It’s time for a change!
Deep down everyone probably thinks they could be a head coach or general manager in the NFL, and there really isn’t anything wrong with that. Sure, it was annoying when your buddy that didn’t know who Percy Harvin was during your fantasy draft professed he could run the Colts better than Jim Caldwell would be able to.
You chuckled and moved on with your day.
“Sure, pal … sure you could.”
“You want to bet on it?” said friend barks back, as though his theory will actually be proven right some day. ”I’ll give you Drew Brees for your place kicker if the Colts win more than three games by Week 8!”
“Deal, my friend.”
The rest is history, and your friend undoubtedly feels like a dolt. You win, he loses. It may be unfair, because you saw it coming, or at least recognized his foolishness before he did.
Now that the scene has been painted, I will play the role of the idiot friend that thinks he knows best. After all, isn’t that what I’m paid to do?
Buffalo Bills
Your season is going nowhere fast after it was set up for failure with poor planning and putrid personnel decisions. Your offensive line stinks beyond all belief, which was largely due to atrocious offseason moves (see: Dockery, Derrick and Peters, Jason). You had a shot at signing a respectable left tackle (some fella named Levi Jones) but passed to see how many more sacks Demetrius Bell could allow in an injury-shortened season. Your prized free-agent acquisition and future Hall of Famer has been left to rot since your quarterback hasn’t been able to get the ball to him. Oh, let’s not forget you have fired the head coach and, naturally, replaced him, at least for the interim, with one of his cronies. That usually translates into immediate success, I hear.
The most recent presumed franchise quarterback, Trent Edwards, has thrown more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (six) and hasn’t topped the 230 passing yards all year.
His backup, veteran brainiac passer Ryan Fitzpatrick, hasn’t fared much better. He seems to have an improved ability to connect with the receiving corps, but Fitz hasn’t exactly lit the world ablaze. His dazzling 49.4 completion percentage is only accentuated by Fitzpatrick’s lurid 49.8 passer rating (two touchdowns, four interceptions in four appearances).
It’s tough to place all of the blame on the quarterbacks since the O-line blocks oh so effectively.
Fitzgerald has been named the starter by interim head coach Perry Fewell, presumably for the remainder of the season. The Bills signed former Louisville star quarterback Brian Brohm off the Green Bay Packers‘ practice squad. A second-round pick in 2008, Brohm has a strong enough arm to make all of the necessary NFL throws. He’s not going to blow people away it, but his arm isn’t a noodle, either.
You have a player to groom for the future, and while it may not be your regime reaping the potential rewards of his experience, but that is your duty to the player as a coach. The season is lost. You know Fitzpatrick isn’t the future of your organization, and it’s hard to imagine Edwards has done enough to cement himself into that conversation, so what’s the harm in giving Brohm the keys to the city, at least for the final six games? Maybe you have a hidden gem on your hands – it certainly can’t hurt to find out!
The only major fear I would have is that Brohm could be mentally rattled from all of the pressure he will face. He was able to handle being demoted in favor of a seventh-round pick with the Packers, and eventually landing on the practice squad. He should be tough enough between the ears, and if he isn’t, you don’t want that kind of player leading your team anyway.
Cleveland Browns
I’m not sure which franchise is more of a mess between the Browns and Bills, but I know who Cleveland should trot onto the field as their starting quarterback. I’ll give you a hint: His name is not Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson.
Eric Mangini’s draft-day trade of the No. 5 overall pick to his former employer, the New York Jets, sent a familiar face to join him in Ohio. Second-year quarterback Brett Ratliff is a 6-foot-4, 224-pounder from Utah. He has a live arm and can’t possibly be any worse than the other two jokers Cleveland has marched out there. Ratliff deserves a chance, if even by default. If Browns owner Randy Lerner is serious about endorsing Mangini as head coach, he needs to force the issue to help determine their offseason plans at the position.
Maybe Ratliff isn’t the answer. It’s tough having no weapons to work with, but now is the time to find out. If anything, maybe he learned a trick or two from Brett Favre last year. Mangini at least could bring hope to the fan base by playing Ratliff. It’s time to hit that big red button when you have scored only five offensive touchdowns in nine games.
