[Editor's note: This was originally posted back in January, but it got lost in the Super Bowl shuffle. Keith did a great job on it though, so we're cycling it back to the front of the site for those of you who missed it.]

You know how sometimes when you hear a one-hit wonder song on the radio or on the jukebox at a bar, it makes you think of a certain time in your life and all of the memories of that time come flooding back?

For some reason, those songs resonate.  They are the songs that everyone knows the words to, even if they are embarrassed to admit it.  The best one-hit wonders activate that mental and emotional time machine in a person.

Sports do the same thing for me.  I tie events in my life to notable sports players and seasons.

I distinctly remember my first two years of middle school being “Fab Five” years.  I wore a Jalen Rose #5 maize jersey, matching shorts, black socks and black Nikes to school at least once a week. By 8^th grade, I had orange and turquoise hair, but not because of Greenday or the Offspring, but because of Dennis Rodman.  I also wished that I could grow a mustache at 13 years old to be more like L.A. Raiders quarterback Jeff Hostetler, whose jersey I also proudly donned.

Ill-conceived fashion choices aside, the feelings and memories generated by sports and music endure as much as any.  Years from now, when I look back at this NFL season, I will remember plenty, but among the most amusing things to reminisce about will be the guys who came out of nowhere to have a great year and then disappeared.  Guys like Victor Cruz or (gasp!) Tim Tebow could qualify if they are unable to replicate their 2011 successes.

In that spirit, here are some of the greatest single-season performances by players who were never able to reach that level of success again in NFL history and a one-hit wonder tune to go along with each.  Nonsensical?  Probably.  Fun?  Absolutely.

Steve Beuerlein – 1999 / Chumbawamba – “Tubthumping”

Stats: 60.1 Comp %, 4,436 Yards, 36 TD, 15 INT, 94.6 rating, 50 sacks

Beuerlein was primarily a backup quarterback until 1998, when he took over for Carolina Panthers quarterback Kerry Collins, who was battling personal problems and ineffectiveness on the field.

Beuerlein finished the 1998 season strong and staked his claim to the starting job in 1999.  That season, he demolished all expectations, helping the Panthers double their win total from the previous season and setting franchise records for passing yards, touchdowns and rating that still stand today.

He was reasonably successful the following year (3730 yards, 19 TD, 18 INT, 79.7 rating), but nowhere near the same as in 1999.

You certainly did get knocked down, Steve.

Why “Tubthumping” for Beuerlein?  Well, he was sacked 50 times in 1999.  So he literally got knocked down and got up again, and no team was able to keep him down, at least that season.

In fact, in the 44 games he started from 1998-2000, he was sacked 156 times.  That’s an average of over 3.5 times per game.  Hey Jay Cutler, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I would call Steve Beuerlein.  He feels your pain.

DeAngelo Williams – 2008 / Aldo Nova – “Fantasy”

Stats: 273 carries, 1,515 rushing yards, 20 total TD

I understand that DeAngelo might have a couple of good years ahead of him.  Carolina certainly hopes so, as they signed him to a 5-year, $43 million contract this past year.  But given the new direction of the offense with Cam Newton at the helm and the time share between Williams and Jonathan Stewart in the backfield, I just don’t see Williams ever having the kind of impact he did in 2008.

"Fantasy" kryponite has a name, and it is DeAngelo Williams.

I chose Canadian rocker Aldo Nova and his 1981 hit “Fantasy” because in that magical 2008 season Williams was the #1 ranked fantasy player in the NFL.  And also because I think “Fantasy” and it’s wicked synth/guitar riff is quite awesome.

Before Rob Dyrdek used a cover of it for his Fantasy Factory show, the song was relegated only to occasional airplay on classic rock stations and my iPod.  Now, we can all sing “life is just a fantasyyy” every time Williams comes off the board in a draft and laugh at the guy who thinks he will sniff his 2008 numbers again (note: I was that guy in 2009 and 2010).

Derek Anderson & Braylon Edwards – 2007 / Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock – “It Takes Two”

Stats:

• Anderson – 3,787 yards, 29 passing TDs, 3 rushing TD, 19 INT, 82.5 rating
  
• Edwards – 80 receptions, 1,289 yards, 16 TD
  

This is it for Carolina Panthers players, I promise, even though Anderson was in Cleveland during his lone great season.  Both of these guys have bounced around after their fantastic (especially by Cleveland Browns standards) 2007 season.  Edwards was recently cut by the 49ers thanks to nagging injuries and inconsistency, and Anderson is toiling away as a backup in Carolina.

That 2007 Browns team overachieved its way to 10 wins, and this QB-WR duo is a big reason why.

Rob Base and D.J. E-Z Rock scored a hit in 1988 with “It Takes Two,” and I attached this to the Anderson-Edwards tandem because I have to believe that without one another they wouldn’t have been able to chalk up numbers like they did in 2007.

I still find it hard to believe that, with all his gifts, Edwards has disappointed so spectacularly in the NFL.  I find it similarly strange that Rob Base and D.J. E-Z Rock never put together another infectious hip-hop club anthem, as “It Takes Two” was undeniably catchy, and in the right venue can still incite a late-80′s dance party.

