CLEVELAND - There is no middle ground for the Cleveland Browns. From Sunday to Sunday, the Browns swing from one NFL extreme to the other.

Right now, they have hope, but it's mixed with the usual doses of despair. And, as Cleveland entered its bye week, it was difficult to gauge how good the Browns (3-4), in their fourth season under Butch Davis, truly are.

They've had the good: the William Green-Lee Suggs backfield tandem; an improved run defense; kicker Phil Dawson's perfection; quarterback Jeff Garcia's playmaking; and a 3-1 record at home.

And there's been the bad: damaging injuries; a leaky secondary prone to giving up big plays; the lack of an offensive identity; not nearly enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks; and Davis' continual roster shuffling.

In his fourth season with Cleveland, Davis still doesn't have the Browns where he wants them.

"From a won-loss standpoint, I don't feel very good at all," Davis said a day after the Browns were beaten 34-31 in overtime by the Philadelphia Eagles.

But all is not lost. The Browns, who won just five games last season, were also 3-4 in 2002 when they finished 9-7 and made the AFC playoffs.

Despite their troubles, offensive tackle Ryan Tucker believes these Browns can get back to the postseason.

"Absolutely," Tucker said. "Two years ago, we were 2-4 and everybody was writing us off and we ended up making the playoffs. It's not over until you're out. That's the bottom line."

Tucker's positive outlook is due in part to Cleveland's improvement on offense the past few weeks.

In last Sunday's loss to the Eagles, the Browns posted season highs in first downs (27), yards rushing (165) and third-down efficiency (9-for-16). The performance came on the heels of a 34-point, 449-yard outing in a win over Cincinnati.

Garcia finally seems comfortable in first-year coordinator Terry Robiskie's system, which needed to be reworked when rookie tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. broke his leg in Week 2 and was lost for the season.

Garcia passed for 236 yards and ran 4 yards on a broken play for a game-tying TD in the final minute as the Browns forced the unbeaten Eagles into OT. Slowly, but surely, the three-time Pro Bowler is playing the way the Browns hoped when they signed him as a free agent.

"He really started clicking in the second half of the New York Giants game," Davis said. "He really started feeling comfortable and since then has made strides and improvement. To scramble for the touchdown the way he did was a gutsy move. That was a courageous play."

Perhaps more significant than Garcia's progression - 37-of-54 for 546 yards and five TDs in his past two games - is that the Browns might have figured out how to best use Green and Suggs. Their varying styles - Green pounds, Suggs slashes - gives Cleveland a two-headed attack tough to defend.

If the Browns needed something to hang their helmet on over the remaining nine games, the Green-Suggs duo could be it.

"They'll definitely get better," Davis said. "They're young. People forget that William missed almost a year because of personal issues and stuff (an NFL suspension for violating the substance-abuse policy). Lee didn't play but a smattering of plays last year.

"The upside for both these guys: They're going to continue to get better as blockers as route runners and as pass catchers. They'll do nothing but improve."

Defensively, the Browns need to stop the big pass play, which will be the main point of emphasis heading into next week's game at Baltimore.

Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb completed a 65-yarder on his first throw Sunday and had four more passes over 20 yards. This season, the Browns have given up 21 passes of 20 yards or more compared to eight through seven games in 2003.

"We have got to eliminate the big plays," Davis said. "A year ago, it was the run defense. Everybody was on a crusade, 'You can't stop the run. You can't stop the run.' We're doing a good job against the run, but we have got to stop the big passes. That's the No. 1 thing we have got to eliminate."

Davis will tweak his defense by replacing starting safety Earl Little with Chris Crocker.

Cleveland's schedule over the next five weeks includes the Ravens (4-2), Steelers (5-1), Jets (5-1) and Patriots (6-0). Even the Bengals (2-4) will be a stiff test.

If they're still in the playoff hunt by December, the Browns might need to win road games at Buffalo, Miami and Houston to have any chance of making the playoffs.

Davis' job could hang in the balance, too.

Owner Randy Lerner is frustrated by the Browns' slow progress and a collapse like last year - Cleveland finished 5-11 - would likely lead to Davis' dismissal.

The final nine weeks won't be easy. For the Browns, it seems nothing ever is.

"We have to keep our heads up and keep grinding," Tucker said. "It will turn - eventually."