Browns’ Quinn to get more playing time vs. Lions with Anderson still recovering from concussion
Scott Petrak | The Chronicle-Telegram
Brady Quinn was beaming.
As midnight approached Monday in the basement of Giants Stadium, Quinn had plenty of reason to smile. He played well in his first national-television appearance in the NFL. He engineered a comeback that fell just short. He finally got an opportunity to work with the starting offense. And there’s a good chance he’ll be the starting quarterback Saturday when the Browns travel to Detroit.
“I felt a lot more comfortable, much more relaxed,” Quinn said following the Browns’ 37-34 loss to the Giants. “It’s ‘Monday Night Football,’ I think a lot of guys might go out there and get some jitters. But I felt good, felt comfortable. It was fun.”
Quinn was pressed into service in the second quarter after Derek Anderson suffered a concussion. Anderson was sacked by Osi Umenyiora and staggered to the sideline. He walked to the locker room and didn’t return.
Coach Romeo Crennel said Anderson would be evaluated Tuesday. The team didn’t provide an update, but ESPN.com reported he suffered a “minor” concussion.
“D.A. is fine. I talked to him and he’s doing OK,” receiver Braylon Edwards said on WKNR 850-AM. “It was more of a precautionary measure than anything.”
Crennel will update the conditions of Anderson, safety Brodney Pool (concussion), kick returner Joshua Cribbs (ankle) and linebacker Leon Williams (neck) today after practice.
“Anytime you get hit in the head, the medical people are very cautious about concussions and head injuries,” Crennel said Monday night.
It’s unlikely Anderson will play Saturday, so Quinn could play as much as three quarters in the third preseason game.
“Absolutely it would be exciting,” said Quinn, who went 7-for-12 for 124 yards, a touchdown and a 121.5 rating. “I think anybody’d be excited if they were in a backup position and got a chance to start.”
Quinn has been the backup since Charlie Frye was traded after the opener last year. He played only one series last season, but Crennel continually preached the need for him to prepare like a starter and be ready at a moment’s notice. Quinn entered Monday on a third-and-19 situation.
“It’s a tough league,” Quinn said. “You have big, fast defensive players who want to take your head off.
“When you’re the quarterback, you’ve got to prepare yourself for that. Sometimes stuff like this happens.”
Quinn had been itching for the chance to work with the first-team offense, and enjoyed his small taste Monday.
“It was awesome to get with the one offensive line,” he said. “You see how nice it is. But our twos did great as well.”
Quinn was one of the few bright spots in an ugly game that saw the starters fall behind 30-3 less than a minute into the second quarter. The defense gave up big plays and committed silly penalties, and the special teams had a punt blocked for a safety, then immediately allowed an 82-yard kick return for a touchdown.
Ninety- and 40-yard kickoff returns by Syndric Steptoe were almost lost in the debacle.
Steptoe also shined on offense, catching three passes for 80 yards. He took a quick lateral from Quinn and scored a 7-yard touchdown, then turned an underthrown pass from Quinn into a 44-yard touchdown when he stole the ball from the defensive back.
“He had it in his hands, it was just instinct to knock it out of his hands and I just thank God that I was able to do that and help Brady out in that situation,” Steptoe said.
Steptoe lined up as the third receiver with the starters and appears to have locked up a roster spot.
“I think I helped myself in the situation I’ve been in,” he said. “At the same time it’s up to the coaching staff to make a decision on me. All I can do is go out there and play football and show ’em that I can do what I’m able to do.”
Notes
Edwards told WKNR he hasn’t had the stitches removed from his foot, which was injured when receiver Donte Stallworth accidentally spiked him.
“It could have been a lot worse,” said Edwards, who might miss the rest of the preseason. “That’s the one thing that myself, my family, the Browns and the fans should be happy about. It could have clipped the tendon, but it missed and was just a laceration as opposed to a tear.”
• Cribbs hurt his ankle when he was tackled on a kickoff return. He left the locker room in a walking boot but didn’t talk to reporters.
• Pool suffered a concussion making a tackle on running back Brandon Jacobs. Pool lowered his head, which collided with Jacobs’ knee. Pool played another series before leaving the game.
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Scott Petrak | The Chronicle-Telegram August 20th, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 12% |
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