Post-meltdown: Anderson remains Cardinals' starter. (Source: Kansas City.com)

Tuesday in the National Football League:

¶ Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt told reporters Tuesday that Derek Anderson will remain the starting quarterback, tantrum or no tantrum, according to Darren Urban, who reports for the team’s official website.

¶ Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison was fined $25,000 by the league on Tuesday for his hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. This is Harrison’s fourth fine this season, costing him a total of $125,000.

Harrison had this to say earlier in the week: “I’m not expecting a fine. It’s the exact thing as last week. It was the same exact hit. I hit him (Fitzpatrick) the same way I did the quarterback from Oakland and I got the same flag but I didn’t get a fine. … I’m expecting the same thing on this.”

He should be in a pleasant mood this evening.

BTW — Was Harrison fined for this hit?

¶ The Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall, bothered by a hamstring injury, stated that there is “a chance” he could be ready for the Cleveland Browns this Sunday, according to Ben Volin of The Palm Beach Post.

¶ We’ve always loved the NFL Game Map — take a look at what games will be shown in your area this Sunday — this was more relevant before people sat on their couches watching Sunday Ticket and Red Zone.

¶ ESPN reports that the MRI exam on Vikings running back Adrian Peterson‘s right ankle showed “only a sprain,” according to interim coach Leslie Frazier on Tuesday. “Now it’s just a matter of what he can or can’t do,” Frazier said. “We’ll know a little more (Wednesday) as he tries to put some weight on it and move around. We’re anxious to find out how he comes along.”

Expect Peterson to be a game-time decision this Sunday against Buffalo.

Anderson’s rant was in response to Somers’ questioning about footage from the Monday Night Football broadcast, which showed Anderson laughing with guard Deuce Lutui while the 49ers sailed to victory.

ESPN’s Jon Gruden was critical of Anderson’s loose demeanor, as shown below:

Somers began by asking Anderson about his conversation with Lutui.

“I don’t mean this to be sarcastic or pointed,” he said, “but that went out on Monday night television, and a lot of fans are talking about it right now as a big problem with this team. Can you put into context what was going on at that moment, and what caused you to–”

So what exactly were they smiling about? (Image via CBSNews.com)

Anderson stopped Somers: “What Deuce and I talk about is nobody else’s business.”

“But why was something funny when you’re down 18 points in the fourth quarter?” Somers asked.

“It wasn’t funny. I wasn’t laughing about anything,” Anderson said.

Somers pressed: “But the cameras showed you laughing.”

Anderson again cut Somers off, becoming emotional.

“I’m not laughing about anything … You think this is funny? I take this (expletive) serious. Real serious,” Anderson said. “I put my heart and soul into this (expletive) every single week. I’m just telling you, right now, what I do every single week. Every single week, I put my freaking heart and soul into this. I study my ass off.

“I don’t go out there and laugh. It’s not funny. Nothing’s funny to me. I don’t want to go out there and get embarrassed on Monday Night Football in front of everybody.”

The back and forth continued until Anderson marched out of the room.

Janikowski in his post-miss squat (AP Photo/Matt York)

Don’t you just love it when a 60-minute football game comes down to the leg of a kicker?  I know I sure do!  And boy, Oakland fans must have just been loving life today during the big Raiders/Cardinals showdown in the desert. [end sarcasm]

It was a hard-fought (but mistake-filled) contest between the two clubs, with Cardinals QB Derek Anderson throwing 2 touchdowns, and Raiders RB Darren McFadden rushing for over 100 yards and a score.  But it all came down to the closing seconds, with Arizona leading 24-23 and Oakland driving for a game-winning score.

With :04 remaining, Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski – who had already missed 2 field goal attempts earlier in the day – lined up for a 32-yard try and a shot at redemption:

WATCH THE VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

(video contains highlights of all 3 Janikowski misses)

Yeah, that’s just great.  Overall, Janikowski was 3-of-6 on the day, hitting from 22, 54 and 23 yards, while missing from 41, 58 and 32 yards on that last one.  And now the Raiders fall to 1-2 instead of fighting for the division lead at 2-1.

