At first glance, it seems like a case of the same ol’, same ol’ for Browns center Jeff Faine.

And that would not be good at all.

For the third straight time, Faine ended the season on the injured reserve list, and the Browns, with a 6-10 record, ended up out of the playoffs. A double-indignation, as it were.

“Yeah, I thought I was going to make it through this season healthy. And I almost did,” said Faine, who missed the final two games with a torn bicep suffered at Oakland on Dec. 18, an injury that’s expected to take four months to heal.

But those are about all the similarities between 2005 and Faine’s two first seasons with the Browns, when he sat out the final three contests of 2004 and the last seven games of his rookie campaign, both times with a high ankle sprain. There was one key difference this season.

“I thought I played pretty well,” the club’s first-round draft choice in 2003 said. “For the first time in my career, I think I played to the level where I can now be mentioned in the same sentence with the best centers in the league.”

Browns coach Romeo Crennel also liked what he saw.

“I think Jeff did a nice job this season, overall,” he said. “Coming in, there were some questions about his size and his toughness and how he can hold up in there. He played 14 games and played them at a pretty good level, so I thought he did well.

“A lot of times, he was the leader of that offensive line, making the calls and linebacker designations.”

Faine’s play – and that of the entire offensive line as well – was highlighted by the fact the Browns had a 1,000-yard rusher in a season for the first time in 20 years. It came when Reuben Droughns got 1,232 yards, the 10th-best total in club history.

All this after Faine’s offseason started in horrific fashion. Not long after the 2004 season had ended, offensive line coach Larry Zierlein, a holdover from the Butch Davis staff who was in his last days with the club as the head coaching search continued, offered some sharp criticism of Faine. He said backup Melvin Fowler was actually a better player than Faine.

Also called into question was Faine’s weight. He was thought to be too light. Although he doesn’t look it with his lack of a paunch, he insists he really is at his listed weight of 291 pounds.

“I just considered the source,” he said of Zierlein’s remarks. “I knew it wasn’t the truth.”

When Phil Savage was hired as Browns general manager last January, he gave Faine his endorsement. Romeo Crennel did the same when he was named coach a month later.

That was all Faine needed. With the controversy behind him, he went out and had a solid season.

“From time to time this season, I thought about all the stuff that happened then,” he said. “Even though I didn’t get upset about it, I have to admit it did kind of inspire me on some days – kind of pump me up and get me more determined.”

Faine has improved, but can the Browns?

“Definitely,” he said. “I feel good about where we’re headed, and where the line is headed. I’m already looking forward to next season.”

READ MORE / LINK