Otis Armstrong – 1974 / Carl Douglas – “Kung Fu Fighting” 

Stats: 263 carries, 1,407 yards, 9 TD, 405 receiving yards, 3 TD in a 14-game season

Long before the Denver Broncos could just plug and play guys in the backfield and expect 1,000-yard seasons, Armstrong had an amazing season.  In 1974 the season was only 14 games long, meaning Armstrong averaged over 100 yards rushing per game.  Applying his averages to today’s 16 game schedule, Armstrong could have totaled over 2,000 total yards and 14 or 15  TD.

Unfortunately, he had only one other decent year (1976) and it didn’t compare to his 1974 first team all-pro campaign.

I’m going to be honest here; I chose “Kung Fu Fighting” because it is hilarious, and the only tie it has to Otis Armstrong is that both were wreaking havoc on the United States in 1974.  Douglas’ goofy song is one of the top 25 selling singles of all time, which is patently ludicrous, yet funny.

Apologies to Broncos fans and Armstrong aficionados.  I just had to include this somewhere.

David Boston – 2001 / Inner Circle – “Bad Boys”

Stats: 98 receptions, 1,598 yards, 8 TD

David Boston’s career never really took off the way it seemed it would, due to PED use and knee problems.  He was a record-setter at Ohio State, and he seemed to be a rising star at receiver for the Cardinals by the 2001 season.

Of course, looking at his physique it wasn’t surprising when he was suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s steroids policy.

One could argue that his 2000 season was good enough to exclude him from being a one season wonder, but the list of receivers with 1,100-1,200 yard seasons is a very, very long one, while only 14 other receiving seasons have ranked higher than the 1,598 yards Boston posted in 2001.

Inner Circle’s “Bad Boys” has become synonymous with the show Cops, and Boston has had a few run-ins with the bad boys himself.  In addition to the steroid suspension (which was merely an NFL suspension – no charges were filed), Boston has had legal trouble in 2007 with a DUI arrest and in 2011 was accused of beating a woman to the point that she needed stitches.

Meanwhile, his 1997 sparring partner Charles Woodson has been busy being the veteran leader of the 15-1 Green Bay Packers’ defense.

Ickey Woods – 1988 / Toni Basil – “Hey Mickey Ickey”

Stats: 1,265 total yards, 15 touchdowns, 5.3 yards per carry

Ickey Woods was about as famous in southwest Ohio in 1988 as Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Wayne Gretzky (ProStars!) combined.  The man created what might be the worst on-field celebration (although Merton Hanks is close) in history – the “Ickey Shuffle” – and it was celebrated as groundbreaking for the time.

The 6-2, 231 lb. Woods was a force running the ball that year, rolling through defenders and helping lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl as a rookie.  Sadly, the shuffles mostly ended after that, as injuries claimed Ickey’s career after only four seasons (26 total games, including 1988).

For this post, we’re changing Toni Basil’s song to “Hey Ickey,” for obvious reasons.  Plus, the video is a bunch of cheerleaders, which is perfectly fitting an NFL post.

There’s probably not a lot I can say about the video for the song that hasn’t already been said on a VH-1 special or three, but I will say that Toni Basil’s eyes are downright frightening.

Scott Mitchell – 1995 / Timbuk 3 – “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades”

Stats: 4,338 passing yards, 32 TD, 12 INT, 92.3 rating, 4 rushing TD

when you’ve got Barry Sanders on your team, you wouldn’t think putting up big passing numbers would be a likely occurrence, but in 1995 Scott Mitchell put up some massive stats while leading the Detroit Lions to a playoff berth.

Mitchell’s 1995 season set franchise records in touchdown passes and yards (both broken by Matthew Stafford this year), and he was able to get both Herman Moore and Brett Perriman over 100 catches apiece.  The lanky lefty seemed to have the Lions headed to the top of the NFC.

With Mitchell, Sanders, and Moore all 27 or younger, one would have thought the Lions would have the makings of a contender for at least a few years to come.  Unfortunately for them, the stars never aligned, as Mitchell regressed badly and Sanders retired at age 30.

Timbuk 3′s hit is fitting here, because almost everyone thought the Lions were a few defensive pieces away from a Lombardi trophy.  And like the Lions, Timbuk 3 wasn’t able to strike another hit on par with “The Future’s So Bright…”

Mark Carrier – 1989 / OMC – “How Bizarre”

Stats: 86 receptions, 1,422 yards, 9 TD

Mark Carrier was the only real offensive bright spot for the 1989 Bucs, as Vinny Testaverde threw more INTs (22) than TDs (20) and their leading rusher, Lars Tate, had just 589 yards.  Carrier never had more than 66 catches in a season after that, and he only gained 1,000 yards once more (1,002 in 1995).

I certainly didn’t watch many Bucs games in 1989 (I was a kid and they were 5-11 – not exactly priority viewing in Ohio), but I can’t find any answers as to why Carrier was able to put together such a strong season on such a bad offense.

“Bizarre” is exactly the word I would use to describe Carrier’s huge 1989 season.  OMC are from New Zealand, and the tropical setting of their video meshes well with the tropical setting of Tampa, where Carrier rescued Testaverde from what could have been an even worse season.

Sadly, OMC frontman Pauly Fuemana died two years ago, but OMC’s lone hit will live on, reminding me that sports too can be bizarre.

Barry Foster – 1992 / The Verve – “Bittersweet Symphony”

Stats: 390 carries (!), 1,690 rushing yards, 11 TD, 344 receiving yards

Even with Big Ben throwing more, when we think of the Pittsburgh Steelers today most of us still think of smash-mouth football with a nasty streak on the defensive side.  In the early ’90′s, it was much the same, but there was more balance on the offense than most people remember.

