Spikes, Edwards, McGinest see action; Browns top Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- The original plan was to limit Browns receiver Braylon Edwards to six plays so he could test his surgically repaired right knee for the first time this preseason.

Then he made his first catch and took his first hit without flinching. By the second quarter, Edwards had taken off his protective brace and demanded more in Cleveland's 20-17 win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night.

Coach Romeo Crennel wasn't about to stop Edwards.

"That's the reason we wanted to get him in there and give him a chance to get hit," Crennel said. "I think he took the hit well."

The Browns (2-1) won the game when Jeff Chandler hit a 35-yard field goal as time ran out. But the significant highlight came earlier when Edwards took the field a mere eight months since having reconstructive surgery.

"Going into this game, it wasn't a matter of, 'All right, what can you do?' with the knee the way it is," said Edwards, who was in for 16 plays. "Going into this game, it was, 'What are you used to doing?"

Edwards, a 2005 first-round pick, picked up where he left off when he was emerging as a playmaker before he got hurt in December.

Saturday, Edwards entered the game as a backup and made his lone catch on his second play from scrimmage: a 9-yard reception on third down when Charlie Frye found him open over the middle.

Edwards turned up field and dragged two defenders before Jabari Greer tackled him at the Bills 2. The Browns scored on the next play when Frye threw a touchdown pass to Steve Heiden.

"As soon as I caught that first pass, and almost ended up in the end zone, it was right back to where I left off," Edwards said.

He also showed no signs of pain when, leaping for a pass, Nate Clements cut his legs out from under him later in the game.

The Bills (0-3) have yet to win a game under first-year head coach Dick Jauron, but did show some positive signs.

Receiver Peerless Price caught his first pass this preseason, a 56-yard touchdown reception, while quarterback J.P. Losman all but secured the starting job with an efficient outing. Losman finished 15-of-22 for 184 yards and a touchdown. His only blemish was a poorly thrown ball to the right sideline that was intercepted by Ralph Brown in the third quarter.

Losman's best pass was his completion to Price, when the quarterback eluded an oncoming defender, stepped up in the pocket and hit the receiver on the fly up the left sideline.

"It's been a while, but it felt good," Price said. "I congratulated J.P. for giving me a shot."

It was Price's only catch, but it capped a tough week in which he was fined for missing practice last Sunday because he misread the team's schedule.

The seven-year veteran is back with Buffalo, re-signing with the team in April, in an attempt to jump-start his career after three disappointing seasons split between Atlanta and Dallas.

"I'm happy we were able to hook up on one of those," Losman said. "Peerless is begging for it. We all want to see him prosper."

The Bills welcomed back Takeo Spikes, who played his first game in 11 months since tearing his right Achilles' tendon. The two-time Pro Bowl linebacker played in two series and had one tackle, when he stopped Ruben Droughns for 2 yards on the Browns' first play.

Spikes punched the air to celebrate and immediately drew a large cheer from the crowd.

"I was very anxious, very nervous and I felt like a little kid in a candy store who got his first taste of sugar," Spikes said. "I'm glad to be home."

Edwards' presence was significant for the Browns, who finally had their three top young offensive stars on the field together at the same time. Edwards joined Frye and tight end Kellen Winslow, the 2004 first-round selection, who's missed the past two seasons because of injuries.

"It makes a big difference when you have No. 17 and 80 out there," Frye said referring to Edwards and Winslow. "I think there's going to be a lot of plays made."

Game notes
Browns LB Willie McGinest also made his preseason debut since joining the team as a free agent in March, registering a tackle while playing the entire first quarter. ... Bills backup RB Lionel Gates scored on a 3-yard run. Browns third-string QB Derek Anderson hit Joshua Cribbs for a 28-yard TD pass. ... Browns third-string S Shawn Mayer was carted off the field with a knee injury late in the game. ... Frye finished 12-of-16 for 76 yards. Rookie fifth-round pick Jerome Harrison led the Browns with 70 yards rushing.