Here are seven deadly sins of Eric Mangini that have left a bad taste in my mouth in regards to the handling quarterback Brady Quinn.
1. The Lack of Snaps in the Preseason
With all the drama that has unfolded over the past few days, this reason still stands as one of the biggest why not only Quinn struggled, but the Browns team has as well.
Due to the painstakingly long quarterback competition, neither Quinn or Anderson was able to establish any rhythm or chemistry with the offense. This was more damaging for Quinn who had only a dozen quarters of NFL football under his belt coming into 2009, unlike Anderson, who came in with 10 times the experience.
Any way you slice it, this was a big problem right from the get go. We have heard Tom Brady say he’d like more preseason games coming off his injury so that he could get back into a groove and find a rhythm. Same goes for Peyton Manning coming off his injury last year.
In essence, the Browns were still in preseason mode because of the lack of snaps given to Quinn in the preseason. Not only that, but the lack of practice and the coaching involved has seemingly stunted Quinn’s growth as numerous observers who have watched Quinn over the past seven years have duly noted.
2. Bad Play Calling
There are three truths that are slowly becoming etched in stone for the Browns. The first is that Mangini is not a good head coach.
The second is that Brian Daboll is not a good offensive coordinator.
And the third is that the Browns’ problems and ineptitude do not start or end with the quarterback position, regardless if Quinn or Derek Anderson is playing.
From the start of the season, the Browns have run a very conservative offense relying on short passes, screens, and the ground game. The result is that it hasn’t worked.
Quinn may not have been executing this game plan rather effectively, but it’s still on the coaches for preparing such a ludicrous game plan in the first place.
The coaching staff severely limited Quinn’s time in the preseason, continued to play it safe to start the season, then ultimately cried foul when Quinn was unable to do anything but play it safe.
I know Quinn has been holding the ball too long, been hesitant to throw downfield, and hasn’t picked up enough third-down conversions, but really, what did the coaches expect given the circumstances?
Mangini was supposed to preach ball control offense, limited turnovers, and a strong power running game. There’s been no running game and now Mangini wants to bring in Anderson who is the antithesis of a ball-control quarterback?
To use a baseball analogy, Cleveland has been implementing a game plan and coaching Quinn to bunt and hit singles. Now, they are benching him because he hasn’t hit enough doubles and home runs.
3. Complete Lack of Trust
This one is important because it not only affects Quinn’s game plan but has permeated throughout the entire Browns roster.
When Mangini subjected Cleveland nation to an intense quarterback competition, it was with the intention of picking the right guy who could give the Browns the best chance to win on Sunday.
The head coach has even made trust a sticking point throughout his time in Ohio and stated in the past that whomever won the quarterback competition would be the starter he would stick with.
Apparently trust is only a one-way street for Mangini.
The more level-headed Browns fans stressed continually this preseason that if Quinn were to win the job, that Mangini and company would need to be patient and develop the young guy for the sake of the future.
Not many people expected great things from Cleveland so it was assumed there would be a level of trust between Mangini and Quinn as the year progressed and the development continued, but the reality is otherwise.
That trust is completely gone.
4. Two and a Half Games
This one is a real throat punch indeed. Again, scores of Browns fans wanted to see Quinn play, at minimum, eight regular season games in 2009, to see what they have in their first-round draft pick.
No matter how you look at it, pulling Quinn after 10 quarters of football is completely uncalled for. I don’t even want to elaborate on this topic because it is such a joke it’s not even funny.
5. The Performance of Derek Anderson
If number four was a punch to the throat, this one is a punch to the groin. If Anderson had come in against Baltimore and played in any way better than Quinn, then I wouldn’t have as much of a problem with the quarterback switch (although two and a half games?? Really??).
Instead, Anderson throws three interceptions and is once again at the bottom of the league in passer rating. Maybe if DA led the Browns to a touchdown or two this would make sense, but it makes anything but sense.
Instead, Anderson couldn’t complete 60 percent of his passes and turned the ball over on three of four possessions. Is that supposed to convince me of something when DA is allowed to chuck the ball down field indiscriminately without repercussions from the head coach?
