CINCINNATI - Charlie Frye has made the Browns worth watching, which isn't easy when a team has a 4-9 record.

Aren't you intrigued by the rookie from the University of Akron, whose poise seems far beyond a kid making his second pro start?

If not, maybe you should listen to what Jim Brown said after the 23-20 loss Sunday to the first-place Cincinnati Bengals.

"He's a winner, a championship-type guy," the Hall of Fame running back said. "I've thought that for a while."

Brown praised Frye's poise. He talked about Frye's knack of "throwing on the run and making good throws." He has been impressed with how Frye has stayed above the quarterback debate.

"He's a man, mature beyond his years," said Brown, who serves as the executive adviser for the team.

Yes, Frye's inexperience showed, but so did his promise. He doesn't have an extremely strong arm, but his passes usually are on the mark. It's really surprising how he's able to run at nearly full speed and deliver a superb 35-yard pass at the same time.

Remember this about the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Frye - he's a gifted athlete. He has some speed and strength, and he can change directions to dodge tacklers. He was a star basketball player at Willard High, and some of those skills serve him well in football.

You could see it on that 3-yard touchdown in the first quarter when he bolted around end, surprising the defense as he dashed into the corner of the end zone.

He also made a very nice toss to tight end Steve Heiden for another touchdown. On the day, Frye was 16-of-24 for 138 yards with one touchdown, one interception.

After the game, Frye's voice was raspy, quiet. His mood was down. He hates to lose. He knows that his worst throw of the day became an interception that set up a Bengals touchdown.

Frye has high standards. He expected to win at Cincinnati. He was not shaken by making his first start on the road in a very loud stadium against a team that is now 10-3.

Nor was he especially bothered by the cold and wind.

"I played at the Rubber Bowl," he said.

And it always seemed to be windy, wet and cold at the Rubber Bowl as the Zip players will tell you. Frye also played on teams that usually were the underdog, teams that often fell behind quickly.

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