The Cleveland Browns

Would be running away with the division if they played in the NFC South instead of the AFC North.

Browns 7-6
Falcons 5-8
Saints 5-8
Panthers 4-8-1
Buccaneers 2-11

 

The Steelers could be running away with it if they didn't provide some of those wins

 

these Browns crushed the Steelers last time they met, cus our elite QB couldn't put together one of his 500 yards passing and 6 TD's games

 

Nothing warms the heart like a clowns meltdown. Looks like Johnny Football will be starting

 

Laugh at the Browns all you want, but they're building a solid team. If we're not careful they'll be kicking our assessment for a while.

 

Yet once again the qb is just one part of a team.

 

That's kind of the point though. They're in contention (kind of) for this division and they don't have a QB. If they do land a solid QB in the next few years, that team will be very dangerous

 

I can NOT wait to watch that arrogant clown get his ass handed to him vs. the Bengals.

 

And so goes the carousel of Cleveland! If it aint the coaches being rotated out of here it's the QB's

OOPS! forgot!

 

I'd liked to see him shred Cincy's defense apart for Marvin Lewis calling him a midget and have the Steelers win putting us into first place.

 

Without a Franchise QB you ain't going anywhere...

 

By the time they land a solid QB they will have grown tired of Pettine & Co and fired them.

Rinse, wash, repeat.

 

Marvin Lewis calling Johnny Football a midget yesterday may have set a fire under the Browns and PO Johnny who was just named the starter just enough to kick the snot out of the Bengals Sunday.

 

My hope is that Johnny Football plays like Johnny U this Sunday and then Ryan Leaf the rest of his career. (BTW see those pix of Leaf exiting prison the other day? Scary but well deserving.)

 

It's a lot easier with a good QB, but I lived in Chicago when the Bears won the SB. They didn't have a franchise QB. They had a nut case with the second best defense that ever played.

Neil O'Donnell took us to a super bowl and if the receiver who's name I can't remember would have run the right route, we win that game. And O'Donnel certainly doesn't fit the "Franchise" tag. Nor does Rypien, Hostettler, Plunkett, Williams......

 

Good post and for once someone doesn't completely bash O'Donnell who is probably the 3rd best QB we ever had after Terry & Ben. As you pointed out you don't necessarily have to be a franchise QB to win a SB based on the QBs you named, but in terms of today's NFL where it is so QB driven, you pretty much have to have a very very good QB. Very doubtful a guy like Kyle Orton (who is not an awful QB and has won some games here and there) can take a team to the SB these days.

 

You don't have to necessarily have to be a franchise QB to win a SB, I completely agree. However, it doesn't hurt. A franchise QB can make up for some other deficiencies. It is extremely difficult to get passed very good teams in the playoffs if your QB has a bad day. We often see a team get hot and put on a run, where the QB contributes positively to his team's success. Ben helped this team in '05 and '08 to get to the game, though he didn't play particularly well in either game (except for that last drive in '08).

The problem with Cleveland is, they don't believe in what they have. An organization doesn't go through that many coaches and QB's by having faith in its organization. It is, a factory of sadness. All those Browns' fans want to believe their team has turned a corner. But they'll rush a rookie QB into a game where the playoffs are still on the line, against a very good team. He'll go out and throw a few picks and get off to a terrible start to his career. In the offseason, they'll lose Hoyer and start next year with Johnny F. And then, in 2016, they'll draft another QB with their next head coach.

 

Cleveland has a solid defense and Hoyer has been mediocre except for the last couple weeks, I'm afraid they will become dangerous if they find a good QB. Lets face it, we need 4 stellar drafts and some great FA signings to get the defense back, If Tuitt becomes good and McCullers pans out we'll be in decent shape up front with only DBs needed. I said 4 drafts because we are going to lose a few guys who are going to want more money.

 

Tell that to the Ravens with Dilfer, Buccaneers with Johnson,Redskins with Rypien, and the Steelers with O'donnel to name a few.

 

Everyone keeps citing examples of non-franchise type QBs who either won or went to the Super Bowl, but most of the guys mentioned played before the 21st century.

In this passing era, franchise QBs are almost a must to win and virtually necessary if you want to get to the SB.

While the past 2 SB winners aren't exactly "franchise type" QBs, going back before them...

10 of the past 11 SB winners are franchise type QBs
Even further, going back to the late 90s, it's 12 of 15.
Going further yet...into the early 90s and the Jim Kelley era...it's 17 of 20.

Including getting to the SB regardless of winning or losing you have....

47 (Ravens/49ers)
37 (Bucs/Raiders)
35 (Ravens/Giants)
34 (Rams/Titans)
20 (Bears/Patriots)
18 (Raiders/Redskins)
15 (Raiders/Eagles)
5 (Colts/Cowboys)
4 (Chiefs/Vikings)
and 3 (Jets/Colts)

10 Super Bowls that didn't contain at least one big time, big name franchise type guy.

So while it isn't an absolute MUST to have a franchise type guy, nearly 80% of the time it is (38 of 48).

 

I think it could be 41 of 48 because Joe Namath was a franchise QB for the Jets in SB 3, wasn't Len Dawson the QB of the Chiefs for SB 4 and was Tarkenton playing yet for the Vikings, and Warner for the Rams in SB 34.

Do I dare say 42 of 48 if we christen Joltin Joe Flacco for the Ratbirds .... nah just kidding.

 

Actually I was making fun of their circumstance ... and the NFC South. The Browns finally put together a half decent season, and they find themselves in last place of the insanely strong AFC North.

 

Tarkenton didn't play in 4.
The other guys, Namath and Warner, I'd consider very good QBs but not franchise types. Kinda along the lines of Flacco, Simms, Boomer. Maybe Russell has a chance to be one of those guys in time? Hell, there is even still time for Flucco.

The 80s-90s were pretty much dominated by Montana, Marino, Elway, Kelley, Farve, Aikman, and Young. One of those guys were in it pretty much every year. And now the last 15 have been pretty much Brady, Manning, Manning, Roethlisberger, and a Rodgers for good measure. And don't look now, but 4 of those 5 are right in the thick of things again. I will pretty much guarantee that one of those 4 will advance again this year.