Browns and Broncos Battle Tonight
Nov 6, 2008
Author: DawgBones.com

In a week in which the fans of the Cleveland Browns had all but given up on the 2008 season head coach Romeo Crennel decided a much needed spark was needed and made a change at QB. Tonight when the Browns take on the Denver Broncos 2nd year QB Brady Quinn will make his professional debut.

Some may see the change as nothing more than a distraction. Browns fans had huge expectations coming into the season and eight games in those expectations have been doused. Putting in Quinn not only appeases the disgruntled fan base that had grown weary of former starting QB Derek Anderson's inconsistency, it also turns fan attention towards Quinn's progress not so much the teams.

Other fans see the switch as a much needed attempt at consistency and a last ditch effort to save the 2008 season. To a man no player in the Browns locker room has given up on the playoffs in 2008. Quinn was heralded as the most pro ready QB coming out of college in 2007 and has had a year and a half in the Browns current system.

Tonight Brady Quinn gets a chance to right his own history and that history will be forever entwined with the Cleveland Browns. Quinn grew up as a Browns fan and many fans have connected with him the same way they did for another local turned Browns QB, Bernie Kosar. Kosar gave the Browns franchise the greatest success it has had in the Super Bowl era and many hope Quinn can do the same thing.

Quinn gets a chance to go up against a Broncos team that is reeling. They have lost three of their last four games and have huge injury concerns. Defensively the Broncos will be without their leading tackler in LB D.J. Williams, their top CB Champ Bailey and LB Boss Bailey just to name a few. The Broncos defense is ranked 29th in yards allowed per game, 27th in yards passing per game and 28th in points allowed per game. All things that point toward success for Quinn and the Browns.

On the flip side the Browns defense will have its hands full against Broncos QB Jay Cutler and his complement of receivers. WR's Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal and Brandon Stokely will be the focal point of the Broncos offense. Cutler has turned the ball over 11 times in 2008, ten interceptions and a fumble and will be going up against a Browns defense that has forced 13 turnovers this year, nine interceptions and four forced fumbles. The Broncos have failed to score a rushing touchdown in their past five games.

The biggest difference in tonight's game may be who wants it more. The Broncos are, for all their short comings, still in 1st place in the AFC West. The Browns are sitting in 3rd place in the AFC North and would have to win six or seven of their last eight games to even sniff the playoffs. Another key factor, a short week. The Broncos and Browns both had physical match ups in which they lost last week. The advantage for the Browns is they did not have to add travel to their short week like the Broncos did.

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