

The official NFL Game Summary does not show the timeout called with 1:55 to go.

Had it not been called, the Browns would not have had :03 left to call something similar to a hook and lateral and Cribbs would not have gotten hurt.

@kosar_for_president said:

OK, well I can't disagree with that. Maybe they should come right out the box with a play like that instead of waiting till the last play of the game. After all, what do they have to lose? (Besides the rights to the #1 draft choice!!)

@the-gipper said:

The main point Gip is what a dumb ass play to call in the first place being down 16-0.

@kosar_for_president said:

Bullshit, we have been all over this in another thread. The ratbird's action in taking a cheap shot at Cribbs is 10 times worse than whatever Quinn did. Yea, that was a stupid play at the end of the game, but that is no excuse for a cheap shot.

@brownindian said:

I was mightily peeved whilst reading that article, until I came to the last line. I agree, with John St. Clair injured, we might have a shot.

By Mary Kay Cabot

November 18, 2009, 10:02PM

The Plain Dealer

Josh Cribbs said Wednesday that the lateral on the final play against the Ravens was a result of a directive from Brady Quinn to keep the ball alive. Browns receiver Josh Cribbs confirmed Wednesday his lateral on the final play against the Ravens was not a coach's call, but rather a directive from quarterback Brady Quinn to keep the ball alive.

The play resulted in a neck injury to Cribbs, one that kept him out of practice Wednesday and might prevent him from playing in Detroit on Sunday.

"It was a call at the line," Cribbs said. "It wasn't a call that came in from the coaches. Brady had let us know to keep the ball alive, that he was going to throw the slant to me at the line and he gave the signal to keep it alive."

After a 10-yard catch, Cribbs flipped the ball to Robert Royal and was immediately drilled under the chin by Baltimore's Dwan Edwards. Cribbs was immobilized on a board and taken to the Cleveland Clinic, where all tests on his neck were negative.

Coach Eric Mangini, who has come under heavy fire for calling the play with just seconds remaining and the Browns down, 16-0, reiterated that it wasn't a called hook-and-lateral, just a slant with other receivers running shallow crossing routes.

"It was Josh being competitive," said Mangini. "He got caught up in the moment. That's what all the guys are like."

Cribbs said Mangini apologized to him and the team for not handing off to end the game.

"He told me it wasn't personal and he did apologize to the team, [too]," said Cribbs. "It wasn't like he needed to apologize to me personally. It's football and injuries happen."

Cribbs said he spoke with Edwards, who decked him, and is satisfied that it wasn't retaliation for Quinn's low block earlier on Terrell Suggs that injured the Baltimore linebacker's knee.

"[Edwards] let me know that it wasn't at all meant to happen like that," Cribbs said. "He thought I was trying to come to block him after I pitched the ball. It wasn't a cheap shot. A lot of guys got in contact with me -- Ray Lewis and [Ravens special teams coach] Jerry Rosburg."

Edwards could still get fined for the hit, even though he wasn't penalized.

Cribbs, who said the post-hit pain was excruciating, stressed he wasn't upset about being put in that position.

"I wouldn't want to come out of the game," he said. "A lot of people say, 'Why are you still out there when you have no chance to win?' But I wanted to be out there. I can't put blame on anyone."

He acknowledged, however, that he's concerned about playing without the new contract the Browns have assured him is coming.

"This is the exact thing I worry about," he said. "And we're going to make sure we get that handled because it really is a touchy subject for me now. It put a lot of things into perspective getting hurt like that and [knowing] it could've been worse.

"[but] I'm going to keep playing and playing hard. This is football, it's what I signed up for."

Like Mangini earlier in the week, Cribbs said he'd do the last play differently. "A little smarter," he said. "I probably would've caught the ball and just ran up the field. You learn from your mistakes."

Zastudil, Heiden to IR: Punter Dave Zastudil (right knee) and tight end Steve Heiden (ankle) were placed on injured reserve, where they'll remain for the rest of the season.

To replace them, the Browns claimed off waivers linebacker Arnold Harrison from Pittsburgh and receiver Jake Allen from Green Bay.

"Steve and Dave worked extremely hard this year, and you don't like to see anyone's season end prematurely because of an injury," Mangini said. "They both provided a veteran presence that will not be easy to replace."

Zastudil had been battling his knee injury for several weeks, and finally had to sit out against the Ravens on Monday night. The Browns replaced him with punter Reggie Hodges, who spent last season with Mangini in New York. Heiden, who came back this season from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in December, suffered an ankle injury against the Ravens and did not return. He played seven games, starting six, and caught 10 passes for 73 yards and one touchdown.

Zastudil was second in the NFL with 25 punts inside the 20 and was having a Pro Bowl-type season.

The Packers originally signed Allen as an undrafted rookie out of Mississippi College in 2008. He saw action in one game. Harrison has started two games in four seasons, totaling 12 tackles on defense and 22 on special teams. He played in eight games this season, mostly on special teams.

Union here: The Browns' union representative, Hank Fraley, downplayed Wednesday's visit from the NFL Players Association. A source said the union was coming to discuss Mangini's long practices. "They talk to us all the time," said Fraley. "We have a lot of stuff coming up with the collective bargaining agreement. They oversee everybody. They want to make sure everything's up to par."

TD drought: According to STATS LLC, the Browns' five offensive touchdowns over the past 15 games are the fewest in that span since 1950.

Injuries: In addition to Cribbs, right tackle John St. Clair (shoulder) and fullback Lawrence Vickers (shoulder) sat out Wednesday's practice.

@pumpkin-eater said:

LMAO he's so afraid to throw deep he called the stupid short pass to Cribbs?

unbelievable.

Why is Quinn afraid to throw deep?

Oh he threw deep...out of bounds in the last two minutes of garbage-time football.

@kosar_for_president said:

So with Thomas rolling his eyes Quinn, Furry pissed and now this. Quinn's days are numbered. He has no respect.

he's no leader, that's for sure.

LMAO he's so afraid to throw deep he called the stupid short pass to Cribbs?

unbelievable.

Why is Quinn afraid to throw deep?

@clevelandfanforlife said:

True that.

@kosar_for_president said:

this is what it sounds like. your forgetting that quinn is double to blame here. if he hadn't dove at suggs knees then cribbs probably wouldn't have gotten that cheap shot. this one's on quinn. he's double grounded.