Indianapolis' Biggest Fan: The Cleveland Browns

When it comes to the playoff crunch, the end of the season, the stretch run, the last lap, all a team wants is to "control their own destiny."  Simply put, win and your in.  The Cleveland Browns marched into Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, or should I say 5-9 bungals.  Not only did they have a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a win, they had a chance to put the pressure on the Pittsburgh Steelers for who claims the division crown.  On the opening kickoff the Bengals' kick returner Glenn Holt almost gift wrapped it for the Browns with a fumble in his own territory.  However, he was able to recover his own fumble, thus setting the tone of bad breaks for the Browns.  The Browns didn't play horrible on offense, their obvious strength of the team.  Jamal Lewis seemed to be running faster than ever, Derek Anderson was hitting his underneath receivers and the offense was moving the ball through a fierce wind.  The second bad break or bad bounce for the Browns was when Dave Zastudil couldn't handle the snap on a very makeable field goal that would have put the Browns up in the first quarter.  After Kenny Watson shredded the defense for runs of 7 and 9 yards back-to-back, Carson Palmer was picked off by Leigh Bodden and returned 22 yards.  The Browns found themselves with a fourth-and-one deep in Cincinnati's side of the field.  This time on a clean snap, Jamal Lewis was stuffed straight up the gut and gave the ball right back to the Bengals in a scoreless game.  Fast forward to only 1:13 left in the first half and the Browns found themselves only down 6-0 with the ball.  Well although that doesn't sound like a bad scenario it was.  Derek Anderson's next two passes were picked off and returned into the redzone which set up to touchdowns (one missed two-point conversion) and a 19-0 halftime score.  The second half was dominated by the Browns on both sides of the ball.  Behind two Braylon Edwards TD receptions (setting a new franchise record with 15) the Browns crept back to a 19-14 deficit.  However a last second chuck to the end zone from the Cincy 29 yard line to Kellen Winslow was incomplete and so was the Browns' playoff berth.  With one game left the Browns completely lost control of "their own destiny" when the Tennessee Titans knocked off the New York Jets.  The Browns now find themselves rooting for the Indianapolis Colts who will play host to the Titans this Sunday.  The problem for those rooting for the Browns: the Colts have absolutely nothing to play for.  Aside from contributing an extra digit in the W column, there is nothing else.  They already hold the number 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and speculation right now is that Peyton Manning should see no more than the first 15 minutes - if that during the game.  The Browns basically could forfeit (not that they ever would or should) because a win or a loss means nothing as well.  The Titans now control both "their" and the Browns' "destiny."  Win and they’re in or lose and the Browns are in (regardless of what happens against the San Francisco 49ers).  So paint those Brown jerseys white and blue this weekend, because it's really all you have to root for.