Remember when Oakland spent a first round draft pick on this guy back in 2000?  Al’s probably not feeling so good about that one right now, huh?

Cabot reports that Mangini will “tell the two quarterbacks in the ‘near future’ in separate conversations with each of them. He said he’ll explain to them why and how the decision was made. He said as a defensive coordinator, it’s difficult to prepare for an offense when the quarterback is unknown… He said he expects both quarterbacks to prepare as though they’re the starter.”

Quinn or Anderson? Who cares. Stopping this guy is the issue.

This is dangerous territory. We doubt the Minnesota Vikings are in awe of either quarterback. Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson combined for one touchdown pass in the preseason–it’s not as if the Vikes are game planning for Joe Montana, only to discover, moments before kickoff, that Steve Young is starting.

The bigger concern for Cleveland is containing Adrian Peterson and finding a way to rush for more than 30 yards against Minnesota’s blistering defensive front. These head games equate to nothing, and Minnesota’s feathers are unruffled by this mystery.

In the wake of the Cutler debacle, there was talk about Josh McDaniels pursuing a trade with the Browns for QB Brady Quinn. It never went down. Meanwhile, speculation about a Derek Anderson trade dates back to January 2008.

Tonight, on the eve of the 2009 season, the New England Patriots are without a solid backup for Tom Brady. With only two quarterbacks on the roster, something has to change.

There’s chatter all over the grid that Mangini’s decision to sit both Quinn and Anderson last night had a purpose: resting Quinn for the starting role in Week One, and positioning Anderson for a trade that will happen over the next 48 hours. People speculate that the Browns and Pats couldn’t be talking–the Belichick/Mangini feud would prevent that, right? Nonsense. If the deal makes sense for both coaches and both teams, the trigger will be pulled.

While Derek Anderson is far from perfect, he’s young with a cannon arm, and may appeal to Belichick in the same way Vinny Testaverde did in 1993, when Belichick made the decision to release Bernie Kosar, much to the horror of the entire city. (People forget that Vinny wasn’t even healthy when Bernie was cut, but he figured into the coach’s plans for 1994, and he helped lead the Browns to an 11-5 season and their most recent playoff win–over Bill Parcells and the Patriots, of all teams.)

Derek Anderson recalls, in some ways, the imperfect--but dangerous--skillset of Vinny Testaverde.

People ripped on Vinny for his perceived lack of intelligence–and his knack for throwing costly interceptions. Belichick loved his arm, and fawned over his athleticism. Inherent to Anderson are some of those same strengths and weaknesses–when he thinks too much, and gets tight, he suffers. When he’s loose (we’ve said before that he should drink about three beers before every game), the guy just guns the ball all over the field. Anderson can be frustrating beyond comprehension–but he’s downright dangerous when he’s on. Besides, he’s toiled on a team that’s been in flux since the Reagan era. What would happen to Anderson under the guidance of Belichick and the Patriots? It’s a scary thought.

DEVELOPING…

At this stage, we're rooting for McDaniels to get through the 2009 season.

Or, is it time for Josh and the boys to make a move? Assuming that Orton is not the long-term solution in Denver, will the Broncos sit patiently, or pursue a capable signal caller from another team? Perhaps Minnestota’s Sage Rosenfels or Cleveland’s Derek Anderson have been mentioned in the past, but Anderson doesn’t fit well into McDaniels system.

It would be intriguing to watch the rookie head coach start his career with a rookie signal caller. We found this video of Tom B. (Brandstater, not Brady) talking strategy:

While Head Coach Eric Mangini hasn’t made the official announcement–and may continue to hold his tongue–everyone knows what’s coming: Brady Quinn will be named the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns. In no way did Quinn decisively vanquish Derek Anderson (who seems like he’d be much better with a few beers in him at gametime, loose and frenzied, just gunning it across the field like it’s his backyard), but he took care of business tonight in the team’s third–and most critical–preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. Check out the highlights here.

