The most popular player on a losing football team is the back-up quarterback.

If that’s true, then Cleveland Browns fans will be calling out: “Gradkow-SKI” for Bruce Gradkowski, a University of Toledo grad and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, if starting quarterback Ken Dorsey gets in trouble – or God forbid, injured — against the 11-1 Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday.

Browns franchise quarterback Brady Quinn, today, is undergoing surgery for a fractured right index finger in Birmingham, Ala. He hurt his finger by getting hit by a helmet two different times in the Browns 29-27 victory over the Bills in Buffalo, Nov. 17. He is expected to recover in six to 10 weeks.

The Browns placed Derek Anderson placed on injured reserve, after suffering a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the final minutes of a 10-6 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday.

Although Anderson will not need surgery, he will wear a leg brace from four to six weeks and is also out for the season. Some believe Browns fans will not see Anderson in a Browns uniform, again.

Ken Dorsey has been described as a smart guy who studies and breaks down opposing team game films and understands the Browns system.

If Dorsey goes down, enter Gradkowski, who has a career QB rating of 65.0, and has thrown for nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 190 attempts in the NFL.

Gradkowksi, 25, was a sixth-round draft choice of Tampa Bay in 2006. He made 11 starts as a rookie and appeared in 17 games overall in ‘06 and ‘07.
Gradkowski was waived by Tampa Bay in June, claimed by St. Louis and waived by the Rams at the final roster cutdown on Aug. 31. He has been out of football since.

At Toledo, Gradkowski became the first quarterback in NCAA Division I history to complete more than 70 percent of his passes in consecutive seasons. His 68.2 career completion percentage broke the Division I record set by former Browns quarterback Tim Couch at Kentucky.

Gradkowski is a Pittsburgh native who shattered schoolboy passing records in the area held by Pro Football Hall of Famers George Blanda, Joe Namath, Joe Montana and Dan Marino.

Browns fans can only hope Ken Dorsey comes close to recapturing his magic.

Dorsey will be the 12th quarterback to start a game for the Browns in their 10 seasons since being reborn as an expansion team in 1999.

Coincidentally, Dorsey’s most recent NFL start also was in Nashville, when he played for the San Francisco 49ers. On Nov. 27, 2005, Dorsey set career highs with 23 completions in 43 attempts. He threw for 192 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in a 33-22 loss to Tennessee

About the most optimistic aspect of the Tennessee game for the 4-8 Browns is that the team is not playing at home.

Go, Browns!