His Year: Derek Anderson 2007

The Browns had never had a good QB before. They turned to a sixth round pick as another stopgap. For both sides, finally something stuck.

Throughout the Cleveland Browns' franchise history (which extends back to 1999. This franchise isn't new anymore), they've had three true starting quarterbacks. Three quarterbacks that have stuck for at least three seasons. If you're even tangentially aware of the Browns, you can probably name Tim Couch and Baker Mayfield, but can you name the third?

In the middle of their deep 2000s malaise, the Browns found themselves Derek Anderson to be their starter.

A sixth round draft pick of the Ravens in 2005, Anderson never played a down with Baltimore. Instead, he spent his first two seasons in Cleveland as backup to the Browns' next supposed saviour, Charlie Frye. Due to a Frye injury, Anderson did get to play three and a half games near the end of 2006, including a very good performance against (eventual playoff team) Kansas City to outduel Trent Green in OT. That's no mean feat.

The other performances weren't the same quality however, so in the 2007 draft the Browns made it clear that they did not believe in either Anderson, or Frye. They drafted QB Brady Quinn in the first round. Frye's career in Cleveland was basically over already, but this was extremely bad news for Derek. Even on the Cleveland Browns he wasn't going to get his chance.

Starting the 2007 season second on the depth chart between incumbent Charlie Frye and first round rookie Brady Quinn, it was looking bad for Derek. This is Cleveland so it's possible he could get a few starts, but his low draft profile compared with his uninspiring performance last season means that unless he plays to a pro bowl level he'll be placed firmly in the Brady Quinn placeholder position.

It's week one, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are in town. They've brought their great defence with them. They make Charlie Frye look like garbage. The kind of garbage that's been sitting in the sun for several days. -0.93 EPA/Play garbage. 1.6 QBR (a stat that has a 1-100 scale) garbage.

After 24 minutes of this garbage, Romeo Crennel can take no more. The Browns are down 17-0. Their win probability (according to NFLfastR, as always) is four percent. It would be suicide to throw rookie Brady Quinn into this spot, so it's Derek Anderson's time to shine.

His first time touching the ball, Derek leads the Browns right into Steeler territory. They've had four total plays over the 50 so far. This is encouraging. The drive ends with a strip sack, but it honestly doesn't matter. Cleveland had no chance of winning before, and they had no chance of winning after.

On Derek's first drive of the second half, the Browns score a touchdown. 30 minutes ago this offence couldn't even find a first down, and now they're scoring touchdowns. They're showing signs of life. The rest of this game proceeds in largely the same manner. The game was lost before Derek ever came in so it's perfectly satisfactory for him to just get the offence to show signs of life, and he does.

This was a decidedly okay game for Derek Anderson. In all, he would complete 13 of 26 true pass attempts (excluding spikes and throwaways) for 184 yards with one touchdown and one interception (plus the strip sack) and generate 0.08 EPA/Play in his just over half a game. These are not great numbers, but this was against a Pittsburgh defence that would go on to rank fifth in 2007.

Derek Anderson was thrown to the wolves. To be clear, the only reason he went into this game is so that Brady Quinn wouldn't have to. He was supposed to look bad. This was a situation tailormade to relegate him to backup status forever. In my opinion, if he had flopped in this game I think he would've been out of chances. To have a fifth try like this is already lucky for a sixth round QB.

He didn't flop. He'd proven something that day. He'd proven that Cleveland still didn't need to throw Brady Quinn to the wolves just yet. The Browns' starter for their week two matchup at home against the Bengals would be Derek Anderson.

This is a tough situation for Derek. Yes he's proven enough to start for one more week, but it's against another division rival in the Bengals. The Bengals are lead by one of the best QBs in the game, pre-elbow injury Carson Palmer, who'd ranked sixth in EPA/Play in 2006.

Derek has one game for his NFL career as a starter, and I can't think of a tougher situation.

He's not handling it well. To start the game, Derek throws five incomplete passes in a row. The Cleveland crowd have already had enough of the Derek Anderson experiment. They want Brady Quinn. They show their displeasure by loudly booing as the fifth ball hits the ground.

Put yourself in Derek Anderson's shoes. You're a sixth round draft pick, but were immediately cut by the team that drafted you. You're on a Cleveland team that has no attachment to you. In fact, they invested a first round pick in the offseason to show you how little attachment they have. They threw you to the wolves last week so he wouldn't have to look bad, and you played well enough that they had to start you this week, but now you're struggling. Struggling so bad that your own fans are booing you. Frankly, they have no attachment either. They've also invested in that first round pick who just so happens to be standing right there. He's ready to go in whenever Romeo Crennel gives the word.

