Yesterday, we saw the imminent announcement of Gus Frerotte replacing Tarvaris Jackson as the starter in Minnesota.
If Cleveland finds itself down at the half in Baltimore, will head coach Romeo Crennel pull Derek Anderson in favor of Brady Quinn? It's clear as day that the front office is unhappy with the team performances and record after two games and the coaching staff is not exactly smitten with the decision to acquire DT Corey Williams and trade away DB Leigh Bodden. Though it's too early to pull Anderson, the insertion of Quinn may be the shot in the arm the Browns need to avoid three straight losses to start the campaign.
To date, Anderson has been, well, very ordinary and some might argue that he has been substandard. Through two contests, albeit against strong opposition, Anderson has only completed 51.8% of his passes and has a QB rating of 57.1, which is a far-cry from his 2007 numbers of 56.5% and 82.5, respectively. Anderson has also thrown more interceptions (2) than touchdowns (1) this season, compared to 29 TDs and 19 INTs last season. Of his two interceptions thrown last week against Pittsburgh, the one tossed before halftime killed a drive in the red zone and altered the landscape of the game.
In Anderson's defense, he has not worked with a full complement of receivers. Free agent signing Donte Stallworth has yet to suit (well, he suited up in Week 1 and injured himself in warm-ups - tell me Cleveland is not cursed). Braylon Edwards's new nickname is Visine. And Joshua Cribbs is unhealthy and unhappy with his contract. Additionally, the offensive line has been banged up, causing harm to the running (3.1 ypc for Jamal Lewis after averaging 4.4 last season) and passing game. If Quinn does replace Anderson at some point either on Sunday or later in the season, then the line will not magically begin to block; however, Quinn may bring a renewed sense of vigor when eventually given his chance.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
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Brady Quinn shouldn't take over permanently for Anderson this week. Even if the Browns are down 49-0 in the third quarter and Quinn does come in for relief, he still shouldn't be named the starter at that point.
Remeber that the Browns faced a stiff Pittsburgh defense last week in extremely windy conditions (I heard that the wind gusts got up to 60 mph). Not many QBs can throw well in those conditions.
However, all that said, I don't expect Crennel to hesitate in making the switch since he's likely feeling pressure from inside the organization. If the Browns sputter to a 1-5 or 1-6 start, then OK, make the change in starter. But 2 to 3 games into the season is far too early for a logical move.
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