I have watched the Browns for over 30 years now and the lack of solid QB play except for a few years has driven me batty. Here is how I see the QBs from 1980-2010 ranking for the Cleveland Browns:
1.) Bernie Kosar: Kosar might not have been pretty to watch as he was clumsy with his feet and he threw the ball sidearm, but he was smart and that made up for his physical shortcomings. He played in 108 games (105 starts) for the Browns and they were 53-51-1 in games he started. He got the Browns to the AFC Championship three times with them losing to John Elway’s Broncos all three times. Kosar completed 1,853 of 3,150 passes (58.8%) for 21,904 yards with 116 TD passes and 81 INTs (81.6 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 162 times for 216 yards (1.3 ypc) with 4 TD runs in his career with the Browns.
2.) Brian Sipe: Sipe is most known for the Red Right 88 pass that resulted in a pick-off in a playoff game which resulted in a home loss against the Raiders. But, he was much more than just that one play as he was the leaded of the Kardiac Kids. He played in 53 games (52 starts) in the 80′s for the Browns and he completed 1,042 of 1,802 passes (57.8%) for 12,638 yards with 77 TD passes and 70 INTs. He also carried the ball 97 times for 308 yards (3.2 ypc) with 2 TD runs. He left the Browns to play in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals.
3.) Vinny Testaverde: The Browns saved Vinny’s career as he was terrible with the Bucs. He led the Browns to a 16-15 record as a starting QB but he is most remembered as Bernie Kosar’s replacement. Testaverde played in 37 games (31 starts) for the Browns and he completed 578 of 988 passes (57.9%) for 7,255 yards with 47 TD passes and 37 INTs (80.9 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 57 times for 173 yards (3.0 ypc) with 4 TD runs for the Browns. He continued playing well when he moved to Baltimore after the 1995 with the rest of the Browns.
4.) Tim Couch: It’s hard to blame Couch for the play of the Cleveland Browns in his time with the team beacuse he didn’t have much help on offense. The Browns were 22-37 in games he started for them but he did get them to the playoffs once. He played in 62 games (59 starts) for the Browns and he completed 1,025 of 1,714 passes (59.8%) for 11,131 yards with 64 TD passes and 67 INTs (75.1 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 124 times for 556 yards (4.5 ypc) with 2 TD runs in his career with the Browns. He is getting the last laugh as he is retired and living with his wife in Florida and she was a Playmate of the Year for Playboy Magazine.
5.) Kelly Holcomb: Kelly Holcomb was the fans’ choice over Tim Couch but the bottom line is that the Browns were only 4-8 in games he started. He played in 19 games (12 starts) in his career with the Browns and he completed 323 of 507 passes (63.7%) for 3,438 yards with 26 TD passes and 21 INTs (83.3 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 20 times for 14 yards (0.7 ypc) in his career with the Browns.
6.) Derek Anderson: Don’t scream Browns’ fans as Anderson did make it to a Pro Bowl starting for the Browns. He has played in 39 games for the Browns in his career and he has completed 587 of 1,109 passes (52.9%) for 7,083 yards with 46 TD passes and 45 INTs (69.7 Rating). He also has carried the ball 71 times for 180 yards (2.5 ypc) with 5 TD runs so far in his career with the Browns. He will likely get released during the off-season but unlike most players on this list he did have 1 good year for the Browns.
7.) Gary Danielson: The Browns brought in Gary Danielson to mentor Bernie Kosar and he did a good job in that role. But, he also played well when called upon by the Browns to play. The Browns were 5-3 in games he started for them. He played in 16 games (8 starts) in his time with the Browns and he completed 153 of 248 passes (61.7%) for 1,879 passes with 12 TD passes and 7 INTs (89.4 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 30 times for 129 yards (4.3 ypc) in his time with the Browns.
8.) Don Strock: The Browns were in dire straits in 1988 due to injuries to Bernie Kosar, Mike Pagel and Gary Danielson so they placed a call to Don Strock who was sitting on the beach in Miami. He accepted the Browns’ offer and he played in four games for the Browns starting the last two of them and he won both games getting the Browns into the playoffs where they lost to the Houston Oilers. Strock played in four games for the Browns (2 starts) in which he completed 55 of 91 passes (60.4%) for 736 yards with 6 TD passes and 5 INTs (85.2 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 6 times for -2 yards (-0.3 ypc) for the Browns.
9.) Mike Tomczak: He gets a extra star from me for beating the Steelers in a game he started. He played in 12 games (8 starts) for the Browns in which he was 4-4 as a starter. He completed 120 of 211 passes (56.9%) for 1,693 yards with 7 TD passes and 7 INTs (80.1 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 24 times for 39 yards (1.6 ypc) with the Browns.
10.) Trent Dilfer: Dilfer was only 4-7 as a starter for the Browns as he was only in Cleveland 1 year. He played in 11 games (all starts) for the Browns in which he completed 199 of 333 passes (59.8%) for 2,321 yards with 11 TD passes and 12 INTs (76.9 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 20 times for 46 yards (2.3 ypc) for the Browns.
11.) Jeff Garcia: Garcia might not have been well liked in Cleveland but he still ranks this high. He played in 11 games (10 starts) for the Browns and they were 3-7 in games he started. Garcia completed 144 of 252 passes (57.1%) for 1,731 yards with 10 TD passes and 9 INTs (76.7 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 35 times for 169 yards (4.8 ypc) with 2 TD runs for the Browns.