This is a week two game between two teams who both missed the playoffs last year, but to Derek Anderson, this must feel like the Super Bowl.

In the most important drive of his life, Derek Anderson would throw three straight completions to get Cleveland into position for the field goal they kick. Nothing exceptional, but good enough to stay on the field. The exceptional part is what happens next.

The Cleveland offence will touch the ball ten more times in this game. They'll score seven times, including six touchdowns. Every single one of these points will be absolutely necessary, as Cleveland's offence cannot stop Carson Palmer, but there is no beating Derek Anderson today. Cleveland will win this game 51-45.

Welcome to Derek Anderson's year.

After suffering a loss in Oakland to a blocked last second field goal (in conjunction with the last great game of Daunte Culpepper's career), the Browns were 1-2. The Steelers were 3-0 with a win over Cleveland. In order to win the division, Cleveland will have to make up three games. This is very doable, but if Cleveland loses again before the Steelers lose, Cleveland's playoff hopes are basically over.

Anderson responded to this with a five game stretch where he generated 0.274 EPA/Play (5th in that span; only behind Brady, Brees, Manning, Roethliberger) with a 3.1 CPOE in leading Cleveland to a 4-1 record. After this stretch, Cleveland is 5-3. Pittsburgh is 6-2. The Browns are back in business.

They finally have their starting quarterback. They're finally in a good position. Their next game, week ten in Pittsburgh, is without doubt one of the most important games of the franchise's young existence. Win and take the lead in the AFC North. Lose and you're very likely to go another year with no playoffs.

Once again, all the pressure in the world is on Derek Anderson.

Having lost 34-7 in week one in Cleveland, the Browns are going into Pittsburgh as ten point road underdogs. If you needed any proof that nobody is taking the Browns seriously, despite their 5-3 record and frankly great QB play so far, there it is. I don't get this. The Steelers had missed the playoffs in 2006, and while Ben Roethlisberger is having the best season of his career so far (as it turns out, his best one until 2014), he's not that much better than Derek Anderson. I guess it's the Browns tax. No matter how good you do, nobody will ever take you seriously. Nobody will ever believe you belong in a battle like this with one of the big boys.

Today, on November 11, 2007, the Browns are going to prove to everybody just how much they belong.

The Browns storm out of the gates for three touchdowns in their first four possessions, and take a 21-9 lead into half over the Steelers and their same defence that made the Browns look like such garbage in September. These Browns are not the same as the ones in September. These Browns have Derek Anderson.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, they came out for the second half and ran into a brick wall. After three and outs on each of their first five second half possessions, the Browns find themselves behind 24-21 at the eleven minute mark. Thankfully, due to a kick return touchdown of all things, the Browns go back up 28-24. After a long Steelers touchdown drive that ate up eight of those precious minutes, the Browns offence is running onto the field facing a deficit for the first time all night.

There's three minutes left. A kickoff return touchdown sandwiched between two long Pittsburgh touchdown drives means this is the first time Derek and the Browns offence have been on the field the in the whole fourth quarter. They haven't touched the ball since they were up 21-16. They're now losing 31-28.

Despite not being able to muster even a single first down in the whole second half up to this point, Derek still has his chance to lead himself and his Browns to glory. All it will take is one drive and Cleveland fans will remember him forever.

Three and out again.

Come on Derek. This is supposed to be your year. Where's the spark?

After a stop by the Cleveland defence, the Browns are getting the ball back. It's on their own 33. This time there's one minute and four seconds left. No timeouts. Derek has just squandered a much better chance than this. How can this possibly go well?

In an event that seems nothing less than a miracle if you watch the second half of this game, it does go well. Derek has the Browns in field goal range within 40 seconds. It took only two plays to get all the way to the Pittsburgh 35. 'Where was this the whole second half?' is what a Browns fan might have asked if they weren't so busy jumping up and down with excitement. Despite coming in as ten point underdogs on the road in one of the most important games in franchise history, Derek Anderson is going to get his chance in overtime. It's anybody's game from here.

At least it would've been if the field goal attempt wasn't missed.

For the second time this season, a Derek Anderson drive in the final minute goes to waste, as the Browns suffer another crushing loss by last second missed field goal. To be fair, this one wasn't a game winner like the one in Oakland was, but still. This is Derek Anderson's year. If he would've gotten his chance in overtime, I'm convinced the Browns could've snuck out of Pittsburgh with a win.

I'll address the elephant in the room here. Derek Anderson did not play great in this game. He completed only 16 of his 32 true pass attempts, but he did throw for three touchdowns against no interceptions and generated 0.08 EPA/Play. He played okay, but put this into perspective. This was a cold, wet afternoon against an always tough Pittsburgh defence. This is not exactly ideal conditions for a QB to put up a great performance. For reference, three weeks later, Carson Palmer and the Bengals would come into Pittsburgh for another cold wet game. He could only generate -0.23 EPA/Play in these conditions.

