BEREA - No one is talking about the playoffs.
For that matter the subject of finishing the season with a .500 record isn't reasonable.
For now the best that the Browns can take away from their 34-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals is a dose of confidence. That will only get them a few pats on the back this week.
"We're going to find out after Indy," linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said of what the win last Sunday means in the long run. "We knew at some point that we were going to get our first win. It's how well will we respond next week. That will be a true test of how well these young guys can understand the situation and actually get better each week."
The win had the most direct impact on coach Pat Shurmur and rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. For Shurmur it removed some of the pressure from his shoulders, but the stress level remains high. For Weeden it was proof that he's progressing while facing one of the more demanding schedules in the NFL.
Shurmur is taking the it-was-just-another-day-at-the-office" approach. He was back at work early Monday morning preparing for Sunday's road game against the Indianapolis Colts.
"I think we needed it (a win)," Shurmur said. "This isn't about me. It's about my players. It's about our city. This is about trying to build a consistent winner. It's our first win in a long time. I think we've been building up to it.
"It's easy for folks to roll their eyes until you've won a game. Now that we've won one, I want our players to get greedy with that feeling and go and try to win this week against the Colts."
As Jackson suggested, the task is now to continue the improvement. The Colts (2-3) are coming off a 35-9 loss to the New York Jets and, like, the Browns, are riding the inconsistencies of a rookie quarterback (Andrew Luck).
"To not take a step backward is the main thing," Weeden said. "We're going to play a good Indy team on the road. It's important to keep moving forward. It was a good one for me and all of us rookies to get our first win."
Weeden completed 17-of-29 passes for 231 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on a batted ball. He was careful to avoid taking the risks he took in previous games.
"It's tough," Weeden said. "When it's third-and-long you want to make a play to extend the drive, but they play good defense as well. You have to be smart to check the ball down sometimes and take your shots when you can. That's something I have to start dialing in.
"I thought I did a pretty good job of that. After watching the tape I took what they gave me. I put together some pretty good drives. We were a lot better on third down. Even though we went three-and-out I don't how many times in a row (five), the drives when we had positive field position we were moving the football and keeping the defense off the field."
It added up to one win, which isn't enough for a parade down Euclid Avenue.
"Momentum is everything in this league," Jackson said. "With the young guys we put in a position to make a ton of plays, we're asking a lot of them. To get our first win was great, but the true test will be next week."
