Can't shake that feeling

SportsLine.com Report
Sept. 6, 2000

Tim Couch is off the injury report, but maybe he shouldn't be. Coach Chris Palmer reported Couch as "probable" early in the week with tendinitis in his right elbow.

Couch practiced Wednesday, but he bypassed some throwing drills.

"It's hard to get rid of the tendinitis," Couch said. "It keeps coming back. It stays a little sore. During the game it's all right, you get loose, but you come out at halftime and it stiffens up a little bit, then you have to get loose again. It's a nagging injury, but I'll play through it. I'll keep getting treatment every day and get it taken care of. I think I'll be fine."

Palmer said on a scale of one to 10, Couch's injury is a one. Couch said he never had tendinitis before. He said it began near the end of training camp, but did not attribute it to a hit by the Redskins' Kenard Lang Aug. 19.

ALEXANDER HIRED: Derrick Alexander is the Browns' player development coordinator for first-year and other new players. Until the morning of Aug. 28, he was a backup defensive end for the Browns. He was signed as a free agent last year after four seasons in Minnesota. He didn't miss a practice or preseason game this summer, but a painful arthritic left hip robbed him of his career at age 26.

"I'm going to approach this job the same way I did when I was on the field," Alexander said. "I played as hard as I could every down. I did everything I could to help this team win. I'm going to do the same from this side. I'm going to do everything I can to help this organization be the best it can be."

PYNE INJURED: Left guard Jim Pyne left the practice field Wednesday with a twisted right ankle and did not return. Palmer said trainers iced the ankle and that it did not swell.

"We'll know more (Thursday) morning," Palmer said. "I don't believe it's serious."

PEDERSON PRACTICES: Quarterback Doug Pederson, signed last Friday, practiced Wednesday. Palmer was noncommittal when asked about activating Pederson for the game against the Bengals Sunday.

"He assured me he has it all down and that he's ready to go," Palmer said. "He's a veteran guy. I'm sure he's putting the terminology into some of the terminology he learned before. It definitely comes down to the same thing."