DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns should be cautiously optimistic about Quinn

web page Browns should be cautiously optimistic about Quinn
by Mary Kay Cabot
Sunday November 16, 2008, 7:12 PM
Brady Quinn's debut against the Denver Broncos should have the Browns cautiously optimistic, according to some NFL experts.

"It was a very solid performance, but it's a long process," said ESPN's Ron Jaworski, who will provide analysis during tonight's Browns-Bills game. "It takes a long time to develop a consistent quarterback in this league."

Jaworski cited Bills quarterback Trent Edwards, who led the Bills to a 5-4 record as a rookie last season and had them off to a 5-1 start this year before Buffalo lost its past three games. During that span, he has thrown five of his seven interceptions and lost two fumbles.

"I'm seeing some of the same things in Edwards' game that I saw in Brady at the end of the Broncos game -- a tight elbow and not anticipating guys coming open," said Jaworski, a 17-year NFL quarterback who studies the coaches' films all week. "You'll see bumps in the road with Brady, just like with Edwards. It's part of the maturation process."

In his NFL debut, Quinn threw for 239 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 104.3 passer rating during the 34-30 loss to the Broncos on national television. Afterward, he said the game wasn't as fast for him as everyone said it would be, but it was against the NFL's 29th-ranked defense.

"He wasn't playing Pittsburgh's or Baltimore's defense," said one AFC scout. "That's when you find out a lot about a quarterback. Teams will take away his short game and running game and put some heat on him. They'll force him to go downfield, and he'll have some hiccups and some interceptions."

Quinn will face a stiffer test tonight against the Bills' 13th-ranked defense. What's more, coming down the pike are the No. 5 Titans, No. 9 Eagles and No. 1 Steelers.

"He's got a lot of upcoming tests, and expectations are high," said the scout. "They have been since he was at Notre Dame. But there's a reason he fell to No. 22 [in the draft], because of his play under pressure and performance in big games. One game doesn't make a career."

Despite that, the experts agree that Quinn -- whose first two career starts will have been on national television -- showed tremendous promise in his first start.

"It was impressive," said the scout. "He had a presence, got the ball to the open people, moved the chains and scored points. He looked like a starting quarterback."

Bills coach Dick Jauron agreed.

"Brady had a terrific first game," he said. "He was accurate, directed their offense without any problems and he didn't look like he got rattled."

Jaworski was most impressed with Quinn's pocket presence.

"He maintained his balance and his focal point downfield," he said. "A few times late in the game, he lost a little of that composure, but for the most part, he did a really good job with bodies around him, throwing from different platforms. The TD pass, he had people in his face, got up on his toes, almost a little bit of a jump pass to get over the onrushing defensive line. That's what separates quarterbacks."

Quinn's mobility also will serve him well, Jaworski said.

"They'll design a little more for him than they did for Derek Anderson," said Jaworski. "It's important to have that movement, particularly in the red zone."

Jaworski cautioned that it was a limited game plan against Denver, one that won't work over the long haul.

"Of his 34 throws, only four went for more than 10 yards," he said. "Now that he's had some time, you'll see the offense expanded for Buffalo."

Question is, can Quinn make all the throws? Braylon Edwards caught only one of six passes (a second was negated by Kellen Winslow's interference penalty), and Kellen Winslow caught 10 in the underneath game.

"His arm is good enough," said Jaworski. "I watched him warm up in New York in our preseason game, and I have no concern about his arm strength or ability to go deep to Edwards. Against Denver, they had good matchups inside against a pretty weak linebacking corps. He will get those isolation routes on the outside, and then he'll do that."

There's no question Quinn can throw deep to Edwards on the perimeter, the scout said.

"He's got a strong enough arm to play in this league," he said.

Jaworski said it was appropriate for Quinn to pin the loss on himself because he had chances to pull it out on the final drive. Specifically, Quinn threw three straight incompletions near midfield on second-and 1, third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 with about a minute remaining. Winslow let the fourth-down pass whistle through his hands, but the first two were on Quinn, Jaworski said.

