Derek Anderson Gives Browns Struggling Offense Hope

Going into the Bengals game, many hopeless critics had written the Browns off for this season.

For much of the last week, they have repeatedly declared that Cleveland had become the laughing stock of the NFL.

In fact, some suggested that Browns players had already given up on new coach Eric Mangini.

They mocked the decision to start Derek Anderson, the 2007 Pro Bowl QB they had already decided was washed up.

They argued the season was lost, and Brady Quinn deserved the rest of the season to develop.

While the Browns may have failed to win Sunday’s game, they clearly proved the critics wrong.

The Browns offense, ignited by QB Derek Anderson gained a combined 395 yards on the day. Anderson was 26-48 with a touchdown, one interception and 269 yards passing.

As the offense opened up, multiple young players began to make significant contributions.

Derek Anderson established a good connection with rookie WR Mohamed Massaquoi, who caught 8 passes for 148 yards.

The successful passing attack opened up the holes for second-year RB Jerome Harrison, who gained 121 yards on 29 carries.

Under Anderson’s control, Cleveland also won the valuable time of posession battle. The Browns offense controlled the ball for 38:55 of the game, better than the Bengals’ 36:01.

The Bengals’ high-powered offense was kept off the field as the Browns steadily controlled the clock. The Browns defense was finally given a rest, and responded with their best performance of the season.

While the Browns effort came up short, they can’t be accused of throwing in the towel anymore. They hung in, punch for punch with the Bengals, a football team that has recently received acclaim following their early success.

The pessimistic critics who denied hope and claimed defeat for the Brownies are wrong. This football team does have talent, and is capable of putting up a good fight.

This football team can be interesting to watch, and this season does not have to be given up as freely as some critics have suggested.

However, it will not happen with the tentative QB Brady Quinn, who has shown he is afraid of throwing the ball down the field.

It will happen with Derek Anderson, the QB who actually gives his recievers a chance to make big plays.

Today, Derek Anderson clearly proved he is the QB who gives the Cleveland Browns the best chance to win football games.

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BREAKING NEWS: Derek Anderson Named Browns’ Starter for Sunday Against Bengals

Browns coach Eric Mangini has named Derek Anderson the starter for Sunday’s game against the Bengals.

“Giving Derek the opportunity is something I think will help us offensively,” Mangini said in his press conference this morning. “Anderson’s performance on third down Sunday in Baltimore, including 3-of-4 on a field goal drive, helped him clinch the job.”

Mangini also admitted, “I’m not saying it’s all Brady [Quinn]. Derek did some things that were positive, and that’s what it’s based on.”

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If Quinn’s First Game Is Any Indication, Browns Are In For Long Season

While I do realize that this was only one game, Brady Quinn’s performance in the Browns 34-20 loss to the Vikings earlier today certainly didn’t give me much reason to hope for this season.

Evaluating Quinn’s performance today, it was very apparent that he was handcuffed by conservative play calling in the first half. It was working though because the defense was playing well, the special teams generated some points, and the Browns entered halftime with a 13-10 lead.

Following halftime, the Vikings offense put a nice drive together and took a 17-13 lead following an Adrian Peterson touchdown.

The Vikings offense was finally starting to have success, and it became obvious that the next Browns  possession would be a good indication of whether or not the Browns would stay in the game.

Quinn responded by throwing a terrible interception which led to a Vikings score, then embarrassingly fumbling the ball with no defenders around him on his next possession.

What happened to the quarterback that was supposed to play smart and avoid turnovers?

What happened to the quarterback who was supposed to effectively manage the game with his accurate arm?

At that situation in the game, the Browns desperately needed a Quarterback who was capable of challenging the defense and stretching out the secondary.

The results of this game clearly show the multiple reasons that Derek Anderson would be a better fit as quarterback of this football team.

Unfortunately Quinn was incapable of responding in this kind of situation, constantly dumping the ball off to his tight ends and running backs.

In his 24 passes following halftime, he completed only one of them for more than 20 yards.

Expect more of the same results next week when the Browns head to Denver, and face a tough Broncos defense which held the Bengals scoreless for the first 59 minutes of their 12-7 win in Cincinnati today.

I understand that this was only one game, but Quinn certainly didn’t give Browns fans anything to look forward to.

Today, Browns fans who boldly predicted that this type of team is capable of success with a quarterback like Quinn were given a perfect example of why they are clearly wrong.

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I Get It…Brady Quinn Is Attractive, but Does It Win Us Football Games?

When the 2009 Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition began, I suspected that the Cleveland media would attempt to use its influence and attempt to sway public opinion in favor of Brady Quinn.

Why? Because Quinn is the “golden boy”, and he’s more appealing and interesting of a character than Derek Anderson.

Quinn was groomed in Charlie Weis’ pro-style offense, put up impressive numbers in his four seasons in South Bend, and was hailed as “the next Joe Montana”. He was anointed the redeemer of Irish football, and became a Heisman trophy candidate.

However, there’s a whole other aspect to Quinn’s appeal, and it has nothing to do with his skills on the football field.

The attractive, mature, confident Quinn is adored by many “fans” who seem to be more drawn to his appearance than his ability. These “fans” lose themselves in his long brown locks, cut body, and bright smile. They’ve been told the stories of the good Catholic boy, who attends mass every Sunday and heavily relies on his faith.

When the Browns drafted Quinn, I was very excited that they had taken such a popular player who would really raise interest in the team. However, I failed to realize that the interest that he drew would result less from his talent, and more from his appearance.