To use the baseball analogy again, Quinn has been striking out too often, but has been bunting and hitting singles just like the coaches planned.
Anderson on the other hand has been told to swing for the fences and hit a couple singles, but nonetheless, struck out at a higher rate than Quinn.
The only difference is, despite common logic, Mangini is more forgiving of the veteran quarterback mistakes than the inexperienced quarterback mistakes.
6. Panic Decision
At this point, with reason number six, something doesn’t smell right and isn’t adding up. Remember how we were subjected to the perilous long quarterback competition only a month ago and how serious a decision it was?
Remember how Quinn outperformed Anderson in nearly every aspect of preseason and Mangini still took every last minute to name Quinn the starter against Minnesota?
Now, this same guy takes only 48 hours after a three-interception performance by Anderson to, in fact, name said Mr. Anderson the starting quarterback next Sunday.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around that.
However, it looks as if Mangini is simply panicking and despite cooler heads, who believe the Browns should stick with Quinn and develop a quarterback for once, the head coach is going for broke with Anderson.
7. Set Up For Failure
Admittedly, this reason is nothing more than my conjecture, but it sure seems like this was nothing more than a set up.
There are numerous media sources and experts telling the world that Mangini has favored Anderson all along, but felt pressure to play Quinn from ownership, fans, etc.
Do I believe this? I’m not really sure and we may never know the truth. But what I do know is that it sure as heck seems like it is true.
Why else does Quinn have to start against three tough defenses, work with an uber-conservative game plan, and get crucified for his mistakes, only to see Mangini open up the play book for Anderson, forgive him of any mistakes he may make in the process and conveniently name him the starter against a weaker Cincinnati defense at the first chance the coach could get?
I do know that this situation, as I predicted long ago would happen with both Anderson and Quinn on the roster, has become a tangled mess.
How is it that Quinn, once one of the most confident young quarterbacks in the league, has become so hesitant and indecisive? He wasn’t like that last year folks. Like ESPN’s Chris Mortensen mentioned yesterday, the problem is bad coaching and bad ownership.
If Randy Lerner really wants Quinn to play quarterback, then he cannot be happy right now. Either way, having an owner like this is not good for the Browns.
But then, what about Quinn’s contract incentives? Are they playing a part in this decision? Does Lerner really want Quinn as quarterback bad enough to pay him $11 million if he gets 70 percent of the snaps?
And if Mangini really wanted Anderson to start, why did we have to go through all of this? Why couldn’t Quinn have been traded? Why put Quinn in this untenable position that has been destructive to both him and his teammates?
It is fine if Mangini wanted to play Anderson all along, but the resulting fiasco just reinforces the truth that Cleveland really does have a bad owner and a horrible coach. If Mangini doesn’t want Quinn then trade him immediately.
I don’t care if Quinn plays this year, but I’d rather he sit behind Hasslebeck, Delhomme, or Bulger with an organization willing to actually develop a young quarterback instead of hanging him out to dry and making him a scapegoat for the coach’s own destructiveness.
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It’s not even a month into the season and I’m already fed up.
I don’t claim to be a rabid Browns fan—I‘m more of a college football guy, but out of all the NFL teams, Cleveland is my favorite.
Now I have to ask: What the heck is going on with the Cleveland Browns and what have they done to Brady Quinn?
Before Eric Mangini came to Cleveland I didn’t know too much about him except that a lot of Jets fans did not like him and many Cleveland fans were divided over his hiring.
When Mangini came to the Browns, I expected him to trade either Derek Anderson or Quinn. When this did not happen, I put up with it and looked forward to the impending quarterback competition that would unfold knowing Quinn would prove himself once given the opportunity.
Then, for the entirety of training camp and preseason ball, Mangini didn’t make up his mind as to who the starter will be. Alarm bells started going off and this was the mistake that, as a lukewarm Browns supporter, put me over the edge.
You can talk about having an “advantage” by forcing opposing teams to prepare for two quarterbacks and relish the fact that you have two solid quarterbacks to choose from, but this approach does not work.
It especially doesn’t work with a team searching for an identity behind a rookie coach.