"There was nothing wrong with the play-calling," Jaworski said. "He had people open and didn't deliver. On second down, he had two receivers open, scrambled out of the pocket and ended up throwing it away. On third down, he made a bad throw on the check-down, and those are the ones you have to hit.

Jaworski said making plays with the game on the line is what makes a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, "but it was a quality first start, and there's a lot to look forward to."

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But there's a reason he fell to No. 22

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Because the Phins didn't need a QB and Ginn is such an awesome TD machine.

i came online just to post this. read it on my phone and thought of overtoad, lol.

i think many people here had critiques of quinn's first start but what i didn't know was the significant part of that article:

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Jaworski said it was appropriate for Quinn to pin the loss on himself because he had chances to pull it out on the final drive. Specifically, Quinn threw three straight incompletions near midfield on second-and 1, third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 with about a minute remaining. Winslow let the fourth-down pass whistle through his hands, but the first two were on Quinn, Jaworski said.

"There was nothing wrong with the play-calling," Jaworski said. "He had people open and didn't deliver. On second down, he had two receivers open, scrambled out of the pocket and ended up throwing it away. On third down, he made a bad throw on the check-down, and those are the ones you have to hit.

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with the angles, you don't see this thing. it was a good first start but people coming here and calling the start "amazing" or "the best outing they've ever seen" were definitely exaggerating.

I respect jaws opinions because he was a very productive NFL QB in his own, even on a crappy team at times, unlike dilfer who was a "manage the game QB" before the term was invented.

Jaws is The Man.

Even when he dogs my team or favorite players, he always has a reason for it that I can understand.

Credibility is HUGE with me... and Ron Jaworsky has earned his respect from me.

If Brady Quinn was a pretender, Jaws would tell us so... and I'd have to give him some consideration. As such, he DIDN'T say so... so I'm not too concerned about our QB situation.


jmh .02

I agree on Jaws....I think the guy would have made one heck of a coach.

At least he's someone to be optimistic about - however "cautiously" it may be.

Agree with all about Jaws. Fine analyst

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Jaworski said making plays with the game on the line is what makes a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, "but it was a quality first start, and there's a lot to look forward to."

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Jaws is good...summed it up...

BQ will have growing pains...but also showed some good things, in the end..it should turn out good for the Browns.

There are a lot of quotes in that article...I find it funny which quotes were important to you...lol sort of shows where you are leaning towards.

They were Nitpicking...just like they could have nitpicked Brees-Pick your QB. The overall concencus after the nitpicking was he did rather well.

I did like Jaworski vindicating that TD throw as something special which some on this board thinking themselves as some sort of QB experts lambasted that throw as a everything that was wrong with him type of back foot throw...

My goodness, the kid came out and had a 104 rated game and those who thought DA was our guy still are in denial...with any word not a positive as a "SEE" - what cannot be taken away.

1. CONSISTENT PLAY FROM OUR QB...what a relief
2. ACCURACY ON THE UNDERNEATH PATTERNS - what all were leaving for DA and he couldn't hit 50%.
3. Plays made out of nothing...like the almost jump pass and on at least 4 occasions moving around in the pocket or out and hitting a checkdown WR in the hands. Something seen ONCE from DA in 25 games.

Will BQ make mistakes...of course he has one start behind him now. But its night and day even from one game. One QB has "IT" the other "ANTI-IT"

JMHO

There are those who cannot stand it that DA is gone, that they were wrong. So now lets dig deep and find some little speck that we can turn into a mountain about BQ.

Nevermind it was his first start on 3 days prep...and he had a good game.

Good, not great..for a first start? Good game.

Of course toad hates the local writers on this, they are positive on BQ...not trying to find something to bang him over the head.

The "he fell to 22" deal is getting old...ITS SO INCREDIBLY STUPID...

Most of the QB playing today were not the first QB's taken in their draft...some make it sound like the scouts are always right.

These lame arguments against Quinn are getting so, so, so OLD...

The guy has played one time, looked good for his first game..he showed some instincts and throws that we have not seen since '99...he has to improve, sure....and they will be growing pains(which I fully expect some to BLOW WAY out of PROPORTION)..but overall...

Quinn looked good...some need to accept it, and move on.

