Cleveland ? Willie McGinest stood at his locker defending the man who has been his mentor since he entered the NFL.

The veteran linebacker didn’t appreciate the growing speculation that Browns coach Romeo Crennel’s job is on the line after two stomach-turning losses to their division rivals.

“That is kind of far-fetched,” McGinest said. “He’s right there with (Bill) Belichick and (Bill) Parcells as far as winning championships and being successful. The man knows how to win.”

The Browns (3-8) are in desperate need of a victory to silence talk about Crennel’s job security as they entertain the Kansas City Chiefs, who are rolling and rested, having won five of six and not having played since Thanksgiving.

Cleveland has found a variety of ways to lose recently. Two weeks ago, the Browns blew a lead against Pittsburgh by giving up 21 points in the fourth quarter. Last week, they spared fans the suspense by falling 30-0 to Cincinnati. Both defeats came at home.

With a rare third straight home game today, the Browns want to redeem themselves and their coach in front of their fans.

Crennel was New England’s defensive line coach when McGinest entered the league in 1994. McGinest and other players stood up for their coach this week, taking the blame for their most bitter loss since a 41-0 embarrassment against Pittsburgh last season.

“Guys have a lot of respect for RAC and RAC has a lot of respect across the league,” said McGinest, referring to the coach by his initials. “When things don’t go well sometimes people point the finger, and him being the head coach maybe it goes to him. … We point the finger at ourselves. We’re not playing well. We’re not finishing games.”

Cleveland’s offense has struggled all season, but last week hit a new low, getting shut out and extending its streak without a touchdown to 10 quarters. The Browns last scored in the second quarter of their win at Atlanta; the good vibes from that victory having long since evaporated at Browns headquarters.

Their offense has been plagued by problems both on and off the field.

Offensive line woes that began with Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley’s season-ending knee injury in training camp continued this week with right tackle Ryan Tucker being placed on the non-football illness list.

Then there’s wide receiver Braylon Edwards, whose behavior over the last two weeks has made tight end Kellen Winslow appear subtle and understated. First, Edwards called out the Steelers, then he questioned teammate Brian Russell’s punishing hit of Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson. He topped those comments off with a tirade on the sideline last week in which he grabbed quarterback Charlie Frye by the jersey.

Edwards also was late to a team meeting on the eve of the Pittsburgh game because he attended the Ohio State-Michigan game. Crennel has come under criticism for failing to sternly discipline Edwards, instead handling the matter internally. Edwards promised to change his ways again this week. He backed his coach, too.

“Romeo is not the one out there getting sacked. Romeo is not the one out there fumbling the ball. Romeo is not the one out there giving up touchdowns. Romeo can only put us in a situation to win,” Edwards said. “It’s our fault. It’s our fault for not fighting to the end. It’s our fault for not putting four quarters together.”

Enter the Chiefs, who after starting 0-2 didn’t let an injury to quarterback Trent Green derail their season and are cruising behind running back Larry Johnson’s record-breaking pace.

Johnson leads the league with 1,202 yards on 282 carries and is on his way to breaking the NFL record for rushing attempts in a season.