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March 20, 2014Reliving Yesteryear: A Look at the Pitching of the 1920 Champion Indians
March 20, 2014Being a backup quarterback in the NFL isn’t such a bad gig. Despite lackluster performances, former Browns like Brandon Weeden and Derek Anderson are never going to be out of work, it seems. Jason Campbell had a pretty bad year for a starting quarterback in the NFL, but it was apparently good enough to get him another job in the league as he signed with the Bengals yesterday.
It’s shocking that the Bengals of all teams would have signed Campbell. Why? Consider that Campbell helped author a 41-20 loss to the Bengals this past November when he threw three interceptions and finished the day with a 44.3 QB rating. The game featured so many check-downs that even Colt McCoy was embarrassed for him.
Former Browns QB Jason Campbell reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Bengals. Now reunited with Hue Jackson.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 20, 2014
The terms of the deal aren’t available yet, but you have to assume it’s a pretty modest veteran salary.
The Campbell signing also goes to prove just how strange a little place the NFL can be. Jason Campbell reunites with former Raiders coach Hue Jackson, who happened to be coaching the Raiders when Jason Campbell hurt his collarbone after starting the season 4-2.
What happened next? The Raiders traded for Carson Palmer.
Anyway, in case you want to remember just how bad the Browns loss to the Bengals was this past season, check out the first paragraph from the recap. Remember this is a game where the Browns gave up 31 points…in the second quarter.
The Cleveland Browns had a meaningful game against the division leading Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and responded very poorly. They started the game great going up 13-0, but quickly imploded into a cornucopia of bountiful gifts for the Cincinnati Bengals to feast upon. Interceptions, punt blocks, fumbles and offensive ineptitude took the place of pumpkins, grapes, apples and squash. I’m thinking of so many bad jokes about the Browns getting squashed that I’m not even going to bother. Given a chance to respond to opportunity, the Browns failed on this day.
[Also see: Brandon Weeden, Dallas Cowboy]
Image via Rick Grayshock/WFNY
7 Comments
they probably figure if they can sign ex-Browns backup Bruce Gradkowski and have him beat us, then Campbell is an upgrade.
and, the Hue Jackson giving too much for Carson, then getting hired by Cinci right after that season always felt fishy.
That recap paragraph made my day…again.
Wow, that recap reminded me of how badly I suffer from Browns season amnesia. How Mary Kay chirped non-stop that Campbell was playing on a pro bowl level, how Campbell admitted a painful loss got into his head the next weeks, how in one quarter of the huge Cincy game the special teams gave up a second straight blocked punt after making no adjustment, plus a long punt return. And the ST coach is the only coach kept by the new regime.
Wow, that recap reminded me of how badly I suffer from Browns season amnesia. How Mary Kay chirped non-stop that Campbell was playing on a pro bowl level, how Campbell admitted a painful loss got into his head the next weeks, how in one quarter of the huge Cincy game the special teams gave up a second straight blocked punt after making no adjustment, plus a long punt return. And the ST coach is the only coach kept by the new regime.
With his third team in three years, Campbell definitely lands in the realm of journeyman QB’s. Kinda disappointing considering his size, arm, and first round pedigree but as good as he can sometimes look, there’s just something missing there. I obviously didn’t follow him in WAS or OAK but here in CLE, he seemed utterly incapable of putting two or more good games together.
That said, in the sorry pantheon of Browns QB’s post-1999, he probably ranks in the to 5 (seriously). Only Couch, Anderson (2007 is calling…), McCoy, and Holcomb were demonstrably better.
I remember that Cincy game vividly (sitting in a bar with my buddy – a Bengals fan) and thinking “why don’t you throw the ball!!” He didn’t trust his reads and didn’t pull the trigger when he should have.
The local 4-letter network was trying to make a big deal of “OMG why did we let go of our crappy back-up QB!?”
No one was smart enough to reach the answer: “If your crappy back-up QB is getting significant minutes, it doesn’t matter if he’s slightly better than Rex Grossman, because you are losing the vast majority of your games regardless.”