Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobbuttons
Unlike Kosar at this stage in his career? Both were 1-2 in their first three career starts. The only team Kosar beat in his first three starts was a 1-4 Houston Oiler team. Quinn beat a 5-4 Buffalo team on the road. While that's not necessarily a big win, it's a bigger win record wise than Kosar at that stage.
I'll admit that I'm not completely sold on Quinn yet, either, but I don't think it's a good argument to say that he hasn't won a big game yet.
Also, Quinn and Kosar took over their teams at opposite ends of the spectrum. I'll say that Kosar did more with less it seems. In 1984, the Browns were 5-11 and the next season, Kosar took over as qb of a 3-2 team. He went 4-6 as a starter with a rating of 69. Quinn took over a team with an offense that carried the team to 10 wins the year before, but was only 3-5 this year. In his few starts before his injury, his rating was 66.
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When Kosar took the reins in 1985 the Browns were a run first, run second, run most of the time kind of team. They ended up an 8-8 division winner that focused on basic fundamentals and which produced a pair of 1,000 yard backs in Kevin Mack and Ernest Byner. Patiently easing Kosar into the key role in the offense was smart and the Browns reaped huge benefits in the next 3-4 seasons as he became one of the NFL's elite passers.
And part of that fundamentals stuff was that they had a defense that played smart and was no pushover.
Quinn stepped into an offense in flux where there was no real dedication to the running game, some bad injuries, and receivers with the droppsies. And there is no defense in Cleveland.
I think times have changed and you won't see a team make a conscious effort to conservatively develop a raw quarterback as the Browns did Kosar. That may have had something to do with Marty, but I don't know. Today, Quinn will be expected to step in and direct the team at a highly competent level or get yanked out on a short leash.
Quinn will be a fine QB if he has some talent around him, and if that talent lives up to expectations. The pressing problem in Cleveland is just bad coaching, from lousy time management to a weak and directionless offensive approach, not to mention a defense that does the team absolutely no favors.