Some comments that were made this week, however, were just plain stupid.

Image credit: AP via Orlando Sentinel

There was an entire discussion on whether Brady Quinn should come in and replace Tim Tebow if Tebow was struggling against the Steelers.

Brady Quinn?!?

Let’s take a quick look back at his NFL career thus far. He was drafted by the Browns in the first round, and held out for the beginning of training camp. This led to Derek Anderson leading the Browns to a record of 10-6 and Quinn getting to look on from the sidelines.

In 2008 and 2009, he actually started a few games. His stats from those seasons show a total of ten touchdowns and nine interceptions, not a good ratio, in a total of thirteen games. He was then traded to the Broncos in exchange for Peyton Hillis, which turned out to be one of the most lopsided trades, in the Browns favor, in recent NFL history.

Quinn has been either the third string or the backup his entire time in Denver, and he has yet to appear in a game. If the Broncos had such thoughts about putting him into the game, why didn’t he play in the last three Denver losses? He could have easily come into the game at Buffalo, in which Tebow threw back-to-back pick sixes.

Quinn fits the gunslinger-type quarterback that the Broncos would like to have, but he is the Barney Fife of gunslingers.

Tim Tebow has gone 7-4 this season and taken Denver to the playoffs. He came in and salvaged a season that seemed lost, as the team had a 1-4 record with Kyle Orton as quarterback. He may not have the prototypical skills of the other NFL quarterbacks, but he finds a way to win, and that is all that matters.

Tebow improves the players around him, and it is evident that his teammates believe in him. I’m sure Brady Quinn is a great guy, but he should not see the field in today’s game.

If you need a reminder on how all Tebow does is win, here is a reminder in the form of a mediocre song.

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I decided that today would be the perfect time for the Orton photo story because: a) it gives me a chance to promote MSF Fantasy Sports since Orton is surprisingly among the top fantasy QBs this year; and b) because the Broncos play the Chargers on Monday night this week, meaning it was easy to weave the equally photogenic Philip Rivers into the proceedings.

And, well, poking fun at Josh McDaniels – the guy who traded Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn – is pretty much always appropriate. (As for the inclusion of Matthew Berry – who, for the record, I read religiously and respect greatly as a fantasy analyst – well let’s just say that I stumbled upon some must-use pics of him, and his fantasy man-crush on Orton made this the perfect opportunity.)

So here is today’s photo story, which probably isn’t as good as the previous two from a narrative standpoint, but which is still special for me in it’s own right…thanks the incomparable Kyle Orton, every sophomoric sports blogger’s best friend.

Note: If the image isn’t showing above, view it here.

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WTF?

Perhaps not so coincidentally, the three letters above represent the same WTF number of shots LeBron James made last night.

Really, WTF doesn’t even describe last night’s game. Cleveland and LeBron pretty much rolled over, on their home floor, in a must win game, in a performance that even the Atlanta Hawks would have considered soft.

Every sports news outlet from Bristol to Bangkok will be dissecting LeBron’s poor play last night and assessing what it may or may not mean for his future in Cleveland. I thought I’d throw my two cents in as well, although with a little bit of a difference perspective.

So, since everyone is reacting to last night’s “LeBracle” that made all of Quicken Loans Arena groan, boo, and exit early, we’re counting down the top 10 reactions for you this morning.

Here they are, along with a hastily made photo collage that I think pretty much sums up last night. (Memo to Mike Brown: when Jose Mesa is trying to kick you in the face – with the full support of the city of Cleveland, I might add – you know you have problems.)

Top 10 Reactions to the Quicken Groans LeBracle:

10. Even former Browns QB Derek Anderson thinks the Cleveland faithful deserved better and were justified in booing.

9. Kentucky coach John Calipari was apparently in the arena last night. After the game, not even Worldwide Wes himself could convince Calipari to add LeBron to his next recruiting class at Kentucky.

8. After the game John Starks called LeBron. He requested royalties the next time LeBron decides to imitate him in a big game. (Note: Legally, LeBron would not be required to pay John Starks royalties because he did not completely infringe on Starks’ patented big stage collapse. Starks, you see, at least went down shooting.)

7. While waddling dejectedly to their cars, multitudes of Cleveland fans sought solace by reminiscing about the less painful and crushing memories of Earnest Byner and Jose Mesa.

6. At halftime, Cleveland native Brady Quinn implored his new teammate Tim Tebow to use his powers of divine intervention to compel a Cavs comeback. Tebow responded that he would, as long as the Cavs showed up to play the second half. They never did.

5. Lost in all the disappointment and finger pointing over Prince James’ woefully underwhelming 3-14 shooting performance and overall lackluster play is the fact that LeBron did actually accomplish something amazing: he made Skip Bayless more impressed with himself.

4. Mike Brown was left speechless for the second time this series…

…wait, never mind, based on the sideline shots of Mike Brown, he is always speechless.

3. The game hasn’t even been over for 12 hours and already LeBron’s elbow is getting sick and tired of answering questions about LeBron. LeBron’s elbow even said that now his kids are asking him “what’s wrong with LeBron?”

The fact of the matter is that LeBron’s elbow said an MRI that had been scheduled for LeBron will no longer be necessary. So see? Nothing to worry about. (LeBron and the rest of the Cavs will, however, be undergoing EKG assessments at the behest of owner Dan Gilbert. He wants to make sure his players still have normal heart activity since they showed none on the floor last night.)

2. We now know why Jay-Z included these lyrics in his epic song “Empire State of Mind”:

Me I gotta plug a special and I got it made,
If Jesus payin LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne Wade,

Although I’m not sure Tim Tebow really wants LeBron on his team after last night’s performance, we can certainly understand why Jay-Z would rather have Wade and his ring. (Hey, DWade may have received a huge assist from the refs in getting his one ring, but at least he attacked the basket and took control of the game to put the refs in a position to hand him a title.)

And finally, the #1 reaction to last night’s Quicken Groans LeBracle:

1. All those New York fans clamoring for LeBron James to come to the Big Apple? They just had a harrowing realization: they already have LeBron, and his name is Javy Vazquez.

Don’t believe me? Read this quote:

“I just want him to be aggressive…knock somebody on their butt…You have to be mean. Go out there and show them we show up to play, show up to kick your guys’ [butts]. And believe me, that will take care of itself.”

No, that was not Mike Brown describing LeBron James after Game 5. That was White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen talking about Javy Vazquez when he pitched in Chicago. After failing under the pressure of the Windy City, then succeeding in the obscurity and absence of pressure in Atlanta last year, Vazquez is now back in New York shrinking on the big stage.

Is LeBron much better at basketball than Javy Vazquez is at baseball? Sure. But could you compare LeBron’s Game 5 performance to a typical Javy Vazquez big game start? Unfortunately, you absolutely can.

Sure you need another Javy, New York? Just sayin’…

(Deep breath.)

(Deep breath.)

(Deep breath.)

Okay.

Now that I have that out of my system, let me close with a little perspective.

Last night’s game was awful. In fact, it was beyond awful. If you’re a Cleveland fan, there is not one positive that you can take from last night’s game other than the knowledge that Shaq can still dunk when left wide open. Hooray.

But…

As bad as last night was, and as epically bad as LeBron James was in a really big spot, the series is not over yet.

Cleveland has already beaten Boston once in the Garden. And LeBron, despite how badly he played last night, has shown us in the past that he is capable of virtuoso performances in big spots. Remember his epic 4th quarter against Detroit a few years back? Remember his tremendous performance as recently as Game 3 in this series?

Though it doesn’t seem like it after last night, LeBron and the Cavs are still very capable of winning Game 6 and forcing a Game 7, although the championship experience, maturity, and momentum of the Celtics certainly will make it extremely difficult.