Derek Anderson could only manage to play okay against these Steelers, but remember that they had a habit of making better QBs than him look much, much worse. With this perspective, and knowing the importance of this game, I think Derek Anderson deserves a lot of credit for this performance. Cleveland hadn't won in Pittsburgh since 2003. Amazingly, I can make that sentence present tense. They haven't won in Pittsburgh (in the regular season) since 2003. Their best chance to break that streak was right here. If only that field goal had gone in.

After all the excitement in Pittsburgh, the Browns were 5-4, but they'd proven something. They were a real team with a real QB who had the ability to look good against good defence. The proof is in the pudding. They came into their week 4 matchup against Baltimore as four point home underdogs. Now, in week 11, they're road favourites.

I debated skipping over this week 11 game against Baltimore, because it's not the best showcase of Derek Anderson, but upon further reflection I can't do an article about the 2007 Browns and not bring it up so here goes.

After a crazy first half featuring fumbles, reversed fumbles, pick sixes, and a crucial third down play being upheld because of a replay system malfunction, immediately followed by Cleveland committing two straight holding penalties followed by two straight false starts (seriously folks, go watch this one if you love ridiculousness), Cleveland was up 13-7 at half.

In the first two drives of the second half, Derek would lead the Browns on drives that resulted in a punt from the Baltimore 36 (oh to be back in 2007), and an eleven yard touchdown drive resulting from a botched Baltimore punt in their own endzone. Due to a pick six from his defence, Derek wouldn't touch the ball again until the fourth quarter, up 27-17. This drive would result in another botched field goal attempt and a turnover on downs.

One three and out later, and Derek and the Browns are in a 27-27 tie with three minutes left. After a killer intentional grounding penalty, they have to punt it away, and before anybody knows what's happening the Browns are down 30-27 with 31 seconds left.

For the second week in a row, the Browns have taken a game they seemed to be in total control of and reduced their chances to a whim and a prayer on a last minute Derek Anderson drive. Again he would deliver, taking two plays to get the Browns into field goal range with three seconds to go. Again the Browns' fate rests on the leg of Phil Dawson. We know how this has gone every other time. Hold your breath.

This is Cleveland. What did you think was going to happen?

The game winning field goal attempt was missed. Again. Baltimore's fans go berserk. Players run onto and off of the field. Players are taking their pads off, but wait a second. On further review, the ball is determined to have hit the back of the crossbar, and so the field goal counts. This week, Derek is going to get his chance in OT.

He makes it a lot less dramatic than the fourth quarter. Cleveland faces only one third down as they march all the way to the Baltimore 16 and kick a game winning field goal to win one of the most ridiculous football games I've ever seen 33-30. This game was so ridiculous that both QBs featured generated negative EPA/Play despite both teams scoring 30 points.

From a Derek Anderson perspective, this is what great QBs do. He overcame one of his worst games of the year to give the Browns the crucial scores when they needed him most. To Cleveland fans it must've felt like a miracle. They finally have a QB who can win them games.

After another 3-1 stretch from weeks 12 to 15, something amazing had happened for the Browns. Since the Pittsburgh game, the Steelers had lost three of their last five, meaning Cleveland is once again tied for the AFC North division lead, at 9-5. Cleveland would need some help from the football gods, but the division is right there on the table if they can just win their last two games. Good news, their last game of the season is at home against the woeful San Francisco 49ers. That should (and does) turn out to be an easy win. The Browns just need to make it to the last week. A win in week 16 would make that win be worth everything to the Cleveland faithful.

The Browns are going to Cincinnati, against whom Derek Anderson had had his NFL coming out party all the way back in week two. This time, just like last time, everything is on the line for Derek Anderson. This time, unlike last time, everything is on the line for the Cleveland Browns.

Initially, things looked okay for Cleveland. Their first two drives resulted in yet another botched field goal (this time a bobbled hold), and a turnover on downs on a fourth and one at the Cincinnati 19. No points, but things look good for the Cleveland offence. However, both of their next two drives result in punts from around the 50. Less good.

Luckily for Cleveland, Carson Palmer is unable to get anything going, and Cleveland is down only 6-0. This is where everything falls apart for Derek Anderson. Cleveland's next three possessions all end in Anderson interceptions. Cincinnati converts two of them into short field touchdowns and the Browns are down 19-0.

This isn't how it was supposed to go. This is supposed to be Cleveland's year. The football gods are supposed to be on their side for just this once.

