Josh Cribbs seeking more snaps on Browns offense

The Browns' special team maven would like his role on offense expanded.

Browns place DE Emmanuel Stephens on IR with neck injury

Cleveland has not yet announced Stephens' replacement on the roster

Browns vs. Chargers: Rookies Billy Winn, James-Michael Johnson help in impressive defensive effort

The Cleveland Browns received big contributions from rookies Billy Winn and James-Michael Johnson in Sunday's 7-6 win over the San Diego Chargers.

Winn, a defensive tackle out of Boise State, recovered Chargers running back Ryan Mathews' fumble after Johnson, a linebacker from Nevada, forced the miscue. Winn told Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer about the importance of the Browns creating turnovers, at which they've had great success over the past three games:

"It's tough to win a game when you don't have turnovers -- everybody knows that. But they don't just come to you, you have to create them."

Winn has recovered two fumbles this season, while accumulating 12 tackles and a sack. Meanwhile, Johnson had the best game of his career to date, racking up 10 tackles and the forced fumble. Browns head coach Pat Shurmur was pleased with Johnson's effort, as well as that of the rest of the team's rookies:

"I think he's been like all of our rookies, they're playing a little better each week and I think he showed up well today."

The Browns allowed just 265 total yards to the Chargers' offense, which contains a myriad of weapons. Cleveland will need a similar effort in Week 9 with the Baltimore Ravens coming to town.

NFL injury report: Browns see two go down in Week 8

The Cleveland Browns picked up their second win of the season on Sunday, and it was as ugly as it gets. When you see a 7-6 final score, you think it was a strong defensive battle, or that it was an ugly mess. It was, in fact, the latter, but a win is a win, and the important thing is that the Browns are on the right track.

As for injuries, there were a couple to note for the Browns. Kick returner Richard Goodman injured his hamstring returning the opening kickoff, and he was immediately out for the game. He did not return and there are no updates on his status as of Monday morning.

Defensive end Emmanuel Stephens sustained a neck injury in the first half and missed the rest of the game as well. His status is also unclear, though the Browns are expected to give updates on both players in the near future. Outside of those two, the Browns remained relatively healthy.

Browns vs. Chargers: Jim Brown visits with Trent Richardson after win

Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown met with current star running back Trent Richardson after the game to congratulate him on his solid performance in the team's win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. Brown created a stir after draft day when he called Richardson "ordinary," but the two have worked to smooth out their relationship since then and Richardson told the News-Herald that he appreciated Brown talking to him after the game.

"It meant a lot (to have Brown waiting for him)," Richardson said. "Like I've said, he's an icon. Someone came in the trainer's room and said, ‘Jim Brown's out there for you.' I ran out there. Him just being here today shows what he thinks about us."

Brown told him to "keep doing what you're doing," which is something that could help the Browns turn their season around. On Sunday, Richardson rushed for 122 yards on 24 carries, his second time over the century mark this season. It was a marked turnaround from the team's Week 7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, in which Richardson rushed just eight times for eight yards.

On the season, the first-round pick from Alabama has rushed 127 times for 470 yards, good for just 3.7 yards per carry.

Chargers vs. Browns recap: Trent Richardson, ugly weather aid Cleveland in 2nd win

The Browns picked up their first win of the Haslam era, and some sloppy conditions helped the cause. Ryan Alton recaps the day at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Chargers vs. Browns 2012: Ground game aids Cleveland in victory

Trent Richardson ran for 122 yards against San Diego.

Trent Richardson fantasy update: Browns RB rebounds with big day vs. Chargers

Despite being listed as questionable all week due to a rib injury, Browns running back Trent Richardson turned in the best game of his NFL career on Sunday afternoon to help power a narrow victory over the Chargers.

Richardson set new career highs with 24 carries and 122 rushing yards, and was the unquestioned star in a slow-paced game where neither the Browns nor the Chargers could pass for more than 150 yards. The 5'9, 230-pound back also scored the day's only touchdown with a 26-yard scamper in the first quarter, and managed to haul in a pass for the seventh consecutive week.

Expected to be spelled by backup Montario Hardesty more than usual entering the day, Richardson's strong performance represented a significant sigh of relief for fantasy owners after a frustrating Week 7. Hardesty carried the ball just three times for three yards, meaning that Richardson's owners can now keep him in their lineup with confidence going forward. The Browns will square off with Baltimore in Week 9, and Richardson could be poised for another big day against a depleted Ravens defense.

Chargers vs. Browns game recap: Cleveland's defense paces 7-6 victory

The Cleveland Browns rode a dominant defensive effort to a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday afternoon. In spite of a struggling pass offense, the Browns were able to depend on running back Trent Richardson and a surprisingly-stout defensive unit to win their second game of the season.