Difficult…but not impossible.

The unfortunate truth of the matter if you understand the sad history of sports in Cleveland is that if Game 5 does end up being LeBron’s final home game in his hometown, it ended about how it “should” have: in crushing disappointment.

In fact, because such a cursed, downtrodden city has placed so many hopes on this one person to deliver them from sports purgatory, it is almost cravenly predestined that it would end with those same cursed, downtrodden fans booing the man who was supposed to be their sports savior. I really hope that’s not the case, but still less than 12 hours removed from the filth I watched last night from the Cavs, it is really hard to see the silver lining right now.

On Thursday night it will be up to LeBron and the Cavs to burst through the storm clouds hovering over the city and their season to give fans a reason to keep hope alive.

Otherwise, another era of Cleveland sports will be doing its best Cuyahoga River impression…by going up in flames.

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Full Disclosure: I unfortunately listened to Mike & Mike this morning, and Mike Greenberg read something by someone that described last night’s game as a “LeBacle”. I thought “LeBracle” actually sounded better. I’d like to give credit where it is due for coining the idea for that phrase, but I’m not sure where it came from first. If you know, let me know so I can provide a link. Thanks.

Update: I think this was the article. And it’s a good one too, by John Hollinger.

* – LeBron James photo credit: David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images via ESPN.com

* – Javier Vazquez photo credit: Hawk Fantasy Sports

* – Skip Bayless photo credit: ImageShack

* – Mike Brown photo credit: BareNucks.com

* – Kevin Garnett photo credit: FunFunNewsNews.com

* – Earnest Byner photo credit: NYTimes.com

* – Jose Mesa photo credit: DayLife.com

* – LeBron James chalk photo credit: Free-Extras.com

WEWS is reporting that Brady Quinn will be placed on the IR after an injury suffered in a QB sneak. Anderson will start Sunday.

QUINN OUT FOR SEASON…E Mangini announced that Quinn was placed on IR with a foot injury suffered against the Chiefs–Fred Greetham

Did anyone else even realize that Quinn got hurt on Sunday? I guess I must have missed it in the excitement over Jerome Harrison and Joshua Cribbs.

Luckily, with Oakland on the schedule this Sunday, the Browns shouldn’t have to do too much passing. We saw how that worked out with Anderson as the starter earlier this year.

For the season, Quinn thew 8 TDs and had a QB rating of 67.2.

Look, we all know how bad the Browns have been this year. They’ve won one game: a 6-3 road “victory” over the hapless Buffalo Bills who have since fired the head coach who presided over that horrific war of gridiron attrition. And most weeks, they have not even been competitive.

And when they are competitive, they lose to the Lions.

Add to that the fact that the Browns have already fired a GM who was on the job for less than a year and that their best player, Shaun Rogers, is injured and out for the season.

There really is not a lot of hope to cling to here.

But consider these facts about the Steelers: they’ve lost four games in a row, are coming off of a 4th quarter home collapse to the Raiders, and they are still without the lynch-pin of their defense, Troy Polamalu.

So I will repeat the question: could the Browns actually beat the Steelers tonight on Thursday Night Football?

Quickly, here are the particulars for tonight’s game from our NFL Week 14 picks and TV schedule post, including my pick from Monday morning when the lines were first posted:

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6) at Cleveland Browns (1-the rest of ‘em)

• Steelers-Browns Date: Thursday, December 10
• Steelers-Browns Kickoff Time: 8:20
• Steelers-Browns TV Network: NFLN
• Steelers-Browns Announcers: Bob Papa and Matt Millen
• Steelers-Browns Point Spread: Steelers -10
• Steelers-Browns Over-Under Odds: 36.5
• Steelers-Browns Spread Pick (from Monday): You have no idea how badly I want to pick the Browns here. I really do. And there is a part of me that even thinks it’s a good pick since the game is in Cleveland. But I just…can’t…do…it. Maybe I’ve just seen too many Cleveland massacres at the hands of Pittsburgh, but I can’t wrap my mind around this year’s Browns keeping it within double-digits against a QB and a team that owns us, especially when that team absolutely has their back against the wall. I hope I’m wrong. Steelers-Browns free pick: Steelers -10

As you can see, I really wanted to pick the Browns then – and that was just to cover – and I’d really like to pick them now as having a legit opportunity win.

Hines Ward is dinged up and there is a possibility that he might not play tonight, which is another notch on the we-have-a-chance side of things.

But sadly, I have just become too conditioned to expect disastrous performances, especially against Pittsburgh, to be able to answer my own question in the affirmative.

Ben Roethlisberger owns the Cleveland Browns, and for some reason the Browns tend to save their worst football for when they are at home. Yes, they kept the final score against the Chargers respectable, and they almost beat the Bengals at home earlier this year, but Cleveland also got murdered by the Packers, Ravens, and Vikings in front of their home fans.

I think that tonight we will something in between those extremes. I don’t think Cleveland will get embarrassed, but I certainly don’t have enough faith in Brady Quinn and his frighteningly young receiving corps to make a public proclamation that Cleveland can defeat a two-time Super Bowl winning QB and the rest of the Steelers.

Remember, despite being 6-6 and dropping four in a row, Pittsburgh is in a crowded field of teams that are one game behind Jacksonville for the final Wild Card spot. a 10-6 record will almost certainly net a playoff spot, with 9-7 a possibility. These are still the defending champs and their back is firmly planted against the wall.

Ward or not, Polamalu or not, home or away, hot or cold, I just don’t think Pittsburgh loses this game.

If given the chance, I might change my spread pick – might – as Cleveland could very well keep the final score in the single digits. However, until Brady shows me that he can win a close game in the 4th quarter, I won’t believe that he’ll be able to do it against one of the masters of such feats.

Browns-Steelers prediction: Steelers 28 | Browns 17

Update: This is why I love Twitter. Immediately upon tweeting about this post, I received some great feedback from our friends at Thunder Treats (@thundertreats):

I totally agree with you’re post, but will the cold and snow be a factor too? Could the snow replace Rogers as the best on D?

This is a great point. Weather.com has snow in the forecast for this evening, which could really make things tricky for the offenses and reduce the explosiveness that we’ve seen out of the Steelers’ passing game this year.

But it will do the same for the Browns, and perhaps even be even more detrimental because the Steelers actually have a running game with Rashard Mendenhall. The Browns, however, no longer have behemoth Jamal Lewis to churn out the tough yards in cold weather. Rather, we have Jerome Harrison and Chris Jennings, neither of whom has proven himself at the NFL level as the kind of between-the-tackles back who can carry an offense in bad weather.

Brady Quinn will need help from his running game tonight, and I’m not sure he can get it.

Thus, in response to the tweet from Thunder Treats, I do think that the snow will be a factor, but I don’t think it improves Cleveland’s chances much, if at all. Oakland came back on Pittsburgh by taking advantage of holes deep in the secondary thanks to Polamalu’s absence. In bad weather, will the vertical passing game even be available? If it’s not, and I Harrison’s shiftiness in the passing game is hindered by the field conditions, the Browns’ O could really sputter.

Revised prediction, taking the weather into account: Steelers 21 | Browns 10

Now that I’ve given two predictions, I figure it’s only fair to let you have your say:

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* – Ben Roethlisberger photo credit: AP Photo/ Gene J. Puskar via PennLive.com

If you scroll down the list of first round draftees, several names will jump out at you of players who have already carved out solid beginnings to their careers.

In a few cases, some of the first round draftees from 2007 have proven to be franchise cornerstones worthy of high picks: Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Darrelle Revis, Ted Ginn Jr, to name a few.

