Steve Silverman

They stand on the precipice of the postseason, as thrilled by their own position as it was unexpected at the start of the season.

The Cleveland Browns, a team that means as much to their city and region as any in the NFL. The franchise that was ripped from the city following the 1995 season when a troubled owner named Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore in order to get himself out of debt.

The Browns returned to Cleveland in 1999, but that scar is so real and painful that no Clevelander will ever forgive or forget.

However, the 2007 season is one of achievement for the Browns, coach Romeo Crennel and a displaced running back named Jamal Lewis. Their fans are on the verge of euphoria that comes with a spot in Roger Goodell's postseason tournament.

Lewis was once a dominant star for the same Baltimore Ravens franchise that once belonged to Cleveland. He was the Ravens’ best offensive weapon in the Super Bowl season of 2000 and now he’s the Browns’ best offensive player as they move closer to their first playoff spot since 2002.

The 5-11, 245-pound Lewis has run for 1,084 yards and nine touchdowns, and he was the key free-agent signing in an offseason that saw the Browns draft Brady Quinn from Notre Dame to be the quarterback of the future. Neither Crennel nor offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski had any plans to make Quinn the starting quarterback this season and were willing to take their chances with Charlie Frye. But after an awful performance in the opener against the Steelers, Browns traded their starting quarterback to Seattle and gave the job to strong-armed Derek Anderson.

The move was interpreted as total desperation by the rest of the league and it appeared that Crennel was on his way out the door. The Browns had hope that Anderson would play better than Frye, but there was very little evidence to believe he would turn things around.

But that’s just what has happened.

After a win over the Bills on Sunday, Cleveland is now tied atop the AFC North with Pittsburgh. The Browns have the eighth-ranked offense in the league. They are highly efficient, ranking sixth in yards per pass and ninth in yards per run.

Anderson has been philosophical about his development. He knew he had a real opportunity to succeed even if scouts and media people thought he was nothing but a sacrificial lamb. “We believed in ourselves and that’s what mattered most,” Anderson explained. “Why shouldn’t we have believed. Look at (wide receivers) Braylon Edwards and Joe Jurevicius. Look at (tight end) Kellen Winslow. They are all great players who are interested in doing what they can to win.”

But it’s Lewis who provides the steady punch of a power running game. A 2,066-yard runner in 2003, Lewis appeared to be the game’s pre-eminent power back. He reminded some of the great Jim Brown because of his ability to run over linebackers and outrun the secondary. However, a series of nagging injuries and a 2005 stint in prison for allegedly arranging an ill-fated drug deal through the use of a cell phone sent his career into reverse. But while the Ravens lost faith in him and decided to part company, Lewis looked at his move to Cleveland as a new opportunity to get his career going.

He has been very steady throughout the season, running with power and taking over in the fourth quarter. That happened again in Week 13 when he scored on a 31-yard run late in the fourth quarter to clinch a 24-18 win over the Jets. Lewis realized that Jet defenders were not interested in tackling him late in the game. All they wanted to do was hold him up and hope a teammate would strip the ball.

“It wasn’t anything fancy, it was just a matter of keeping my knees going,” Lewis said. “If they weren’t going to hit me I certainly wasn’t going down.”

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Lewis enjoys the winter conditions of games in December. Rain, snow, sleet or wind, Lewis wants the ball. His energy peaks when others wish they weren’t on the field. “I look forward to this time of year,” Lewis said. “Teams are tired. They've been going since training camp. It's cold. It's wet. It's my time.”

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It also appears to be the Browns’ time and a city waits with baited breath. Don’t tell Cleveland fans about the greatness of New England or the power of Indianapolis. They want their team to make the playoffs and then they will take their chances.

The Browns have an efficient offense that includes an all-weather power-running game. That may be just enough to get them an opportunity to play in January when most teams are at home watching on television.

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