Derek Anderson impressed again. I wonder how many more games it will take before we feel comfortable that he should be our starting quarterback – regardless of Frye’s health. He has done things in his short stint that I have been waiting to see from Frye all year. Take for instance Anderson’s first completion to Kellen Winslow. You know, the dart that he laced right over the Raven defender who had good coverage on Winslow, but never turned around for the ball. You can find throws like that every Sunday – if you watch other games besides the Browns game. That my friends was an NFL throw, and I’m sure if we can all be honest…..at least to ourselves….. we will realize that we have never seen Charlie make that throw before.

That’s not to say that Anderson didn’t have his share of bad throws yesterday. He overthrew a few balls, one of them was picked off early, and he was lucky that some of the other ones were not as well. However, as a Browns fan stuck in St. Louis, who must resort to watching the games on the television, Anderson’s throws just look better. They come out with tight spirals, and have oomph behind them…..They don’t seem to have that Frye “loopy-ness” to them….when Anderson throws I feel more confident watching the ball move across my screen then I do when Frye throws. How that translates into NFL success – I have no idea, but it just makes me feel better.

Also, how many times have we seen Frye lead us down the field late in the half or late in the game? Not many, if at all. How many times have we seen Frye get on a roll like Anderson did in the third quarter? Not many, if at all.

Anderson has led us back against Kansas City in his first game, and he nearly did it again in his third game against the Ravens yesterday. The NFL is a quarterback league. We all know it. Is Frye an NFL quarterback? Putting all of this “local hero” stuff aside – I’m not so sure that he is.

Barks and Growls:

Derek Anderson was sacked five times yesterday, but many of them were on short three-step drops. He would look to the first option, and if that was covered, he had no time to check down.

The officials were headed by Terry McAuley – we all remember him from “Bottle-Gate” against Jacksonville a few seasons ago – anyways, they missed a blatant facemask call on the first sack of Derek Anderson, who got up screaming at the refs in disbelief of the mistake. It happened on third down, and would have given the Browns a much needed first down already down 14-3 at the time.

It’s about time we began criticizing the defensive line as much as we criticize the offensive line. I know, they are banged up, but none of them (Simon Fraser, Ted Washington, Alvin McKinley, Ethan Kelley) could get any kind of penetration into the backfield yesterday to either knock Jamal Lewis for a loss, or put pressure on Steve McNair and Kyle Boller. Any pressure the Browns did get on the quarterback came from blitzes that left them in dangerous one-on-one coverage. If the Browns cannot address the defensive line next season, then perhaps Willie McGinest could play defensive end? He has clearly lost a step as an outside linebacker, yet he would be considered very fast and slippery as an end. He is strong enough to clog up the run, and quick enough to get to the sideline to cut down an outside run.

I like Justin Hamilton as a player, but it was obvious yesterday that Brian Russell was missed badly. Russell is a smart player, and he would not have let Demetrius Williams get behind him for a 77-yard touchdown. The pass may have still been completed, but it wouldn’t have gone the distance.

Leon Williams is a future starter in this league. I just hope he is still wearing a Browns helmet when that time comes.

The first way is by acquiring (through the draft, free agency or trade) the stud running back. These are the ones that are the can’t miss guys. The first round picks, the All-Americans, the top notch athletes…the runners who got all the pub in college and translate that success to NFL success. Barry Sanders comes to mind, LaDanian Tomlinson comes to mind, Shaun Alexander comes to mind….Edgerrin James, Marshall Faulk, etc.

Usually the teams that get these backs are the ones picking high in the draft – and if they are picking high in the draft, then naturally they weren’t very good the season before – and that includes the offensive line. Yet, when these talented running backs hit the field, they still have success even running behind poor lines. The great runners make many of their own runs out of very little help, or nothing at all. They make their offensive lines better with their success.

The second way a great NFL running attack is created is by developing the stud offensive line first, and then plug in the running back. These are the teams with perennial Pro Bowl candidates at all five offensive line positions. These lines have usually played together for mutiple seasons, and have built a unique chemistry together. They know where each other will be on every play, and they work as a well-oiled machine. Current teams that come to mind that fit this description are Denver, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City. These teams can put virtually any decent running back into the game, and that back will find success because of the dominant play by the offensive line.

Where am I going with this? It’s simple. Right now the Browns are in desperate need of developing a successful running game. They cannot be successful, especially in the AFC North without one. They have neither the great running back athlete….or the great cohesive offensive line.

It’s clear that since the Browns have neither of the two, the obvious path to a great running game is to draft the stud running back.

This choice makes the most since for two reasons. One, the Browns will most likely have a top ten pick, putting themselves in position to draft the best running back of the draft. And two, acquiring the the stud runner only requires one pick, where as acquiring the stud line would require a combination of multiple picks and free agent signings.

Have you ever had to make a choice about something, and the solution was so clear, and made so much sense, that you actually looked forward to it? The Browns are in that position right now. They should feel lucky, that for once, heading into a draft, their target pick is this clear.

When was the last time the Browns had a pure running back? A complete workhorse that we as fans knew could carry us to a win on his shoulders? An elite athlete, that when we got down inside the 10-yard line, we didn’t just hope he would find the endzone….but we knew he would. Reuben Droughns? Not even close. Earnest Byner? Maybe. Jim Brown? Yes.

Well fans, that type of back is going to be waiting there for the Browns to take. That type of running back is going to be right there for us to grab.

The only question the Browns should have, is what number Adrian Peterson wants to wear…