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Now this is not supposed to be a knock on Mark Sanchez, because after the Jets survived Brett Favre last year they deserve a break. Still it just does not look good to me.

Maybe there is some bitterness in me after all the flack given to me by my friends for wanting my Lions to take Matt Stafford. But as any good Lions fan knows, draft day is the season for the Lions and somehow drafting a tackle would not seem like a very great season.

Now the Jets are different. They actually want to go to the playoffs in a division with last year’s surprise, the Big Tuna Dolphins, and last year’s disappointment, the no more Cassell Patriots.

Mark Sanchez is charming, but can he win in the NFL?

How is a rookie quarterback going to do that? Very good question.

Sanchez is thought to have a strong enough arm to make all of the throws in the NFL, but it is not nearly as strong as the bazooka Matthew Stafford(notes) possesses. And Sanchez didn’t start three years, like Stafford did in the SEC, because he was unable to beat out John David Booty(notes) during his time in at USC. Winning your starting job in college isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for success in the NFL (Matt Cassel(notes), Joe Flacco(notes), etc.), but it can’t be taken as a good sign that Sanchez couldn’t keep the job even after Booty went down with an injury for several games.

I can’t remember the last time a player’s stock rose so much and he became so sought after based upon what he did at dinners rather than on an actual field. This is football, after all, and you aren’t looking for a sales guy in the office that you want to be good with clients or in the board room. Personality can only take you so far. At some point you have to just produce, or else the fan base will turn on you and your charisma will no longer matter. Just ask another former Jets quarterback by the name of Favre.

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Can Denver live with Kyle Orton at quarterback? It is not that Orton does not win games, he does. It is not that Kyle is not talented in some ways, he is. It is just that, well, Orton just does not impress. Does that make sense?

USC used to chase Brady Quinn. Now the Broncos may be chasing him.

Denver has to believe that there is a better option. Cleveland cannot continue with Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn on the same team. Two starting quarterback salaries? Better to get a draft pick or player for one of them and move on.

Denver may want Mark Sanchez of USC. But can they get him?

Speculation in Denver and elsewhere is that the Broncos might use their two first-round draft picks — No. 12 and No. 18 — to move up high enough to select Mark Sanchez of Southern California. Seattle, sitting at No. 4, already is giving signals it suddenly loves Sanchez, perhaps to sway a deal with Denver.

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A cheaper more believable option may be Brady Quinn.

So there’s Quinn, still not endorsed by the Browns as their starting quarterback as he enters his third season. And there’s McDaniels in Denver, filled with positive feedback about Quinn from Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis, whom McDaniels adores as an offensive football coach. If McDaniels can’t trust Weis, then who can he trust?

Trading the No. 18 pick to the Browns for Quinn (who was taken 22nd in 2007) makes so much sense for the Broncos, I can’t believe it hasn’t happened yet. They get a young quarterback schooled in McDaniels’ system whom the new coach can develop and appoint as the face of his team going forward. Denver also saves its No. 12 pick for much-needed defensive help.

Quinn or no Quinn, you have to think that Denver is not done.

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Man, you just have to read these two articles in the Cleveland papers.

Romeo Crennel names Brady Quinn his 2009 starting QB

Browns Insider: Derek Anderson getting a shot to start over

Brady Quinn is trying to wave goodbye to Derek Anderson

It is hard to believe these stories, let alone they are back to back.

Crennel did not like him enough to allow him to finish the Houston game Sunday, however. He yanked him after his second interception and the Browns behind, 16-6, in the third quarter.

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Anderson opted not to test free agency last year when he signed a three-year contract at a reported maximum of $26 million. He is due a $5 million roster bonus in March. At the same time, Quinn needs to take 70 percent of the offensive snaps next season to trigger salary escalations that can max out at $20 million — an $11 million boost.

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Wow, how quickly Derek Anderson has fallen and Brady Quinn has risen.

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Will Brady Quinn be good enough to escape the wrath of the fans?

How can the Browns bench Derek Anderson? Answer that, will you? It seems to be the cry of the fans.

The inconsistent Pro Bowl quarterback, whose production this season has been slowed by dropped passes, was benched on Monday by the Browns, who will start popular backup Brady Quinn on Thursday night against the Denver Broncos in hopes of turning around a disappointing season.

The surprising and unexpected swap was announced Monday by the team, just hours after coach Romeo Crennel said he had no plans to make a change.

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This is a very controversial decision and you wonder how much Romeo Crennel had to do with it. Brady Quinn better do great or the fans may turn on him as well.

Dilfer said he saw first-hand that the Browns are “highly dysfunctional and cannot make decisions that are good for the long-term growth of the organization. These types of decisions are exactly why they’re not a winner now and they won’t be a winner in the future. It’s a knee-jerk reaction by the owner to fill seats.”

