Welcome to a special Veteran’s Day edition of Under the Fedora. A sincere tip of my hat to those who have served, and continue to serve our nation.
Other than that, it’s all quarterbacks all the time under here.
Minnesota Rouser
Another game, another unimpressive victory. I’m not complaining, I lived through the Cooper years and Tresselball, so I gladly take victories in whatever form they come. I’m willing to chalk up Saturday night’s uninspiring performance to our starting quarterback being in the clink press box, but I’d still like to think that Ohio State could blow up the gophers even with its backup QB in the game, especially considering that this particular backup QB won an Undisputed National Championship. But alas, these gophers proved as resilient as those at Bushwood.
The game was predictably too close for comfort, though I’m not sure I really felt the outcome was at risk until Minnesota cut the lead to a touchdown late, and even then I might not have been overly concerned if I hadn’t been keeping an eye on Sparty’s spectacular, official-assisted implosion against Nebraska. It just goes to show you that weird things can happen in football when you least expect it (ask Captain Khaki), and that you can’t count on the zebras to get things right when you need them to (ask Duke). At any rate, I’m glad that Cardale was able to do enough to escape with the W, and especially glad that J.T. will be back on the wagon (if not behind the wheel) for the Buckeyes’ trip to the wind tunnel known as Illinois’ Memorial Stadium, where strange things have happened before.
#FreeBraxton
I was quite looking forward to seeing the much hyped hushed Braxton package against Goldie. Unfortunately, not since Justin Zwick has the play of a Buckeye “quarterback” been so anticlimactic. I know that Braxton Miller is an electrifying athlete. I know that he can do amazing things with the ball in his hands in the open field. I also know that he is only good enough to make 2 unblocked defenders miss on any given play (3, tops). If the Buckeyes’ MENSA depleted offensive braintrust cannot find a way to allow Braxton to be multidimensional behind center, and give him more than a puncher’s chance when he lines up at QB, then can we just put him in the slot and let him run pass routes against LBs and safeties, please? Also, can we please just stop calling it the Wildcat? That term is as overplayed as “The Percy Harvin Position”. Now, I know that we haven’t yet found another H-Back name to put in there, but that doesn’t mean we have to keep using it. And if we must refer to the offensive set in which Braxton Miller repeatedly runs the ball into a loaded box in some sort of feline capacity, I might have a suggestion.
(Bonus trivia question: Who is widely credited for “inventing” the Wildcat as we know it? Hint: I bet 3M knows.)
Silly Season (again) for the Browns
The Browns’ season may over for all intents and purposes, but don’t think for a minute that this fact will save you from my weekly Browns take. Since the Browns have now been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention prior to their bye week (again), the true season for Browns fans has officially begun: Figuring out who will be the next Browns Quarterback of the Future. Here are your candidates:
1) Josh McCown, quarterback of the present. Josh is a pro, a genuinely tough guy, and has played pretty well for the Browns this year (when healthy). Josh is 36, and signed through 2017. However, in mileage and hits (many self-inflicted), he is a youthful 87 years old. Josh is just another placeholder in the Browns long list of former QB’s of the Future.
2) Johnny Football, backup quarterback of the present. Mike Pettine has announced that if McCown is healthy, he will start against the Stillers next Sunday. Now, Johnny didn’t exactly set the world on fire against Cincy, but he actually looked like an NFL quarterback at times, and that’s not the first time this year that he’s shown flashes of competence (such is the low standard for the Browns QB of the Future hopefuls). Johnny needs to play, not because he’s great (or even good at this point), but because we need to know so we can decide upon whose bandwagon to jump for 2016.
3) Cardale Jones, current backup quarterback of the present for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Remember when people were saying the Browns should tank the season so that they could get Cardale? Well, the Browns have done their part…
4) Pot Luck. No, Andrew does not have a younger brother. Who knows who will be the QB Darling of the Draft for 2016? Remember RGIII? If there is one thing that Joe Banner did not screw up during his scintillating stint as the Browns de facto owner, it was in not trading away a whole bunch of draft picks for the rights to Griffin. Ask Hove how that turned out for Washington. Not that the Browns have actually done anything good with the picks they would have traded away, but that’s another edition of Under the Fedora. Pot Luck may also refer to the choice of the homeless guy who convinced Jimmy Haslam to draft Johnny Manziel. So, he didn’t hit the jackpot on Johnny. That just means that he’s due. Somebody needs to find that guy, ASAP. The Browns are due for another changeover in the coaching and front office staff.
TL;DR: Veterans have kept us free; Buckeyes escape; JT freed from self-imprisonment; Braxton shackled by poorly named offensive package; Browns condemned to eternal suckage.