The Lions handed the keys to Stafford. The Falcons did the same with Ryan, as did the Ravens with Flacco, and the Jets with Sanchez. All of these teams are on the rise because they had the guts to make a pick and stick with it.
Now with a whole other pile of garbage and negative media coming out about Eric Mangini—I am clearly not a fan of this coach anymore.
Back to Brady Quinn, if I may. I am really rooting for this guy to succeed in the NFL and I never thought his career would come to this point. It’s almost laughable what kind of situation he’s walked into since being drafted by the Browns.
The only situation resembling Quinn’s is perhaps Matt Leinart’s in Arizona. I was never on the Leinart bandwagon and I would certainly be upset about his current situation if I was a fan of his.
But at least the Cardinals gave him over 20 games experience and brought in a proven quarterback to lead the team and from which Leinart could learn. It may be a bitter pill to swallow for Leinart, but at some point you would think he is going to get a chance to start again and will be much improved because of his time behind Warner.
The same cannot be said for Quinn and the Browns.
When Cleveland made a move with Dallas to pick up Quinn I was elated. I had thought that my favorite college player could go to my favorite pro team, but I didn’t think it would actually happen, especially after the Browns took Joe Thomas with their first pick.
Now, the local boy had come home to play for his favorite team and everything was going to be awesome. However, it didn’t take long for things to sour.
Almost immediately there were rumors out of the Browns camp that Quinn would be brought along slowly, possibly not even start or play his rookie season. I thought Quinn was pretty NFL ready coming into his senior season at Notre Dame, but this didn’t really bother me because I expected him to progress slowly in the NFL anyway.
This was mistake number one.
Not shortly after this, Quinn did not report to camp because of a contract dispute. I can’t really blame anyone for this except Quinn and his agent, but we have to remember this still is a business. As it was, did it really matter that Quinn ultimately showed up a few days late to camp? Was he going to get a fair shot at the job anyway?
This was mistake number two.
And knowing what we know now, let’s just get it out of the way and despite my initial giddiness, lament the fact that Quinn was drafted by the Cleveland Browns.
This was mistake number three.
Then during the 2007 season, the Browns miraculously play out of their minds led by a strong, but inconsistent year by Derek Anderson. Cleveland reeled off 10 wins and just barely missed out on the playoffs.
This wasn’t so much a mistake, as it was a stroke of bad luck for Quinn.
During the off-season, there was plenty of debate about what to do with the quarterbacks in Cleveland. The consensus seemed to be to trade one of them and move on. The Browns instead inked Anderson to a sizable contract extension while knowingly keeping Quinn as the backup.
This was mistake number four.
The 2008 season began and it didn’t take long for things to go badly. Anderson looked super shaky and by mid-season Quinn was given his first start against Denver.
Finally!
And boy did his first start look impressive. This is what I’ve been waiting for, I thought to myself. Quinn looked nothing like a rookie, just like I knew he wouldn’t, and he played outstanding despite the team’s loss.
The next week Quinn and the Browns came to my hometown to take on the Bills. Once again, Quinn came out looking polished. Then, late in the second quarter a replay was shown of Quinn hitting a Bills’ helmet on his follow through with his hand.
That’s not good, I thought. From that point on, until his benching the next game, Quinn seemed slightly less effective and we later found out he had broken his index finger.
Stroke of bad luck number two.
Which leads us to the beginning of this season and all of the nonsense that has accompanied the Browns thus far. It’s beginning to look like Mangini’s hiring was mistake number five for Quinn, and Mangini’s handling of the quarterback situation during the preseason mistake number six. The actual coaching in the games thus far could be considered mistake number seven as well.
Today, something isn’t right with Quinn and I’m almost positive it has to do with the coaching in Cleveland. It’s been nearly three years, but the Browns have taken one of the most talented quarterbacks in college history and done almost everything in their power to make sure he cannot succeed.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that Quinn is the next superstar in waiting either. He’s not a genuine pure passer and he struggles when not in a rhythm. His arm strength is good, but he won’t make those pin hole passes guys like Favre and Cutler can make.
And although he is capable of throwing the deep ball, he has struggled with his accuracy at times down field, especially with receivers he doesn’t have chemistry or rhythm with (see above). And lastly, he has been trained by Charlie Weis in college to play it smart and he is more willing to hit the safe short pass that’s wide open than the deeper pass that is kind of open.