Except for 1992, that is.

Barry Foster became a one man wrecking crew that year, running the ball almost 10 times as much as the next back on the roster (Merril Hoge) and accounting for about 43% of the total offensive touches for the team.

It comes as no surprise then that Foster struggled to stay healthy for the rest of his short career and was never able to reach those heights again.  Injuries forced him out of football in 1994, in what was truly a “bittersweet” parting for Steelers fans.  His 1,690 yards still rank first all time in Steelers history.

Christian Okoye – 1989 / EMF – “Unbelievable”

Stats: 370 carries, 1,480 yards, 12 TD

The “Nigerian Nightmare” was a legendary figure amongst kids my age in 1989.

If you had asked me then how many good seasons he had completed I would have guessed somewhere around 19.  I was that enamored by the 253-lb. bruiser.  Of course, as a young Raiders fan, I would have fought to the death over any argument about who was more badass between Okoye and Bo Jackson.

One question I have about Okoye’s 1989 season is how in the hell did he only catch 2 passes all year while carrying 370 times?  That has to be among the strangest football statistics ever.

Okoye fell victim to the same ailment that afflicted Foster – a relentless workload.  He couldn’t really keep his knee healthy and was out of the league just three uneventful seasons after his transcendent 1989 year.

“Unbelievable” is about as iconic a song as Okoye was a football player.  I chose it primarily because of Okoye’s exploits on Nintendo’s Tecmo Super Bowl.  The guy was nearly unstoppable on that game, and I sometimes had to forgo my silver and black allegiances to experience the awesomeness firsthand.

And now, in honor of the Super Bowl coming up, I will list a couple of the most noteworthy Super Bowl performances from guys who have otherwise failed to live up to their big stage moments.

Timmy Smith – Super Bowl XXII / Afro Man – “Because I Got High”

Super Bowl Stats: 22 carries, 204 yards, 2 TD

Rookie Timmy Smith was an unknown back who stepped in for injured starter George Rogers and started the Super Bowl.  He had the good fortune of running behind the “Hogs,” Washington’s dominant offensive line, and as a result he was able to set a Super Bowl record with 204 yards rushing.  For his entire regular season career he only totaled 602 yards, 3 TD and a 3.2 yards per carry average.

Rumors of cocaine abuse surrounded Smith the following year, and after he took an entire season off in 1989, he failed to make an impact in the NFL again, rushing just six times in a single game for Dallas in 1990 before being released.  Smith denied the drug abuse rumors but has certainly had ties to drugs since, as he was convicted on charges of selling cocaine in 2005.  He served two and a half years in prison and was released in 2008.

Afro Man’s hilarious rap “Because I Got High” is probably a little light-hearted for a man who has undergone such personal strife, but it just goes to show what the effects of drugs can be on someone with a promising future.

David Tyree – Super Bowl XLII – Eiffel 65 – “Blue (Da Ba Dee)”

Super Bowl Stats: 3 receptions, 43 yards, 1 TD, 1 miraculous helmet catch

In honor of this year’s Super Bowl rematch, I can’t leave out one of the most notorious Super Bowl plays of all time.

Tyree caught a 5-yard touchdown early in the 4th quarter, but it was his miracle “helmet catch” on 3rd-and-11 that kept the Giants’ game winning drive alive.  The win broke New England’s 18-game winning streak and brought the Giants their first Super Bowl win since 1990.

Tyree had only made four catches for 35 yards all season, but he turned in a performance for the ages in the decisive quarter of Super Bowl XLII.

What players will have their brightest moment in the rematch?

Eiffel 65′s “Blue” is the choice here because the Giants are known for, among other things, their blue uniforms.  Plus, I would imagine most people in the New England area really hated that song, and I know they hated the helmet catch, so why not throw the two together?

That’s it for my list.  What single season wonders did I miss?  And what songs would you put with them?  Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Link.

Making matters worse, said quarterback – the infamous Derek Anderson – was caught by MNF cameras late in the game smiling/laughing (depending on your interpretation). Anderson was asked about it during his post game press conference and had his Denny Green/Jim Mora/Herm Edwards moment that will go down in press conference infamy.

As the dust settled today, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt announced that Anderson would remain his starting quarterback. He also attempted to hold a serious discussion with Anderson about his inappropriate and untimely giggling. What follows is a photo diary that captures the noteworthy moments of this critical conversation between player and coach.

Note: video of Anderson’s post game rant is embedded below the photo story for reference.

Note: if for some reason you can’t view the image above, view it here.

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Here is video of Anderson smiling on the sidelines and his post-game reaction:

As you know, I’m currently competing for a pair of Super Bowl tickets in the P&G-sponsored Blogger Fantasy Football League*. I faced one of my stiffest opponents in Week 9, and I only had a chance to win because of one move: less than 30 minutes before kickoffs of the early games on Sunday I picked up Chargers WR Seyi Ajirotutu.

With Antonio Gates out, and the Chargers facing the Texans, I figured Seyi had a chance to have a good week. Two TDs and 20+ fantasy points later, it turned out to be one of the best moves I made all season.

Granted, I didn’t highlight Ajirotutu in last week’s waiver wire sleepers column, but I did highlight names like Josh Freeman, Willis McGahee, and Nate Burleson, all of whom helped you win if you were paying attention.

