New territory

CLEVELAND – It was a thought-provoking question, so linebacker Andra Davis stopped for a moment, put his hand to his chin and swept the cobwebs out of his memory.

This is a man that had been drafted by the Cleveland Browns during the train wreck that was the Butch Davis regime. He'd seen the team fall apart in every possible way, systematically gutted by horrendous management.

Now, six years into his NFL career, Davis had to think twice when asked about the last time he'd seen a three-game winning streak.

"Man, I'd have to go all the way back to when I played for (the University of) Florida," he said, raising his eyebrows and curling his lips into a grin. "That's why this is such a beautiful thing, especially for the guys who have been here for a while."

Undoubtedly, these Browns have written one of the unlikeliest stories in the league, extending their streak with a 33-30 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The win solidified two unlikely titles for the Browns this season: offensive juggernaut and AFC North contender. Who would have believed such declarations about this team two months ago, when most were predicting that by November, coach Romeo Crennel likely would have been fired and rookie Brady Quinn would be the Browns' starting quarterback.

Perhaps the linebacker framed the twist in expectations best when he called it "an amazing blessing for us all."

But the blessing may not be nearly as amazing as this team's sudden transformation. Eight weeks ago, Cleveland was getting thumped by the Pittsburgh Steelers at home to open the season, and seemingly sinking right on cue. The offense was bumbling, the defense was porous, and the buzzards had begun to circle overhead. Flash forward to next week, and the Steelers will be hosting an almost entirely different team. While the Browns suddenly have developed one of the most explosive offenses in the league (only the New England Patriots have scored more points than Cleveland's 31.1 average over the last seven weeks), they've also added some of the trademark 1980s grit.

Not only have the Browns rallied from 14- and 15-point deficits to win the last two weeks, they've done it by stiffening in the second half defensively and keeping defenses off balance with a glut of weapons. They have both a legitimate running back and potentially two franchise quarterbacks. The defense is young and improving. And Cleveland Browns Stadium? It finally has started to establish the deafening hostility that once made Cleveland Municipal Stadium one of the NFL's most-hated venues.

In short, for the first time since qualifying for the 2002 playoffs and second time since Art Modell ripped the hearts out of Cleveland fans and moved his team to Baltimore, these Browns have made this franchise a player again.

"Probably the biggest (development) is becoming a team," Crennel said. "Every year you have to develop team chemistry when you have new players and all of that. But when those guys begin to come together as a team and play for each other and help each other, that makes you feel good as a coach."

And there is plenty to celebrate these days, starting with quarterback Derek Anderson, who took over from Charlie Frye in Week 1 and has never looked back. Despite Quinn's presence – and first-round paycheck – Anderson has staked his claim to the No. 1 job for now and the future. He completed 29 of 48 passes against an underrated Seattle defense, finishing with 364 passing yards. And while he didn't throw a touchdown pass, he did direct the offense into the red-zone situations that allowed running back Jamal Lewis to score a career-high four touchdowns despite averaging only 1.9 yards per carry on the night.

It's just the latest strong performance from Anderson, and the latest step toward the Browns being in an interesting predicament. A restricted free agent after the season, the Browns are expected to offer Anderson the maximum tender, meaning any team that signs him to a long-term deal will have to give up first- and third-round draft choices should Cleveland choose not to match the offer. But Anderson is putting Cleveland in a scenario where they may have to match, retaining a player who is being lauded as a franchise quarterback in his own locker room.

"In all my years here, we'd be lucky to score 20 points a game," Davis said. "But now we've got it going, and we've been getting it done ever since DA became the quarterback."

And as defensive end Robaire Smith put it succinctly, "You don't (mess) with success. You don't (mess) with it, no matter what you have to do."

It's a decision that's far down the road, but clearly one that is emblematic of this franchise. A roster that once was decimated by the poor talent evaluation of former coach Davis and former general manager Dwight Clark, the Browns now are stocked on offense. The left side of the line, with rookie tackle Joe Thomas and free agent pickup Eric Steinbach, looks like it has the makings of a dominant pairing in the future. Wideout Braylon Edwards has finally developed into a star, as has tight end Kellen Winslow. And Lewis, while aging, has complemented the mix perfectly.

"I've never been in this situation, having a guy like Braylon, Kellen, Joe (Jurevicius) – these guys, they make plays," Lewis said. "It opens things up for myself as a runner. I don't have to deal with the eight-man boxes or the nine-man boxes. … I don't have to be that bruiser that I was (in Baltimore), just pounding through eight- and nine-man boxes. You have to respect the outside. You have to respect Braylon. He's a Pro Bowl wide receiver. You have to respect Kellen. To me, he's a Pro Bowl tight end."

And you have to respect Anderson, who seemingly has brought it all together. Not only did he flawlessly piece together the 89-yard drive that put Cleveland up 30-27 late in the fourth quarter, he hit Lewis at the perfect moment on a screen pass in the overtime that put the Browns in position for the game-winning field goal. All of this after the defense made good on a vow to give Anderson and the offense the one shot they would need to win the game.

"That's what we were talking about on the sideline," Smith said. "That's what DA gives the team. We knew if we stopped them once in overtime, he'd win it. And he did."

Those were audacious words from a poised team. And for the first time in a long time, the boldness, the confidence and the winning all seem to fit this franchise again.