None of these criticisms mean that Quinn won’t be a good quarterback though. A lot of these things Quinn can work on and all he needs is the playing time to do so. But there is a ton of upside with him as well and he has many qualities one would look for in a franchise quarterback.
Quinn showed in those brief moments against Denver and Buffalo what kind of potential he has in this league, and now I can’t wrap my head around what is going on.
Quinn has amazing footwork but he’s been given shotgun plays that stifle the running game and don’t allow any play action passes. Why? If you’re afraid of giving up sacks at least let Quinn play under center and give the running game a chance to succeed and allow some rhythm to develop on play action and bootlegs.
At this point, I am 100 percent in favor of the Browns trading Quinn. At first I was against it because I wanted to see him succeed for his hometown team and a trade would kind of be a knock against him and a step back in terms of confidence.
Now I just don’t care. What Quinn needs more than anything is a fresh start somewhere. Someplace that is willing to give him a fair shot and not a bunch of BS and 6 starts over a three year span.
I kept telling everyone this off-season that keeping Quinn and Anderson was nothing but trouble. And what do the Browns do now? To tell the truth I’m not even sure I want Quinn starting anymore because:
A.) The Browns have the least amount of offensive talent in the NFL
B.) The head coach seems incompetent and foolish
C.) The offensive call-playing is a joke
D.) Even the most dedicated Browns fans are going to get restless unless Quinn plays significantly better
Point D is all the more true especially with the likes of Ryan, Flacco, and Sanchez coming into the league with instant success.
But that’s another thing I kept telling everyone: don’t expect miracles from Quinn. You can’t expect him to suddenly take this team to the next level. These other young quarterbacks were placed in perfect situations for signal callers: teams with strong running games and tough defenses. Quinn has none of that to work with.
As a Browns fan and Quinn supporter, I just don’t know where to go from here. I can’t think of a situation for a first round quarterback that was been this convoluted and filled with such ineptness from a team perspective and bad luck from a players perspective.
From day one Quinn had been mishandled at nearly every turn by the Cleveland coaching staff. It may be time to cut ties and trade him to another franchise. I know I am perfectly at peace with that outcome.
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Here we are with the cream of the crop. I am unveiling my top 11 primary dark unforms for NFL teams. The teams that follow will be sure to drum up some debate.
There is no doubt that I favor the more classic look for NFL teams and the top 11 is littered with uniforms that have not changed in a very long time.
Is your favorite team number one? Let’s take a look!
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After debuting my first installment of the NFL’s top primary home uniforms I was a bit surprised at some of the comments I received from a lot of people in Bleacher land. I never thought I would hear multiple defenses of Cincinnati’s uniform and such hatred for the Jets.
What I’ve come to realize is that there are two distinct groups when it comes down to football fashion and aesthetics: Old school vs. New school. It may be no surprise to learn that, but I was a bit taken aback at how much people were defending what I believed to be tacky uniforms.
To put in another way, I feel as though there are those who think putting racing lines and stripes on a car and a giant sticker of your car’s company on your rearview window are “sleek” and “cool.” Then there are those of us who think a car doesn’t need all that flair to look good.
Anyway, the list continues!
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About a month ago, I wrote
an article telling the sports world not to bet against Brady Quinn. The main thrust of my argument was to counter the claims that Quinn played a “soft” schedule at Notre Dame and that he wasn’t worthy of the acclaim that was given to him coming out of college.
As a result, I attempted to show how well Quinn played in his team’s losses in his last three years in South Bend once he took over as starting quarterback.
My point was not to show how college statistics are going to guarantee Quinn’s success at the professional level, but rather to prove that most criticisms of his play are unfounded.
Now, I would like to elaborate on this subject a little further as Quinn is beginning to show the world that he has the ability to be a competent and successful leader with the Cleveland Browns.
If you think Quinn had it easy in college and was able to pad his stats against a constant stream of inferior opponents, think again. No other argument placed against Quinn is more ridiculous and false than this.
