Read the debate intro and Loyal Homer’s argument that secrecy about the quarterback situation does not impact a game.
In the most recent and bizarre quarterback controversy to date in the NFL, Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini FINALLY named a starting quarterback. On Wednesday of the week dedicated to preparation for the team’s first game against the Minnesota Vikings. But, he did not tell the media. Nor did he notify the team, deciding instead to let the team figure it out when the first team offense took the field at practice.
It is hard to play Monday morning quarterback to NFL coaches. Fans and media cannot possibly understand all of the factors weighing on a coach making a key decision, even if both pretend as though they do. However, it is fair to analyze what impact Mangini’s quarterback battle – and the circumstances surrounding the announcement of the decision – had on the actual game.
As Bleacher Fan stated in the intro, Mangini believed that he was misdirecting his team’s week one opponent by forcing them to prepare for two quarterbacks. Mangini believed that preparation would waste valuable time in the Vikings’ clubhouse and give his team an advantage. Did that decision have any impact on the game itself?
Uh… no. Looking back, it is rather laughable that Mangini believed it would impact the game at all. First, the two quarterbacks he was deciding between have very similar traits. Both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson are traditional pocket passers. Both have strong arms (those questioning Brady Quinn’s arm strength clearly have not watched him play). Both make head scratching decisions from time to time (though Anderson has an edge on frequency). Both tap the ball as a timing mechanism when they are preparing to throw. What is the real difference? Potential (Quinn) versus known/frustrating commodity (Anderson). It is not as though Mangini was forcing the Vikings to prepare for either Mike Vick or Dan Marino.
The Mangini decision aside, Minnesota showed no signs of being ill prepared for the quarterback they were facing. Their game plan was to stuff the run (which they always do), and force the quarterback to beat them. They knew if they covered the receivers, both quarterbacks would hit the check down receivers in the tight end and the running backs. Of the nine different Browns that caught passes on Sunday, only three were receivers. Safe to say the Minnesota defense shut the receivers down.
More, leading up the game Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress said he was preparing for a scheme, not for a quarterback. The way the defense played indicates his team did a fine job, giving up only one touchdown on defense in the waning moments of the game.
Plus, Mangini’s decision to not publically announce his quarterback going into week one seems to have been a non-issue for the Patriots while possibly hindering his own team. Rather than concentrating on getting his team focused and prepared – and having all of the team’s leaders empowered and in place – Mangini distracted himself and his team by playing needless head games with the opponent. One of the great values of football I learned early on as a writer was that coaches, more than anything else in the game, loved when they were in an obvious running situations and their team STILL dominated the opposing team. The point is that it should not matter who is under center for the Browns. If the team executes properly it should not matter if they share their entire game plan.
All of the smoke and mirrors served only as a distraction for the Browns, not a disruption for the Vikings. All of the head games and gamesmanship exhibited by Mangini and the team – who Mangini convinced of his genius plan – did not in one way impact the game. Perhaps Mangini should spend more time preparing his team, and less time trying to fool the opposition before the teams even take the field.
Posted by Sports Geek 
