I don’t think there is any question that Charlie Frye took the lead in the Browns’ quarterback derby Saturday night over Derek Anderson. Frye hit on 12 of 15 passes and moved the team better than Anderson in his opportunities. The latter threw balls into coverage and checked the team into some questionnable plays. Frye’s lead over Anderson isn’t what it should be though because of the former Akron quarterback’s past, and that’s probably the reason the team drafted Brady Quinn.
Frye made two mistakes. One was the backwards pass to Jerome Harrison that the running back didn’t track down and resulted in Kansas City’s only touchdown. The other error was the same type of mistake he have seen from Frye in the past. Instead of throwing the ball away by the goal line at the end of the first half, the QB allowed himself to be tackled and the clock ran out before the Browns could kick a sure field goal. I realize Frye was trying to make a play, but he has done this before and he has not learned from his past mistakes.
No matter how many good plays Frye makes, he will be judged by the errors he makes in pressure situations. You simply cannot have bad decisions by your quarterback at the end of games or halves. Remember the errant throw against the Ravens that was picked off in the end zone as the Browns were driving to take command of that game? Charlie Frye played very well in that game, but what fans, the coaching staff, and perhaps his teammates remember is the interception. I’ll bet not many realize he was 21 of 33 for 298 yards and a touchdown to go with the interception in the 16-15 loss.
Charlie Frye’s play under pressure is suspect, and Saturday night’s game just reinforces this idea. There is no doubt Romeo Crennel feels the same way and that’s why Derek Anderson is still in the mix. The great quarterbacks make their bones with less than two minutes to go and their team needing to score in order to win. The coolness under pressure, sound decision making, and clock awareness are all traits the best QB’s possess. Frye cannot play well for 58 minutes and then make a bone headed play late to cost the team a game.
Crennel’s job depends on not losing games where his team outplays their opponents. Watching the Browns dominate the Chiefs last weekend only to win because of a late game kickoff return for a touchhdown doesn’t cause confidence in his quarterback situation. Would you want your job to depend on the decisions of Charlie Frye? That, more than anything else, is why the QB position is still up for grabs.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 