That’s not to say that Quinn never played weak teams—because he did. But the same can be said for every other college quarterback in the nation too.
Why does it seem like Quinn is the only one to receive this criticism when dozens upon dozens of other schools’ schedules guaranteed victories as well?
For example, take a look at four of the top quarterbacks in the nation and some of the teams they have already played in their careers:
Bradford-Chattanooga, North Texas, Utah State
Tebow-Citadel, Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, Western Carolina
Clark-Coastal Carolina, Temple, Youngstown State, Florida International
McCoy-Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State, North Texas, Sam Houston St, UTEP
I don’t really have that much of a problem with these guys playing cupcake teams because everyone does it. By the way, these four schools have Idaho State, Charleston Southern, FIU, Eastern Illionois, Temple, and Utah State on their 2009 schedules.
Yet are we going to hear how McCoy won’t be successful in the NFL because he “won’t be lighting it up against Sam Houston anymore?”
Of course not.
You can make the argument that these guys play a tougher schedule than Notre Dame, which is debatable, but that’s fine. You can argue that these guys have won the “big game” before and have beaten top 10 teams. Again, that is a valid point worth debate.
But just remember how much more talent Bradford, Tebow, and McCoy have around them, especially on defense. Brady Quinn never had anywhere near that talent in his time at Notre Dame.
Even still, as I’ve pointed out in my previous article, Brady Quinn always played well for the Irish and never lost games for his team, even when they were seriously overmatched.
Better yet, he always played well against archrival USC. Once again, he lost 12 games in his final three years with the Irish and he put up these numbers: 261 for 478 (54.6 percent), 3,199 yards passing, 23 TD, and 12 INT.
These numbers are not amazing, but it shows that Quinn at least played solid when matched up against teams much better than his Notre Dame squad.
And for the record, five of these 12 losses came against teams that would appear in BCS bowl games.
At the other end of the spectrum, Quinn won 25 games in his last three years in South Bend putting up these numbers in the victories: 511 for 792 (64.5 percent), 6,732 yards, 63 TD, and 12 INT.
And while Notre Dame generally lost to the elite teams it faced, these games still included victories over Michigan (twice), Michigan State (twice), Tennessee (twice), Penn State, Georgia Tech, and Pittsburgh.
So let’s give some credit where credit is due.
To put things into perspective, let’s take a look at two other quarterbacks who were highly touted in college: Troy Smith and Matt Stafford. We all know the positives about these players, but let’s take a look at their peformances in which their teams did not win.
Smith: 5 losses (Iowa, Purdue, Texas, Penn State, Florida), 44 for 91 (48.3 percent) 457 yards, 3 TD, and 5 INT.
Bear in mind that Smith won the Heisman in 2006 and ended his career against Florida with a 4 for 14, 35 yard, one interception performance. There may be more “hype” surrounding Quinn and his career in the NFL, but I shudder to think how he would have been crucified if he ever played that poorly against USC or LSU.
Stafford: 9 losses (Tennessee 2x, Vanderbilt, Florida 2x, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia Tech), 141 for 270 (52.2 percent), 1,811 yards, 10 TD, and 13 INT.
These numbers are fairly decent for losses, but notice how Quinn is measurably better than the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL draft. And are these nine losses for Stafford against that competition any tougher than Quinn’s 12 losses to USC 3x, Boston College, Purdue, Michigan, Ohio State, LSU, BYU, Michigan State, Oregon State, and Pittsburgh?
Also keep in mind that Stafford and Smith were playing with better offensive weapons and a much better defense. Suddenly, it seems apparent that Brady Quinn was a highly successful college quarterback, worthy of Heisman consideration and more.
Moreover, there are those who will look at this information and still say ad nauseum, “well Quinn got to pad his stats against the service academies.” Again, this argument really doesn’t hold water when you look at what other quarterbacks get to face during a season as well.
Nonetheless, Brady Quinn faced the Naval Academy four times in his career at Notre Dame and finished 4-0 against the Midshipmen. However, let’s not pretend that Navy is a complete walkover. They may not be terribly good or play a particularly tough schedule, but the Middies did go 35-15 during Quinn’s time in an Irish uniform.
