The Browns lost another quarterback. Ken Dorsey, who is only playing because of season-ending injuries to Derek Anderson and Quinn, suffered a mild concussion and injured ribs in the fourth quarter. Dorsey was replaced by recently signed QB Bruce Gradkowski, who may have to start the season finale.

(brownsgab.com)

The Browns will go down the Ken Dorsey road once more in Philadelphia on a Monday night game that is made for Tuesday morning.

With Dorsey at quarterback, the Browns have little chance to compete against the Eagles' aggressive variety of blitzes. But they will try.

The team has not deemed Josh Cribbs ready to run more than a dozen plays, so Dorsey will get the bulk of the snaps -- even with his physical limitations.

Dorsey is merely a symptom of the team's offensive struggles. The Browns have scored one or no touchdowns in seven games this season.

They have gone three games in a row without a touchdown, and they are trying to win with their third quarterback. The Browns must fight the urge to abandon ship because the season is more or less over.

"Human nature gets involved," coach Romeo Crennel said, "and human nature tells you, 'All right, it doesn't look like you're going to go anywhere.'

"Sometimes the questions become, 'Why do I need to go to the meetings? Why do I need to prepare? Why do I need to do this?'

"So if they get that attitude, then it falls further apart, and that's the thing that you don't want."

PLAYER/PERSONNEL NOTES
--QB Ken Dorsey's arm strength will continue to be a liability for the Browns. He simply does not have the power to get the ball downfield. As a result, defenses will squeeze the field on the Browns and take away the running game. This makes the challenges significant for the team's offensive coaches.

(cle.scout.com)

NASHVILLE -- Browns quarterback Ken Dorsey received early Christmas presents from his defense with three takeaways in his first start in more than three years, but like his two predecessors this season, he wasn't able to make the most of them.

Dorsey and his struggling crew scored six points off those turnovers, on two field goals. They extended their streak to three games without a touchdown, the first time that's happened since October of 2000.

"It's definitely frustrating, because you want to go out and execute and make plays," said Dorsey, who fell to 2-9 in his career as a starter. "The defense is doing a great job of getting turnovers, and I think a lot of it was my execution."

Dorsey blamed himself for missed opportunities during Sunday's 28-9 loss to the Titans, especially after the defense gave him the ball three times inside Tennessee territory, including twice inside the 26. Specifically, he lamented not being able to get the ball to Braylon Edwards after those takeaways.

After the third one, D'Qwell Jackson's second pick of the day, Dorsey failed to connect with Edwards on four passes, including two deep balls. One was overthrown and one was caught out of bounds. The Browns settled for a field goal that made it 21-9 early in the fourth.

"When you have a guy like Braylon Edwards and the receivers we have, you just have to give them chances to make plays," said Dorsey. "That was a frustrating thing for me in the red zone. I had Braylon one-on-one a couple of times. You have to give him a chance. He's a special kind of player."

Edwards, asked about the missed chances, said "you can answer that for yourself."

Dorsey was handed the ball once at the Titans 25 in the first quarter after Jackson's first interception and moved it only two yards before Dawson kicked a 41-yard field goal. In the third quarter, trailing 21-6, he started at the Titans 26 after Eric Wright's fumble recovery, but couldn't budge the offense before Dawson missed from 44 yards.

"If I had an answer, it wouldn't happen anymore," said receiver Donte Stallworth. "It hurts, because it can really deflate the other team when you get a quick score off a takeaway."

The problem can't be blamed on Dorsey's rustiness. In the past four games, the defense has gotten 12 takeaways and watched them fizzle into 18 points on six field goals.

"It makes it seem like we're not doing our job and we take it to heart," said Josh Cribbs.

Dorsey, under heavy pressure from the Titans' formidable front, completed 22 of 43 attempts for 150 yards, with one interception. The pick, on a deep ball for Edwards in the third quarter, led to a Titans' TD two plays later.

"There were times I moved through reads efficiently and made the right choices," he said. "There were times I went through too quickly and missed some things. Naturally, the interception is one I'd like to have back. It was the right choice, but just the execution [was faulty]."

Dorsey, who got the ball only three times to Edwards and once to Stallworth, was hit hard after the throw 11 times, but sacked only once.

