Published: Thursday, November 2, 2006
Winslow will return home to play Chargers on Sunday
He will be part of a homecoming when the Browns invade San Diego.
BEREA (AP) — It's hard to imagine, but Kellen Winslow could be even more fired up than usual this Sunday.
Winslow, never lacking emotion on game day, will return home and play in front of about 50 friends and family members as the Cleveland Browns play at San Diego.
His Hall of Fame father will be among them, watching his son play on the field where he redefined the tight end position.
As if that's not enough for the younger Winslow to get excited about, he made it a point Wednesday to hype up his match-up with another pretty good Chargers tight end, Antonio Gates.
"I look at it like it's a heavyweight match. It's me versus Gates," Winslow said. "I want to be the best tight end out there."
The tale of the tape reads like this: Winslow, playing in essentially his rookie year after a motorcycle accident and multiple injuries, leads all tight ends with 40 receptions. He has 393 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
Gonzalez is second
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez is second with 33 catches for 441 yards and a score. Gates is third with 32 receptions, 384 yards and four touchdowns.
"Tony is right behind me. Gates is right behind me. So I've got to stay on top," Winslow said.
Winslow was asked to clarify. Did he mean keep his lead in receptions?
"The best overall. I'm trying to be the best. I said I was the best. I am the best, and I'm going to prove it on Sunday," he said.
Winslow got humble, though, when asked to compare himself to his father.
"He's not even human," he said. "I'm not even on his level, so I can't even compare the two. Not yet."
Winslow, who dreamed of following in his father's footsteps with the Chargers, doesn't see himself as the same type of player.
The elder Winslow brought speed and athleticism to the position, but had a bigger frame than his son. He caught 541 passes for 6,741 yards and 45 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Chargers.
Winslow was just a tyke when his dad was through making NFL history and doesn't remember much. But he's watched the game films over and over.
Different talents
"My skills are different from my dad's," Winslow said. "I compare Tony [Gonzalez] to my father. I think I'm a different type of breed. I'm not really a tight end. I'm not really a receiver. I'm kind of a tweener."
Like Gates, the junior Winslow has speed and great hands, but Gates is bigger and has proven himself over 3 1/2 seasons, while Winslow will play in just his 10th game Sunday.
"Gates is a little larger, bulkier. You see Gates making one-handed catches, accelerating away from defenders after he catches the ball and he is hard to tackle once he gets his momentum going," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "They are both good receivers, but the body types are different."
Crennel knows Winslow will be pumped up for the game. He just hopes he can control his emotions.
"If he has extra energy within the game plan, and can execute the game plan, then I'm all for the extra energy," Crennel said. "If that energy screws him up and he's not doing what he's supposed to do, then it's counterproductive for us. Kellen is one of those guys who gets excited and I think it will help him."
Won't miss this game
Winslow is listed as questionable on the Browns' injury report as he's been for the last several weeks but won't be missing this game. He has acknowledged he's not 100 percent after the motorcycle accident, but boasted earlier this season that at 90 percent he's still better than any other tight end in the NFL.
"That's not being arrogant, I am," he said Wednesday. "They know what I can do. I know what I can do. The defensive coordinator knows what I can do and they're not going to match me up man to man. They're going to double me."
Winslow clamored to get the ball more earlier this season and despite his 40 catches, he has yet to put together a 100-yard game or a multi-touchdown performance, something the stat-conscious tight end wants to change.
He'd like for it to come Sunday.
"When you play for the Browns right now you don't get a lot of [publicity]," Winslow said. "I've got to prove it versus a good team like the Chargers."
Thursday, November 2, 2006
He will be part of a homecoming when the Browns invade San Diego.
BEREA (AP) — It's hard to imagine, but Kellen Winslow could be even more fired up than usual this Sunday.
Winslow, never lacking emotion on game day, will return home and play in front of about 50 friends and family members as the Cleveland Browns play at San Diego.
His Hall of Fame father will be among them, watching his son play on the field where he redefined the tight end position.
As if that's not enough for the younger Winslow to get excited about, he made it a point Wednesday to hype up his match-up with another pretty good Chargers tight end, Antonio Gates.
"I look at it like it's a heavyweight match. It's me versus Gates," Winslow said. "I want to be the best tight end out there."
The tale of the tape reads like this: Winslow, playing in essentially his rookie year after a motorcycle accident and multiple injuries, leads all tight ends with 40 receptions. He has 393 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
Gonzalez is second
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez is second with 33 catches for 441 yards and a score. Gates is third with 32 receptions, 384 yards and four touchdowns.
"Tony is right behind me. Gates is right behind me. So I've got to stay on top," Winslow said.
Winslow was asked to clarify. Did he mean keep his lead in receptions?
"The best overall. I'm trying to be the best. I said I was the best. I am the best, and I'm going to prove it on Sunday," he said.
Winslow got humble, though, when asked to compare himself to his father.
"He's not even human," he said. "I'm not even on his level, so I can't even compare the two. Not yet."
Winslow, who dreamed of following in his father's footsteps with the Chargers, doesn't see himself as the same type of player.
The elder Winslow brought speed and athleticism to the position, but had a bigger frame than his son. He caught 541 passes for 6,741 yards and 45 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Chargers.
Winslow was just a tyke when his dad was through making NFL history and doesn't remember much. But he's watched the game films over and over.
Different talents
"My skills are different from my dad's," Winslow said. "I compare Tony [Gonzalez] to my father. I think I'm a different type of breed. I'm not really a tight end. I'm not really a receiver. I'm kind of a tweener."
Like Gates, the junior Winslow has speed and great hands, but Gates is bigger and has proven himself over 3 1/2 seasons, while Winslow will play in just his 10th game Sunday.
"Gates is a little larger, bulkier. You see Gates making one-handed catches, accelerating away from defenders after he catches the ball and he is hard to tackle once he gets his momentum going," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "They are both good receivers, but the body types are different."
Crennel knows Winslow will be pumped up for the game. He just hopes he can control his emotions.
"If he has extra energy within the game plan, and can execute the game plan, then I'm all for the extra energy," Crennel said. "If that energy screws him up and he's not doing what he's supposed to do, then it's counterproductive for us. Kellen is one of those guys who gets excited and I think it will help him."
Won't miss this game
Winslow is listed as questionable on the Browns' injury report as he's been for the last several weeks but won't be missing this game. He has acknowledged he's not 100 percent after the motorcycle accident, but boasted earlier this season that at 90 percent he's still better than any other tight end in the NFL.
"That's not being arrogant, I am," he said Wednesday. "They know what I can do. I know what I can do. The defensive coordinator knows what I can do and they're not going to match me up man to man. They're going to double me."
Winslow clamored to get the ball more earlier this season and despite his 40 catches, he has yet to put together a 100-yard game or a multi-touchdown performance, something the stat-conscious tight end wants to change.
He'd like for it to come Sunday.
"When you play for the Browns right now you don't get a lot of [publicity]," Winslow said. "I've got to prove it versus a good team like the Chargers."
Thursday, November 2, 2006
It's hard to imagine, but Kellen Winslow could be even more fired up than usual this Sunday.
Winslow, never lacking...
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