It’s questionable whether or not these preseason games provide adequate ground for a true quarterback competition–especially one as flimsy as this–it’s simply been a stage for the inevitable. Anderson, as always, flip-flops between white hot and ice cold. Meanwhile, we have no idea what Quinn can do over the course of a season, but he’s more Mangini’s style: controlled, orderly, and methodical.

In the eyes of many, Anderson needed to wipe Quinn off the field to win this job–he didn’t even throw a touchdown pass. Tonight, Quinn did, and while nobody in Pittsburgh is shaking in their shoes just yet, he will lead this team in 2009.

Case closed.

The Browns last four opening-day starters at the quarterback position were almost as funny as these guys--Quinn can do no worse.

There’s an undercurrent of self-defeat in all of this.

After last season’s debacle, I promised to never to play fantasy again.

Reason #1: My teams have sucked horribly, painfully, year after year. Some of the worst fantasy teams ever assembled—last season ended with somebody named Chet Orley-Francine at quarterback and Aunt Jemima running the ball.

Reason #2: I just couldn’t get past the fact that I was a 35-year-old man who was regularly unsettled about my “team,” it’s riddled lineup, and inability to “win football games” on my computer.

As my contingent of oft-injured, mid-tier clowns tanked week after week, I felt my rich disdain for the entire operation bloom.

One thing about fantasy: it seems to me that if you get out of the gate slow, with a bunch of players unable to find themselves, you have about as much a chance at outshining your peers as Lauren Conrad at a Mensa convention.

"LC" and fantasy football contribute equally to this society.

My 2008 fantasy start was grizzly. I lost my opening three games by a combined four points–two of those games were lost by a fraction of a point. The scoring system was such where a runningback, for instance, could score 22.7 points in a game (suggesting–to me, at least–that this entire process took itself far too seriously). By Week Four, it was over: I lost by 70 points, the victim of my own poor administration (I was out of town for the weekend, and mistakenly started three bye players, a mid-malaise Chad Ochocinco, and Chelsea Clinton). Sitting at 0-4, looking up at a flock of 4-0 and 3-1 teams, my Matt Schaub-led band of hobby horses spiraled violently downward.

This Schaub guy (who I’m told, again, is a “sleeper”) drove me to drink. Week after week, he sabotaged my fake team: I’d play him and, in real life, he’d get the flu ten minutes before gametime, leaving the quarterback slot VOID. Thanks, Matt. So, I’d sit him, and he’d come in—randomly—and throw three touchdowns. I’d fall for it, play him the next week, and he’d burn up the field for 47 yards. By Week 8, I was floating.

I have a hard time imagining my grandfather, fresh out of World War II, deciding to spend his fall playing fantasy football. It certainly speaks to the complete ease most of us live in today. I’ll get flamed for suggesting that we’re in “languish” mode—yes, yes, I know: many adults who spend way too much time twiddling around with their fantasy football lineup also hold successfully hold down full-time jobs, engage in relationships as parents and spouses, and contribute to a local charity (or tavern). That said, I just can’t get past the absurdity of it all. Human beings were meant for more than this.

I simultaneously applaud and disdain the fantasy football “experts” who have somehow convinced magazines, television stations, websites, and, well, ANYONE, to pay them. Pay them to provide their BIG BOARD, their SLEEPERS and BUSTS — their “FANTASY HANDCUFFS” (please).

What is beyond utterly dumb is the quiet but solid vindication I feel when my Browns get shredded by the Steelers but, because I drafted the Pittsburgh defense, my false squad of pixels nets 28 points for the three interceptions and two touchdowns my Steeler D amassed off a dazed-and-confused Derek Anderson. And… while it sucks Jamal Lewis was held to 4 yards on 8 carries, I feel “smart” for benching him–just in time–to start Ray Rice, who scored twice on the Browns. Happy day.