In other cases, however, the players drafted in 2007 have proven to be worth far less than what their draft position might suggest. This is no more evident than with respect to the two QBs drafted in the first round in 2007: JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn.

My goodness, what wasted first round picks those two are proving to be.

And amazingly, Russell and Quinn are not alone. Several other QBs were taken in 2007, none of whom have amounted to much of anything. Let’s review the carnage.

First, we have to examine the combined ineptitude of Russell and Quinn. Let’s start with the caveat that both players were drafted by teams that have spent most of the last decade defining the word futility. Any quarterback would have struggled in the situations that Russell and Quinn have been in.

With that said, bad franchises take QBs in the first round specifically so that they can emerge from their futility and become competitive. The Raiders and Browns have stayed the same, if not regressed, since deciding to take these two in the first round.

And it has culminated in this, from Pro Football Talk today, in which MDS breaks down (via Adam Schefter) the possibility of the Browns or Raiders breaking the all-time NFL record for fewest points in a 16-game season (currently held by the 1992 Seattle Seahawks, 140 points):

…both the Cleveland Browns and the Oakland Raiders have a shot at the record this season. Nine games into 2009, the Browns have scored 78 points, putting them on pace to finish with 139 and break the 1992 Seahawks’ record.

And if the Browns don’t break the Seahawks’ record, the Raiders might: Having scored 88 points this season, Oakland is on pace to finish with 156. If Bruce Gradkowski manages the superhuman feat of being a worse quarterback than JaMarcus Russell, maybe the Raiders can come in under 140 as well.

Now, to be fair to Brady Quinn, he has not started the entire season. He was replaced by Derek Anderson after playing only 10 quarters. But that is perhaps even more of an indictment of Quinn’s failures, because we all saw how pathetic Anderson was.

Just take a look at Russell’s and Quinn’s career numbers. (I apologize in advance for not having sickness bags ready for the Browns and Raiders fans who are reading this.)

Brady Quinn:

• 2007 draft position: #22 overall
• Passer rating: 58.0
• Completion Percentage: 52.2%
• TD:INT ratio: 3:7
• Yards per attempt: 5.2
• Total passing yards: 1,071
• Large fines for cheap hits on opposing defenders after INTs: 1

JaMarcus Russell:

• 2007 draft position: #1 overall
• Passer rating: 65.5
• Completion Percentage: 51.6%
• TD:INT ratio: 17:21
• Yards per attempt: 6.0
• Total passing yards: 3,860
• Number of google results when you search “jamarcus russell poor work ethic”: 1,070,000

Thinking back to the 2007 NFL draft, and how big a deal was made about Brady Quinn dropping unexpectedly and being “embarrassed” as the cameras caught the disappointment on his face, it almost makes me laugh. Considering how he’s turned out, he should have been jumping for joy to be picked in the first round and get some guaranteed money; it’s the Browns and their fans who should have winced in agony.

But hindsight is always 20-20, as they say.

Okay, fine. So the two first round QBs of 2007 turned out to be putrid. Surely there must have been a diamond in the rough uncovered later in the draft, right? Well…

Kevin Kolb was taken with the 36th pick. He actually showed some promise this season, sporting an 88.9 QB rating in two starts. Still, he’s only played in 11 games over three seasons and has thrown seven INTs against only four TDs. But we’ll be generous and say the jury is still out on Kolb.

John Beck was taken with the 40th pick by the Miami Dolphins. He has thrown 107 career passes and is now a benchwarmer for the Ravens. Failure.

Drew Stanton was taken with the 43rd pick by the Detroit Lions. All you need to know about Stanton is that he has been so good the Lions took Matthew Stafford with their first pick in the last draft. Failure.

Trent Edwards was taken by the Bills with the 92nd pick. He has actually been the “best” QB from the 2007 draft…which is not saying much. He has at least played in 31 games for the team that drafted him though, and has a respectable (I guess) 78.0 QB rating with a 24:25 TD:INT ratio. I suppose this is not terrible production from a third round pick, but it’s not good for a draft class when this is the high water mark.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Isaiah Stanback with the 103rd pick and then promptly switched him to WR, where he now plays for the Patriots. Go 2007 QB class! Go!

The Bengals drafted Jeff Rowe with the 151st pick. Who? Exactly.

The Ravens drafted Troy Smith with 174th pick. He made such an impression that they drafted Joe Flacco in the very next draft.

The Redskins drafted Jordan Palmer with the 205th pick. He now plays with his brother in Cincinnati and has done about as much in an NFL uniform as Jordan Farmar.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Tyler Thigpen in with the 217th pick in the 7th round. He was later dealt to Kansas City and now is in Miami. He at least put some decent stats for the Chiefs last year. Let’s put it this way, his 76.0 QB rating, 54.8% completion percentage, 2,608 yards, and 18:12 TD:INT ratio in 2008 are better than anything Quinn or Russell have even approached. And Thigpen played for a similarly crappy team.

Apparently 2007 was like some sort of bizarro draft in which QBs were drafted in inverse order of their future production. Am I embellishing a bit? Sure. But not by much.

So, in conclusion, the 2007 QB draft class featured two first round QBs, yet the two most productive players from that class have been a 3rd rounder who has oscillated in and out of the lineup and a 7th rounder who is now a backup with his third team.

In fact, it would not be unreasonable to state that the greatest contribution from the QB class of the 2007 NFL Draft is an iPhone app that tells you the most optimal times to take a wizz during a movie.

Now, I have neither the time nor the inclination to review each position from every draft in an effort to prove my hypothesis true. But I’d be willing to blindly bet $20 right now that there is not another position from a single draft more porous, putrid, and pathetic than the QBs from the 2007 NFL Draft.

If anyone wants to take the challenge, go right ahead. But you’ve got your work cut out for you. (So you probably shouldn’t ask JaMarcus Russell to help. In fact, shh…he’s taking a nap…the Raiders are in a meeting. )

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A fan at Cleveland Browns Stadium for the Monday Night debacle against the Ravens, held up a sign that said it all: “Hey, Baltimore, can you take this team, too?”

After suffering through another day of depression and frustration over the state of these Cleveland Browns’ pretenders, (remember, the Browns did not “come back” in 1999; late owner Al Lerner accepted a nameless, nearly talent-less expansion team and named it the Browns), Browns fans’ hope the end of the nine-game Coach Eric Mangini Era is near.

Even though Browns owner Randy Lerner said he would not fire his incompetent, arrogant little field general and dictator this season, a seriously injured Cribbs would have had Mangini packing, as well as his clueless offensive (yes, his lame playcalling is offensive) coordinator Brian Dabold.  Cribbs, a brilliant kick-off and punt return man, is a fan favorite and heart of the team.

It was in the final seconds of the 16-0 game that Cribbs was blindsided and knocked to the turf. This came after lateraling the ball to a teammate in a desperation mad dash to score six points. (Why? Because losing 16-6 would have looked better?)

The nearly empty stadium became even more silent as Browns and Ravens players surrounded Josh while he was lifted gently onto a stretcher. Cribbs was released Tuesday morning from the hospital, and Mangini, admitted in a conference call (yes, Coach opted to skip his regular face to face press conference)that he should not have allowed the hook-and-ladder play.

Brady Quinn did what he could with Daboll’s calls for five-yard bubble passes, a non-running game and receivers who let the ball slip through their hands. Game analysts figured Quinn had 2.5 seconds to take the snap, read the defense, find an open receiver and throw the ball — before getting leveled by Baltimore’s D.

After the last interception, Quinn tackled the wrong Raven too low, knocking his feet from under him and causing serious injury. This led Baltimore defense captain Ray Lewis to call Quinn out for the dirty hit. Quinn said he didn’t mean to hurt anyone — and I believe him.

