And as he began what could be his last week in Cleveland, Crennel had to address a physical altercation that took place last week between quarterback Brady Quinn and defensive end Shaun Smith.
According to WKYC-TV's Jim Donovan, who is also the team's play-by-play radio announcer, Smith punched Quinn in the face following a heated verbal exchange inside the team's weight room. Browns tight end Darnell Dinkins confirmed the fight during a radio interview on WQAL, saying Quinn's face was marked.
Quinn is out for the season following surgery on a broken finger. Smith, who has been slowed by a calf injury, did not play in Sunday's game. Crennel said Smith, known as the team's biggest trash talker, was inactive because of a coaches' decision
Crennel refused to comment directly on the Smith-Quinn flare-up.
"I never talk about family business," Crennel said. "I haven't talked about family business since I've been here. So I'm not going to address it at this point or start talking about it. If it happened, it stays in house."
Crennel said conflicts among teammates are not uncommon, especially in a season as frustrating as the one the Browns are enduring.
"In a family you always have some disagreements and they get handled within the family," Crennel said. "I've got one brother and three sisters. When we were growing up we had altercations. You deal with them and you move on. That doesn't mean I dislike my brother or I dislike my sisters. "That's part of being in a household, everybody trying to establish their turf. But that's part of it. You deal with it and you move on."
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That would be the case on most teams. But the Browns seem to have more than their share of unusual incidents with Kellen Winslow's spat with management over his staph infection and Savage's profane e-mail to a fan among the most noteworthy this season.
Now they're dealing with a player smacking the franchise quarterback, another sticky issue for Lerner to review once the season ends.
None of the Browns was available for comment since Crennel gave his players the day off. The only ones who reported were those needing medical treatment, and that's quite a few.
Also worth noting:
Quarterback Ken Dorsey sustained injured ribs and a mild concussion Sunday, and may have to sit out the season finale. If he can't play, recently signed Bruce Gradkowski will have to start against the Steelers, who will likely rest most of their starters to get ready for the AFC playoffs. Return specialist Josh Cribbs may also play more quarterback than just in a special package designed to utilize his unique skills.
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