Derek Anderson pulls a Rasputin
My favorite player comparison from the 2007 season was Derek Anderson and a young Jake Delhomme: a quarterback who locked on to his playmaking receiver, took chances down the field, and was terribly streaky due to some accuracy issues.
That final point, however, was a harbinger of things to come in 2008 as Anderson’s 56.5 completion rate dropped to a woeful 50.2 and the offense stagnated behind a cratering offensive line, poor receiver play, and an assortment of injuries to Kellen Winslow.
By the time Brady Quinn took over in the nationally televised Thursday night game in Denver, Anderson was left for the vultures to pick over. An outbound Romeo Crennel threw his support behind Quinn, and Anderson looked likely to be traded or even released.
Anderson escaped the Guillotine, however, when it was revealed that his $5 million bonus was guaranteed against release. With Michael Lombardi’s constant proclamations that the new Browns regime doesn’t care for Quinn, Anderson is back in the mix for the starting job.
I tend to side with beat writer and Loose Balls author Terry Pluto, who believes all of the Quinn bashing and Anderson propping is nothing more than posturing to increase Anderson’s trade value.
Why would the Browns turn back to Anderson after he failed so miserably in the first half of last season? Why would they sweep Quinn aside before giving him a real opportunity to sink or swim?
It makes sense for a new regime to bring in their own guy, but choosing a failed starter over an unknown entity would be a true head-scratcher. The rebuilding Browns owe it to their future to find out if Quinn can be a franchise quarterback. We know that Anderson is not.
Comments
Well put. Quinn hasn't even received a shot yet. Browns fans would freak if Mangini moved Quinn. 95% chance Quinn takes opening day snap of '09 season despite "competition" and trade rumors.
Posted by: TC | March 25, 2009 01:50 PM
failed so miserably?? espn just did a comparision on DA and BQ for last year and they had nearly identical stats. take away braylons drops and DA actually did good. the game before he got benched he tore up one of the best defenses in the league (baltimore) and wouldve won if not for a braylon drop. BQ struggled against mediocre defenses, and did good against denver, whos defense is terrible. id like to see some stats behind your "failed miserably" and a reason not to open it up to competition. neither have proven themselves consistent, but at least DA has shown he can be good.
Posted by: thomas g | March 25, 2009 09:27 PM
thomas,
Click on the link where it says "dropped to a woeful 50.2." It's all in there. Check the game-by-game stats over the past 16 games, and you'll see a QB who could muster no offense as the Browns season circled the drain. You'll also see a QB with a lifetime completion percentage south of 55, which would make him the least accurate starting QB in the NFL.
I hear you on Quinn's stats looking identical. He also deserves more than 2.5 games before we write him off for dead. In Quinn's two full starts, the team averaged 29.5 PPG -- a massive improvement over Anderson's offensive output early in 2008.
The point is this: we know who Derek Anderson is. He has a big arm, will take chances down the field, is not nearly accurate enough, and falls well short of being a franchise quarterback. It's quite possible that Quinn falls short of being a franchise quarterback too, but for the price they paid to get him, and what he's worth to their future, they owe it to themselves to find out for sure.
Posted by: Chris Wesseling | March 25, 2009 09:51 PM
im not writing off quinn, im writing off the idea of handing him the job. competition will only make both of them better, and if he does deserve the job he will prove it to mangini. there is no reason to give him the job just because he is unknown. DA was a pro bowler in his first year starting. what if they gave him more time to develop, as oppose to starting all over again with quinn?
Posted by: thomas g | March 25, 2009 10:05 PM
That's a fair enough point, thomas.
Posted by: Chris Wesseling | March 25, 2009 11:38 PM
woo tom g! haha i thought all your DA support sounded familiar
Posted by: ryan j | March 26, 2009 01:55 PM
woo tom g! haha i thought all your DA support sounded familiar
Posted by: ryan j | March 26, 2009 01:56 PM