" Pro Bowl offensive lineman Joe Thomas was left explaining himself. Coach Eric Mangini was left answering questions about acquiring a new quarterback. And the Browns were left with a 20-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Most of the chaos can be traced back to a one-man wrecking crew. Falcons defensive end John Abraham terrorized the home team and its fans Sunday before a crowd of 65,290 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. ''He's very fast. He's very quick, very strong,'' Thomas said of Abraham. ''First and second down, he's on the sideline drinking water. Then when it's time to rush the passer on third down, they put him in there and he's fresh. When you can't run the ball against them, it just plays into their game.'' Atlanta's pass rush, the Browns' inability to contain elite wide receivers, this time Roddy White, and a spectacular interception return for a touchdown by Falcons defensive end Kroy Biermann spelled doom for Cleveland (1-4). Losing the turnover battle 3-1 didn't help the Browns' cause, either. ''It's tough,'' Browns linebacker Scott Fujita said. ''I feel like we're better than our record. . . . But you are what your record says you are in this league. That's the bottom line.'' Unlike the previous two weeks, the Browns couldn't do much damage on the ground. Starting running back Peyton Hillis played through a quadriceps injury he suffered during practice Thursday, and the Browns finished with just 20 carries for 48 yards (2.4 average). The lack of a rushing attack put the offensive line in tough spots, and it failed to rise to the occasion. Abraham had two of the Falcons' three sacks and three of their four quarterback hits. His second sack sidelined Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace with a sprained right ankle late in the first half, forcing Jake Delhomme to play for the first time since he suffered a high right-ankle sprain in the season opener. As the Browns tried to rally late in the fourth quarter, Abraham applied pressure again, and Delhomme threw an interception to linebacker Stephen Nicholas, sealing the fourth consecutive win for the Falcons (4-1). Before his injury, Wallace completed 11-of-15 passes for 139 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass to Hillis. When Delhomme entered the game toward the end of the first half, it became obvious his ankle had not fully healed. The Browns led 7-6 at halftime, but the Falcons' defense knew it could pounce with Delhomme ailing." http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/104688624.html