Although Quinn faced Navy in their annual series against Notre Dame, the record holder for numerous Irish passing records played Army a grand total of once in his career.
Let me repeat that: Brady Quinn played Army ONE time while at Notre Dame. The same can be said for the other service academy in Air Force, whom Quinn only faced once in his four years.
So the next time you want to tell me how Quinn won’t do any good in the NFL because he won’t be lining up against Army or Air Force, just remember those two games amount to 4.1 percent of his total career in college.
And let’s be brutally honest about this: Navy, Air Force, and especially Army, may not be very good football programs, but the student athletes at these schools achieve more in a single day than most of us do in a week or two.
And while Notre Dame playing Army may be the same as Florida playing Western Kentucky on the field, it’s an entirely different story off the field.
Football players at Notre Dame and Army are forced to be more than just football players. The same cannot be said for athletes at the majority of most major universities.
And because of the enormous responsibilities and rigorous academics at the service acadmies (and to a slightly lesser extent at Notre Dame), these schools demand our respect.
So while Notre Dame may blow out Army and Oklahoma may blow out Utah State, the two games cannot be fairly equated. The tradition and respect earned, plus the difficulties endured by Notre Dame and the service schools, is a showcase of everything college football should be about.
The point I’m trying to make is that there has never been a time where Quinn showed he was not good or buckled under the pressure and cost his team victories.
Even in his two worst performances as an upperclassman (Michigan ’06 and LSU ’06), he still managed five touchdowns and 39 completions. There was no eye-popping, mind-numbing, horrible performance like Troy Smith’s in the National Championship game.
Again, I’m not saying Quinn will emerge as a superstar in the NFL (although don’t be surprised if he does become a top 10 quarterback or better) or that he’ll be better than Matt Ryan, Mark Sanchez, or whoever.
But rather most, if not all, of the criticisms of Brady Quinn are unfounded and false.
What Quinn’s record does show, however, is that he is more than likely to become a successful quarterback in the NFL. And again, nothing from his college days or in his limited time with the Browns has signaled that he won’t do well.
When you put up better numbers against the same high level competition as Smith and Stafford, all while surrounded with lesser talent, it is a good indication that you have a bright future ahead of you.
Now is the time for Quinn to prove his worth with the Cleveland Browns, and he’s done everything the right way leading up to this moment. Coach Mangini would be well-advised to hand the ball to Quinn and put his full confidence in his abilities.
One of the biggest question marks going into the 2009 NFL season revolves around who will become the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In other words, we will soon find out how Brady Quinn measures up in the world’s best football league and the questions and rumors will slowly begin to fade away.
There are opinion makers calling Brady Quinn the next Joey Harrington, Tim Couch, or Chris Simms, while others still liken him to Hall of Famer Joe Montana. At this point, there seems to be much more of the former opinion. Yet, however bad or good you think Brady Quinn may be, I tell you this: Do not bet against Brady Quinn.
Quinn, with minimal game experience, is as ready as any young quarterback to take the reins of his team and make things happen on the field. In fact, he was as ready as anyone coming out of college over two years ago and although he is still lacking that crucial game experience, he is only getting smarter, stronger, and better. Odds are as you sit here reading this Quinn is either throwing a football, working out in a gym, or studying the Brown’s playbook.
Which leads me to a comparison which, to some may seem outlandish or even crazy, but one that I believe is true: Brady Quinn reminds me of Peyton Manning.
Quite clearly Peyton Manning is one heck of a quarterback, a shoe in for the hall of fame, and probably the best signal caller of his generation. I’m not making the case that Quinn will ever rise to the level of Manning, but there are many similarities between the two players.
Quinn is similar to Manning in that he has an extremely high football I.Q. and has the computer—like ability to scan the field for open receivers. Also, like Manning, Brady Quinn shows excellent pocket—presence and an insatiable appetite for practice and film study.
While Brady Quinn may not have the arm of Manning, he is still very capable of making every throw on the football field. Plus, Quinn is quicker and able to make plays with his feet while being perhaps the strongest quarterback in the NFL. The comparisons between Manning and Quinn are not as far—fetched as you may believe.
