Friday’s edition of Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports Network featured an interview with Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. You know, the “rookie” who’ll turn 29 on Sunday.
Weeden explained to cohost Erik Kuselias the recent remark that the former baseball player needs to take his ego out of the mix when throwing passes.
“I don’t mean it the way it sounded,” Weeden said. “Ego, meaning you can’t make every single throw and try and to be overly aggressive and try to think you can make every single throw. This league is too tough. The DBs are way too good. You’ve got to check the ball down at times.
“I compare it to playing golf. If you’re out there with guys who can hit it 310 yards, put your ego aside and hit 280 down the middle, that’s kind of the way it is at QB. Put your ego aside. You’ve got to be aggressive. I’m never going to not be aggressive. But you’ve got to be smart about it. There’s a couple of plays I haven’t been smart this year. Check the ball down and move to the next play and put our team in a better situation.”
The problem is that the team isn’t in a good situation. They’re 0-5, and they get arguably their last, best chance for a victory before the Week 10 bye when the Bengals come to town on Sunday.
“We need a win,” Weeden said.
Indeed they do. Otherwise, Weeden will be faced with the reality that the next head coach may want his own quarterback wrestling with the ego-based dilemma of when to try to squeeze the ball into a place it likely won’t fit.