It’s Not in the Cards

When the Cleveland Browns come to Arizona this week to play the Cardinals, it will be a homecoming for Cleveland linebacker Jamir Miller, a former Cardinal.

He acknowledges he hasn’t exactly missed the fans.

“Sometimes, you can hear a pin drop there,” Miller said. “But Arizona is a transient state, and the people who move there, their loyalties lie with other teams already, so they don’t tend to back the team as much as they should.”

Then again, how much should a city support a team owned by Bill Bidwill?

With Philadelphia running back Duce Staley out because of a sprained right foot, his spot in Sunday’s game against Washington will go to former Redskin Brian Mitchell.

Mitchell had an 85-yard touchdown run last week against the Atlanta Falcons as well as an 89-yard TD on a kickoff return.

But would a big day against his former team be even sweeter?

“I’m looking forward to this game,” he said. “Very much so. I don’t think the Redskins were justified in saying I lost a step and then releasing me. I heard that I had lost a step all last season. It should be obvious to everybody I haven’t lost a step.”

How much have the Redskins, 30th in the league in defense last year and now seventh, improved under new defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes?

“It’s like a dog,” Washington defensive end Kenard Lang said. “If a dog senses fear, he wants to kill you, so Ray Rhodes, he wants to get after them.”