It has been stated that Quinn played against inferior opponents in college, and on the flip side, that his tutelage under Charlie Weis’ pro—style offense makes his transition to the NFL an easy one. People just can’t seem to agree on anything regarding Quinn!
While playing at Notre Dame under Weis’ system will help Quinn in the coming months and years, he still needs to adjust to the ultra—high level of NFL defenses. This much is true, but don’t expect him to crumble under the pressure because he’s never seen a good defense before.
As far as Quinn playing against inferior opponents in college, that accusation doesn’t hold up when put to the test. Of course Quinn didn’t have to play against the vaunted SEC defenses, but let’s not pretend that every SEC defense is dominant or even very good, and that SEC teams don’t play cupcake teams either.
So while Quinn played against weak opponents in college, he also played against some very good defenses as well. As it is, he still performed at a very high level even when his Notre Dame teams were outmatched.
From 2004 to 2006 Notre Dame lost 12 games while Brady Quinn was under center for the Fighting Irish. Given how he has been portrayed as the guy who couldn’t win the big game (remind you of a certain player with a blue #18 on his jersey?) you would think Brady Quinn wouldn’t have played very well in these losses.
But over these 12 losses Quinn amassed the following statistics:
261 for 478 (54.6 %), 3,199 yards, 23 TD—12 INT
While certainly not all—world numbers, those are pretty good stats for games in which Quinn’s team never won. Also, keep in mind the Irish defense gave up over 35 points per game in these losses.
To look at it another way, let’s pretend these stats were part of a winless 0—16 NFL season like the one the Detroit Lions just experienced:
348 for 637 (54.6%), 4,265 yards, 31 TD—16 INT
Now, if Daunte Culpepper put up those numbers last year with the Lions and his team never won a game, would you be likely to blame him? You would probably deduce that his team didn’t have much of a running game and that his defense was not very good, but you wouldn’t think he was the problem.
Similarly, let’s take a look at Quinn’s numbers against Southern California in Notre Dame’s three losses:
56 for 109 (51.3%) 643 yards, 5 TD—1 INT
Once again, not mind boggling numbers, but stats which clearly show Quinn was not the problem. Moreover, playing against one of the best defenses in the country (and in NCAA history), Quinn only threw one interception, and that was on the Irish first drive in 2005 when a Trojan defender knocked Quinn’s arm on his follow through.
What these stats also don’t show are the numerous plays in which Quinn ran for big gains and first downs, including the go—ahead touchdown with only two minutes to play against USC in 2005.
Someday soon, Brady Quinn is going to be a very good NFL quarterback and he will prove all the nay sayers wrong. While nothing is a given in the competitive landscape that is the NFL, don’t be surprised if Quinn is among the league’s best players in two or three years.
For now, he remains in a sticky situation in Cleveland and almost everyone is saying he has to prove himself to win the starting job. Brady Quinn will win the starting job, that much you don’t have to worry about.
Still, there is the possibility that Quinn will not have much success in Cleveland, but that has to do with the overall team the Browns are putting on the field. Even if Cleveland only wins three or four games in 2009, don’t expect many to point the finger at Quinn’s play as the reason for their ineptitude.
For those who have watched Quinn closely over the past five years know he has all the tools to succeed. He is very accurate, has good arm strength (just watch the bomb thrown to McKnight against Michigan State in 2006 for proof), and consistently makes smart decisions.
And what may aid his career the most in the NFL is his ability to escape pressure, make throws with people in his face, and allude rushing defenders, again all very much in the form of Peyton Manning.
Both players have the vision and footwork to slip out of a bad situation with a split second shuffle of the feet and turned shoulders ready to get the ball off to a receiver.
More amazingly, Brady Quinn is as good as anyone I’ve ever seen, at not so much making guys miss what looks to be a sure sack, but literally over—powering them and shrugging them off and getting rid of the ball.
With stronger and faster defenders in the NFL this may not happen as much, but don’t be surprised if Quinn is able to make something out of nothing when he has to. When you add up the entire package that Brady Quinn brings to the table, the chance for success is very high.
So if you think the jury is still out and that you think he’s a bum or needs to play more to prove to you his worth, just remember one thing:
Do not bet against Brady Quinn.
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