BEREA, Ohio -- Two weeks ago, crews from ESPN and the NFL Network spent hours scouting camera positions and familiarizing themselves with Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The practice facility in Berea will be a popular stop for national writers making their summer rounds, especially with the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction Aug. 2 in Canton. A few visited during June's minicamp.

Coming off a 10-6 season that fell one game short of the playoffs, the Browns stepped into the NFL spotlight when training camp opened yesterday.

Expectations have not been this high since the late Bud Carson coached the Browns in 1989-90. Local hysteria might more closely approach the days of Bernie Kosar in the mid-1980s, when 10,000 fans packed Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Ohio, and the popular quarterback ran a gantlet of autograph seekers screaming, "Bernie, Bernie." This time the high-pitched wails probably will plead, "Brady, Brady," with children seeking a few seconds with backup quarterback Brady Quinn.

Camp runs through Aug. 16, with coach Romeo Crennel scheduling 28 practices over 19 days. The Browns reserve the right to turn people away if the field area reaches capacity.

Cleveland has reached the postseason only once since the franchise returned in 1999 -- after a 9-7 campaign under Butch Davis in 2002. This year's Browns are so in vogue, however, that Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News has picked them to face the defending champion New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

"There is an opportunity for this team to do something that has not been done in a long time," receiver Joe Jurevicius, a Cleveland-area native, said in June. "We're talking playoffs and that's what we have to believe. With the acquisitions we had and the success we had last year, this is a special place to be right now."

While the late November and December television lineup is subject to change, three Monday night games await in the regular season, with another against the Giants in the preseason. The schedule also includes Sunday night and Thursday night appearances. The Browns have not been on "Monday Night Football" since 2003 and have played in prime time only four times since then.

Braylon Edwards, who set the franchise record with 1,289 receiving yards last season, said the team likes being liked.

"It never felt good in the back of our minds that people didn't take us seriously," Edwards said in June. "Let's be real: People took us as a homecoming game.

"Now for people to be leery of what we can do, it makes us feel good. It is going to make us prepare that much harder."

Drawing the attention is an eighth-ranked offense led by quarterback Derek Anderson, who threw 29 touchdown passes in 2007, one off Brian Sipe's single-season mark. All eyes will be on Anderson, Edwards, tight end Kellen Winslow, the offensive line and running back Jamal Lewis to see how they handle the pressure.

Anderson knows the Browns will be a marked team.

"We did enough last season, teams aren't going to take us lightly," he said. "Obviously, we have a goal in mind where we want to be, just keep pushing toward it and whatever it takes to work toward that."

During training camp, it will be the progress of the defense that might be more telling in how far the Browns go. New defensive linemen Corey Williams (from Green Bay) and Shaun Rogers (from Detroit) must help improve a unit that ranked 30th against the run.

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NOTE-- Jurevicius and offensive lineman Ryan Tucker were placed on the active physically unable to perform list yesterday as the Browns opened training camp.Steelers-Browns '08

Sept. 14: at Cleveland Browns Stadium, 8:15 p.m., on the second weekend of the season.

Dec. 28: at Heinz Field, 1 p.m., on the final day of the season.