Don’t tell me you haven’t seen it. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen the many attractive girls, who know nothing about football, but walk around wearing a No. 10 jersey. Don’t tell me that you haven’t talked to one of the die-hard Notre Dame fans, who have followed him since college and claim the guy can walk on water. Don’t tell me you haven’t heard the biased reports from the media, who have claimed Quinn’s been ahead since before this competition even began…

I will admit that after watching three meaningless football games, this quarterback competition is essentially even. I truly believe that neither guy has done much better than the other. But after reading various articles, it seems that the media is acting as if Quinn has already “unofficially” won the job.

Where does this idea come from?

Of course, I know that many Browns fans will claim that appearance has nothing to do with their choice of Quinn. They claim that talent alone is the only reason that they favor him, and they truly believe that he is the best quarterback for the Browns. I certainly do respect that opinion and believe that they are entitled to it, just as I am entitled to believe that Derek Anderson is the better quarterback.

However, Brady Quinn’s appearance has been a subconscious factor in the media’s evaluation of this competition, and certainly won’t be part of Eric Mangini’s criteria for determining which quarterback gives the Cleveland Browns the best chance to win football games.

I Don’t Trust Eric Mangini (But Maybe That’s a Good Thing)

While the Eric Mangini era has only just begun in Cleveland, it is already obvious that the team will be ran quite differently then it was with former coach “Grandpa” Romeo Crennell.

Eric Mangini brings in an authoritarian style that most fans wished to see in the past during numerous late season meltdowns. However, I wonder if  us fans who wanted a “Machiavellian” coach should have been careful what we wished for…

Eric Mangini certainly runs a tight ship, which is a significant change of pace from “Grandpa” Romeo’s laid back mentality.

While I would enjoy seeing a more disciplined team, Mangini’s style also has a tendency to annoy players and fans over the long run. Player’s don’t enjoy the mind games, they don’t enjoy playing under a coach who does things to rattle them and get in their head.

For example, this quarterback controversy seems to have everyone on edge. It has clearly divided the fans, and possibly even some of the players. While Mangini still declares that the competition is still going, now I hear from ESPN’s Chris Mortenson that the starter might have been secretly picked a long time ago.

If this is true, why would Eric Mangini put us through this circus? Why would he allow all of us to believe that it was an open competition? Why would he give Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson the idea that they were competing for a starting job? Why would he want everyone to hang on his every word during every interview, hoping to find out exactly what he is thinking?

Unfortunately, I can’t answer this question. Possibly Eric Mangini’s enjoys showing the players and fans that he is in charge of this team, and he wants to make that clear by running this competition where his “supreme” ruling determines the starting QB for the team.

Whatever reason Mangini has for continuing this competition, it is clear that he enjoys demonstrating his control over this team, and also likes to play things very close to his vest.

While some may appreciate this style of coaching, we must certainly not forget Butch Davis and what he did to this football team. Butch Davis was an arrogant, delusional control freak, who loved to exert his control over the team and played everything very close to his vest.

Eventually, Butch became so obsessive over this team that he had a nervous breakdown.

But, there are definitely some situations in which authoritarian coaches have had success in the NFL.

The most obvious being Bill Bellicheck, of whom Mangini has been frequently referred to as a “disciple” of. Maybe this style of leadership has potential for success in Cleveland, within a franchise that was in desperate need of some control and discipline last season.

But one thing is very clear, the Browns had to mix something up after the disappointment of last season. “Grandpa” Romeo was a certainly nice guy, but he wasn’t a good football coach (or at least in our situation he wasn’t). Maybe Eric Mangini was exactly what we needed…

But let’s be honest, this quarterback competition is getting ridiculous…

I Love T.O. (and I’m Not Ashamed to Admit It)

Throughout the last decade, there have been few athletes that have been as frequently criticized as Terrell Owens. He’s been called arrogant, selfish, repellent, grating, and his effect in the locker room and the team’s he has been on have been compared to that of cancer.

While I certainly do not disagree that Terrell Owens has a tendency to disrupt the chemistry of a football team, I have recently come to see him in a different way. While I was among the Terrell Owens haters, I focused on how Terrell threw his teammates under the bus, disrespected the game, and always seemed to be focused on himself. However, I learned to accept Terrell Owens for who he is.

Terrell Owens is an entertainer… It’s that simple… He loves getting out on the football field and giving the audience a show. Think about how many outrageous things this guy has done throughout his career? Spiking the football on the star in Dallas? The press conference he held in his driveway, doing stomach crunches? The interview when he cried defending Tony Romo, declaring “HE’S MY QUARTERBACK!” Who was not entertained watching this man in these outrageous situations?

And it’s not only that Terrell is willing to put himself in these situations, it’s also the raw emotion that this man displays when in them. T.O. has an ability to demonstrate his feelings in his words and actions, which I can appreciate as a fan. I’m tired of watching athletes who display no emotion, and appear to not even care about losing a game. I enjoy the player who lets you know how he feels, and shares in the emotions with the fans instead of acting above it all.

I certainly am a fan of the humble, professional athlete who puts his head down and goes to work. The blue-collar type worker who comes in, does his job, and puts the team first. I will also agree that most players on a team need to have this attitude, and a team full of arrogant entertainers would include a lot of tension.

That being said, I watch sports to be entertained. I enjoy the guy who does outrageous things, and gets emotional with me. I don’t know why everyone wants to watch a bunch of humble professionals treat the game like it’s a job… that’s boring… I enjoy the arrogant superstar, who puts on a flashy show and gets emotional following each play…

While the media and sportswriters continue their crusade against this man, I will ask the question, has he not entertained you? Has he not given you something to watch and write about? Why is everyone so quick and willing to villify this man? It’s not like he’s Brett Favre, who claims to be one way but is actually another. T.O. is very upfront about who he is. I actually happen to enjoy the way that he always says what he feels, and consistently puts himself in outrageous situations.

In fact, i’ll just come out and say it… I love T.O. and i’m not afraid to admit it…

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