Brady was so distraught, he probably didn’t know who had the ball.

Quinn has got to be lobbying his agent for a ticket out of Cleveland. Back-up quarterback Derek Anderson is also demoralized by Mangini and his schizophrenic quarterback shuffling.

The result is, neither Quinn nor Derek Anderson can move the offense into the red zone. Their egos are bruised, their confidence shot and trade value practically nil.

After a short practice week, the Browns head to Detroit to face the Lions on Sunday. (The first team to score a touchdown, wins the game.)

There is one flickering light at the end of the tunnel: Word came down from Berea Tuesday that Randy Lerner met with former Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Mike Holmgren about a director of Browns operations position, with authority over personnel — including the right to fire the coach.

One can only hope.

After this weekend’s Packers loss to the Bucs, Aaron Rodgers was a popular topic of conversation on Twitter. I made the comment that he has not shown me that he has the “it” that people always talk about when it comes to QBs. Some agreed and some disagreed, but it got me thinking about where Rodgers falls in relation to today’s crop of QBs.

Thus, I set out to rank the quarterbacks currently holding starting NFL gigs, taking into account their current age and skill level, future potential, past accomplishments, and the general confidence level I would have if that player was the QB of my team.

In fact, that last factor was always the tie-breaker as I went through my rankings: who would I rather have starting for my team, with everything else being equal, if my life depending on winning a football game?

I separated the players into distinct tiers as well so you can see where I think dropoffs exist.

The real fun and the main idea of this post is to generate discussion, criticism, and debate in the comment section below. These rankings are just my opinion and I’d love to hear yours.

Let’s do some ranking.

Tier 1: The First Ballot HOF Franchise Anchor Super QBs

1 – Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

1a – Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Do I really need to list out their accomplishments or explain why they are the only two men in this tier? Good, I didn’t think so.

Trying to decide between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning would be like trying to choose between a Heidi Klum or a Minka Kelly screensaver for your computer. You’re going to be happy either way, and while both have their staunch supporters, each side can recognize the greatness of the other.

That Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the two best QBs of the this decade is inarguable.

Here is why I put Peyton Manning ever so slightly ahead of Tom Brady: I don’t think that Peyton’s greatness will go down in history as being linked with any particular coach as Brady’s will be linked with Bill Belichick. Thus, to me, the statement “all else being equal” tips the scales to Manning because we’ve never seen Brady without Belichick nor have we seen Manning with Belichick.

Can you imagine?

Yes, Peyton had some great years with Tony Dungy, but he was drafted by Jim Mora and is continuing his excellence with Jim Caldwell as he moves into the third stage of his career. What both QBs have done with so many transient parts around them has been impressive, but Peyton has dealt with it atop his team’s coaching staff as well.

There really is no wrong answer here, but as we get ready for Colts-Patriots this weekend, I’d love to get a sense of where the majority opinion stands on this issue. Because we are Midwest Sports Fans, I assume that Peyton will win this, but let’s find out anyway.

Tier 2: Impeccable Franchise Anchor QBs

3 – Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

You know that I’m not the biggest Roethlisberger fan, and that I consider him to be something of a tool, but even the biggest Browns fan or Big Ben hater has to give Roethlisberger his due credit now. The guy has won two Super Bowls, he consistently comes up big in important spots, and is reaching a Brady/Manning-like level of being a guy that 11-, 12-win teams are built around on a year-in, year-out basis.

He’s not the prettiest, the most text book, or the most statistically impressive. But if he’s on your sideline, everyone else will believe victory is possible regardless of circumstance. That’s a powerful, proven presence that cannot ignored.

4 – Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

This choice could cause some consternation because Brees has not yet won a Super Bowl, nor played in one, yet there are Super Bowl QBs below him.

Here is how I look at that: Do you think that the Giants would not have won the Super Bowl in 2007 with Brees as their QB? Do you think Philly and their pass-happy offense would have been worse off over the years with Brees instead of McNabb? I don’t.

I just think Brees has had to wait a little longer for his opportunity, which appears as if it might be coming this season. He has proven time and again that he is a true franchise QB, an impeccable leader, and a guy who can rally a team (heck, even a city) when the chips are down.

I still rue the day that the Dolphins passed on him in the draft and when they passed on him after he left San Diego. Give this guy Tom Brady’s career and he just might have three Super Bowls too.

Tier 3: Proven Franchise QBs

A quick note about this section. Each QB in Tier 3 has the potential to be a Tier 2 QB, but for one reason or another has question marks that prevent even their most ardent fans from having 100% confidence in them. Certainly though, these are all guys that you’d be proud and excited about having as the QB of your team right now. At least I would.

5 – Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings

There is obviously a pretty big caveat with this one: he’s got to be healthy. But Brett Favre, right now, is playing the quarterback position as well as anyone in the league. He has 16 TDs with only three INTs against the backdrop of everything else that he has done in his career. Once again, Favre is authoring an amazing story.

Now, it remains to be seen whether Favre can keep it going for 16+ games. He wore down as last season went along, and could very well do the same thing this year. But in the right situation — and let’s be honest, Minnesota is the perfect situation for him right now — Favre is a legit superstar QB even at 40.

Look down the list and tell me you’d feel more comfortable with those other guys leading your team right now than Favre. Yes, they may be less annoying, less wishy-washy, and less self-centered than Favre is…but I just cannot justify putting anyone else above him.

6 – Eli Manning, New York Giants

6a – Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles

One thing separates Eli from Donovan McNabb in my mind: he has a Super Bowl title.

That’s it.

Eli has not reached the same statistical benchmarks as McNabb, he does not have as many playoff wins, and he is not as exciting a player. But bring Eli in your locker room and everyone immediately believes a Super Bowl is possible because he’s done it.

I do think, however, that even the strongest Eli supporter still has at least some trepidation regarding Eli’s ability to play at an elite level year-in, year-out. Did he catch lightning in a bottle in 2007? Can he win regardless of his supporting cast? We’re going to find out, as Eli’s career is far from a finished product.

As for McNabb, no matter his accomplishments — and make no mistake, five NFC Title games and a Super Bowl appearance is a terrific resume that is vastly underrated — we cannot say that a locker room full of players would immediately believe they are Super Bowl bound because McNabb walks through the door. It’s just the nature of the beast, and will be that way until he closes the deal in February.

8 – Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals

Like Favre, Warner’s age and proximity to retirement make him hard to place, yet his resume and continued excellence dictate that he has to be ranked pretty high on the list.

Warner proved last year that he is still an elite QB in leading the Cardinals to the Super Bowl. He didn’t win it, but he certainly played well enough to do so. His defense just couldn’t stop Ben Roethlisberger in the final minutes.

Warner is still capable of 5-INT duds like he threw up two weeks ago, but more often than not he is going to get the ball to right player at the right time. Plus, he’s been in every situation you can possible imagine and immediately commands the respect of any locker room he walks into.

If it weren’t for his age, I’d put him above Eli and Donovan, but they have more years ahead of them to try to match Warner’s accomplishments, plus have a less checkered history of injury.

Tier 4: Franchise QBs with Skins on the Wall

And by skins on the wall I am talking of course about playoff berths.

Fans of the teams these guys play for expect each to move into Tier 2 or Tier 3 by the time their career is over, and they’ve already come close to making the leap. All have the talent to do so, but it remains to be seen if they can take that next step.

For each one of these guys, moving into the next tier will be a function of one thing and one thing only: more playoff success.

9 – Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

I am a huge fan of this guy and came close to putting him in Tier 3. Yes, he makes funny faces and his whole nice-Christian- guy/supreme-trash-talker persona seems a bit incongruous, but this guy wins, and wins often, and is superb in clutch situations when his team counts on him.

