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Anderson joins Quinn on injury list, leaving Dorsey, maybe Cribbs
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Monday, Dec 01, 2008
CLEVELAND: It's a tough job being a quarterback in Cleveland.
Just ask expected one-time saviors Tim Couch, Trent Dilfer and Jeff Garcia.
With four games left in this season to forget, Browns fans can add the team's top two quarterbacks — youngster Brady Quinn and veteran Derek Anderson — to the pile of potential signal callers that for one reason or another, just haven't been able to get the job done in this blue-collar town.
A finger injury that will probably require surgery did Quinn in last week against Houston.
And when Anderson went down with a potential season-ending knee injury late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 10-6 loss to Indianapolis, that left the game in the hands of little-used third-stringer Ken Dorsey.
Dorsey threw three passes in his 2008 debut, all of which fell incomplete. His final, a Hail Mary deep into traffic downfield, was intercepted by Colts defensive back Antoine Bethea to seal the Browns' fourth loss in their last five games.
With Anderson limping around with what he described as at least ''a strained MCL'' that will be evaluated further today, it sounds as if the Browns are prepared to let Dorsey play out the string.
When asked whether Dorsey would start at Tennessee on Sunday, embattled Browns coach Romeo Crennel said simply: ''Looks like it.''
With that ringing endorsement in mind, here's a thought: Why not let return-man extraordinaire Joshua Cribbs get a shot at quarterback?
He was a dual threat passer/runner who rewrote the record book at Kent State University before signing with the Browns as a free agent in 2005. The Browns have looked to take advantage of his athleticism on offense with his patented ''Flash'' package.
Despite the team's emergency plans quickly becoming more of a reality each week, Cribbs said he didn't expect his preparation this week to change significantly.
''I'll just probably take a few more snaps just in case as an emergency precaution,'' he said. ''But [my life] won't change much.''
Sure, Cribbs is undersized for a quarterback at 6-foot-1. But he's already proven naysayers wrong by making it in the NFL and being voted to the Pro Bowl last season in just his third year.
Perhaps more importantly, Cribbs' leadership has increased as he's become one of the team's go-to voices. And unlike some of the Browns' former high-profile quarterbacks, Cribbs gets Cleveland and its passionate fans.
''It's a tough job being a quarterback in Cleveland,'' Cribbs said. ''You count how many quarterbacks we had come through here in the past 10 years. Derek's a great quarterback and we rallied behind him. Anybody who's at the helm, we trusted to get the job done. It's unfortunate things happen. But we're professionals and we have to pick up where we left off and keep on going.''
But Cribbs doesn't have much of a chance to affect the game in his current role, where he handles the ball only a handful of times, mostly on kick returns. Still, it was the Browns' lack of offense that was on his mind most after Sunday's loss.
''It's something we're going to hop on coming up this week,'' Cribbs said. ''We have to score points. When your defense holds a great powerhouse and future hall of fame quarterback to three points, you gotta put up numbers.''
When asked about the possibility of turning to Cribbs to run the offense, Anderson was surprised by such a notion.
''I don't think we're going to bring anybody else in,'' he said. ''We're not putting Josh in. You guys [must be] on crack, smoking crack. [Just] because we're playing bad doesn't mean we're going to put a receiver at quarterback.''
But at this point in the season, why not? Even Crennel admitted the team would ''have to talk about it and try to make some determination.''
At this point, what do the Browns have to lose? Even Dorsey realizes when it comes to Cleveland and football, anything can happen. Asked whether he expected to have to fight off Cribbs for some playing time, he said with a grin: ''Oh, man, it's going to be interesting.''
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com.
CLEVELAND: It's a tough job being a quarterback in Cleveland.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Wilmington, NC
Posted 04:52 AM, 12/01/2008
While starting Cribbs at QB wouldn't make...well any sense at all, seeing him there at various points during the game wouldn't be a bad thing. Perhaps he could become a pre-felony Michael Vick or ever Terrell Pryor.
Everyone needs to stop getting their hopes up on Cowher. He is way too comfortable behind that desk and in front of the cameras. Why is no one mentioning Brian Billick? (If Mary Kay Cabot does anything on Billick to the Browns next week, you know she got it here first).
WADSWORTH, OH
Posted 05:02 AM, 12/01/2008
BIG-we are on the same page-BILLICK has the guts this team desperately needs-Ken Dorsey has my deepest sympathy as he heads into another 'no-mans-land' of busted plays,dropped passes and uglyness I havent seen since GARCIA the ladys man.There goes another year Mr.Lerner-wake up b-4 the fans stick it to you,where the sun doesnt shine.'STILL A DIE HARD BROWNS FAN-SPANK THE STEELERS'
Stow, OH
Posted 08:49 AM, 12/01/2008
Using Cribbs at QB would be stupid at best,I would use him and Shaun Rogers sparingly and save them for next year.This team will be 5-11,play for a draft pick and find a good proven coach.
Posted 09:39 AM, 12/01/2008
Next week they should use all trick plays. Start with the statue of liberty, then follow that up with a triple reverse. Then when the defense is really confused, try a drop kick. Watch as the fans and media go wild!
Posted 09:44 AM, 12/01/2008
I know Cribbs hasn't played QB at this level, but I was there to see him play every home game in his Kent State career and several away games, including against OSU, PSU, MSU, Pitt and more, and the guy can make things happen. Judging from Dorsey's pre-season performances, Cribbs can't do much worse, and he can run a heck of a lot better.
Posted 09:47 AM, 12/01/2008
Next week they should use all trick plays. Start with the statue of liberty and follpow that up with a triple reverse. Then when the defense is totally confused do a drop kick. The fans and media will go nuts!
Posted 11:52 AM, 12/01/2008
If you saw Cribbs play in college then you have to realize that he can't read defenses. He might be able to run the ball a few times, but how hard is that going to be to defend, not too hard at all. The guy is not a passer, and your QB has to be a threat to throw the ball. The fact that people are even mentioning this makes me question the football knowledge of some of you.
Posted 03:49 PM, 12/01/2008
Mike, the debate here is not whether Cribbs is a good enough quarterback to be a pro QB. It's whether he's good enough to be an option for the Browns right now. Considering what I've seen of Dorsey the past two years, I think he is. Cribbs' first two seasons he was a run first, pass second QB (1192 and 1057 rushing yards, respectively). But his last two seasons he greatly improved his passing abilities (2424 and 2215 passing yards), and completed 64.5% of passes his senior year with a 133 QB rating.
In addition, he threw 9 and 6 INTs his last two years, to Roethlisberger's 13, 11 and 10 INTs in his three seasons at Miami. Not to mention that Cribbs did not have anywhere close to the supporting cast that Roethlisberger had, and receivers that continuously dropped passes. Come to think of it, he'd fit right in as the Browns' QB!
Akron, OH
Posted 07:06 AM, 12/02/2008
I was in the Dawg Pound on Sunday, and heard all the cheers when Anderson hit the turf. One word: classless. Who cheers for a guy to get hurt? Yeah, Anderson hasn't been playing nearly as well this year as last year. But to cheer for his injury? That's just plain trashy. All those people who cheered should be ashamed.
Posted 03:52 PM, 12/07/2008
HEY MIKE, ARE YOU WATCHING THIS FOOTBALL GAME? DO YOU STILL AGREE THAT CRIBBS CAN'T THROW FOR ANYTHING, AND THAT HE HAS NO BUSINESS PLAYING OVER DORSEY, AND THAT ANYONE WHO THOUGHT HE DID KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL???????!!!!!!
