As Jake Delhomme goes, so will go the Browns ... at least that's the pre-camp consensus.
View full sizeJake Delhomme's escape from Carolina and a dismal 2009 could be a reason to be hopeful in Cleveland, says one blogger.Cleveland, Ohio -- The best part about this time of year for football fans is that every team has the same shot at the Super Bowl. . . . at least mathematically. Reality has a way of getting in the way there.
But even with optimism from the season, Starting Blocks has to wonder a smidge what is in the drinking water in Stark County.
Steve Doerschuk, a writer for rep.com, has a nice little piece on 10 reasons he's convinced the Browns have a shot at making the playoffs.
We won't steal all of Doerschuk's thunder, but here's one example of his thinking:
2004
Brees bounced back from the worst year of his career, leading San Diego to a 12-4 record. In 2003, Brees posted a 67.5 passer rating -- Quinn's was 67.2 in 2009 -- and the Chargers went 4-12.
Browns application
Good quarterbacks have been known to come back from rotten years, which is what Delhomme is attempting to do.
We'll refrain from pointing out that Delhomme was coming back from a not-so-stellar 2008, as well.
Is everything jake with Jake
Chris Pokorny, writing for dawgsbynature.com, also took on the quarterback role in writing a little preview of what he's expecting during training camp – and hoping for during the year. Pokorny noted all the down sides of Delhomme's recent past -- the meltdown against the Cardinals in the playoffs two years ago, the awful season last year that led to his availability this year, and still finds reason to be hopeful.
Pokorny noted that a proven record as a leader is Delhomme's greatest asset. His worst? A lack of confidence.
. . .This is the biggest issue with Delhomme. Over the past season (plus the one playoff game), Delhomme has been a head case at the quarterback position. It's almost the same thing we saw with Derek Anderson last year -- he began thinking that the answer was to start slinging passes just for the sake of slinging them. He lost faith in his ability to make reads on the fly and adapt to what the defense was showing him.
Hopefully this is an attribute that can be wiped clean by coming to not only a new team, but a new conference. Expectations are low for him in Cleveland, whereas expectations were high for the Panthers. Perhaps not having that weight on his shoulders has allowed him to clear his head. Also, it has to help his confidence that amidst Holmgren's massive revamping of the Browns, he believed that Delhomme was the right player to lead the team this season. If Delhomme absorbs the confidence that Holmgren has shown in him, then maybe he can return to his roots and be a decent quarterback again.
When Holmgren is done resurrecting Delhomme's career, you think he might find time to figure out a way to cap that well spewing oil in the Gulf?