Who are this week’s waiver wire sleepers? Read on and I’ll highlight a bunch of guys with a chance to be the different between winning and losing in Week 10.

Special note: as you know, I’ve been giving away a free P&G gift pack each week to one participant of our Sunday morning live chat. This week’s gift pack is awarded to live chatter AJ Purps. Make sure to tune in next Sunday, as I’ll probably be giving away TWO gift packs!

Fantasy Football Week 10 Sleepers

The following teams are on by in Week 10:

• Green Bay Packers
• New Orleans Saints
• San Diego Chargers
• Oakland Raiders
  

Remember, the rules for this post are: a player must be owned in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues to be included; and, I focus on guys who are playing in Week 10, although I’ll recommend players on bye if they especially stand out as valuable long-term acquisitions.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Sleepers: QB

Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams (at San Francisco, 41%)

Bradford has been a frequent entrant in this space over the last few weeks, mainly because this article is geared towards exactly who Bradford is at this point is very young career: a decent bye week fill-in option.

The 49ers recently made Matt Moore a startable quarterback. Bradford is light years ahead of Moore in terms of presence, poise, and accuracy. Sam’s 11:8 TD:INT ratio isn’t anything special, but he’s a decent option if you own Rdogers, Brees, or Rivers.

David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars (v Houston, 27%)

This is the gold star pickup of the week.

Houston has given up 20 passing TDs in 8 games this year. They have by far the worst secondary in the NFL. And in Garrard’s last time out (two weeks ago at Dallas) he accounted for 5 TDs. Oh, and Garrard is usually a much better play at home.

This is as much of a slam dunk as you’ll get for a QB owned in barely more than a quarter of leagues. I imagine he’ll make my top 10 this week, maybe the top 5. I’m not kidding.

Derek Anderson, Arizona Cardinals (v Seattle, 6%)

Derek Anderson is awful as a real quarterback. Ask any Browns or Cardinals fans. However, he can be slightly productive for your fantasy team, because he will take chances down field and has some decent receiving options at his disposal.

In Week 9, Anderson threw for 179 yards and a TD, which is passable for a bye week fill-in. The Seahawks were awful in Week 9 against the Giants, their second week in a row of terrible defense. Since Anderson is available in almost all leagues, desperate owners could do much worse.

Note: I am writing this before anything definitive is known about Matthew Stafford‘s injury.  If he is out for Week 10, Shaun Hill is an outstanding sleeper candidate with Buffalo on the schedule if he is healthy enough to play. He’s owned in 95% of leagues, and he had many good weeks filling in for Stafford earlier in the season. Hill returned to practice last week and was the Lions’ emergency QB Sunday.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Sleepers: RB

Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens (at Atlanta, 31%)

Look, I know this is Willis’ 3rd or 4th (5th?) appearance in this column. He and Sam Bradford end up here almost every week. Well guess what? He warrants it.

McGahee scored another touchdown in Week 9, his 5th of the season and the 4th straight game he’s had a carry in which he’s scored a TD. McGahee won’t get more than 8-12 touches per week, but he’s been making the most of them. If you own Darren McFadden and need someone for a flex, why not go for a proven touchdown creator like McGahee?

Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts (v Cincinnati, 33%)

With Joseph Addai and Mike Hart unable to stay healthy, Donald Brown is the guy running with the Indy first team right now. He hasn’t exactly taken the job by the horns and made it his, but he does have Peyton Manning as his QB. And with Indy having so many injuries, he is perhaps the third most talented playmaker on offense after Wayne and Garcon.

I know Brown has been disappointing, but anyone playing RB for the Colts is worth starting. (So if for some reason Javarris James ends up as the starter between when I post this and next Sunday, I give you my permission to grab him also.)

Head over to MSF Fantasy Sports to see the rest of my RB sleepers for Week 10, as well as Week 10 sleepers at WR, TE, and Defense.

Note that commenting is turned off on this post, but you can ask any questions in the comment section over at MSF Fantasy Sports.

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* – The P&G Blogger Fantasy League (BFL) is a group of 12 digital sports influencers competing on the NFL.com fantasy platform for the chance to win P&G product, a donation to a local charity, and a trip to Super Bowl XLV, all furnished by P&G. The NFL Entities have not offered or sponsored the sweepstakes in any way.

Then get ready to be humbled, and often.

Just the quarterback position alone proves the total crapshoot in trying to determine what a player’s ability or potential may be. And very often it comes down to attributes that cannot be measured at the NFL Combine or even on a Wonderlic test. Maybe it’s that ‘swagger’ rating used in the Madden 11 game.

The hits and misses in the recent history of the NFL Draft are well documented. I start with 1990 when Mel Kiper was totally sold on Heisman winner Andre Ware, the seventh overall pick that year. The tape of Kiper declaring Ware the next big thing comes out every so often. Like everyone else, Mel has had his hits and misses over the years. The next year scouts were drooling over San Diego St. QB Dan McGwire, in part because he happened to be 6’8”. McGwire could never come close to cutting it in the NFL, and after a shaky first pre-season appearance that year, then-Green Bay Packers radio commentator Max McGee said on-air that McGwire looked ‘like a big dummy’.

The hits and misses were well documented. Drew Bledsoe was a #1 overall pick and had a nice career. Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger all wound up being hits from the 2004 Draft, two of them have Super Bowl rings and the third has not done bad either. Peyton Manning has lived up to all advance billing. Donovan McNabb, Aaron Rodgers, Daunte Culpepper (for a while), there are plenty of first round picks that were guessed right on.

