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Cribbs is the first Browns player to receive a monthly honor since Tim Couch was named AFC Rookie of the Month for October 1999.
Cribbs leads the NFL with 549 kick-return yards and an average of 34.5 yards per return. He had a 99-yard return for a touchdown against the Raiders, an 85-yard return against the Bengals and a 41-yard return against the Ravens, among others.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick knows all about Cribbs. The Browns play the Patriots in New England on Sunday.
"One of the most impressive players that I've seen in a while is Cribbs," Belichick told reporters in Foxborough, Mass., on Wednesday. "We've faced a lot of good kickoff returners starting with Justin Miller (Jets) and (Terrence) McGee (Bills) and (Darren) Sproles (Bengals), going right down the line. This guy is really good.
"He has them every week - punts and kickoff returns. He also plays for them on the coverage teams, and they use him some as a specialty guy on offense with some gadget plays and formations and stuff like that. He's a pretty impressive player."
Cribbs is the only Browns player to return a kick for a touchdown in three consecutive seasons. He is only 49 yards away from breaking Dino Hall's record of 3,185 yards to become the all-time Browns leader in kick-return yardage.
Winslow ailing
Kellen Winslow Jr. is taking it easy in practice again this week so he does not wear out his partially dislocated left shoulder. He sat out practice Wednesday and Thursday last week and practiced lightly on Friday. While wearing a harness, he caught four passes for 96 yards against the Ravens.
"That's something that he is going to have to deal with all year," Coach Romeo Crennel said. "I'm impressed by his competitiveness. I think that allows him to be tough."
Winslow followed a similar practice regimen with his knee last season. He played all 16 games and tied a franchise record with 89 catches.
Spergon surfaces
Many fans might not remember the Browns drafted Spergon Wynn from Southwest Texas State in the sixth round in 2000, but the starting quarterback of the Patriots remembers. That's because the Browns took Wynn 183rd overall that year, and the Patriots took Tom Brady 16 picks later.
Wynn was gone after one season. Eight years and three Super Bowl rings later, Brady is still chucking passes for New England.
"Yeah, Spergon Wynn was the quarterback Cleveland took that year in the sixth round," Brady said in a teleconference. "It was a long time ago. It's been a lot of years since that day. I'm part of a great organization, and the way that (Patriots chairman and CEO) Mr. (Robert) Kraft and (club president) Jonathan Kraft run this team, it's a great thing to be a part of.
"We've got a great coach in Coach Belichick, who's one of the best coaches to ever coach, and Scott Pioli (the VP of player personnel)."
Tucker practices
Ryan Tucker returned Monday from his month-long suspension for steroid use. He practiced Wednesday for the first time since the final preseason game.
"Physically, he looks OK, and he says all the right things, but we have to see where his conditioning is and go from there," Crennel said.
Zastudil cleared
Dave Zastudil on Wednesday punted without pain since the first Monday of the regular season. Zastudil missed three games with a strained oblique. If he continues to punt pain-free, the Browns can release Scott Player and clear a roster spot for Tucker.
n Left defensive end Orpheus Roye was limited in practice. He had to sit out the game last week with a knee injury.
n Linebacker Antwan Peek practiced fully Wednesday. He was nursing a foot and ankle injury the last three weeks.
n Guard Eric Steinbach was limited because of the stinger on the left side of his neck. The injury forced him out of the game against the Ravens temporarily last week.
