Browns Lose Miller to Injury

The Cleveland Browns’ defense suffered a major blow Saturday with the loss of Pro Bowl linebacker Jamir Miller, possibly for the season, to a torn right Achilles’ tendon.

“Right now I don’t know what the severity is,” Browns’ Coach Butch Davis said after Cleveland’s 27-15 exhibition victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. “It’s very disappointing. Certainly his performance is going to be missed. We’ve got three weeks, three preseason games to try and find an answer.”

Davis said Miller, a former UCLA player, would be out a “significant” amount of time.

Miller, the first Browns’ player to be selected to the Pro Bowl since the team returned to Cleveland in 1999, landed awkwardly after being blocked into Brant Boyer on Moe Williams’ four-yard touchdown run on Minnesota’s opening possession. Miller stayed on the ground for several minutes before being carted off the field.

“He ain’t coming back,” Browns’ cornerback Corey Fuller said.

Cleveland’s offense was able to provide somewhat of a bright spot.

Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb combined to go 14 for 19 for 238 yards and two touchdowns, and Jamel White rushed four times for 20 yards, caught three balls for 81 yards and gave the Browns a 7-0 lead with a 45-yard reception from Couch in the first quarter.

Indianapolis 28, Seattle 10--Trent Dilfer, given the Seahawks’ starting quarterback job in the off-season, sprained his right knee in the loss at Seattle.

It was not immediately known how seriously Dilfer was injured. The Seahawks announced it was a sprain, but Coach Mike Holmgren said in a halftime television interview it was more serious.

“He had some ligament damage,” Holmgren said. “We won’t know the extent until tomorrow.”

Playing in his third series against the Colts, Dilfer was hit by defensive tackle James Cannida and defensive end Chad Bratzke as he attempted a pass to Koren Robinson with 2:02 gone in the second quarter.

Dilfer was helped off the field and carted to the locker room. He threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to James Williams in the first quarter and the Seahawks led, 10-0, when Dilfer left and was replaced by Matt Hasselbeck.

Indianapolis backup quarterback Brock Huard, acquired from Seattle in April for a fifth-round draft choice, passed for two touchdowns in front of a crowd of 52,902 in the inaugural game at 67,000-seat new Seahawks Stadium.

Washington 37, Carolina 30--Shane Matthews gave Washington an early lead, then Danny Wuerffel rallied the Redskins to a victory at Charlotte, N.C.

Randy Fasani, a rookie from Stanford, ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Panthers, 1-15 a season ago, rallied from a 13-point deficit to take a 30-23 lead with 4:37 left.

However, Wuerffel, who won the Heisman Trophy while playing for Spurrier at Florida, drove the Redskins 79 yards in less than three minutes to tie the score.

A pass by Panther quarterback Mike Watkins was batted in the air and returned 21 yards for the game-winning touchdown by lineman Carl Powell with 1:09 remaining.

Houston 13, New Orleans 10--The Texans won their first exhibition game as Kris Brown scored the winning points, hitting a 27-yard field midway through the third quarter at New Orleans.

David Carr, the former Fresno State quarterback drafted first overall, was nine of 14 for 95 yards as Houston’s starters played the first half.

He was sacked once and pressured frequently by the Saints’ first-team defense.

Tennessee 28, St. Louis 26--Undrafted rookie John Simon scored on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter to give the Titans a victory at Nashville, Tenn.

With 54 seconds left, Tennessee had to stop Lamar Gordon from the one on a second attempt at a two-point conversion after a penalty.

The Rams recovered the on-side kick but turned the ball over on downs with 13 seconds remaining.

New York Giants 22, New England 19--Antonio Warren scored on a 30-yard run and a two-point conversion with 4:22 to play for the Giants at East Rutherford, N.J.

Kerry Collins added a 34-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer.

Philadelphia 20, Green Bay 13--Dorsey Levens, cut by the Packers in the off-season after helping them win a Super Bowl during his eight seasons in Green Bay, had 64 yards and a touchdown in eight carries in his only series for the Eagles at Philadelphia.

Rod Smart--who wore “He Hate Me” on the back of his jersey in the defunct XFL--caught a 31-yard touchdown pass for the Eagles.

Denver 27, Chicago 3--The Broncos held the Bears to 44 yards in the Bears’ first home game in Champaign, Ill., while Soldier Field is being renovated.

Bronco quarterback Brian Griese completed seven of nine passes for 48 yards, and backup Steve Beuerlein finished nine of 12 for 78 yards and a touchdown.

Kansas City 17, San Francisco 14--Lawrence Tynes kicked a 29-yard field goal with 12:35 left in overtime at San Francisco.

Arizona 24, San Diego 17--Jake Plummer and Chris Griesen threw touchdown passes for the Cardinals at San Diego.