Peyton Hillis was too sick to play Sunday, and doesn't feel like he needs to provide a doctor's note to prove it. Hillis spoke in detail Thursday for the first time since missing last week's game against Miami with a case of strep throat and flu-like symptoms. Hillis defended the decision for him to miss the game, and said he's isn't concerned if others feel he should have played despite his illness.

The Browns and running back Peyton Hillis are still working on a new contract, but the bruiser insists the negotiations won't affect his play. "The bottom line is that it's not up to me in the end," Hillis said. "When people say they want to stop negotiating it's because they want to play better and they don't want the (salary) figure to hang over their heads. So for me, if they want to come back and talk, I'm open. "It's up to the Cleveland Browns and until that time happens, I'll continue to play my best." Browns general manager Tom Heckert declined to comment on the status of negotiations with Hillis, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. "Until we get a deal done with somebody, we're not gonna talk about it," Heckert said. Hillis, who rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, is scheduled to make a base salary of $600,000 this season.

It wasn't a public sighting but Peyton Manning slipped into the Colts' facility Friday and Saturday for the first time since his latest neck surgery. Manning did some light therapy and watched a portion of Friday's practice but there are no plans for him to attend Sunday's home opener against the Browns, according to an ESPN.com report.

The Bengals rushed to the line and quick snapped the ball on Sunday, allowing them to score on a 41-yard pass against Cleveland's bewildered defense. Dick Jauron, the defensive coordinator for the Browns, accepted the blame for not having his young defense better prepared. "I have to pick it up," Jauron said. "I have to see it and I didn't see it. I missed it." To make sure it never happens again, Cleveland's cornerbacks will not join the huddle anymore. Instead, hand signals will be sent in from the sideline. "That's one thing you can do and that'll help us clearly," Jauron said. "We just have got to be aware. After making the call, I was looking down at my gameplan sheet, thinking about the next call. I missed it. There's nothing else I can say about it. I should have been able to help."

Browns first-year coach Pat Shurmur has taken responsibility for the quick-snap play the Bengals used to beat his team in the season opener. Shurmur said blame can be shared by "me, the sideline and the players in the huddle." He said someone should have called timeout before Cincinnati quarterback Bruce Gradkowski could throw a 41-yard touchdown pass to rookie A.J. Green in the fourth quarter.

The Browns are "trying like crazy" to extend running back Peyton Hillis' contract, according to team president Mike Holmgren said. Appearing on "Mike & Mike In The Morning" on ESPN Radio, Holmgren said the club wants to wrap up Hillis "for a long time." Hillis, 25, rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, his first with Cleveland after going there in a trade from Denver.

Cedric Benson spent five days in a Texas jail mopping floors and thinking about how much he missed football. The running back was released on Saturday after completing his sentence for misdemeanor assault. He's back with the Bengals, getting ready for their season opener Sunday in Cleveland.