12.) Brady Quinn: Quinn has been the QB of the future for three years now but he has yet to grab the bull by the horns. He has played in 14 games for the Browns and he has completed 184 of 353 passes (52.1%) for 1,902 yards with 10 TD passes and 9 INTs (66.8 QB Rating). He has also carried the ball 25 times for 119 yards (4.8 ypc) with 1 TD run for the Browns. He could move way up this list or he could move down it……it’s all up to him.
13.) Mark Rypien: Mark Rypien stopped by for the 1994 season for the Browns and he played well enough in relief of Vinny Testaverde to go 2-1 as a starter helping the Browns get to the playoffs. Rypien played in 6 games (3 starts) for the Browns and he completed 59 of 128 passes (46.1%) for 694 yards with 4 TD passes and 3 INTs (63.7 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 7 times for 4 yards (0.6 ypc) for the Browns.
14.) Charlie Frye: Fyre was a local (Akron U.) that turned into a whipping boy for Browns’ fans. The Browns were 6-13 in games that Frye started for them. He played in 21 games (19 starts) for the Browns and he completed 354 of 566 passes (62.5%) for 3,490 yards with 14 TD passes and 23 INTs (71.2 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 66 times for 276 yards (4.2 ypc) with 4 TD runs for the Browns.
15.) Paul McDonald: Lefty throwing Paul McDonald was supposed to be the guy who made the Browns forget about Brian Sipe. Boy was the front office wrong on that one as the Browns were only 8-13 in games he started. McDonald played in 84 games (21 starts) for the Browns and he completed 411 of 767 passes (53.6%) for 5,269 yards with 24 TD passes and 37 INTs (65.7 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 37 times for 6 yards (0.2 ypc) with 1 TD run for the Browns.
16.) Mike Pagel: Pagel was actually not too bad as a back-up but he was awful as a starting QB for the Browns. The Browns were 2-5 in games started by Pagel. Pagel completed 147 of 299 passes (49.2%) for 1,688 yards with 7 TD passes and 13 INTs (56.0 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 11 times for -1 yard (-0.1 ypc) for the Browns.
17.) Ty Detmer: Detmer, like Pagel was not bad as a back-up QB but he was awful when he started due to a very weak right arm. He was 0-2 as a starting QB and he started the Browns’ first game back in the NFL in 1999 which they lost 43-0 to the Steelers. That prompted the Browns to replace him the next week as the starting QB deciding to throw Tim Couch to the wolves. Detmer played in 5 games (2 starts) for the Browns and he completed 47 of 91 passes (51.6%) for 548 yards with 4 TD passes and 2 INTs (75.7 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 6 times for 38 yards (6.3 ypc) with a TD run for the Browns.
18.) Luke McCown: The Browns gave up on McCown too early as he is a decent back-up QB (for the Jags). McCown started 4 games in his rookie season in which the Browns went 0-4. McCown played in 5 games (4 starts) for the Browns and he completed 48 of 98 passes (49%) for 608 yards with 4 TD passes and 7 INTs (52.6 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 6 times for 25 yards (4.2 ypc) for the Browns.
19.) Eric Zeier: Zeier only started four games in his career with Browns in which they went 1-3. Zeier played in 7 games (4 starts) for the Browns and he completed 82 of 161 passes (50.9%) for 864 yards with 4 TD passes and 9 INTs (51.9 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 15 times for 80 yards (5.3 ypc) for the Browns.
20.) Todd Philcox: The Browns were somehow 2-3 in games started by Todd Philcox. Philcox played in 11 games (5 starts) in his career with the Browns and he completed 69 of 143 passes (48.3%) for 965 yards with 7 TD passes and 9 INTs (60.5 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 3 times for 2 yards (0.7 ypc) with a TD run for the Browns. He was awful but the five below him are even worse.
21.) Doug Pederson: The Browns were 1-7 in games started by Doug Pederson. Pederson played in 11 games (8 starts) in his career with the Browns and he completed 117 of 210 passes (55.7%) for 1,047 yards with 2 TD passes and 8 INTs (56.6 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 18 times for 68 yards (3.8 ypc) with the Browns.
22.) Spergon Wynn: It amazes me that Wynn is not the worst QB on this list but he’s better than the guys below him. The Browns were 0-1 in games started by Wynn. Wynn played in 7 games (1 start) for the Browns and he completed 22 of 54 passes (40.7%) for 167 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT (41.2 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 3 times for 15 yards (5.0 ypc) for the Browns.
23.) Ken Dorsey: The Browns were 0-3 in games started by the weak armed Ken Dorsey. He played in 6 games (3 starts) for the Browns in which he completed 43 of 92 passes (46.7%) for 370 yards with 0 TD passes and 7 INTs (26.1 QB Rating). Dorsey also carried the ball 2 times for 0 yards (0.0 ypc) for the Browns.
24.) Bruce Gradkowski: Gradkowski took awful to a new level last season for the Browns who lost his only start for them. He played in 2 games (1 start) for the Browns last season and he completed 7 of 21 passes (33.3%) for 26 yards with 0 TD passes and 3 INTs (2.8 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 1 time for 2 yards for the Browns.
25.) Jeff Christensen: The reason that Christensen is last on this list is because he crossed the picket line during the NFL strike of 1987 and he still sucked. The Browns were 1-1 in games he started that year. Christensen played in 3 games (2 starts) for the Browns and he completed 24 of 58 passes (41.4%) for 297 yards with 1 TD pass and 3 INTs (42.1 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 11 times for 41 yards (3.7 ypc) in his time with the Browns.
One can only hope that the new regime leading the Browns will start bringing in some legit QBs to play for them. I have a good feeling about Holmgren and Heckert so the future should be bright for the Browns offensively.