Then there are the ‘cant-misses’ that missed badly. Rick Mirer, Joey Harrington, Akili Smith, Tim Couch, David Carr, JaMarcus Russell (current Packer Matt Flynn was his back-up at LSU), and of course the captain of this list, Ryan Leaf.

And then there are those passed over before coming stars, Tom Brady drafted in sixth round, Tony Romo being undrafted, and finally Kurt Warner having to cut his teeth in the Arena League before finally getting a look. Brett Favre lasted to the 35th overall pick of the 1991 draft, being by-passed by the Packers at #33. GB wound up trading a first-round pick for the then unproven Favre the following year.

Which leads me to the current Arizona Cardinals quarterback system and the fate of Matt Leinart.

First off, I find it hilarious that the talking heads on television are still waiting for the Cardinals to come to Kurt Warner’s house and drag him kicking and screaming out of retirement.

LEINART SAW HANDWRITING ON WALL W/MAX HALL (RIGHT)

It’s not happening, and Warner can’t possibly make it any more clear. He announced his retirement soon after last season. He’s said repeatedly on Twitter he’s not coming back (that’s straight from the horse’s mouth), as ESPN mused about his absence during a pre-season game. #13 is not walking back through that door, he’s 180 degrees from Favre. Not that Favre didn’t have the right to un-retire or that Warner does not have the right to un-retire. Warner’s just moved on, he’s obviously much more than about football, although I believe he will make a great TV analyst in time.

It’s no surprise that Matt Leinart was a failure in his last chance to seize the Cardinals starting QB job. Warner himself was thought of as a stopgap when he came to the Cards in 2005, and conventional wisdom had him merely keeping the seat warm, before being named the starter the first time Leinart spit the bit early in ’07.

The amazing thing about the Leinart’s career path was how San Francisco 49ers fans were bent when he did not declare for the 2005 NFL Draft, where he was projected as the #1 overall choice. The Niners wound up taking Alex Smith that year, bypassing a kid that was playing locally at Cal the previous fall and completing 23 consecutive passes against the vaunted USC Trojans in the LA Coliseum. Maybe that day the NFL draftniks should have figured out who the top QB prospect should had been.

Leinart ends up slipping to the tenth overall pick in the 2006 Draft, and it turns out AZ may have been better served with Jay Cutler (the #11 overall pick) if they were willing to endure that headache. Leinart’s legacy will likely be simply of someone who fared much better at the NCAA than NFL level. Whether it’s his personality or work ethic or getting the respect of teammates, Leinart apparently fell short in those areas that are hard to measure before draft day.

I was not high on Leinart in fantasy football turns going into this season. And the Cardinals hedged their bets by getting Derek Anderson as a free agent and drafting Jon Skelton in the fifth round of this year’s draft. My original projection was that it would be Week 3 when coach Ken Whisenhunt would make his final decision to name Anderson as the starter, which would not be a tasty thought to AZ fans or fantasy owners of Larry Fitzgerald.

Fortunately, though – I don’t see Anderson lasting long into the season.

The Cardinals decided to give a free agent offer to undrafted rookie and local product product Max Hall, who has emerged as the Cardinals’ best QB period during camp, and suddenly could end up being the franchise’s future.

The quick Bio Blast on Max. Nephew of former Dallas Cowboy Danny White. Originally went to Arizona State, eventually transferred to BYU, where he had a nice three-year career in the Mountain West Conference and won some big games vs. the likes of UCLA and Oklahoma. Kind of a Danny Ainge 2.0, it was said that one practice in Provo had to be halted after Max got into three fights on the field. Also went on a Brandon Phillips routine calling out the University of Utah program after a BYU/Utah clash (Utah fans allegedly doused Max’s folks). Also called out Arizona Wildcat fans for the same reason, but more recently backed off (likely because U of A people buy Cardinals tickets too).

The Cardinals coaching staff has raved about Hall, mentioning that he has some ‘Kurt Warner’ qualities. From mini-camp on, it’s been said that Hall has shown that he has all the NFL throws, and more importantly, can command the respect of his teammates. In games, Max has been equally impressive, going 7-9 for 126 yards passing (plus rushing TD) in the Cards pre-season finale. Meanwhile Anderson, Leinart, and Skelton had 61 passing yards combined. It was enough to convince the coaching staff to cut their losses with Leinart and name Hall as the #2 QB going into the season, that’s #2 and fast closing in on #1.

So why would Hall go un-selected on Draft Day??? A quick look at the player profile gives a good clue.

Height: 6’1”

Actually, it’s said that Hall is only a shade over 6 feet (6′ 1/4”), by comparison Leinart is 6’5” and Derek Anderson 6’6”. Meanwhile Aaron Rodgers in 6’2”, Favre also 6’2”, Tony Romo 6’2” Drew Brees 6′ even. One of these days scouts are going to figure out that height is over-rated.

It isn’t a matter of if but when Hall gets the starting job, and I figure it shouldn’t be long. Rookies ending up seeing significant time as a NFL starting QB is rare, not to mention an undrafted rook. But also take into consideration Hall grew up in football and he turns 25 in October and played in a pro-style offense in college. I would look at him more as the equivalent of a second or third year man.