As a Browns fan, cheering for Hines Ward on my fantasy team was the wakeup call: enough with the mixed loyalties, the explanations, the casual attitudes--this is dumb. No more drafting/rooting for Steelers/Ravens/Bengals players. Terrible!

Can I put this on my resume? Does this matter to anyone?

If Planet Nibiru is genuinely coursing toward earth, as you read this, and if we’re all going down the tubes in 2012, should I really spend another second “tweaking my starting lineup”?

That’s a big question to ponder, and I have more to say about it………….. right after I re-check my master list to make sure I’ve scrubbed Brandon Marshall out of my Top 100. Be right back.

The Browns 10-year rebuilding plan continues today!

And we are here to follow the action. After a dismal showing against Green Bay last Saturday, will the Browns have their act together today in Cleveland Browns Stadium? Will Eric Mangini‘s team be different than those coached by Chris Palmer, Butch Davis, or Romeo Crenell–or is this just more of the same?

Aspects of the game the Browns need to improve:

• Every aspect

There’s an incredible amount of attention on the QB battle between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, but the reality is that neither of these guys has separated from the pack. Neither has shown they can play consistent football week to week (or even practice to practice). The “quarterback controversy” here, in my opinion, is the fact that we’re going into the season for the eleventh time since the Browns return to the league WITHOUT a clear-cut starter–and minus a true leader at the position.

Here are two problems that suggest disaster for this team: (1) They cannot run the football; (2) They cannot stop the run. That’s the recipe for a painful, long season. This team that has to get tougher, smarter, and refuse to lie down. Winning or losing preseason games is not of core importance–but playing well, gaining confidence, and nailing down Mangini’s new system are critical.

Will the team get their act together today? We’ll post throughout the game, right after the jump…

• 4:16 p.m.: We are still hearing disturbing rumblings that Josh Cribbs may hold out starting Week One. That would be problematic: Josh is arguably the Browns only blue-chip player beyond Shaun Rogers. Throw Joe Thomas in there, I suppose (I’m not sure Braylon Edwards deserves the accolades at this stage–he needs to show up consistently).
• 4:19 p.m.:My favorite part about watching the Browns is that I’m not at work. But I’m convinced that a fleet of interns and secretaries from my office could put up 350 yards against the Browns defense.
• 4:20 p.m.:The game stream–which we’re downloading off the net, and streaming onto our TV–has just gone dead. This could be a real short game report.
• 4:21 p.m.: It came back on. We’re in L.A., streaming some bizarre channel out of C-Town, getting the lowdown on Northeast Ohio’s five-day forecast and local Taco Bell promotions.

Is Brady Quinn a quarterback--or just a male model playing a quarterback on TV? I am concerned.

4:30 p.m.: Bernie Kosar is announcing. People rip on him, but he’s honest. He lashed the team for their performance last week.

4:31 p.m.: I have a really bad feeling about the opener against Minnesota. I have learned to trust these bad feelings about the team, especially under the national spotlight.

4:33 p.m.: Game still hasn’t started. Yawn.

4:35 p.m.: Seventy-plus yard return by Josh Cribbs CALLED BACK BY A FLAG. Derek Anderson starts and hits rookie Mohamed Massaquoi for 20-plus yards; then hits Braylon inside the Lions 20, but Braylon’s out of bounds; now hits Cribbs downs to the Lions 25; and Furrey to the Lions 15–they’re passing relentlessly with Anderson in there. Anderson hands off to Jamal Lewis, who rumbles to the four. A brusing run. First and goal at the four and LEWIS BLASTS OVER LEFT GUARD FOR A TOUCHDOWN. Nice drive by the Browns. 7-0.

NOTE: THIS IS CLEVELAND’S FIRST TOUCHDOWN SINCE NOVEMBER 2008.

