Dammit

First, they're listed as co-starters, which is neat:

The Browns released an unofficial depth chart Tuesday in advance of Saturday's preseason opener in Green Bay, and Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn are listed as co-starters as quarterback.

I guess this means that they've been even? Awesome. Neither one has stepped up. I was kinda hoping we'd know who was starting in the first preseason game... but no:

Neither Brady Quinn nor Derek Anderson has pulled ahead in the Browns' quarterback battle, but the competition kicks into high gear Saturday night with the preseason opener in Green Bay.

"I think it reinforces the whole concept of why you have to let the body of work play out," said Browns coach Eric Mangini. "They're very competitive. They're both making strides in different areas. As we talked about a long time ago, you have to really see who does separate themselves from the other one. When that time comes, it will be clear, and that's why you wait to make a decision."

Ugh. This feel like Romeo's coin flip to anyone else? That neither QB has taken a lead and that they don't feel comfortable naming a starter?

I mean, I know we'll see who's ahead when the offense takes the field against the Packers. But I would've really liked one of the two guys to pull ahead. Especially Quinn, he's worked really hard for this competetion.

NOW he's done

It's not an official Cleveland Browns season until a quarterback is out for the year:

Browns coach Romeo Crennel said Wednesday that quarterback Brady Quinn will miss Cleveland's final five games with a broken right index finger.

Crennel said Quinn is weighing options of resting the injury or having surgery. Quinn must stop all football activity for at least six weeks, sources told ESPN.

Awesome. The only reason I wanted to watch the rest of their games is to see how Quinn did. Now I can't even do that.

Next season can't start soon enough.

Time for Quinn?

Terry Pluto thinks so, the PD says Romeo is considering it and SI has a story...

On one hand, I think it makes sense. DA hasn't looked good, the team is in disarray and they could use some kind of shake up. However, it's only Week 4 and I'm not sure you can bench DA after three weeks against three pretty good defenses (he hadn't had reps for Week 1, the wind was nuts in Week 2 and Week 3 was the first time he didn't have a legit excuse).

But at the same time, Anderson didn't exactly finish strong last season. Could teams be picking up on his tendencies? I dunno.

One would think the most logical thing would be to have DA start this week, give him one more chance, and if he sucks, install Quinn as the starter during the Bye Week. But their first game after the Bye is against the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants on Monday Night. Do you really want Quinn's first start to be against the champs, on MNF in front of a national audience? I'm not so sure.

Which is why it's sort of making sense that they're considering putting him in against Cinci. Let him get his feet wet against a bad team, then let him face the Champs...

[UPDATE] Maybe Romeo flipped another coin, cause he's made a decision (and won't give any reasons):

Crennel refused to give reasons for sticking with Anderson.
"I'm not getting into the what ifs, the whens, the wheres, how long or anything like that about this decision," Crennel said. "The decision is made and that's what it's going to be."

Where's Waldo

Do me a favor, find the W's on the Browns schedule.

Week 1 - Dallas - L
Week 2 - Pittsburgh - L
Week 3 - @ Baltimore - L
Week 4 - @ Cincinnati
Week 5 - Bye
Week 6 - NY Giants
Week 7 - @ Washington
Week 8 - @ Jacksonville
Week 9 - Baltimore
Week 10 - Denver
Week 11 - @ Buffalo
Week 12 - Houston
Week 13 - Indianapolis
Week 14 - @ Tennessee
Week 15 - @ Philadelphia
Week 16 - Cincinnati
Week 17 - @ Pittsburgh

Which games are sure things?

I guess you can count the home game against the Texans.... and the Colts haven't looked like world beaters (they should be 0-3). If the Browns lose next week, I'm not sure they win a road game all season (well, if the Steelers rest their starters in Week 17...).

I mean, do you trust them at Washington? Nope. At Tennessee? HA! At Philly? I don't think so. At Jacksonville? Heh. At Buffalo? Eh...

Maybe I'm a pessimist, but this season is very close to getting very ugly (if we arent' there already). You know what's sick? I'm agreeing with Bill Simmons opinions about a Cleveland team (from his NFL preview column):

I'm not a big fan of this formula: Artificially high expectations + too many nationally televised games (five in all) + brutal schedule + too much luck last season (what are the odds of them getting 32 games from Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards again?) + brewing QB controversy + horrible preseason = Yikes.

Also, their two biggest offseason moves were fundamentally illogical: Trading for Shaun Rogers and keeping Derek Anderson. In the salary-cap era, you can't keep Anderson (who had two good months and tailed off) after dealing a future No. 1 and committing all that money to Brady Quinn. It's like drafting QBs in the first two rounds of a fantasy draft -- yeah, you can do it, but it never works. Why not trade Anderson for two draft picks and back the guy who you loved so much a year before? And why compound the error by trading your 2nd and 3rd round picks plus a valuable cornerback (Leigh Bodden) for expensive and possibly shaky defensive linemen (Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers). That's a swing of four draft picks plus Bodden! Didn't they see what happened with the Giants last year? If you made a "How to win the Super Bowl" formula, would "Pay two quarterbacks big money" and "Don't get anything from your draft" be two of the pieces? OF COURSE NOT!!! On the bright side, "taking the Browns to the Super Bowl" remains my favorite euphemism for making a doody.

I can't find much to disagree with. Sure, I like the Rogers trade (I'm actually OK with the secondary and wasn't that high on Bodden) but their lack of depth is really showing right now. I'm with him on trading/letting go of DA.

But of course it looks good in retrospect... but I really didn't expect there to be an actual QB controversy this season... I expected Anderson to play so-so but have the Browns to stick with him out of loyalty/consistency/general stupidity. But he's been awful. He was absolutely dreadful throughout the second half today.

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Also, what else does Jerome Harrison have to do to get playing time? Did he even touch the ball in the second half? And do the Browns have linebackers? I never hear their names called...

No Me Gusta

Brady Quinn spotted in Berea:

Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn dressed in a light orange shirt for his visit to the Browns. If he gets his wish, he'll soon have a matching orange helmet.

Quinn, who grew up in Dublin, Ohio, has said he wants to play for the Browns, the team he rooted for as a kid. On Thursday, he spent a few hours touring the team's headquarters and interviewing with coaches.

He arrived in Cleveland on Wednesday night and was taken to dinner by team officials.

As the draft gets closer and closer, I'm becoming more and more resolute in my stance of "Joe Thomas or trade down". I'm not a fan of Quinn at 3 (and I've somehow convinced myself that Russell is going to be a bust) and I'd like them to take the safest possible pick (which in my mind is Thomas).

Now if they trade down and take Quinn at 7 or something... I still wouldn't be thrilled, but having extra picks would sooth my anger.

Please God, not this

I'm sure this guy probably has no idea what he's talking about, but I really don't like seeing these 'reports' about the Browns.



I've said it before and I'll say it again: the only non-offensive lineman acceptable in the first round is Adrian Peterson. That's it. With the combination of Oakland and Detroit drafting ahead of the Browns, plus the glut of talent like JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Peterson, Joe Thomas and Calvin Johnson, the odds are good that the Browns will be able to land either Thomas or Peterson, especially if they're drafting third.