The Cardinals open the 2010 season at St. Louis, Anderson might be able to get through that game. AZ then goes to Atlanta before hosting Oakland, and then play the Chargers and Saints leading into a Week 6 bye. Conventional wisdom says around that time a change would be made if Derek is not lighting up the skies. And even the Cards are 2-3 at that point, there would be plenty of time to right the ship in the weak NFC West.

Or Sam Bradford could totally outplay Derek on opening day and Whisenhunt may get the sense of urgency even sooner.

And actually Danny White wouldn’t be surprised if Max thinks he should be starting now.

I would not totally put the anointing oil on Max Hall at this point, but at the very least I can see him doing a solid job this season, or at least easily exceed the low bar that was set by Leinart. And having the likes of Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston at one’s disposal, as well as playing in the NFC West, also will make such a transition smoother. If in a fantasy football league and looking for a fill-in QB, I would make a waiver claim now, especially if you have a spot where you can afford to stash someone away for a while.

Hopefully Max Hall will at least be a good short-term answer in the desert, and that Kurt Warner can finally R.I.P (Retire In Peace).

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.

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.

He had been on the job for less than a year and was reportedly at odds with head coach Eric Mangini as early as training camp. Rumors have since swirled that former Colts, Browns, and Giants GM Ernie Accorsi will be hired by Browns owner Randy Lerner soon.

We here at Midwest Sports Fans, however, are not so sure. Accorsi is a GM with a pretty successful track record and his hiring would almost seem to be too logical and sound a choice for the Browns.

So we put together top 10 list of candidates who – based on the Browns moribund history since being reinstated in 1999 -are probably more likely to be named General Manager than a former Super Bowl architect.

10 – George Kokinis, former Browns GM

That’s right, Kokinis. I know it sounds strange, but Randy Lerner went against the grain this offseason in hiring Eric Mangini less than ten days after Mangini was fired by the Jets. Before you pooh-pooh this one as being ridiculous and totally outlandish, ask yourself: would you really be 100% surprised?

This is, after all, the Browns we’re talking about here.

9 – LeBron James, Global Icon

Right now the Browns are bringing nothing but despair and embarrassment to the city of Cleveland. In this sense, they are much like the Indians. The Cavs, however, and their hometown superstar, are the one positive sports story the city has to grasp onto.

Until LeBron bolts for the East Coast.

Why not sweeten the Cleveland pot by giving him a the GM position with the Browns? He was a good football player in high school and could ultimately pull an MJ by coming down from the owner’s box and suiting up. Then the Browns would actually have an NFL-caliber receiver.

8 – Ryan Russell, Browns Fan Extraordinaire

You know Ryan from his work here at MSF. If you were at the Cavs’ game on Halloween night, you also know him from his incredible Eric Mangini costume, as chronicled briefly in the video below:

Clearly Ryan and Mangini would be on the same page when it comes to player fines. That’s a start.

7 – Gregg Williams, current Defensive Coordinator of the New Orleans Saints

Williams may not have credentials to be a GM, but that’s never stopped the Browns from hiring people before.

Actually, I propose Williams be named GM / Offensive Coordinator. Sounds strange, right? But think about this: the Saints’ defense has actually scored six touchdowns this season, whereas the Browns’ offense has only scored five. The numbers speak for themselves.

6 – Krayzie Bone, rapper and Cleveland native

You know Krayzie Bone from his work with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and his subsequent productions as a solo artist. He is also a native of Cleveland who understands the longtime suffering of Browns fans.

Plus, rumors out of Cleveland suggest that Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan is sick of being the only person referred to as “crazy” around the office. It’s not that he is offended, he’s just ready for a new nickname. Having Krayzie Bone around would give Ryan a chance to be referred to as “wacko”, “crazy man”, and his own personal favorite phrase: “$&@$!“.

5 – John Elway, Browns Dream Denyer

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right?

John Elway always seemed to dash Cleveland’s Super Bowl hopes back during the time many, many eons ago when the franchise was competitive. Perhaps he can sprinkle some of his Elway Dust in Berea and reverse the obvious curse that has haunted the franchise since its return.

Sure, it might make the older generation of Browns fans wretch, but wouldn’t everyone get over it if the team made the playoffs? Most every Browns fan I know would sell their souls to the Devil himself for a playoff run. Hiring John Elway would be close, but not quite that bad.

4 – Doc Brown, Inventor

Does the phrase 1.21 gigowatts mean anything to you?

If you’re a Browns fan it should, because imagine all the great things that could be done with Doc Brown as GM and his magic Delorean at the organization’s disposal.

• Go back to 1965 and convince Jim Brown to play another couple of years, thus making more championships possible during the early years of the franchise.
• Go back to 1987 and have someone grab and twist John Elway’s ankle in the middle of the 4th quarter. We wouldn’t want to injure him seriously (well…) but enough so that he couldn’t engineer the famous game-winning drive that haunts the Browns to this day.
• Go back to 1988 and convince Earnest Byner to protect the ball a little bit better.
• Go back to 1999 and draft any of the following instead of Tim Couch: Donovan McNabb, Edgerrin James, Ricky Williams, Torry Holt, Champ Bailey, Andy Katzenmoyer…wait, scratch the last one.
• Go back to the 2008 offseason and not hire George Kokinis…thus rendering his firing yesterday impossible…thus rendering the hiring of Doc Brown impossible…thus erasing all of the previously changed events…thus restoring all of the unhappy memories that define Browns football.

