Picking Apart the Browns, 8-10 Edition

The Brown and White Game was yesterday, and what a day it was.

The temps hovered around 90 degrees, the humidity was in full summer bloom for what seems like the first time this summer, and where was I?

Mowing the lawn.

Now, I could entertain you with the drama that grows out of trimming the verge in the hot summer sun, but instead I will focus on the Browns, since that is what you’re here to read.

Given the restrictions on the game regarding tackling and the like, it’s hard to get the kind of information you’d normally get from a regular preseason game, but there were some things I got from reviewing the sparse highlights and reading all the reports from the field.

First of all, my apologies to Derek Anderson fans because, unfortunately, Derek Anderson remains Derek Anderson.

With his helmet gear malfunctioning, Anderson tossed his cookies and threw an easy interception.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, Anderson does not have the moxie to lead a team to a championship.

He has a great arm, a good attitude, and a lot of guts.  But he doesn’t have it between the ears.

When the going gets tough, Anderson crumbles.

Brady Quinn also had an interception, but the ball went right through Lance Leggett’s hands, so that’s on Leggett, not Quinn. Had Anderson’s pick gone through somebody’s hands first, I would be giving credit where credit is due.

To be completely fair, the true test begins this weekend versus Green Bay.

I’ll be watching that game closely.

Quinn also had a 51-yard pass caught for a touchdown to open the scrimmage, hopefully the first of many examples on why the “Brady Quinn can’t throw long” statement is false.

I’m still not sure how that misconception got started to begin with, considering the incredibly small sample we have of his pro career.

Does Quinn check down his receivers too quickly and give up on the long ball?

So far, that argument has merit, but again, with such a small sampling, there’s nothing there that I’d want to bet the farm on.

The defenses reportedly played well, rolling their coverage to keep Braylon Edwards from being an impact player in the contest. In fact, Derek Anderson’s squad didn’t score any points until quarterback Brett Ratliff came in and rallied their side to a win.

The question this raises is twofold: Is our defense making the improvements we all are expecting?

Or is our offense still this inept?

Another question: With the squads being split, does the lack of scoring mean anything?

I cautioned in my preview of the scrimmage that there would be precious little to take out of this event to merit much discussion.

Other than the interceptions, the questions haven’t changed. This is a team rebuilding through a huge transition at the top. We may not know the answers until the Vikings come to town next month.