There are signs of life. On Cleveland's next drive they score a touchdown. 19-7. After a stop, Cleveland's next drive takes them all the way to the Cincinnati 29. Here they're facing a fourth and nine. With 11 and a half minutes left, trailing by twelve, Romeo Crennel decides to go for it here. The pressure gets to Derek, and the ball is tipped while passing. Turnover on downs.

I hate to say this given everything we've seen from Cleveland's kicking game over this 2007 season, but this has to be a field goal attempt. Knowing what happens for the rest of this game, it's easy for me to say this, but even rbdsm's fourth down decision calculator (which LOVES aggressive fourth down play calling) hates this call (Fourth Down Decision Calculator (rbsdm.com)).

After a Bengal three and out, Cleveland gets the ball back on the Cincinnati 49 with 9:15 on the clock. Derek is set to do what he does best, convert an okay performance into a Cleveland win in the fourth. He gets the Browns all the way to the 17 in just one minute before he throws another interception. His fourth of the day.

The feels like a backbreaker, but it isn't. Carson Palmer throws an interception on the very next play. This time the Browns do convert into a touchdown. 19-14.

There's 6:02 left. One problem. Cleveland all of a sudden can't stop the Cincinnati rush attack. As the Bengals eat up more and more clock, it's becoming evident the Browns need something to happen, or the Bengals are just going to score a touchdown and render the whole comeback moot. At 1:55, that miracle comes. A fumble on the Cleveland 18 gives Derek the ball back.

The football gods have given Derek his chance. He's come through against Seattle and Baltimore and Oakland and Pittsburgh, but this time he's not down by a field goal. It's touchdown or nothing for the Browns' 2007 season.

In a minute, Derek is able to get the ball to the Cincinnati 44. Three plays later, they're at the 29, but can get no farther.

Derek Anderson's year fizzles out at the Cincinnati 29. If only they were within a field goal.

This game gets remembered as the day Derek Anderson's NFL career blew up, but that absolutely isn't true. Yes, he committed four turnovers (plus one on downs) in the biggest game of his career. Yes he generated -0.23 EPA/Play, but you're missing the point. He put his team in a bad position, and he played well enough to dig his way out of it. Just like in Pittsburgh. Just like in Baltimore. Just like in Seattle. Just like in Oakland. The only difference is that this time they were down by more than a field goal.

As discussed above, that's not his fault. That's Romeo Crennel's fault for the fourth down try at the 11 minute mark. That's Dave Zastudil's fault for the botched hold on the first drive. I understand that you walk that tightrope when you consistently dig yourself holes the way Derek did in 2007, but that never stopped people from calling Matthew Stafford a great QB. Derek Anderson was great in 2007. Nobody can take that away.

The final spit in the eye of the 2007 Cleveland Browns comes in week 17, when they do get their easy win over San Francisco, and the Steelers do lose to Baltimore. The division was right there. The same division the Browns have never won in their whole history as a franchise. It was in their hands, and they let it get away.

Derek Anderson had proven something in 2007. He'd proven he could not just be a starter in the NFL, but a good one on a good team. The over under for the 2007 Browns was 5.5. Into 2008, it was 8. He made people believe in the Browns. In all, he generated 0.085 EPA/Play (14th), and 6.29 ANY/A (11th), albeit on a -1.3 CPOE (27th), indicating his performance was probably a bit of a mirage.

Still, Derek made the Pro Bowl in 2007, still the only Pro Bowl QB the Browns have ever had. He was the first Browns QB ever to generate a significantly positive (above 0.05) EPA/Play. In this article, I threw out the assertion that Josh McCown was the best Browns QB between Derek Anderson and Baker Mayfield. I've just named three of the four Browns QBs to generate significant positive value over a season in only one sentence (Jacoby Brissett in 2022 is the other). Many asked me why I bothered to make Derek Anderson a stopping point in Browns history. Hopefully now you understand why.

I used the word mirage above for a reason, because regretfully 2007 Derek Anderson might just be the biggest mirage in NFL history. After 2007, Derek Anderson never even showed flashes of being an NFL starter. He would spend 2008 and 2009 being one of the worst QBs in the league in Cleveland before finding a career as Cam Newton's backup in Carolina until his 2018 retirement.

Sometimes you only get one chance. Ask Derek Anderson. I don't know what happened in the aftermath of this season, but you don't perform as well as he did over a 576 play sample through luck. There was a good NFL QB in there somewhere. He was just never able to find it again.

If you ask him, I wonder what he'll tell you about those missed kicks that cost Cleveland their only ever division crown. Would he be bitter? Could he have possibly accepted it? I'm not sure, but I am sure that for 16 wonderful games in 2007, Derek Anderson was for real.