Damnit! We were so close.

3 – Derek Anderson, current Browns starting QB

Think about it: if Anderson has to take over the GM duties, then he can’t play quarterback. We would then be spared from having to watch the only QB in the NFL playing worse than JaMarcus Russell.

The fact there is even a QB playing worse than JaMarcus Russell is mind-boggling…and depressing. And who knows, Mangini might still keep Anderson out there anyway.

Scratch this one. Anderson would probably just give his responsibilities to someone in an opposing franchise anyway…kind of like what he does with the football on a weekly basis.

2 – Jon Gruden, Super Bowl winning coach and Monday Night Football announcer

Have you ever heard this guy say anything negative about anyone on Monday night? In fact, have you ever heard this guy refer to anyone as anything other than a great player or a genius?

I can’t wait to hear what this guy has to say Browns players next week when Cleveland plays Baltimore on Monday Night Football.

On Derek Anderson: “This guy, he’s just an excellent quarterback. He has size, he has a rocket arm, and he’s a guy you can build a winning football team around.”

On Eric Mangini: “This guy, I tell you what, I’ve watched film with him before and he’s a coaching genius. We need to get more press for this guy and get him some Coach of the Year votes.”

I mean, this guy, Jon Gruden, he’s taken to his new position as an announcer and just done a great job. He’s an announcing genius. Not to mention a coaching genius.

Imagine bringing him in as GM. Surely his strategy of positive reinforcement would come with him once he has another NFL job. Hmm…on second thought…

1 – Cleveland Brown, star of The Cleveland Show

The Browns have won only one more game this season than a bunch of cartoon football players would have won, so why not hire a cartoon character to lead the organization? And could his name be any more perfect?

Honestly, this is a match made in Berea.

And from the underwhelming reviews that I’ve seen of The Cleveland Show, it might actually be FOX’s equivalent to the Browns. A perfect match!

Randy Lerner, as sad as it is to say, I think we’ve found the perfect candidate for your franchise.

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

Terrible performance after terrible performance, the fans are there. They’re hoping and praying, but still have faith that their Brownies can win.

Even after an 0-3 start, this Sunday was no different.

The game started off like a typical Browns’ game, with the Bengals scoring twice early to get a commanding 14-0 lead. The Browns had possession of the football for a total of 52 seconds in the first quarter.

The Browns lucked out when defensive monster Shaun Rodgers blocked a Shayne Graham FG attempt. It was a huge relief for the team since Carson Palmer had led the Bengals all the way down to the 5 yard line, a drive that went almost the length of the field. That momentum for the Browns, however, was quickly drowned out by a short 3-and-out.

The game started to brighten up for the Browns after a 58-yard kickoff return by Joshua Cribbs. The Browns marched all the way to the 21-yard line. Then, the things that seem to only happen in Cleveland, happened. After what seemed to be a good drive, Jerome Harrison was stripped of the ball by defensive-end Robert Geathers which was returned for a touchdown.

The day then started to look better as the Browns started to make some plays.

Derek Anderson was starting to connect with his receivers, and the defense was making stops, even forcing an interception. The Browns actually looked ready to play.

They thought they had scored a touchdown on a 24-yard pass from Anderson to the rookie Mohammed Massaquoi. However, he was called out of bounds at the 1 yard line. Derek Anderson then threw a short pass to tight end Steve Heiden in the back of the end zone, and the Browns were back in it.

For the first time in nine quarters, Cleveland had scored a touchdown.

The Browns took a trip down the field but Derek Anderson was intercepted in the endzone by cornerback Jonathan Joseph. After a Bengals 3-and-out, Cleveland made it down the field again. This led to a one-yard rushing touchdown by Derek Anderson.

The Browns had tied it at 14, and what started out looking like a blowout was becoming an intense game.

After the touchdown, Andre Caldwell fumbled the kickoff return and it was recovered by the Browns’ Blake Costanzo. The Bengals’ defense clenched down, only allowing a field goal. This made the game 17-14 in favor of the Browns. A series of field goals later tied the game at 20 and took both teams into overtime.

Cincinnati won the coin toss, and started with the ball on the 15 yard line. Possession changed 6 times until, with 3:23 left on the clock, the Bengals received a touchback and started on their own 20. As Palmer threw his way down the field, things looked good or the Bengals until they reached 4th & 11. There was 1:04 left on the clock, on Cleveland’s 41.

Carson Palmer had just been sacked by defensive tackle Corey Williams, and things didn’t look so great after all.

But then, out of nowhere, Palmer rushed up the middle for a 15-yard gain. That put the nail in the coffin as the Bengals kicked the winning field goal as time expired.

Even though the Browns lost a thriller to their division rival, things looked better on Sunday. The Browns were getting down the field, making plays, and most importantly, scoring touchdowns.

The young players that stuck out were Mohammed Massaqoui and Jerome Harrison.

Massaqoui had 8 receptions for 148 yards. Minus the fumble, Harrison had a good performance with 29 carries for 121 yards. It looks as if Derek Anderson secured himself a spot as the starter for next week with a pretty decent performance. He threw 26-48 for 269 yards with 1 TD, 1 INT, also scoring a rushing TD.

Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson had the most tackles out of both teams with 12. Shaun Rodgers also blocked his 13th career field goal.

Still, you have to think Browns’ fans are getting restless with head coach Eric Mangini after an 0-4 start.