Coming off a few underwhelming performances while dealing with an ongoing rib injury, Richardson came alive on Sunday to rush for 122 yards on 24 carries, including a 26-yard romp for the game's only touchdown. The rookie also caught one pass for 12 yards.

Richardson's performance comes at a particularly good time for the Browns, too, as quarterback Brandon Weeden struggled to complete passes. The rookie landed just 11-of-27 passes for 129 yards, although he avoided key turnovers that could've cost the team a win.

San Diego could muster just 265 total yards and 17 first downs against the Browns, with that effort split evenly between the pass and the rush. Philip Rivers completed 18-of-34 passes, but they accounted for just 154 yards overall.

The Chargers neared field goal range for a possible game-winning attempt in the final two minutes, but the Browns held steady on fourth down to force a turnover on downs, allowing them to run out the clock.

Fantasy studs/duds: The two starting running backs, Mathews (24 carries, 95 yards) and Richardson (24 carries, 122 yards, one score), were the biggest performers of the day. The two passing offenses combined for less than 265 yards on the day.

For more, check out SB Nation's fantasy hub.

Odds/Gambling: The Chargers were favored by 2.5 points, so they didn't cover.

For more, check out SB Nation's odds page.

Injury info: Browns defensive end Emmanuel Stephens suffered a neck injury during the game and did not return. His status going forward is unclear at the moment.

Next team on the schedule: On Thursday night, the Chargers are hosting the Kansas City Chiefs, while the Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

For more on Browns football, check out Dawgs by Nature. To get more on the Chargers, check out Bolts From The Blue.

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

Browns vs. Chargers score: Browns hold 7-6 lead after 3 quarters

The offense still hasn't gotten going, but the Cleveland Browns are holding onto a 7-6 lead over the San Diego Chargers going into the fourth quarter on Sunday. A field goal by the Chargers late in the third quarter trimmed the lead to a single point, but Cleveland still has the advantage going into the final period.

Other than Trent Richardson, the Browns' offense has done very little. Richardson has carried the ball 21 times for 101 yards, including a 26-yard romp for the game's only touchdown thus far, but the team has just 94 passing yards with 15 minutes left in the game.

Brandon Weeden has struggled against the Chargers' pass defense, competing just 9-of-24 passes for 103 yards, so there's been significant pressure on the defense to maintain the lead. San Diego has just 177 total yards so far, but the Chargers are still easily within striking distance of pulling away.

Browns vs. Chargers score: Cleveland leads 7-3 at halftime

The Cleveland Browns have ridden a dominant defensive performance to a 7-3 lead over the San Diego Chargers going into halftime Sunday afternoon. Neither team is playing particularly well on offense, but the Browns were able to string together a strong drive in the first quarter to take the early lead.

The Chargers have been held to just 139 total yards so far on Sunday, with much of those coming on a lengthy opening drive that ended on a failed 4th-and-1 at the Browns' 30-yard line. Running back Ryan Mathews has carried the ball 11 times for 48 yards, but he's also lost a fumble.

Coming off a few underwhelming performances while limited by a rib injury, rookie running back Trent Richardson has looked like a top-10 pick on Sunday. He's already carried the ball 15 times for 86 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown run that's accounted for the game's only touchdown so far.

Brandon Weeden has been relatively quiet, competing 6-of-12 passes for 49 yards with no turnovers and no sacks. Philip Rivers was similarly inactive early before coming alive late, completing 12-of-18 passes for 83 yards over the course of the first half.

Browns vs. Chargers score: Cleveland leads 7-0 after first quarter

A big play by running back Trent Richardson has the Cleveland Browns leading 7-0 over the San Diego Chargers after one quarter on Sunday afternoon. The rookie took a handoff 26 yards for the touchdown with roughly five minutes remaining in the quarter, putting the Browns ahead at home.

The Chargers began the game with a 10-play, six-minute drive into Cleveland territory on the first possession of the game, but the Browns stopped running back Jackie Battle on 4th-and-1 at the Browns' 30-yard line. Nine of the 10 plays on the drive were running plays, although Philip Rivers completed his only pass attempt for 14 yards.

Cleveland responded with a lengthy drive of its own, leaning heavily on Richardson during the 12-play, 70-yard drive highlighted by the rookie's scoring run. He's carried the ball eight times for 57 yards overall, a massive improvement compared with his recent performance while dealing with a recurring rib injury.

The Browns still need to limit an offense that includes Rivers (3-for-4, 21 yards) and Ryan Mathews (seven carries, 34 yards), but they're off to a solid start.

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