Brady Quinn on the Bench?

If you read the headline of this article, you probably just used your Jim Mora "Playoffs" voice. You're welcome for the laughter that followed. As flabbergasted as Mora was at the time, I am now over the Cleveland Browns decision to start Charlie Frye over Brady Quinn. There's a reason the Browns are perennial losers and this is just the latest example.

Charlie Frye started fourteen games last season. The Cleveland Browns won four of those. Frye threw ten touchdowns and seventeen interceptions last year. When you start fourteen games and barely get into double digits in touchdowns, you don't deserve to be a starting quarterback. Knowing those stats, why would Browns GM Phil Savage say, "It's unrealistic for Brady (Quinn) to be in the mix for the opener?"

Quinn has been nearly flawless so far this preseason. He hasn't thrown an interception and his QB rating is nearly forty-five points higher than Frye's. He has three touchdowns compared to none for Frye. I know the preseason argument that is always made when comparing starters to backups. The backups look better because they aren't facing the other teams starters. That argument doesn't completely apply to Quinn however. Yesterday, Denver played their defensive starters the entire game. That means Quinn was actually at a disadvantage when compared to Frye. While Frye was surrounded by a supporting cast of Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, and Kellen Winslow, Quinn was on the field with the likes of Josh Cribbs and Jerome Harrison. Quinn was the better quarterback despite having inferior teammates.

The real reason Quinn won't be starting week one is because the Cleveland staff is trying to make a point. It's not because Charlie Frye is a better player or has played better, but rather out of principal. Brady Quinn held out of camp for eleven days while his agent tried to get him the best possible contract he could. After he signed, Quinn came in, won over his teammates, and outplayed the competition. The Cleveland GM and coaching staff never got over the holdout though. That's the real reason Charlie Frye will start week one of the regular season. That's also the reason Cleveland will start the year 0-1 and if Brady Quinn isn't starting before October, the Browns will be out of the playoff chase by week four.

There's only one other explanation for Quinn starting the year on the sidelines, and that's Browns coach Romeo Crennel willingness to do anything to sabotage the season because he's desperately trying to get himself out of Cleveland. The guess here is he won't have much to worry about because that pink slip will be coming right around New Years Eve. That holiday just happens to correlate with the end of the regular season.

Learn more about this author, Kyle Weber.
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