Mangini era begins with an unmighty Quinn

It was a perfect day for football just off the shores of Lake Erie. The
Vikings led by future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, were just passing
through for what was supposed to be quick work on a team that was once
again rebuilding, or in another state of transition.

There were #10 jerseys everywhere you looked. It was the home opener, a
new identity, with more disciplined, smart, and physical players. Finally, the
face of the franchise, Brady Quinn set to lead the new regime. The common
thought has been, "its about time". If that's the case, then why all the secrecy?
Was it really a competitive advantage? Was Mangini playing it close to the vest
in case he changed his mind? Is it just Mangini's way?

Personally, I thought the much discussed QB competition was a farce. Ask
Derek Anderson off the record if he thinks he got a fair shake. I wasn't
impressed with Quinn last season, and at best, they played even in the
preseason. The Browns got off to a great start. The crowd was electric.
I had high expectations going in, this team should win at least 7 games
on being healthy alone.

Lewis ran hard, showed burst, was physical as he finished runs against
one of the best run defenses in the League. He did more than enough to
put Quinn in a position to have success. He avg. 5.2 yards per attempt.
You have depth at WR, a healthy offensive line, and the perfect fit to
execute the preferred game plan and style of play.

Where was the Quinn that was supposed to be everything Anderson isn't?
Where was the short precision passing, mistake free football, great
touch on the intermediate routes, command of the huddle, leadership
under pressure, mobility, efficiency, and smart enough to make
adjustments QB? Maybe he just had a bad game, or maybe he isn't quite
what he's made out to be.

He didn't come close to generating a TD. He had his share of drops, but
he was terrible short, medium, and long. He "should" have been
intercepted on consecutive passes. Those that he didn't bounce, weren't
close. He looked indecisive in the pocket, hesitated on throws. The way
he orchestrated the 2 minute drill right before the half was classic.

The defense that was the achilles for so long, played above themselves.
They held Peterson in check the entire 1st half, rushing for only 25 yards.
They were quick to the ball, tackled effectively, got pressure on the QB,
even covered decently in the secondary. They blitzed, they had Favre looking
like a guy that waffled at retirement. On this day, Favre was not going to beat them.
For 30 minutes or so, neither was Peterson.

I'm not like the local media, let's be brutally honest. If this what all
the secrecy was about, it should still be a secret. Quinn was flat out
terrible. For 3 quarters, he resembled the same Quinn that was terribly
ineffective against Houston last season, only thing missing was the hook. He
couldn't convert 1st downs, did nothing to help out his defense, that
kept him in position to win the game.

Good field position was squandered. Take away the last meaningless drive
in which he actually found the end zone, then maybe his play would be
seen for what it truly was. That's why QB ratings are a joke. That
meaningless TD pushed his final rating to a blistering 74. He had 6
completions and 4 first downs on that drive alone.

I've said this time and time again, and this is no knock against Quinn.
You aren't going to beat a lot of teams throwing 5 yard passes or passes
back to the line of scrimmage. Press coverage will always negate that.
You have to complete some passes down the field to soften running lanes
for your backs. Lewis ran tough enough to give you favorable matchups in
the secondary. You have to keep opposing defenses off balance.

At what point do you make a change? Is this Quinn's season regardless?
This team played well enough to compete for a playoff spot, yes I said
it! I predicted 10 wins in 2007 and they won 10. They are healthy, have depth,
and a much more favorable schedule in comparison to last season.
I've seen enough of Quinn already, maybe that isn't fair.
I've seen Anderson at his best. This is a team he can do great
things with. No additions made in 2008 to build on from 2007.

The Browns should beat Denver if they put forth the same defensive
effort. Cincinnati wasn't all that impressive either, as they both
struggled to score. If Quinn struggles early at Denver, you have to do
what's best for the team, especially if you have a sincere goal of
competing for the playoffs and winning. I believe in Anderson.
I believe he can take this team to the next level.

Keith B McGlothin
(Appeared in the Cleveland Call and Post 9/16-9/22 2009 edition)