BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel is not ready to announce he's benching quarterback Derek Anderson just yet.
But Crennel and the Browns are at the point where they want to make sure highly-touted backup Brady Quinn is prepared to play in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Although Crennel didn't say Monday that he's handing the reins over to Quinn, the coaching staff plans to give Quinn more practice reps with the first team this week. It's the biggest indictment of Anderson to date following Sunday's 28-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in which Anderson had one of the worst performances of his career. He completed just 14-of-37 passes for 125 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. "We will definitely try to get the other guy [Quinn] ready and ready to go," Crennel said. "We'll see how it progresses from there. [It means] probably a few more reps in practice right now."
The change in tone provides a window into the shortened leash with Anderson.
Coming into the season Crennel, the Browns' coaching staff and general manager Phil Savage said they were all behind Anderson as the starting quarterback. But after an 0-3 start and a horrendous 43.5 passer rating this year the team is starting to waiver from that claim, despite Quinn being an unproven commodity. "If we decide to go with him, we just have to put it on the fact from what we've seen in practice and what we feel he's able to do," Crennel said of Quinn. "There's no hard evidence that he will have more success."
The Browns also are looking at changes at other positions, but quarterback is the one position on everyone's mind. Cleveland is one of the NFL's biggest disappointments this season after going 10-6 in 2007.
"I think what we have to do is evaluate it and do what's best for this team to try and win a game," Crennel said. "If [a quarterback change] is what it is, then that's what it is needs to be if we decide that."
