Quinn's time is now
Posted November 3rd, 2008 by Luke Chandler
After another disappointing the loss, the Browns have turned to Brady Quinn. He will start against the Broncos on Thursday this week. Most pundits, including myself, will conclude that the time for change is now. Rather than go over thoughts on this battle, let's focus on another aspect.
Interestingly enough, John Clayton posted an article a short time ago covering Quinn's elevation that caught my attention. This section, from former Browns starting quarterback Trent Dilfer was particularly interesting:
"Public opinion has made this decision for the Browns," said Dilfer, who was Cleveland's starter in 2005 before he lost his job to Charlie Frye. "I have spoken to coaches who have said, 'This is not Derek Anderson's fault.' In fact, at times he's played better than his statistics have showed. This is a function of the defense not getting off the football field; Braylon Edwards, a superstar receiver who's supposed to make all the plays to make you better, having 14 drops at least. It's about their playmakers, Kellen Winslow, not being there, not being dependable. It's about people not being at their best and Derek Anderson burdening the responsibility for this."
Dilfer is a fairly outspoken guy, but this screams sour grapes. Dilfer has been benched or demoted in every stop he's had in the NFL, from Tampa Bay to San Francisco. Let's not forget the bad blood between him and Browns management after his demotion from the starting job.
So my question to you the readers, is Dilfer right or just making excuses for one of his quarterback bretheren? Comment and let us know.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Dilfer is an idiot and a classic example of a jock in the booth. His comments make no sense at all. The key to being a QB is being a leader of a team. Anderson is not a leader. Quinn has that potential. At 3-5 this is a no-brainer move. The fans have it right. Dilfer has it wrong.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Well Brady, put on an extra flack jacket. Lots of ExBrowns on Broncos defense. Put "stickum" on the ball for "hands of stone" ed"words".
good luck…………..
November 4th, 2008 at 12:36 am
I stand by my comments. Oh, yeah, and I'm an idiot.
November 4th, 2008 at 10:20 am
I heard Dilfer's maniacal rant live on Kenny Roda's show, and frankly, I've never heard anything so unprofessional from a former athlete. You said it first: SOUR GRAPES to the nth degree. Dilfer doesn't know jack-squat about this QB situation. He only sees that a starter was benched in favor of the backup, and it just stings his sorry butt all over again–because Dilfer was an awful, awful excuse for a starting QB. Ha! Even the Ravens cut him loose after winning a Super Bowl (not by HIS doing, it was all defense!).
Hey, Trent…Charlie Frye is and was better than you…and he reeks! You sorry loser. Shut you ugly pie hole, and realize that this losing team HAD to begin its evaluation process NOW. Sorry if that doesn't jive with the Dilfer Timetable. But we don't want to be a sub-500 team forever, like you piloted. We have higher aspirations that freakin Derek Anderson, for pete's sake. Good night, get a clue. ESPN, what moron hired this guy??
November 4th, 2008 at 11:35 am
The decision to start BQ is one that should have been made earlier in the season. Mr. Dilfer is venting sour grapes big time. He needs to step back and recall why he was released by so many teams. The real story here is that the Browns are now admitting RAC's game plan is falling apart and it is very apparent the decision was made without RAC's approval. Stand by for the rest of the story.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Trent Dilfer commenting on the Browns? Give me a break! That's like asking Ahmadinejad to give an unbiased opinion of Israel! Isn't this the same guy who has been replaced everywhere he's been? The same guy who was brought to Cleveland to tutor Frye and played so poorly that they decided to just go ahead and play Frye? The same guy who sat on the end of the bench after his demotion and pouted the rest of the season? C'mon ESPN – get someone other than a bitter, disgruntled, washed-up former bum/player to do commentaries. Talk about lack of credibility! Sheeesh!
November 4th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Just a note of the QB's that have suceeded Dilfer in his NFL stops.
Tampa Bay – Shaun King
Baltimore – Elvis Grbac
Seattle – Matt Hasselbeck (who had to win the job back from Dilfer, who had replaced him in 2001)
Cleveland – Charlie Frye
San Francisco – Shaun Hill
Dilfer has never held on to a starting job for a full season, let alone more than one season.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Man, Trent Dilfer sure went bonkers there. So much vile and vitriol against a 3-5 team clearly in need of some kind of change.
To me, this was the right move to make at the moment. Everyone wants to fire Crennel or Savage, but for now this is a much more reasonable move. Maybe Crennel's situation will still be bad if the team struggles with Quinn, but for now we'll see what happens.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Anderson was throwing high to his receivers toward the end of last season and at the Pro Bowl. He has not shown that he can throw the short pass well (screen passes or passes to backs out of the back field). I do like his arm down the field, but I have not seen any progress in the short game. Dilfer is correct about the performances of Winslow and Edwards, but the defense has looked better this year. It is hard for the D to get off of the field late in games when the offense keeps going three and out.
I hope Quinn does well, but the offensive line is pretty thin with Ryan Tucker out and some of the others a bit nicked up (Eric Steinbach for one). I don't think Winslow blocks well for a tight end. I think the Browns would move him to a wide out if he ran better pass routes. Edwards has his moments when it comes to blocking, but we miss a receiver like Joe Jurevicius (Donte Stallworth has been a bust so far).
I heard Trent Dilfer on ESPN Sports Center Monday evening and I do think he used this Browns' change of QB to vent his sour grapes.
November 4th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
After hearing his interview with Roda, it sounds like Dilfer's issues are Randy Lerner. Shockingly, Mr. Lerner has been extremely quiet this season on anythign that doesn't involve Ashton Villa.
November 5th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Public opinion or not – who cares? This is a team that can turn it on every once in a while, but once something goes wrong, you might as well call it. There are plenty of QB's who can lead a team to 3-and-outs, putting the D right back on the field. The defense is exhausted towards the end of the game.
Plain and simple: the team needs a spark, needs a change. The Giants game should have been the season maker – THE game we remembered right into the playoffs. Instead, we went back to 3-and-out, passes that are just too high / low / off target, frustration, drops, an entirely predictable running game… how many of these things can they change by going with Quinn? Time to find out. Don't make the switch and you're headed for 6-10, and that's no good. Surely somebody in the organization must agree with me – I'm sick and tired of "they look like they'll be a little better next year … I hope."
As for Dilfer – there are a lot of analysts out there on a lot of shows on a lot of networks, so there's a place for almost anybody to talk. Sour grapes? You bet…