Plus, go down the list below him and tell me (other than the aging and oft-injured Matt Hasselbeck) who has proven himself more than Rivers. He’s been in the playoffs every year he’s been a starter, made it to an AFC Championship game, and is another guy that commands the attention and respect of his teammates because they believe he will lead them to victory.

You can take any guy lower than Rivers on this list and I’ll play you head-to-head, with similar supporting casts, and I wouldn’t doubt victory for a second.

10 – Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals

There was a time not long ago when Carson Palmer was on the verge of entering the upper-upper echelon of QBs in the NFL. When he led a young, talented Cincinnati team to the playoffs in 2005, everyone thought it was the beginning of a long run of playoff berths for Palmer and the Bengals.

But then the weight of the Bengals’ cursed franchise (or, namely, Kimo Von Oelhoffen) came down on Palmer’s knee. His injury shattered the team’s hopes in 2005 and began a spiral that saw the Bengals plummet to their usual lowly depths and saw Palmer fall off the elite QB radar screen.

Let’s face it, to truly be an elite franchise QB you have to be playing in January and February. Palmer hasn’t been the last few years, but appears poised to do so this year. He’s always had the Aikman-like talent and look about him, but he has been surrounded by chaos. Now he appears to finally have a focused, selfless, defensively competent team around him that is worthy of his talents.

11 – Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Clearly numbers 10 and 11 on this list don’t have many playoff skins on the wall, but they have at least led their teams to the playoffs. Romo has had an ignominious experience in the playoffs, and has become a punchline for the tabloid headlines his personal life has generated, and he is referred to as Mr. November, but there are signs that he finally is starting to harness his potential and “get it.”

We won’t know for sure until December rolls around, at which time Romo must maintain the high level of play he’s had for the past month, but he appears to be maturing on and off the field and finally is the guy in Dallas. This is his team and the decision to jettison Terrell Owens is looking better and better by the week.

12 – Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Ryan has not even completed his second season in the NFL, but he makes this tier for good reasons. He clearly has the talent, he’s already taken more playoff snaps than Jay Cutler, Matt Schaub, and Aaron Rodgers combined, and he has the kind makeup and countenance that suggest he can someday become a Tier 2 or even Tier 1 QB.

Yes, he’s struggled a bit here lately in throwing too many interceptions, but if the playoffs started today he would be there once again. That’s the mark of a franchise QB and Ryan most certainly is that. He just needs more experience, but I don’t doubt that he will make a steady climb up this list in the years to come.

13 – Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks

This is a tough one because Hasselbeck is the one guy in this tier who has actually played in a Super Bowl. He’s also played in more playoff games than Palmer, Romo, and Ryan combined. But when I check my gut feeling, I’d rather have all four of the guys above him with all else being equal.

Hasselbeck has been a very good QB for many years. I also think that he has benefitted from being in a very poor division that has provided him with an easier annual path to playoffs than the guys above him on this list. But the sad truth for Hasselbeck is that he’s now on the downside of his career and will probably be a constant injury risk as he gets older, considering he is already dealing with back problems.

Hasselbeck has had a great career and I don’t want to minimize it by placing him at the bottom of this tier, but power rankings are equal parts looking forward and looking back. The looking forward part just isn’t as rosy of a picture for Hasselbeck anymore.

14 – Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

Flacco appears to have a lot of the same qualities as Matt Ryan, and also took his team to the playoffs in his first season. In fact, Flacco even won two playoff games and almost made the Super Bowl as a rookie. So why isn’t he higher on list?

I don’t think that Flacco was asked to do as much as Ryan. Yes, his poise and game management ability were impressive for a rookie, and that’s why he makes this tier in the first place, but I still feel like he has the most to prove of anyone in Tier 4.

Flacco is the one guy in the top 15 of these Power Rankings that has not yet dealt with the pressure of being the focal point of his team. He is becoming the Ravens’ focal point more and more, but Ray Lewis is still the alpha dog in Baltimore. I think Flacco will need to emerge from Ray’s shadow, as he gains more experience and wins, to move up the list.

Tier 5: Talented but Skinless Franchise QBs

The quarterbacks in this tier all have talent and the keys to a franchise, but have yet to take a snap in the playoffs. As with the Tier 4 QBs, fans of the teams these guys lead ultimately expect them to journey up this list, but they have to make the playoffs and win there first.

15 – Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

He is the most talented of the guys in this tier, but has a severe fatal flaw to me: his attitude and body language. This opinion comes from an outsider’s perspective, but I just don’t ever recall seeing a winning QB with the kind of deflated body language and pouty faces that we see from Cutler. I can’t imagine that inspires a lot of confidence, belief, and trust with his teammates.

Yes, he has a cannon. And yes, he has great competitiveness and confidence. But he also throws too many INTs and the Broncos went from a yearly playoff team to a home-in-January team when he took over.

There are just too many questions about Cutler for him to be any higher than this.

16 – Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Rodgers does some good things and has the potential to be a very good QB for a long time. But like Cutler, Rodgers has a fatal flaw that kills his team time and again. In Rodgers’ case it is his propensity to take sacks. He simply has to learn to protect down and distance better or his teams will always be facing an uphill battle.

Rodgers’ other deficiency is that he has not yet shown the ability be a great 4th quarter QB. Until he does, he will never be able to be considered among the elites, no matter what his cumulative stats are at the end of the season.

17 – Matt Schaub, Houston Texans

Another really talented player who racks up great stats, but who is defined by his fatal flaw: he can’t stay healthy. He has played in every game this season, which is a major reason why the Texans have a winning record, but he can only be ranked so high until he plays a full 16-game schedule and we get to see him in the playoffs.

Tier 6 – The Grizzled but Inconsistent Veterans

18 – Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos

I don’t think Orton was ever quite as bad as he was made out to be during his Chicago tenure, but he certainly is not as good as people are making him out to be through eight games in Denver. And after being exposed a bit the last two weeks, the Orton hype will probably start dying down. He is what he is: a solid but unspectacular QB who protects the ball relatively well but needs great skill players and a great defense to win.

19 – Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers

I’ve always been a Delhomme fan and it was hard to have to leave him out of Tier 4. This is a guy who came within seconds of winning a Super Bowl, a guy who has been to the playoffs a good amount, and a guy who has engineered plenty of 4th quarter comebacks.

But the sad truth is that Delhomme’s solid career is ending with a whimper as he either seems to throw 4-5 INTs in a game or play it conservatively and get only 100-150 yards. Delhomme is no longer the future in Carolina and may not even be the present as soon as next season.

But I’ll tell you this, for what it’s worth: if I needed to win one game, I’d take him over any of the guys ranked lower on this list. He’s got too many skins on the wall not to at least give him that level of respect.

20 – Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs

He burst onto the scene last year as Tom Brady’s replacement but it is hard to know just how much stock to put into his 2008 numbers. A lot of QBs would have succeeded playing with Randy Moss and Wes Welker with Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels calling the shots. Cassel is getting his chance now to lead a franchise and is having an okay season below-the-radar in Kansas City. But like any other purported franchise QB, he’s got to have success in the playoffs to move up the list.

21 – David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars

Garrard appeared to be an up-and-comer as recently as 2007. He threw 18 TDs, on 3 INTs, and got a nice new contract from the Jags. But his entire team struggled last year amidst devastating losses on the offensive line. This year, Garrard is playing similarly to last year, which means he is just a pedestrian, average quarterback.

Because of his experience, I like him more than any of the guys lower on this list, but he is not quite what the Jags were hoping for when they signed him to the extension. By all accounts he is a great guy, he is just not a great QB.

