Brady Quinn Debut Review

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

In the end, quarterback Brady Quinn wasn’t the answer. At least not on this night. It was just another demoralizing, frustrating loss for the Cleveland Browns. But in the process of dropping to 3-6 on the season, Brady played about as well as could possibly have been expected in his National Football League debut as a starting QB — a 34-30 loss to the Denver Broncos last night. He even shouldered the blame afterward (even though I hope he understands he can’t prevent his teammates from fumbling or dropping passes — oh, and he doesn’t play defense):

“I told everyone, this one is flat on me. I know I am good enough that I can make a play at the end and win. I felt comfortable out there, it’s my home away from home.”

Brady was set-up to succeed. He was playing at home in front of a crowd who has been chanting his name since he was drafted last year. Plus, amidst this feel-good vibe, he was working against a banged-up Denver defense that was giving up almost four touchdowns/game on average — one of the NFL’s worst. But keep this in mind. Brady had very little practice time with the first team (he’s been a backup for a season and a half plus this is a short week for the Browns) and therefore virtually no experience with the first team receivers. It didn’t seem to matter except for a few timing issues where increased reps would’ve probably made a difference. Plus, the running game got going early and that’s any quarterback’s best friend. Jamal Lewis, Josh Cribbs and Jerome Harrison combined for 156 yards on the ground. And the Browns would not commit their first penalty until the end of the third quarter. So, there was a lot working in Brady’s favor.

What impressed me the most about Brady’s game was his ability to make quick decisions with the football and to buy extra time for his receivers by scrambling and being a mobile quarterback — something Derek Anderson was not known for. When Brady was in the pocket, his presence was almost like that of a veteran. And he was able to make the progression from his first to second receiving option admirably. Brady finished 23-of-35 for 239 yards and two touchdowns. But more importantly, he didn’t turn the football over. No interceptions and no fumbles. Brady played a very solid football game. Granted, it was only one game, but it was a good start.

As for the Browns, it came down to mistakes — fumbles and dropped balls led to their demise. This team is kind of an enigma. Take Kellen Winslow for example. Kellen was having somewhere close to the game of his life but by no means out of the realm of what he’s capable of on a weekly basis. He had two touchdown grabs and was picking Brady passes off his shoestrings with ease. Ten catches for 111 yards and two TDs is a good night’s work. It’s an All Pro’s night work. But when you cap it, as Kellen did, with a 4th quarter fumble around midfield and then let a crucial 4th down pass sail through your hands to ultimately end the game on your following and final possession, it’s hard to get too excited about much of anything. But Brady Quinn’s performance will keep Browns fans hopeful.

Sources: ClevelandBrowns.com, NFL.com, Photo: Newscom