Eagles Notes: Runyan's streak not likely at risk

Eagles offensive tackle

Jon Runyan

was listed as questionable on the team's injury report yesterday because of a knee injury, but there's little reason to believe that his streak of 189 straight starts is going to end Monday night against Cleveland.

Runyan did not practice, but he was on the field as an observer, which is a clear sign that he intends to play.

Players with more serious injuries often stay inside for treatment during practice.

It also appears as if wide receiver

Kevin Curtis

will return after leaving during the victory over the New York Giants because of a concussion. Curtis was a full participant in practice and is listed as probable on the injury report.

Curtis' ability to play probably means

Reggie Brown

will be deactivated for a second straight game. Offensive coordinator

Marty Mornhinweg

said Brown's injuries earlier this season have become a factor in why he is so far down the depth chart at wide receiver.

"Reggie Brown is a good football player," Mornhinweg said. "It's the numbers. That's the deal that's going on right there. I'd love to have him up. Other things go into the decision on who's up and who's down, and one of the big ones is special teams."

Hank Baskett, Jason Avant, Greg Lewis

and

DeSean Jackson

all have roles on special teams.

"Reggie was nicked up early," Mornhinweg said. "He tried to come back, he was nicked up again, tried to come back, few more nicks - so there you have it. And then the other fellows are playing pretty good."

Elsewhere on the injury front, running backs

Correll Buckhalter

(knee) and

Brian Westbrook

(knee and ankle) and tight end

L.J. Smith

(knee) had a limited practice, but all three were listed as probable on the injury report.

By the time Mornhinweg was done talking about the Browns, you might have been convinced that they were headed for the Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla., in February.

"They've played some very, very good offenses and held them down," Mornhinweg said before practice. "They held Indy to three points. They lost to Pittsburgh by four. They've lost some very close games. They are big. They are physical."

Point taken.

The Browns, even at 4-9 and with

Ken Dorsey

at quarterback, should not be overlooked, especially since the Eagles, at 7-5-1, have renewed playoff hopes that would be dashed by a single loss.

Mornhinweg said he didn't think he needed to remind the offensive players that they shouldn't overlook the Browns, but "I did do it."

"They were up on Denver by 10 in the fourth quarter," he said. "They were up on Indianapolis. . . . So this is one of those teams that . . . could easily be sitting there with a winning record. Their defense is pretty good. I believe they are 12th in the league [in] giving up points."

And the offense?

Since Dorsey took over as the starter three games ago, Cleveland hasn't scored a touchdown.

Defensive coordinator

Jim Johnson

said he expected the Browns to use wide receiver

Joshua Cribbs

out of the Wildcat formation. Cribbs, the Browns' star kick returner, ran six times for 24 yards and threw a pass out of that formation against Tennessee on Sunday. He was a quarterback at Kent State. . . . Former Eagles quarterback

Ron Jaworski

, who will work as a color analyst on ESPN's telecast Monday night, attended yesterday's practice.

- Bob Brookover