Here’s what the old Dawg Pound looked like:

4;46 p.m.: First pick in the NFL draft Matthew Stafford is PICKED OFF BY CB ERIC WRIGHT, who takes it back to the Detroit five. Nice work by the Browns defense on their home turf. Then Wright gets nailed for a celebration penalty. Mangini will speak with Wright about that. The Browns will now start at the Lions 20.

4:51 p.m.: Anderson still in. Incomplete to Edwards. Jamal Lewis gets stuffed at the line. Anderson scrambles to the Lions 15. The penalty killed them. This team cannot afford to “celebrate” and lose touchdown opportunities. So… Dawson nails a FG. 10-0.

4:55 p.m.: Some of you might recall Eric Wright’s scorching of the New York Football Giants last October:

4:56 p.m.: SHOULD WE RENEW JOSH CRIBSS CONTRACT? How about YES. He just took a punt return back 84 yards for a score. 17-0 Browns.

5:05 p.m.: The Browns shut down the Lions again (four straight three-and-outs) and now Anderson hits Braylon on a nice pass, and then throws deep to Massaquoi, who nets a pass inteference. Browns at the Lions 20. Jamal Lewis takes it for a few (he looks slow, but bruising). Browns have third and five. Anderson under center. Three receiver set. Andersen throws it away. Dawson comes in and hits the field goal. Browns 20-0 with four minutes left in the first quarter.

5:15 p.m.: Browns knock Stafford and the Lions off track again. The Browns look pretty good against a team that went 0-16 last season. They are tackling and playing with intensity–but, again, we’re up against a team that hasn’t won a regular season game since 2007.

5:20 p.m.: BRADY QUINN ENTERS THE GAME ON 3rd and 1 and gets sacked. Ouch. Not what he was hoping for. Anderson came in and lit it up. Quinn is going to have to generate points to make an impression today.

5:25 p.m.: Stafford completes a pass, but the receiver fumbles the ball and Hank Poteat of the Browns recovers it. Detroit challenges the call. And they win the challenge–Detroit keeps the ball. But ends up punting.

5:37 p.m.: Brady Quinn is back in. This is an important drive for him. And… Brady CONNECTS with rookie wideout Brian Robiskie on a 24-yard pass. Rookie James Davis is in at runningback. A lot of people are talking about Davis. A sixth-round pick who has lit up practice. He runs for a few yards. Then Brady connects on a 15-yard pass that’s called back for a false start. First bad penalty on offense tonight. Brady is composed, that’s one thing you have to like about him–but he can’t like the playcall here: a draw play to Davis on third and ten. The Browns punt. Not bad work by Quinn. Lively arm and good presence, but the drive dies.

The Browns have high hopes for rookie James Davis from Clemson.

5;41 p.m.: The Browns have mystified and shut down Matt Stafford. He’s thrown a pick, been rushed, missed open receivers, and been generally, well, a rookie quarterback. The Browns take over again with a few minutes left in the second quarter. Their defense has looked smart today. Tough and composed. Not as many terrible penalties. And a nice turnover early in the game.

5:44 p.m.: Brady Quinn completes to James Davis, but it’s killed by another penalty. The offense isn’t talented enough to make these stupid penalties. A handoff to James Davis for 14 yards. A nice burst and rumble off left tackle. On third and six, the Lions go offsides, so we’re looking at third and one. Brady hands off to Davis, who makes the yardage for a first down. Brady gets hit in the arm/hand on a long throw. He then throws to Jamal Lewis, but Jamal drops it. On third down, Brady hits Furrey, but it’s not enough. It was a sort of gutless screen pass on third and long–not an imaginative selection. Browns punt to Detroit’s 14.

5;51 p.m.: The Lions bring in Daunte Culpepper on offense. The bushy-haired Stafford stands quietly on the sidelines.