He added that it’s a great opportunity for Quinn, especially against a bad Broncos defense, ranked 29th. But he warned, “Brady Quinn should be concerned about something. If they’re willing to make this decision on D.A., a guy that I admired, I watched play well, went to the Pro Bowl last year, just had a big contract, and I see how quickly they turn on him, the organization and the fans, ‘Well, what’s going to happen to me after I throw a couple interceptions?’ And that’s bad news for Brady Quinn.”

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Derek Anderson spots Braylon Edwards wide open 70 yards down the field

Nobody, but nobody was giving the Giants a chance to win this game. It was Monday Night Football and the Giants are surely headed to the Super Bowl, right?

Well, just who is that Nobody guy, because he must have made a ton of dough betting on this game.

Derek Anderson was 18 - 29 for 310 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Cleveland Browns 35 New York Giants 14.

Eric Wright had an interception return for a touchdown that went 94 yards with Eli Manning failing to shove him out of bounds along the way.

“It would’ve been real embarrassing to get tackled by the quarterback,” said Wright. “I definitely didn’t want that to happen. I just tried to give myself enough room to make a move if I had to.”

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If Wright does not get the interception at that point the Giants were driving to make the score close with 8 minutes to go in the game. Instead it was all Browns. The intended receiver was Amani Toomer and he was headed for a touchdown if Wright does not show up.

Wright’s 94-yard touchdown return of a Manning interception with 8:07 left was the play of the game, snuffing out what was shaping up as a nail-biter finish. Wright cut in front of intended receiver Amani Toomer at the 6 and then sprinted down the left sideline, tip-toeing at one point to avoid getting knocked out of bounds on a shove by Manning.
Anderson then punctuated a big night with a pass to Edwards for the two-point conversion.

With his job perhaps on the line with another loss, Anderson enjoyed a happy reunion with Edwards. Anderson was 18-of-29 for 310 yards and two touchdowns and didn’t commit a turnover.

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This game not only marked an uprising for Derek Anderson, but a revival of sorts for the much maligned Braylon Edwards.

He finished the game with five catches for a career-high 154 yards and an 11-yard touchdown catch that gave the Browns a 27-14 lead five seconds into the fourth quarter.

Before the TD catch, Edwards had receptions of 49 and 70 yards in the first half. The 70 yarder, on which he beat cornerback Aaron Ross down the right side on an out-and-up, set up Jamal Lewis’ 4-yard touchdown run two plays later.

“I wanted to be like Reggie Bush [who had two TDs last week on Monday night football],” said Edwards.

Edwards’ 129 yards in the first half were more than the 95 total he had coming into the game.

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Looking good in brown is Derek Anderson of the Cleveland Browns

John Czarnecki at NFL on Fox is ranking the young quarterbacks.

Derek Anderson of the Cleveland Browns is tops on his list.

Cleveland’s Derek Anderson: A year ago, nobody with the Browns would have bet that Anderson would have started 15 of 16 games, winning 10 of them. Yes, he choked in Cincinnati when he fired four interceptions, causing the Browns to miss the playoffs. But Anderson is definitely the starter while poster boy Brady Quinn watches and waits. What makes Anderson’s life all the easier is a great young tackle in Joe Thomas to protect him and two of the game’s finest young receivers in Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr.

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His next 2 choices to be stars are David Garrard of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Jay Cutler of the Denver Broncos.

You will have to read the article to see who else John likes at the quarterback position.

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And out of the mist came Calvin Johnson

Why do we all think that later on we know better?

Let us go on record here. Your intrepid author wanted Calvin Johnson last year. Still do.

My friend, RonB, actually beat the drum for Adrian Peterson. Did he know something the rest of us didn’t? Maybe. Ask him.

Of course, it is easy to look backwards and say you should have picked the Lottery numbers that won.

Oakland, in my estimation, would have done better to trade their pick away for multiple picks. They are just too weak at many positions. But Al Davis was set on JaMarcus Russell and all his gaudy tryout stats. In other words, he fits the mold of a possible great one. How many of us disagreed with Al? Is that a hand in the back of the room?

Now there are many that are seemingly all knowing and criticize last year’s picks.

Is everybody finally ready to concede what’s now painfully obvious? The Lions blew it when they drafted Calvin Johnson last year with the second overall pick instead of offensive tackle Joe Thomas or running back Adrian Peterson. The final piece of damning evidence against the decision is the team’s preparation for next month’s draft. source

Now you put me in the position of defending the General Manager of the Detroit Lions, Mr. His Name We do not Speak. Not being privy to what other teams were really offering for the pick, Calvin was the obvious choice. Obvious.

