Brady Quinn Fans: Be Careful What You Ask For

You just might get it.

This script has been written before.

The Browns trade up in the draft to get a "can't-miss" QB prospect from a college program known for producing stud quarterbacks, and Greater Cleveland is filled with excitement, waiting to see what the heir apparent can produce. 

Fans all over the region chant for him to play, and bash the incumbent starter. Longtime Browns fans have seen this movie before.

The year? 1970.

The Browns trade Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield to the Miami Dolphins to snare the third overall pick in the 1970 draft to select "can't-miss" Purdue quarterback Mike Phipps.

Heading into the 1970 season, the Browns still ranked among the NFL's elite, but their incumbent quarterback was Bill Nelsen. Nelsen was a competent and heady quarterback, but his knees were shot, and his arm would never be confused with that of Johnny Unitas.

At the time, the Browns' brain trust felt taking the team to the next level would require a change behind center, so Warfield was sent packing for the draft pick that would become Phipps.

Phipps had surpassed some of his immediate Purdue predecessor Bob Griese's records, and Griese had already established himself as a solid young professional quarterback by 1970.

Phipps had "can't-miss" written all over him, right?

Wrong.

In 1970, Phipps rode the pine. In the absence of Warfield, the Browns stumbled to a 7-7 record, and head coach Blanton Collier, the last man to lead the Browns to a NFL Championship, resigned in disgrace.

Yes, there once was a time when winning only half your games in Cleveland was not acceptable. Prior to 1970, the Browns had experienced only one losing season in their existence. After posting that 5-7 mark, they drafted some guy named Jim Brown.

The next season, 1971, saw the Browns in a midseason slump, and head coach Nick Skorich decided to shake things up and insert Phipps. After a 27.7 quarterback rating, Phipps went back to the bench, and the Browns finished 9-5 with Nelsen at the helm.

What does this have to do with Brady Quinn? Patience, Grasshopper.

OK, I'll bend a little bit. Brady Quinn devotees are not known for their patience, and like Phipps fans of the time, they want the incumbent QB run out of town.

This will be Quinn's third season in the NFL, and his fans want him taking the snaps despite any evidence to the contrary. 

Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it.

In 1972, Phipps was handed the reins, replacing an immobile Nelsen. The Browns went 10-4 and made the AFC playoffs, almost upsetting the perfect-season Miami Dolphins in the Orange Bowl. It looked like nothing but good times ahead.

Phipps did not exactly lead the Browns to that record, as he completed less than 50% of his passes and threw more interceptions than touchdowns. 

Nonetheless, Cleveland saw plenty of upside in this young, mobile quarterback.

It got ugly after that. Seriously ugly. After missing the playoffs in 1973 with a 7-5-2 record, the Browns racked up three losing seasons in a row, and Phipps was shipped off to Chicago.

He was replaced by a 17th-round draft choice from San Diego State named Brian Sipe.

Phipps played as a backup through the 1981 season with Chicago, and a decade after he suited up in a Browns uniform, the Bears visited Cleveland on a Monday night.

He was greeted with the same "We Want Phipps!" chants from 1970, but this time, the chants were derisive, as the Browns were manhandling the Bears.

For his career, Phipps threw 55 touchdown passes to 108 interceptions, completing a mere 49.2 percent of his passes, with a career quarterback rating of 52.6.

Patience, Grasshopper. I'm getting to it.

In his career at Purdue, Phipps had the Boilermakers looking like national championship contenders. That is, until they played someone good.

The Boilers faced an underdog Ohio State team when they looked poised to win it all on their home field in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Woody Hayes' team dropped a 13-0 whitewash on them. 

Who else has folded like a bad poker hand against top-flight collegiate competition?

Another guy who wore a golden helmet (sans the "P" on the side?) Check.

Now, let's look at Brady Quinn's collegiate career. He also broke a bunch of records at another university known to nurture quarterbacks. 

The problem is, most of those records were set against the service academies and other subpar competition.

Let's take a look at Brady Quinn's record in bowl games. Four losses, no wins.

2003: North Carolina State 28, Notre Dame 6. Philip Rivers of the Wolfpack almost pulled off an upset of Ohio State in the Shoe, but in general, a top-flight program with a stud QB has no excuse for getting dusted by North Carolina State.

2004: Insight Bowl. Oregon State 38, Notre Dame 21. Who was the QB for Oregon State? Some guy named Derek Anderson.

2005: Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 20, and it wasn't that close. Quinn was punished by the Buckeye defense.

Wait. It gets better.

In 2006, the Fighting Irish went to another BCS bowl, this time the Sugar. But, Notre Dame was destroyed by their two biggest rivals, Michigan (47-21) and USC (44-24).

And about that Sugar Bowl? LSU humiliated Notre Dame 41-14, and held the Browns' latest "can't-miss" quarterback to 148 yards passing.

Like Phipps in 1972, Quinn is now in his third year, and the Browns organization is under fans' pressure to turn the reins over to him.

Let's take a look at his body of work thus far. 

In 2008, he faced defenses ranked 29th of 32 NFL teams (Denver), 14th (Buffalo) and 22nd (Houston). Not exactly Phipps facing the Steel Curtain.

Two TDs, two picks. Completion percentage of 50.6, QB rating of 66.6.

Compare that to Phipps' completion percentage of 49.2% for his career and QB rating of 52.6, and it looks almost even given the rule changes that favor offense.

In Phipps' time, offensive holding was 15 yards instead of 10, the "bump and run" defense was legal all the way down the field, as was the head slap against offensive linemen.

Also, intentional grounding was called far more often.

Brady Quinn fans see the next Joe Montana wearing Number 10 for the Browns.

I see the next Mike Phipps.