Anderson anxious for second chance

09.30.2009

It's not exactly déjà vu for Derek Anderson. But it is a chance to get himself - and his team - back on track.

When Eric Mangini named Anderson the Browns' starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Bengals, it brought Anderson back to a place he's been before.

He lost a 2007 training camp battle for the starting job to Charlie Frye but was named the starter before Week Two - coincidentally, a home game against the Bengals.

Anderson threw for 328 yards and 5 touchdowns in that game, which marked the beginning of a string of seven straight home wins in what became a 10-win season for the Browns and a Pro Bowl season for Anderson, who ended up throwing for 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns.

"It is kind of weird how it happened like that (against the Bengals)," Anderson said. "But we're just anxious to get out there and try to get better. We're going to go out in there in the rain today and have a good time."

Anderson is 2-1 in three career starts against the Bengals; in those games, he's completed 61 percent of his passes for 717 yards with 8 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

"Giving Derek this opportunity, I think, has the potential to help us offensively," Mangini said. "Derek did some things that were positive last week. I think he can help us improve, and that's what the decision is based on."

He now takes over an offense that's scored just one touchdown in its first three games. Anderson replaced Brady Quinn at halftime of last week's loss in Baltimore and finished the game, completing 11-of-19 passes for 92 yards and 3 interceptions.

Anderson said he wouldn't make any excuses for throwing the interceptions, but taking over with the Browns facing a 20-0 deficit changed the game.

"Yeah, I threw some balls in places I had no business throwing," he said. "If it's a 7-3 game I'm not doing it. I was just trying to bring some energy and try to be positive with everybody.

"We talked about it and I made some bad decisions. I'll learn from them. A couple of them, like Coach said, on the one Braylon probably had him beat and tried to throw it a long way and the safety squeezes in from the backside. That happens, that's football.

"I thought overall it was pretty good. I had fun out there, didn't get banged up too bad. I thought the O-line did a good job protecting, because I've gotten killed versus those guys before."

Quinn said he was "disappointed" with Mangini's decision but would continue to prepare and do whatever he was asked to help the team.

"I want to be playing, I want to be starting," Quinn said. "That's the case, I'm sure with a lot of guys in the league. If you don't feel that way, you shouldn't be in the league. Right now I'm trying to do everything I can to help my teammates, whether it's Derek or anyone else, and do the best we can."

Said Anderson: "We're all competitors, we all want to play. I'm excited about the opportunity."