Only three of the last 225 NFL teams that opened their seasons 0-3 made the playoffs. After the Brown’s and Derek Anderson’s second-half meltdown in a 28-10 loss at Baltimore, the question is not whether Cleveland will make the playoffs but whether or not next Sunday will be the first game of the Brady Quinn era.
Both the Browns and Anderson have been awful. Last year, Cleveland just missed the playoffs in a 10-6 break out year for the team and Anderson. Granted, nine of the ten wins came against teams with losing records, you can only play your schedule. This year, against three teams with winning records, the Browns have been outscored 66-26 and are already 0-2 in division play.
In 2007, Derek Anderson threw for 3787 yards and 29 touchdowns and was rewarded with a $21 million three-year deal. He threw for 200 yards 11 times and was the offensive lynchpin. This year, Anderson is 43-93 for just 405 yards and just two scores. He’s yet to throw for 200 yards and has thrown five picks to boot.
Sunday, Anderson threw two of his three picks in the third quarter of a 14-37 performance that turned a 10-7 halftime lead into a 28-10 deficit. Anderson’s 43.6 QBR is lowest in pro football for quarterback with two starts.
A pretty boy from Ohio and out of Notre Dame, the Browns moved up to get Quinn to be the face of the franchise for the next decade. As recently as last week, the Browns reportedly turned down the Chiefs 1st round pick in 2009 (likely the first pick in the draft based on KC’s play) for Quinn. With a year on the clipboard under is his belt and extended play in preseason after Anderson’s mild concussion, don’t be surprised to see #10 under center this week in Cincinnati.
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