"Ken kept the fight up," said Cribbs. "He got back up after all those hard hits. But we're down to our third-string quarterback and we played a good football team. They got the best of us."

Dorsey complimented the line, which held off premier tackle Albert Haynesworth.

"I'm really proud of the guys up front," said Dorsey. "They were out there battling and doing everything they could to keep them off me."
Crennel said Dorsey "kept fighting but their rush was pretty effective. They had hands in his face. They were knocking balls down. He wasn't able to deliver the ball downfield consistently."

For an encore, Dorsey will play in Philadelphia on Monday Night Football next week.

"I expect to go out and learn from this week," he said. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to hold up my end of the bargain for this team."

(blog.cleveland.com)

Ken Dorsey completed 22-of-43 passes for 150 yards and an interception against the Titans in Week 14.
Dorsey’s pop-gun arm makes Chad Pennington look like the Mad Bomber. His two minute drill takes six and a half minutes. With Josh Cribbs taking significant snaps out of the shotgun, even desperate owners in two-QB leagues should look for other options next week at Philly.

(rotoworld.com)

Whenever Ken Dorsey has had the opportunity to start an NFL game, he has had the misfortune of stepping into a difficult situation surrounded by teammates who are underperforming or not very good.

Dorsey was a seventh-round draft choice by the 49ers in 2003. He did not play as a rookie, but 49ers starter Tim Rattay was injured in the 2004 opener and Dorsey replaced him.

Dorsey started the next seven games, completing 123 of 226 passes for 1,231 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The 49ers were so bad in 2004, they got the first pick in the 2005 draft. They used it on quarterback Alex Smith, one of the all-time No. 1 busts.
Dorsey made three more starts for the 49ers in 2005. That year, San Francisco finished 4-12.

Dorsey's record as a starter in San Francisco was 2-8. The 49ers' combined record in the two years he played was 6-26.

The Browns acquired Dorsey and a seventh-round draft choice from the 49ers on May 4, 2006, for Trent Dilfer.

General Manager Phil Savage knew Dorsey was a cerebral quarterback, if not a gifted one physically. He wanted Dorsey to tutor Charlie Frye.

When Frye flunked out, so to speak, in September of last year, Dorsey already had another pupil — Browns 2007 first-round draft choice Brady Quinn. Dorsey was the perfect teacher because he played under offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski at the University of Miami.

On Sunday in Nashville, Tenn., against the best team the Browns have played since stunning the Giants on Oct. 13, Dorsey will be making his first start in more than three years because Quinn is on injured reserve with a broken finger and Derek Anderson is out for the year with a torn knee ligament. The Titans are 11-1. The Browns have lost four of five games. They are 14-point underdogs, and not just because Dorsey is starting.

"He's a very smart quarterback and he's a competitor," Coach Romeo Crennel said. "He probably doesn't have some of the physical skills some other quarterbacks in the NFL have. I think that's probably been the biggest drawback."

Those physical limitations, namely more of a BB gun arm than a howitzer, did not hamper Dorsey in college. He was 38-2 with the Hurricanes and would have won back-to-back national championships if the Buckeyes did not thwart him in 2002.

Dorsey will not be asked to fire 15-yard sideline passes on a line Sunday, nor will he be asked to zip a pass 20 yards over the middle to Braylon Edwards between two closing defenders. The playbook is thick enough for Chudzinski to find passes that suit Dorsey.

One way or another, Chudzinski and Dorsey want to rediscover the end zone. The Browns have not scored a touchdown since Jerome Harrison broke loose on a 72-yard run in the fourth quarter against Buffalo on Nov. 17. Their only scoring in the last eight quarters is four field goals.

"It comes down to a lot of factors," Dorsey said. "The preparation throughout this week is going to be critical. That's a major aspect of how we do on Sunday.

"I'm expecting a lot out of myself. I'm going to put everything I have into this thing. I expect the whole team is. I'm going to try to get the ball to guys who run fast and make good decisions out there."

Dorsey is making no excuses for his record, although it would be easy to point out the 49ers are still among the worst teams in the league. Nor is he looking at Sunday against the Titans as a remake of "Mission Impossible."