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with the angles, you don't see this thing. it was a good first start but people coming here and calling the start "amazing" or "the best outing they've ever seen" were definitely exaggerating.

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OK but I still say it's amazing.. I never said it was perfect. If he missed a couple in the final drive then I can live with that (at least for now).. but if you give your defense a 13 point lead and watch them blow it, then regain the lead for them and watch them blow it.. you shouldn't NEED a last minute drive to win...

And I like Jaws assessment however, I will say that he usually is biased toward the QB... In watching him for years now, if the receiver goes one way and the throw goes the other way, the vast majority of the time, Jaws says the QB made the right decision and the receiver screwed up... that is my only complaint with Jaws...

I think Quinn had a great start....and shows promise for the future.

Time will tell if that happens or he flunks out like many others have...

I still think DA has the ability be a good qb in the NFL.....but the Quinn era is here, and barring him breaking his neck or getting arrested on some molestation charge between now and the end of the season, he is here for the foreseeable future.

I wish him well.

Go Browns

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barring him breaking his neck or getting arrested on some molestation charge between now and the end of the season

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That's why I like you Peen, you just ooze that positive vibe..

He was accused of yelling at homosexuals in C-Bus....maybe we should keep our fingers crossed.

Sorry to rattle your cage Toad.

I understand your still bent...you claimed to FO felt like you did, and would continue to play DA.

You were wrong and, for some reason want to make ridiculous statements about BQ and then bash any source, writer, poster that uses logic instead of hurt feelings to look at the situation.

Brady looked good when all things are considered...and you know it, you cant attack his production in the game..so you've went after his draft status, and his accuracy hiccup.

Historical accuaracy? Yeah I know your accuracy...its why your still bent your Derek isnt playing, when you thought he shoulda been. You questioned the timing of the move, and whined about it...then it worked out...

So now what?

Its all about DA...you can say its not...but it is...everything youve posted has had a "Quinn is not that good" twist.

I don't see how you could be anything other than "cautiously" optimistic about the QB. It was one game, against a weak defense where he played fairly well. Nothing great, nothing horrid. We all know the pros and cons about Quinn, true or not. This one game did little to sway on either side. Tonight should be interesting.

Respond to me , Respond to me , please , please .. Man you got to love the Board ....

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

The leaky defense of the Denver Broncos was just a pop quiz for Brady Quinn.

Now the real test is set to begin.

Take 2 of the Quinn era takes place on "Monday Night Football" (ESPN, 8:30 ET) when he leads the Cleveland Browns into a hostile -- and perhaps snowy -- environment to face the Buffalo Bills. Inclement weather is expected as the game marks the first road start for Quinn and the first legitimate defense he has faced in his NFL career.

Part of the reason Cleveland took the risk of playing Quinn on a short week Nov. 6 is because Denver's defense is tailor-made to build a young quarterback's confidence. Entering Week 11, the Broncos are the fourth-worst defense in the NFL, allowing 389.1 yards per game.

The Denver game looked easy for Quinn, who replaced Derek Anderson as starter. He was efficient, throwing for 239 yards, two touchdowns with zero sacks and zero turnovers. He had a 104.3 passer rating in a tune-up performance.

But unlike Denver, the Bills will not sit back and let Quinn pick them apart. Buffalo (5-4) enters this weekend's games ranked No. 12 in total defense. In fact, only four AFC teams -- the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots -- have played better defense than the Bills.

"Buffalo is a tough team, solid defense all around," Quinn said. "It presents a tough task not only for myself coming into my second start, but for our team going into an environment like Buffalo on Monday night."

If anything, Quinn proved in his first start that he will not fold in the spotlight. Following a high-profile career at Notre Dame, Quinn's first two NFL starts are nationally televised.

"It feels a little bit like college," he said.

In many ways, Quinn embraces the attention. The former first-round pick has always had a confident presence about him that he belongs in the NFL, even when he was a backup.

Meanwhile, the Browns' coaching staff is trying to keep things simple for Quinn. For the most part, he operated a conservative game plan in his first start against a porous Denver defense. Quinn's longest completion was for 30 yards as he rarely took shots down the field.

