Bright start for Winslow ends bleakly with fourth-quarter errors

Nov/07/08 07:18 AM Filed in: Kellen Winslow
KellenWinslow
CLEVELAND -- Kellen Winslow blamed himself for letting the last pass of the game slip right through his Pro Bowl hands.

"I can't get that last play out of my head," he said. "The great ones make that catch and that's what I want to be. I let my team down."

With 54 seconds remaining, the Browns trailing, 34-30, and facing a fourth and 1 at their 42, Brady Quinn fired a pass to Winslow in the left flat and it sailed right through his hands. End of game.

Never mind that Winslow caught 10 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns, a 5-yarder and a 16-yarder. He also fumbled in the fourth quarter to set up a Denver touchdown that put the Broncos up, 27-23, with 9:50 remaining.

"Dre Bly just made a great play on the ball," said Winslow. "I was trying to protect the ball and get extra yardage. I knew it was going to cost us, and it did."

Winslow redeemed himself some on the next drive when his 30-yard catch and run took the ball to the Denver 24. The catch led to a Jamal Lewis touchdown run that put the Browns back up, 30-27.

But the drop at the end was the only thing that mattered to Winslow.

"It was a routine catch. I love it when the ball comes to me in clutch situations," he said. "That's what I live for and I missed the shot. I let my team down and it was the first time that's happened. I won't let it happen again. I'm going to take it as a lesson and it will make me stronger."

Despite the loss, Winslow praised Quinn, who had instant chemistry with the tight end.

"He's a gamer," said Winslow. "He's real calm in the huddle. He calmed me down when I was excited. He's a good quarterback."

Winslow also committed offensive pass interference that wiped out a 15-yard catch by Braylon Edwards in the fourth quarter.

"They call one every week," said Winslow. "It's pretty frustrating. I don't know what they want me to do."

Winslow's first TD catch was a five-yarder in the first quarter on a post route in which Quinn split two defenders just before getting drilled for a 7-0 lead. His second was a 16-yard catch at the left side in which he shook off safety Marquand Manuel at the 6 and scampered in.

"I just didn't make enough plays," he said.

(blog.cleveland.com)