If Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini's idea of living up to his nickname "Man-Genius" was trying to pull one over on the Vikings by playing Guess My Quarterback, then he might think Reggie Jackson was called "Mr. October" because Reg enjoyed the many changing colors of the leaves.
Trying to fool an NFL coaching staff by playing mind-warp with Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson is like trying to stump NASA with a sudoku puzzle. Sure, Childress may resemble George Castanza, but I can't exactly see him starting a fake charity, calling in a bomb threat, or pushing old ladies down in a panic over the QB switch-a-roo.
By the way Genius, Childress is so confidant in his game plan, he decided to share it with me: hand off to Adrain Peterson 30 times, blitz 20 and after the Vikings are up by 35 at half, rest the starters.
While in the process of playing David Copperfield with his starting QBs, Mangini must have fogotten that his team runs, catches and blocks like The Little Giants and is as tough on D as a soggy pizza box. If Adrian Peterson runs for 200-plus with 3 TDs, does it really matter who the opposing QB is?
Through trickery, Mangini must still be trying to impress his old boss Belichick. But Bill's moves make a little more sense: taping the other team, that was genius (and illegal, but you have to give him points for innovation.) Putting Brady on the injury list week after week, then taking him off when he was actually injured, OK I can see it. Even having Matt Cassel punt last season, very clever. You have to think Belichick is snickering under his hoodie at his former minion.
By the way, we aren't exactly talking about Young and Montana here, Genius. This pre-season, Anderson and Quinn made Couch and Holcomb look like Len Dawson and Bart Starr. The Browns aren't debating whether Koufax or Drysdale should start game one. Maybe, in the interest of getting Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford, Mangini should start third-stringer Brett Ratliff. Remember how Marlon Brando's character in On The Waterfront regretted taking dives? Well, taking dives might be the only way for the Browns to eventually become a contendaaa.
You have to feel for Brady Quinn. He gets drafted 10 spots lower than expected, has to sit and watch a nobody put together a Pro-Bowl season, then when finally he gets his shot, he's got Five-Hour-drops Edwards and a tight end as mentally stable as Britney Spears. Then he gets hurt. Now he's forced to battle for the prize of leading a team predicted to win two games led by a coach who seems to thinks he's a Jedi.... Maybe Quinn should have joined his Notre Dame pal Jeff Samardzija and played baseball.
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