"I think you gradually feed him," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "I don't think you want to throw the whole thing at him, but he has been in the system now for a year and a half. Like I said, he handled himself very well, he showed he can manage the team, handle the pressure of the game. Now, against a different opponent, we will see how he does against those guys."

Opponents eventually will challenge Quinn to throw the ball vertically more often now that teams have film on him.

"It's going to get a lot more difficult for Quinn as teams break down his strengths and weaknesses," said Keith Kidd of Scouts Inc. "It will be fun to watch the Monday night game in Buffalo to see how much growth he makes in the offense from his first NFL start."

Raised in Columbus, Ohio, about 150 miles south of Cleveland, the second-year quarterback is happy to finally get an opportunity to lead his childhood team. But the Browns (3-6) are a volatile and dysfunctional group.

Many Browns players are pointing fingers at one another. Starting tailback Jamal Lewis and receiver Joshua Cribbs said that unnamed teammates quit in the loss to Denver. Some players, such as safety Sean Jones, are unhappy because their playing time is being reduced. The head coach also is on the hot seat.

All of these dark clouds are hovering over Quinn's head every day as he tries to keep his team together while proving his individual worth to the coaching staff. Victories will go a long way toward helping both states of affairs.

"I think this [team's] situation and what I've been given an opportunity to do are two different things," Quinn said. "Our record is what it is, and we're going to do our best to turn things around."

Article doesn't really say anything, but it's a slow day building up towards what should be a fun night

I think this game is about as meaningless as the last one. We will be able to see if he can throw into the wind but I don't think it's really an issue. I don't think his arm strength is a question. It will give him another game under his belt which is a good thing. This season is lost when it comes to the playoffs but we have a good opportunity to get Quinn to play against very good defenses. I am not worried one bit if he struggles. He is very green and I expect ups and downs against bad defenses, let alone good ones.

If he plays well for the rest of the year I will be estatic. It still won't mean much in the big picture but it will give me a great amount of hope.

As far as BrownsZ goes.... Don't waste your time. Just because you have an issue with how the FO handled the QB situation doesn't make you a hater. He is the stereotypical fan who can't seem to see anyone elses point of view. If you don't agree with him or say something in defense of someone he thinks sucks, you must be a hater.

I read through this entire thread and have yet to see wher you have unfarily said anything about Quinn....of course that wouldn't stop Menza..er Btrownsfanz from making things up.

I will say that there was concern about BQ's accuracy from scouts. However, I don't think it was as big a concern as others are making it out to be while defending him. Scouts ALWAYS list the postiives and negatives. There has to be something on both sides of the coin. That doesn't mean the scouts thought he was as inacurrate as say, DA, but that it was one thing they saw he could improve on.

I think BQ has a solid chance to become a very good QB. I am not convinced he can be a superstar, but it is possible. In the end, all that is for sure is that he needs time.....something some Browns fans refuse to give anyone.

Last word on what? You got upset because I rattled your cage about what you were dead wrong on. Call me an idiot..that always works...what else are you gonna do...pick apart my grammar?


I dont need the last word....I said all I need to, plenty sufficent.

I have one question....are you going to close your eyes again if Quinn does well? And...if he doesnt are you going to get on here and stamp Quinn a QB that cant play through weather?

Its just turrable, just turrable....

Of course the scout in the article says that Quinn dropped because he struggled in big games.. not because of his accuracy.

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Its just turrable, just turrable....

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Not as terrible as your posts regarding Toad. Take a look what he says other then one snipet here and there.

Hopefully fans dont stamp Quinn a bust or beast this season....either way...Quinn has the whole offseason to learn from the mistakes he makes this year.

Its really insanity to try and label Quinn this year....we simply wont know what we have until next season at the earliest. However...we all know that the fans will pick him apart or label him as the next Tom Brady.

I dont think we really learn anything major at all watching Quinn this year...only some general things like arm strength and accuracy...but the mental part of the game..we wont know until 2009.

The reason Quinn struggled in big games was because he had no talent around him at all....how many NFL players from his teams are around? Ryan Harris? I think hes the only one..

JMHO.