22 – Vince Young, Tennessee Titians

Yes, Vince is still a young player, but I think we can safely consider him “grizzled” at this point. He’s won Rookie of the Year, been booed and benched, and now regained his starting job and won two straight starts. He still has a long way to go to become a consistent QB, but the potential is still there.

Of all the guys in this tier, Young is the guy I’d have the least confidence in right now, but he’s also the only guy I could see moving up two or three tiers as his career progresses.

And simply because they have to be ranked somewhere and I don’t want to think of another Tier name…

23 – Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins

It would have been great to see how Campbell’s career would have gone had he been able to stay in one offensive system from year-to-year. With all of the turmoil in Washington, Campbell has never really gotten a fair shot. His inconsistent career is the appropriate manifestation of the constant flux in Washington.

24 – Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams

We can all agree that this guy is toast right?

Tier 7 – The Unknown Youngsters

We don’t really know anything about Mark Sanchez, Chad Henne, Matthew Stafford, or Josh Freeman, except that none of them are as good as Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. I will say that I am not a huge fan of this year’s rookie QBs and would take Chad Henne over any of them. Only time will tell of course, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Tier 8 – JaMarcus and the Rest

JaMarcus Russell, Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Trent Edwards, Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, Matt Leinart…all of these guys have been given varying amounts of opportunity and none have seized the opportunity to start (or in the case of Anderson and Russell, to start with any level of effectiveness). I have better things to do than parse through the wreckage at the bottom of this list.

Suffice it to say, these guys all suck until they prove otherwise.

So there you have it. I now step aside and leave the comment section to you. Where do you agree/disagree? Is anyone placed in the wrong tier? Your feedback and opinions are much anticipated and appreciated.

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* – Philip Rivers screaming photo credit: Hugging Harold Reynolds

* – Jay Cutler photo credit: Walking the Sidelines

Despite the team’s poor start to the season, plus the turmoil caused by the firing of George Kokinis and threats of a Monday night protest next week, hopes were high that a second victory would be forthcoming.

“We don’t want to take anything for granted,” former starting quarterback Derek Anderson said. “I once got intercepted by the JUGS machine in practice. I thought it was Steve Heiden. So humility will not be an issue for this week.”

How right he was.

Unfortunately for Anderson, he was not given an opportunity to make amends for his JUGS INT nor his JaMarcus-esque QB rating. Brady Quinn was given the start against BYE, a move that Eric Mangini said was necessary for the future of the franchise.

“We are going to go with Brady this week,” Mangini explained at his Wednesday press conference. He then proceeded to move his mouth but no words came out, a new tactic for dealing with the press that ensures no information is given away that could compromise the immense competitive advantage the Browns have enjoyed so far this season.

After about ten more minutes of this pantomimed talking, a frustrated press corps simply began to get up one-by-one and exit. Finally the last reporter left and Mangini smiled, knowing that the precious information to which he’s privy — information that could lead to victory — would be safe from the evil, prying press for yet another week.

But that would be the last smile of the week for Mangini, who watched his team drop another crush home game yesterday to BYE by the final score of 27-6. The Browns fell behind 10-0 early and never were able to recover.

Brady Quinn was ineffective early in the game, much to the chagrin of Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. In fact, Quinn’s struggles with accuracy were so pronounced that Anderson was informed he should start warming up. Unfortunately, Anderson went 3-10 on his warm-up tosses and was intercepted by a ball boy.

That’s when the Browns made the call to Brett Ratliff.

What ensued were the most exciting seven minutes of Browns offensive football anyone can remember.

Ratliff took over with the Browns on their own 41 thanks to a solid kickoff return by Josh Cribbs. He then proceeded to do the unthinkable and strung together three consecutive first downs. The drive stalled then stalled as BYE’s defense stiffened and the Browns kicked a field goal.

Incredibly, the Browns forced a three and out on BYE’s next possession and Ratliff once again led the Browns on a field goal drive. The score was 13-6 at this point with all of the momentum on the side of the Browns.

But then reality set in, and BYE proceeded to score 14 unanswered points to seal the victory.

Needless to say, players were despondent in the locker room afterwards.

“Usually BYE week is such a breeze,” said veteran running back Jamal Lewis. “To tell you the truth, I’ve never experience a BYE week like this. It seriously felt like BYE just whipped our asses this week. I’m exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally.”

Lewis was then asked if his retirement was still imminent.

“We just lost on our BYE week, what do you think?” he replied.

Outside of Cleveland Browns stadium, the reaction was not any more positive. Browns fan Lew Singhope said it was the worst lost he can remember in his 40+ years as a Browns fan.

“Who loses to BYE?” asked Singhope. “I was just so sure that we’d come out of this weekend with only seven losses. This is just crushing.”

Singhope’s tailgate partner, Damwi Arnogood, agreed.

“Yeah, I’m bummed out,” Arnogood said. “But that’s what separates Browns fans from every other fan base. The schedule may say BYE, but the fans never will. It hurts to lose, sure, but I’ll be here next Monday night at kickoff like I always am.”

Let’s hope that all Browns fans maintain such perspective and are there cheering from the kickoff Monday night. The Old Browns are coming to town, and it sure would be sweet to get win #2 of the season at home, in front of a national TV audience, against the team that was ripped away from the city.

It would certainly be a great way to rebound from what has been a terrible BYE week in Cleveland.

As little underlying support there is, these Josh Cribbs rumors are not fun

He is exactly right.

Who knows how legitimate the Cribbs-to-Miami or Cribbs-to-whomever talk is, but there is nothing fun or exciting at all about the Browns’ clear fan favorite being mentioned in the same sentence as the word “trade.”

All the rumors about Cribbs got me to thinking: is he the second most untradable sports figure in Cleveland?

(I think we all know who the first is.)

Let’s think about it for a second.

Is there anyone on the Cavs right now other than LeBron that Cleveland fans have a really strong connection to? I would suspect that Big Z is in that category, but considering his age and contract, I’m not sure Cavs fans would be too up in arms if there was a parting of the ways soon.

Shaq, despite his profile and the excitement surrounding his arrival, has yet to play a regular season game for the Cavs. There has been no time for a connection to develop.

Do you see anyone else on the Cavs roster with 1/10th the fan love of Josh Cribbs? I don’t.

Let’s then move on to the Indians where, unfortunately for Indians fans, two fan favorites have already been dealt away over the past two years: C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee. I would definitely have placed Sabathia right there with Cribbs, if not above.

Who else on the Indians roster might qualify in Cribbs’ class?

Fausto Carmona and Travis Hafner were on their way a few years ago, but then decided to suck and have fallen out of favor. The only person who could legitimately enter the conversation is Grady Sizemore.

Sizemore is a very, very good player, but for years I have felt that he was somewhat overrated.

Don’t get me wrong: he’s among the top 25-30 players in baseball, especially when you factor in his tremendous defensive ability. I just don’t consider him among the elite of the elite as some people do.

When it comes to fan love, however, Sizemore does pretty well for himself.

Guys like Grady because he’s a 30-30 threat who can help their fantasy team and has been the one consistent offensive force on the Indians’ revolving door of a lineup over the past few years. And the ladies like him because, well…I guess because he has dimples, or something? (Money, you idiot…it’s the money! And the shirts…)

And then we get to the Browns, where talented former 1st round picks like Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards have recently been traded away without much fan consternation.

The only player whose popularity could approach Cribbs’ is that of Brady Quinn. However, considering Quinn’s underwhelming performances when given an opportunity, it’s not like the majority of Cleveland fans honestly feel like they have a prettier version of Bernie Kosar sitting on the bench right now.