5:58 p.m.: The Browns defense is driving Detroit crazy. They aren’t showing much, but they’re pressuring Culpepper and covering receivers. They’ve stifled Detroit thus far. With 0:55 left in the half, Detoirt goes for it on fourth and one. The Browns STUFF the Lions RB, but a flag is thrown: holding offense. WOW. The Browns looked tough on that play (hey, when you’re a Browns fan, you take what you can get).

6:01 p.m.: The Browns have Derek Anderson back in to run the two-minute drill. (They put Brady in last week.) Derek completes a pair of nice passes to James Davis to the Browns 40 or so. Only 15 seconds left. They’ve got a long way to go. Anderson throws a tipped ball that’s picked off by Detroit and gives the Lions a chance to score. Yikes, not what Derek wanted–but I like Mangini testing him. PS – The Lions nail a long FG and score. 20-3 Browns at halftime.

6:19 p.m.: The start of the second half. I’m going to sit back and watch some of this. I can’t imagine too many people are relying on these updates to follow the game.

6:21 p.m.: I had an awesome bowl of speghetti and sauce during the first half. WAIT! The Browns just picked up a fumble and have the ball at the Lions 45. Who will enter as quarterback? (What I like is that a bunch of young players and rookies and Mangini imports are making a difference in this game. That said, we’re gonna’ need big plays and consistent performance to beat the Vikings in Week One. Still feel wicked strange about that game. I don’t like the whole Vikings vibe right now–and I don’t like a fresh Adrian Peterson in Week One rumbling down the sideline.

6:24 p.m.: Brett Ratliff is in. So is James Davis. I doubt we’ll see any more starters at this point. They hand the ball off three times to Davis. And punt. Not impressive.

6:28 p.m.: OK… I’m gonna’ sit back and watch this for a while.

6:55 p.m.: Rookie James Davis (photo below) takes a third-and-twelve carry for an 81-yard touchdown! 27-10 Browns. It’s been a long time since the Browns had a strong, young runningback. James Davis fell in the draft due to an injury at Clemson. We’ve seen a lot of players shine in camp and through the preseason, and then VANISH when the games counted. We will monitor the progress of JD.

Browns win 27-10.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/31/six-teams-and-counting-interested-in-cutler/

The Lions obviously have a need. But if they pull the trigger, they’ll most likely be forced to deal the first pick in the draft (what else can they POSSIBLY offer). Recent reports suggest that they’re impressed with Georgia QB Matt Stafford. Would Denver then turn around and pick up Stafford? (Is Stafford honestly worth the number one pick?) (With Chris Simms on the roster, if Denver went a different route in the draft, it could potentially shake up the top five quite considerably.)

Option two: There is a steady stream of whispers suggesting that Brady Quinn will be shipped to Denver for Cutler in a multi-player, or player-picks swap. This seems feasible, especially considering how deeply enamored Mangini was with Cutler when he entered the league. If they join the fray, the Browns will give up much more than Quinn, no doubt. Additional scenarios suggest that a third team would be involved in the trade (one rumor had the Browns giving away Quinn to Denver, the Broncos shipping Cutler to Washington, and the Browns somehow ending up with Jason Campbell and a coffee maker.) (Editor’s note: I will stab myself if the Browns do something like this.)

Instead of Quinn, would the Browns ever ship Derek Anderson in a trade? Would the Broncos ever fall for this? Unlikely. Anderson had a sensational 2007 season, and showed what he can do with a solid offensive line and some weapons on offense, but he was horrid in 2008, and sunk swiftly with the rest of the team. In relief, Quinn showed grit and promise, but ultimately failed to turn the ship around before getting injured. That said, Quinn appears to have more promise–or, at least, we’re not sure he’s a bust.

The question that needs to be asked is whether we view Cutler as a guy ready to lead an NFL team into the future. Physical skills aside, his self-centered behavior, and flashes of immaturity over the past three years, leave you wondering if he can suddenly become a stable and team-oriented presence in a new lockerroom.