Is it really surprising that Brady Quinn looked rusty after a preseason where he didn't take all the snaps with the starting offense? Or that they kept it simple during his first game against the Minny D? The same thing happened last year.
Quinn played three games last year. The first week they played together, Edward laid a one catch egg, while Quinn completed 23 passes. Of those passes, 13 went to the tight ends, and seven more to the running backs. That's more of an indictment of Quinn, or the coaches' confidence in Quinn, than Edwards. Note that 10 of those passes went to Kellen Winslow, too.
In Quinn and Braylon's second game together, Edwards caught 8 for 105. The following week, Edwards had 5 for 85 in a game started by Quinn and finished by Anderson. So there's reason for optimism, especially after the TD that got called back.
I'll also repost this from another thread about Braylon's schedule last year: Baltimore and Pittsburgh are going to be part of his schedule regardless, but without Polamalu and Rex Ryan, he may have a little more breathing room. And games against Indy, Tennessee and the NFC East last year were a much rougher draw than they have this year. Edwards started the season out against a Dallas team that was firing on all cylinders early last year, then Pittsburgh and Baltimore. He caught eight passes for 73 yards combined in those three games. He then went 3/22/1, 5/154/1, 4/58, 2/64, against CIN, NYG, WAS and JAX, and wrapped it up with 4/86/1 against Baltimore before Anderson went out. That's much more respectable.
In summary, that's 26 catches for 457 yards and 3 TDs against Dallas (#5 against the pass), Pittsburgh (#1), Washington (#7), Baltimore (#2) twice, the Giants (#8), Jacksonville (#24), and Cinci (#15). That's about the hardest imaginable schedule, and he projects to 52 catches for 914 yards and 6 TDs against it.
But wait there's more. Anderson got hurt, too, in his first start back from injury. Enter Ken Dorsey. Who threw for 374 yards total in just over three games. How is Edwards supposed to score with that kind of QB play? And against Indy, Tennessee, Philly, and Cinci, to boot. In Dorsey's first full game, Edwards again struggled with his new QB, and caught just 3 of his 14 targets. Ouch. But the next game, Edwards managed a 5 catch (on 5 targets no less) 102 yard performance against Philly. And the following week, he caught 4 of 7 targets from Dorsey for a miserable 32 yards, before Dorsey went out and was replaced by Bruce Gradkowski. The same Bruce Gradkowski who, in the final game against Pittsburgh, attempted 16 passes and completed a grand total of 5 of them. For 18 yards. Total. In the whole game. And threw two picks.
Oh, and did I mention how brutal the schedule was against those teams with all the QB changes? They played against Denver (26th, but Quinn's first game), Buffalo (#13), Houston (#17), Indy (#6), Tennessee (#9), Philly (#3), Cinci (#15), and the Steelers (#1).
Just to drive that point home, Cleveland played ten games against the top ten pass defenses in the league last year. And six of those were against the top 5. They played thirteen against the top half of the league, and zero against the bottom third. The average defensive ranking of the teams they faced in the first half? Fourth. The average overall? Ninth.
This year, the Browns still play Pittsburgh and Baltimore twice each. But they also play five games against the bottom seven pass defenses in the league from last year (KC, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, San Diego) and only one non-division game against a top ten pass defense from last year (Oakland, #10).
Their schedule is much easier. Their quarterback situation should be much more stable. Edwards is the only decent receiver in town. Did Edwards drop a lot of balls last year? Sure. But he had everything go against him last year, too. Which seems more reasonable, that Edwards had a completely fluky year in which he caught 16 TDs in 2007 and will never do better than the 3 TDs he caught in 2008, or that Edwards is an extremely talented guy who had trouble last year because of a ridiculously tough schedule and a slew of quarterback changes?
(7:54) 10-B.Quinn pass short left to 17-B.Edwards for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on MIN-23-C.Griffin, Defensive Pass Interference, declined. Minnesota challenged the ineligible receiver ruling, and the play was REVERSED. 10-B.Quinn pass deep left to 17-B.Edwards for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN NULLIFIED by Penalty. PENALTY on MIN-23-C.Griffin, Defensive Pass Interference, 28 yards, enforced at MIN 34 - No Play.
(7:54) 10-B.Quinn pass short left to 17-B.Edwards for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on MIN-23-C.Griffin, Defensive Pass Interference, declined. Minnesota challenged the ineligible receiver ruling, and the play was REVERSED. 10-B.Quinn pass deep left to 17-B.Edwards for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN NULLIFIED by Penalty. PENALTY on MIN-23-C.Griffin, Defensive Pass Interference, 28 yards, enforced at MIN 34 - No Play.
(7:54) 10-B.Quinn pass short left to 17-B.Edwards for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on MIN-23-C.Griffin, Defensive Pass Interference, declined. Minnesota challenged the ineligible receiver ruling, and the play was REVERSED. 10-B.Quinn pass deep left to 17-B.Edwards for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN NULLIFIED by Penalty. PENALTY on MIN-23-C.Griffin, Defensive Pass Interference, 28 yards, enforced at MIN 34 - No Play.
I would too.Need advice time, lol: But would you trade Grant for White?