In fact, while there is a subset of Browns fans who would be pissed and upset if Quinn got traded, there is no such subset of fans who would be pissed and upset to see Cribbs go.

ALL Browns fans would be devastated to see Josh Cribbs gone. ALL OF THEM.

Every single one.

If you can find me a single Browns fan who would be even remotely excited about the loss of Josh Cribbs, I will grow a mustache, name it Zastudil, and interview it on a podcast.

Seriously.

For all of the ill will that Eric Mangini and George Kokinis have generated since their arrival, it would pale in comparison to the fan backlash that would result from trading Joshua Cribbs for anything less than a franchise QB or an already established superstar defensive player.

Cribbs is the one guy who gives us all hope every time he touches the ball. He has been the heart and soul of the organization since he became a star in 2007. He has continued to play hard this year despite little hope of team success and little progress on a contract extension that was promised to him.

There is not much good about the Cleveland Browns right now, but whatever ounce of good exists is manifested almost entirely in the play of Josh Cribbs.

You can get away with trading malcontents like Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards. Browns fans understand that. And if you’re going to be cheap, stupid-line-in-the-sand hardasses about Cribbs’ contract, and not pay the guy what he deserves, then I hope the Browns do trade him…for Cribbs’ own sake.

Josh Cribbs deserves to play for an organization that understands and respects his value to the team, fans, and city. Mangini and Kokinis just need to realize that said organization needs to be Cleveland, with no excuses.

I don’t care if he’s “just a special teams player.” Watch the damn games, watch the effort, watch his teammates respond to him, assess the value of what you’d have to pay him for the myriad tangible and intangible positives he brings, and watch the fans stay interested in the miserable overall product because of this exciting player with the never-say-die attitude and never-quit motor.

Josh Cribbs is a special player. Period.

I’m not saying pay him like a #1 WR or a top-flight defensive lineman or anything like that. Just pay the guy what he deserves for his value on the field and his value to the organization, with his value to the fans being a major part of that.

Pay him, and don’t trade him.

I’m coming to Cleveland next weekend for the Packers game. If Josh Cribbs isn’t there too, I am not going to be happy. Not one bit. I’ve never booed my own team at home — and I’d never boo the players so long as they’re giving effort — but I’d boo Eric Mangini as hard and as loud as I possibly could if Cribbs is not around.

And something tells me the other 73,200 people at Cleveland Browns stadium would join me.

Luckily, it sounds like the Cribbs rumors are just that: rumors. And from everything I’ve read, the Browns are not actively shopping Cribbs. They are merely listening to offers considering Cribbs’ desire for a new contract.

Fine. I understand that…so long as it results in an amicable resolution in which Cribbs gets a new contract and we all have some security that our favorite player will be around for a while.

Update: Cribbs’ agent thinks that the Browns are being unfair by not trading him or redoing his contract.

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* – Grady Sizemore photo credit: Luello.com

* – Joshua Cribbs photo credit: AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

1. Tony Dungy to Return to Coaching?

Recent rumors have placed Tony Dungy back at the helm of the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers as early as next season. Tampa Bay is 0-5, and has shown no signs of life this season, and its coach, Raheem Morris, is no doubt on the hot seat.

There seemingly will be a change in Tampa in the next couple of years, if not before.

I’ll Tell You This:

I love Tony Dungy, and while I hated to see him leave Indianapolis, I felt that it was the best thing for him and his family.

I have been very impressed with Dungy’s studio reporting, and he and Rodney Harrison make a great duo on NBC’s Football in America.

However, I have mixed emotions on his return, especially this soon.

That being said, I believe that if he is to come back to football, Tampa Bay is the place for him to go. It will be tough for him to build a team, but what a great way for him to prove that Tampa should have never let him go.

2. Other Coaching Rumors in the NFL

Several teams will be looking to replace their head coaches this year after very dismal seasons.

It is most likely safe to say that Jeff Fisher’s job in Tennessee is safe for at least one more season.

However John Fox (Carolina), Wade Phillips (Dallas), Norv Turner (San Diego), Tom Cable (Raiders), as well as a few others may not be so fortunate.

I’ll Tell You This:

I am going to make some bold predictions for this offseason.

Bill Cowher, the chin himself, will return to football at the helm of Carolina. His grit-and-spit coaching style is perfect for the struggling Panthers.

Mike Shannahan will end up replacing Wade Phillips in Dallas. What better coach to handle someone like Jerry Jones on a regular basis. There is talent in Dallas (although Romo is terrible in my opinion), and Shannahan will expose that talent.

My boldest prediction is that Norv Turner will be fired from the Chargers and replaced next season by former Seahawks and Packers coach Mike Holmgren. Holmgren has said on TV that he loves the style of football that the Chargers play, and there is no doubt that he would be a great fit in San Diego.

As for Oakland, I understand that there will be a reality show on MTV called “Who Wants to Punch an Assistant”. They are accepting applications right now. Previous work experience only requires a pulse, and knowing the difference between a football and a hamburger.

As long as Al Davis is in the picture this team is doomed to failure.

3. Gruden. Chuckie. NCAA.

Three words that a lot of NFL fans would have never put in a sentence together may now become a reality.

The main rumor circulating is that Charlie Weis’ job does not rest on the success of his Fighting Irish, but on the decision of John Gruden to come to Notre Dame.

However, even more rumors have recently surfaced placing Gruden in Louisville.

I’ll Tell You This:

As a fan of Golden Domers myself, the very thought of Gruden coming to Notre Dame excites me beyond belief.

Although Louisville would be a good fit for Gruden, he has said that it has always been his dream to coach the Fighting Irish.

Gruden would also be great at handling the pressure that comes with the job in South Bend, Indiana, much better than Charlie Weis has thus far.

4. NFL Trade Rumors

With the NFL Trade Deadline fast approaching this coming Tuesday, there are Trade rumors on the wire that may or may not be valid, I will revue what I find as the most interesting two.

Only five weeks after being named the starting QB of the Browns by Eric Mangini, Brady Quinn is now on the trading block.

While Quinn laughs off the rumors, possible destinations have included Oakland, Tampa Bay, and St. Louis.

The other major trade rumor floating around is Terrel Owens and the Bills. The biggest rumor floating is that he may be headed to Chicago to play with Jay Cutler and the Bears.

I’ll Tell You This:

Quinn is not the answer for any of these terrible teams. He has been a let down, and as it hurts me to say since he is a Irish Alum, he is quickly falling into the Ryan Leaf bust category.

Obviously, Buffalo and their terrible 1-4 record is looking into their crystal ball, and seeing that a T.O. blow up is inevitable at this time. Chicago would be a great fit as it would give Cutler the chance to throw the deep ball.

That being said, T.O. is a gamble anywhere he goes, and will likely destroy any locker room that is not completely controlled. Owens needs Parcells….perhaps a trade to Miami?

5. You Tell Me This:

In this week’s edition of “You Tell Me This” I want to hear from you guys about any rumors in any sports that you may know of, and perhaps if there are any spins on the rumors I have posted!

That’s all for this week kids!

On Monday Night Football in Miami, Jets v. Dolphins, Number 17 — wearing his new New York Jets uniform — was brilliant, showing off the moves, leaps and most importantly, the hands that Browns fans had not seen since 2007.

Edwards had five catches for 64 yards, one touchdown and another called back on a challenge with the ball placed on the one-yard line. The Jets scored on the very next play.

Despite the loss to Miami, New York fans were buzzing about the Mark Sanchez to Braylon Edwards connection.

Magical.

Ironically, Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini had Sanchez for the taking on draft day. But noooooo! Why would Mangini want all of that excitement and starpower on his team.