Carson Palmer was clutch for the Bengals, throwing 23-44 for 230 yards with 2 TD, 1 INT. Cincinnati’s leading rusher was Cedric Benson, carrying the ball 18 times for 74 yards.

After this win, the Bengals are in a tie with the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North Division. After beating two division rivals in back-to-back weeks, the Bengals have to be feeling good. The Bengals play their third rival, the Ravens, next week to determine who will take first place. With this win, the Bengals are off to their best start since 2006.

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

After yesterday, it appears that neither of my favorite teams has a quarterback any longer.

First, in Cleveland, anointed starter Brady Quinn played so poorly through the first ten quarters of 2009 that he was benched in favor of a guy, Derek Anderson, who played so poorly last year that he was benched after being given a contract extension.

Then, during the Dolphins’ loss to the Chargers, Chad Pennington — a revelation last year during his first season in Miami — went down with an injury and was replaced by Chad Henne. The young QB from Michigan sputtered and could not lead the Dolphins to victory, and now it appears that Pennington could be out for the season.

Ugh.

And double ugh.

According to ESPN’s Chris Mortenson, the latest injury update on Chad Pennington is that he has a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder. Mort’s sources are telling him that Pennington will not return in 2009.

He is reportedly seeking a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, but no one is apparently optimistic that said second opinion will yield results any different from the first.

This is now the third time that Pennington has dealt with significant injuries to his throwing shoulder. And for a guy who already had questionable arm strength, this injury can’t bode well for his future as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

I’ll update this post if there is anything new to report on Pennington, but it doesn’t sound optimistic.

As for the Browns…well there isn’t really much to say. Eric Mangini has, predictably, refused to name a starting QB for next week’s home game against Cincinnati. I guess he figures that with our offense looking so horrendously pathetic through three games, not naming a starter is the only possible advantage he has…no matter how infinitesimally small of an advantage it provides.

When both of your quarterbacks are playing like garbage, and getting no help from the other ten guys on offense, the truth is that it probably doesn’t matter who Mangini names.

Heck, at this point, Chad Pennington — right now, injured — might be a better option for the Browns.

It’s too bad the Browns and Dolphins don’t play eachother this year.  At least then I’d know that one of them is guaranteed to win a game this season.

Thanks for reading. Excuse me while I lay my head down on my keyboard and cry.

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* – Chad Pennington photo credit: Donald Miralle/Getty Images via Bleacher Report

Perhaps Mary Kay Cabot would do it, I thought, considering that she covers the Browns beat for the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

Or perhaps one of our good friends over at the Orange & Brown Report would do it, considering they always seem to be out in front of important Browns news.

Or maybe ProFootballTalk would break the news, considering their ever-growing number of league and team sources, plus their obvious ins with agents around the league.

Well guess what…had I bet any money on any of those three options breaking the news, I would have lost. I also would have failed to realize that there is a hot new reporter in Berea breaking the important Browns news these days.

Follow the links to StubHub for great deals on Cleveland Browns tickets and all NFL tickets.

And you can follow him at http://twitter.com/terrellowens.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, the following tweet from the NFL’s most divisive receiver was the first public acknowledgement of what we all already assumed anyway: that Brady Quinn will be the starting QB for the Cleveland Browns in 2009.

Congrats 2 Brady Quinn 4 starting job w/Cleveland Browns!!

And I know this because shortly after Owens’ tweet was posted, ProFootballTalk and the Plain-Dealer (via the aforementioned Cabot) posted the news that Quinn would be the starter:

Brady Quinn has won the quarterback competition and will start Sunday’s game against the Vikings, a league source told The Plain Dealer today.

There is no word on whether or not Terrell Owens was, in fact, the league source that confirmed the news to Cabot, but she does mention PFT’s reference of T.O.’s tweet at the end of her short article. Does that strike anyone else as odd? 

For the record, I enjoy Cabot’s work and think she does as good a job as she can considering the tight-lipped nature of the current Browns administration, so my observations here are somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Still, it is rare that you see a beat reporter such as Cabot provide attribution to a tweet and a blog, inferring that they are relevant in the breaking of the most important story on her turf this offseason.

Seen another way, maybe it is just a sign of these twitterrific times we live in and an implicit commendation for the rapid rise of PFT from “just a blog” to a legitimate NFL news and rumor site.

Either way, it does amuse me that the identity of the Browns starting QB could not even be kept a secret for more than 24 hours after Eric Mangini reportedly met with Quinn and Derek Anderson to inform them of his decision. Not that I thought it would stay a secret…but I did at least expect it to stay private a little longer than it did.

I actually thought it was a good idea by Mangini to keep it a secret as long as possible. There aren’t many advantages the Browns have going into Sunday’s game against the Vikings, so he might as well hold onto every one he can, regardless of how small or insignificant.

Nonetheless, the cat now appears to be out of the bag, and Brady Biceps can assume complete leadership over the offense.

I think it’s the right move, all things considered, and hope that he begins to fulfill the promise that made him a 1st round selection. Most importantly, I hope the Browns coaching staff is committed to sticking with him. The last thing I want to see is another frustrating game of musical quarterback chairs like we saw last year.

This is Brady’s time, and we should know at the end of 2009 whether we have a franchise QB or a 1st round bust. I’m hoping for the former and think it’s time for the Browns to go all-in and find out.

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* – Terrell Owens photo credit: The Onion

* – Brady Quinn photo credit: The Play in California