Joe Thomas was a left tackle. The Lions had one already.

Adrian Peterson had a history of injuries in college and Kevin Jones was due to return and Tatum Bell was under contract.
Calvin Johnson would fit Mike Martz offensive scheme.

But, more important, the Browns and Vikings are both on an upward trajectory, thanks largely to those selections.

The Lions are headed downward.

The underlying message is irrefutable. Wide receivers aren’t building blocks for success. They’re merely supportive components.

Hope Jerry Rice is not listening or Randy Moss or Terrell Owens.

Wait, did he say the Browns and Vikes are headed up?

The Vikes improved because of Read more

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Brady Quinn not dressed for success

Brady Quinn has been accused of shouting anti gay comments outside of a restaurant.

He is denying everything.

Brady was on scene and there was an altercation.

How much of what was said is unclear.

Click on the link below to hear the 911 audio.

On a 911 call early on Jan. 1, Seth Harris told Columbus, Ohio, police that Quinn was with a group at La Fogata Grill and that they were insulting gays outside the restaurant.

“There’s a group of football players, Brady Quinn from the Browns … and he’s trying to cause a fight,” Harris told the operator. “His friends are yelling at all of the gay people that are around here.”

Harris said he had a verbal exchange with Quinn. source

Audio of the 911 call

Brady Quinn accused of homophobic remarks with 911 call audio

It appears Brady’s friends wanted him to step away from the altercation as police arrived.

But when the Police arrived, Brady was arguing with 32 year old Jason Thompson.

After Quinn backed off, Thompson turned his aggression on officers and he was arrested and accused of disorderly conduct, Ford said.

The Browns issued a statement backing Quinn, their former first-round draft pick who played in just one game as a rookie.

“We are aware of the alleged comments made by Brady Quinn, which the Browns take seriously,” the club’s statement said. “After speaking with Brady and his representatives we find these reported accusations without merit.”

Brady Quinn only played in 1 Browns game last year.

It appears that red hot starting quarterback Derek Anderson is not his only problem.

NFL Football Fan Question How is this for a start to the off-season?

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Let’s take a look at the NFL Playoff picture.

NFC
Dallas, Green Bay, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Giants are in.
Dallas has the home field advantage.
Green Bay gets a first round bye.
The Giants got one of the wild cards.
Minnesota gets the other wild card with a victory or Saints loss.

Comments - Dallas, Green Bay, and Seattle all look pretty solid. Is Tampa really in the playoffs? Wouldn’t you love to see Brett Favre get one more ring!

Knocked out - Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and St. Louis. Wow, Chicago after a dominant Super Bowl year! Detroit in spite of Kitna’s 10 or more wins prediction. Up and coming San Francisco was never up and coming.

AFC
New England, Indianapolis, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Jacksonville are in.
Jacksonville is one of the wild cards.
Cleveland needs a victory or Titans loss to get the other wild card.
Tennessee needs a victory, and it won’t be easy, facing the Colts, if they are to get the other wild card.

Comments - New England looks incredible. Colts and Chargers are solid, but will eventually have to visit New England. Name one Jacksonville player. Cleveland can continue the Derek Anderson story.

Knocked out - Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, N.Y. Jets, and Oakland. Baltimore after a surprising playoff year last year with great defense. Poised to be in the playoffs Denver never could get it really rolling. Now we know the real reason Saban left Miami.

NFL Football Fan Question Who are you picking to win each conference?

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This can not be.

How can the Browns and Bills and Playoffs all be in the same sentence?

But it looks like that is what is happening.

With a victory and some help, the Browns can clinch their first playoff spot since 2002. With a win, the Bills would take a huge step toward securing their first postseason berth since 1999; with a loss, they can count on another year of being shut out of the championship chase.

So it is not a reach to say that this easily is the biggest Bills-Browns game since their classic, divisional-round playoff shootout — won by the Browns, 34-30 — on Jan. 6, 1990, at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. source

Cleveland is going all out with the Believeland T-shirts.

Inspired by their playoff possibilities, the Browns today unveiled a new “Believeland” T-shirt.
The shirt will be available for purchase for $20 (or two for $30 through Sunday) beginning Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the Browns team shop at Cleveland Browns Stadium. source

To counter the bad looking T-shirt, the Bills have pulled out the no respect card for their defense.

“It’s no different than any other week,” Crowell said. “We’ve been trying to make a statement around here every week. No one respects us, so we’re just back to work. source

These two teams do realize this is an important game, right?

Shouldn’t they be talking about Trent Edwards or Marshawn Lynch or Derek Anderson or something?

NFL Football Fan Question Gotta ask, do you care who wins this game?

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