Mangini wants team players, currently translated into a bunch of mediocre rookies and retreads who tow the line and make sure to pay for their bottles of water from little fridges in hotel rooms. (It was reportedly Edwards, by the way, who was fined $1,700 for forgetting to add $3 to a recent hotel tab.)

I don’t think Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan is that anal and ridiculous.

By the way, Rex and Rob Ryan (Browns defensive coordinator) must be fraternal twins. Rex is clean shaven with short hair and Rob looks like his schizophrenic brother who really enjoyed the seventies.

The good news is that Braylon is playing with the enthusiasm and focus of a kid, again. The bad news is, Mangini has no room on the Browns for a star.

Next off the sinking ship: Brady Quinn.

It has been rumored around the league that Quinn’s agent Tom Condon is shopping the 24-year-old Notre Dame star. This will be Quinn’s third year in the league and he wants a decent chance to be a starter.

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* – Braylon Edwards photo credit: Doug Benc, Getty Images via The Sun-Sentinel

The highlights were not plentiful, but yes, there were a few.

Let’s begin with the return of Jamal Lewis. Early in the week, Lewis was not even considered to be able to play versus Buffalo because of a lingering hamstring injury. Later in the week, Lewis was possibly going to play, but would be eased into action. And then here is the Jamal Lewis stat line from Sunday: 117 yards on 31 carries.

I’m glad to see they took it easy on him.

Onto the Browns defense.

Only giving up three points for the game was an incredible feat, regardless of the opponent. The Browns D had two fumble recoveries, an interception, and two sacks. In addition, they gave up only 288 total yards.

Team discipline was also a huge positive. The Cleveland Browns were penalized only three times for 29 yards.

Finally, Dave Zastudil was outstanding. Zastudil punted nine times with a 42.1 yard average. His long was 57 yards, and seven out of his nine punts were downed inside the 20 yard line, with two punts downed at the one yard line of Buffalo!

Now onto the bad.

Let’s reflect back to the Browns-Ravens game from Week 3. Brady Quinn’s first half consisted of him going 6 for 8 with 34 yards passing and one interception. This performance led to his benching in favor of Derek Anderson. Anderson’s second half versus the Ravens produced three interceptions and 92 yards on an 11 of 19 performance.

This week versus Buffalo, Anderson was 2 of 17.

TWO OF SEVENTEEN. No, that is not a typo, but yes it is a franchise record for passing futility in one game.

TWO OF SEVENTEEN FOR 23 YARDS, WITH A PICK.

 60 minutes of football, and all Derek Anderson could produce was 23 lousy yards!

Based on this, how can you honestly keep Derek Anderson in the lineup as your starting quarterback. Buffalo’s D is not Baltimore, Philly, Pittsburgh or Minnesota.

23 yards?

I have never been more disappointed in a Browns win than I was today.

What’s the fix? (Here’s a hint: it does not include Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson!)

Click here to see the rest…

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* – Jamal Lewis photo credit: John Kuntz via The Plain Dealer

Kurt Fraschetti / Profootballinsight.net
MSF Senior Writer
Kurt@ProFootballinsight.net

Eric Mangini, as promised, announced his decision on the Browns’ starting quarterback position today. His decision: Derek Anderson will start, in hopes of sparking a moribund offense that has scored one touchdown in the last…year? Decade? Century?

How long and how bad has it been?

Anyway, it’s possible that this is the most inconsequential QB announcement ever.

The Browns’ offensive woes run far deeper than just the QB. But at least the Browns did move the ball a little bit with D.A. in there last Sunday.

If nothing else, having Anderson in there makes Braylon Edwards a deep threat again and forces defenses to respect the Browns’ ability to stretch the field. That, if nothing else, should open up a few more holes for the running backs and make defenses play the Browns a little more honestly.

The downside, of course, is that there is now an exponential increase in the possibly of the Browns’ QB throwing the ball to the team wearing the wrong jersey.

But at least Mangini didn’t drag this out until Sunday. Now we know, Derek is starting.

The question is: will it make a difference?

We’ll see.

The only source of optimism I can find right now is this box score from 2007, which harkens us all back to a time when the Browns seemed like a team on the rise, rather than on the verge of utter collapse. Yes, there was a time when the Browns’ QB threw for 5 TDs in a single game.

At the rate we’re on right now, we’ll be lucky to see 5 TD passes all season.

When Art Modell sold the city of Cleveland down the river and moved the Browns to Baltimore, Clevelanders clamoured to keep the Browns’ name and create a new Browns out of…well, what would become a bunch of misfits led by poor schlep Chris Palmer in 1999.

After Sunday’s 34-3 humiliating annihilation at the hands of the former Browns, it is time to consider the 2009 Browns the latest group of misfits, and call the total new Browns a failed experiment.

But where to go from here?

Open letter to Browns owner Randy Lerner:

“As a successful billionaire businessman, you must know the hiring of Eric Mangini is a mistake. The man is incapable of teaching, coaching, drafting or motivating the players on the Browns, the team that your father, Al Lerner, willed you on his deathbed. Al must be screaming obscenities from his grave.

“If a manager you appointed in your business failed to deliver on his promises, you would fire him — or at the very least — relocate him.

“Mangini believes he is a football god with all the answers. He is incapable of self-criticism — and those kind of individuals do not change or grow.

FIRE MANGINI TODAY. Take the hit to your wallet and find a better coach.

Sincerely,

Cleveland Browns fans from across the world”

The Cleveland Browns not only lost big to the Baltimore Ravens, but lost its team; and perhaps worse, demoralized so-called starting quarterback Brady Quinn and killed the confidence of Derek Anderson who was told right before the second half kick-off he was going in to face the Raven D.

Derek being Derek, his big gun drove the team down the field to a field goal, but his gun also misfired for three interceptions and a QB rating of 30.9. Quinn’s was 42.7. Baltimore’s Joe Flacco’s QB rating was about 110.

Perhaps Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer columnist said it best: “Until further notice, the Cleveland Browns have become the franchise where quarterbacks go to see their careers die.”

Quinn, who led the Notre Dame offense in college and put up 30 and 29 point respectively against Denver and Buffalo last year, suddenly can’t move the ball?

To quote a frustrated Buffalo Bill Terrell Owens after Sunday’s game, he runs “the plays that are called.”

The lame, vanilla plays called by rookie offensive coordinator Brian Dabold depend on a running back that equals the resurrection of a young Jim Brown. Two running plays up the middle with puny Jerome Harrison and a weak offensive line? Then it is third and seven and Braylon Edwards is not free, everyone else is covered or not looking — so what does a QB do? Either check down and complete a three yard pass (Quinn) or force the throw and wind up with three interceptions (Anderson).

The pathetic thing is, the Browns could have had better players like Cincy’s Rey Maualuga or Clay Mathews Jr. or Knowshon Moreno. And if Mangini was so unimpressed with his QBs, Mark Sanchez was there for the taking.

But Noooo! Let’s get a few Jets retreads instead.

Good draft picks were made in the second round with Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie. But Massaquoi has been a ghost on the field, barely there for one play, then *poof*…disappearing into the Browns bench. And Ohio State stand-out wide receiver Robiskie has not been allowed to dress. (Did Robiskie maybe voice his opinion to Coach or fail to bow with deference? Only the shadow knows.)

And now we hear that up to five Browns players are filing grievances against Mangini, at least two for being charged $1,700 for forgetting to pay for $3 bottles of water from a hotel.

Other players have quit on the field. When Baltimore gets three running touchdowns without any Cleveland defensive player even touching him … can they be this bad? Or have they given up?

You decide, midwestsportsfans.com readers.

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*- Derek Anderson photo credit: SI