"My record is my record," he said. "I can't change it. I want to win more football games. This is a great opportunity to do that. When you play a great team like we're going to play this weekend, you get excited. You want that opportunity as a player. You embrace it."

Dorsey threw only one pass in his first two years with the Browns. It was incomplete in a game against Tampa Bay on Dec. 24, 2006.

CLEVELAND In terms of seeing, experience is Ken Dorsey's friend.

In terms of doing, rust looms as an imposing foe.

With Derek Anderson's following Brady Quinn to the injured reserve list, Dorsey becomes the Browns' starting quarterback, probably for the final four games, definitely for Sunday's game at Tennessee.

And those Nashville cats are 11-1 largely because they abuse quarterbacks.

"It's gonna be a tremendous challenge for us ... one I'm looking forward to," Dorsey said.

Pardon him for wondering if his challenges were all behind him. He spent three years with the 49ers, where he had a chance to prove he had a big enough arm to win in the NFL the way he did as a national champion in college.

He went 1-6 as the starter in his second pro season, 2004. The 49ers responded by reaching for quarterback Alex Smith at No. 1 overall in the 2005 draft.

The Browns shipped out unhappy Trent Dilfer in 2006 in exchange for Dorsey, who appeared in one game as a first-year Brown, throwing one pass.

It's debatable when he reached bottom.

It might have been the 2006 season finale. Anderson had been hurt in the previous game, and Charlie Frye was iffy with a wrist injury. A wounded Frye started ahead of a healthy Dorsey.

It might have been Sept. 1, 2007, when Dorsey was cut. He was brought back 10 days later after Frye was traded. His primary perceived value was to mentor 2007 first-round pick Quinn.

Now, he'll be asked to spark an offense that has been flat most of the year. His only three passes of 2008 came in the final moments of Sunday's loss to the Colts.

"It's definitely never easy to come into a situation like that," Dorsey said, "but that's our job."

He'll get a full week of practice snaps under watch by coordinator Rob Chudzinski, who was an offensive coach at Miami when Dorsey was 38-2 as a starter there.

Dorsey didn't mention the connection, but he did say, "We've got, I think, one of the best offensive coordinators in the league.

"We've got a great group of guys out here, a group of guys who have worked extremely hard. It's exciting."

Dorsey is eager to play, but not to rock the boat.

As for Anderson's getting jeered when he got hurt Sunday, prompting Dorsey's entrance, Dorsey said, "I'm not going there."

Where the Browns are going with Dorsey as their No. 1 quarterback, other than home for the new year, remains to be seen.

"He's a very smart quarterback, and he's a competitor," Head Coach Romeo Crennel said. "Now, he probably doesn't have some of the physical skills that some other quarterbacks in the NFL have. I think that's probably been the biggest drawback."

College days, pro daze

A comparison of Ken Dorsey's statistics as a Miami Hurricane and as an NFL quarterback:

Team Att.-Cmp. Yds. TDs Record*

Miami Hurricanes, 1999-2001 66-1,153 9,565 86 38-2

San Francisco 49ers, 2003-05 171-371 1,712 8 2-8

Cleveland Browns, 2006-08 0-4 0 0 0-0

When Ken Dorsey gets the start at quarterback on Sunday for the Browns against the host Tennessee, he'll be ready. But he will face some challenges.

This will be the 11th start of his six-year career, but just his first over the last three seasons. The last one came as a member of the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 27, 2005 against, interestingly enough, the host Titans, when he completed 23-of-43 passes, both career highs, for 192 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in a 33-22 loss.

Before he relieved the injured Derek Anderson on the Browns' final possession on Sunday in the 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, he had played in only one game since then - two years ago as a member of the Browns.

But now, injuries to Anderson (torn MCL) and Brady Quinn (finger) have thrust him back into the lineup.

"It's been a little while since I've started a game. It really has," Dorsey said Monday. "But I'm expecting a lot out of myself and I'm going to put everything I've got into this thing.

"I've been a starter in this league. It's something I'm accustomed to. I prepare myself the same way every week. Now I'm playing. It's fun to be out there playing.

"Any time you get an opportunity to go out and play, you look forward to it. I just like playing. I like being out there. It's exciting for me and for us as a team to go out there Sunday and have another opportunity to play.

That's something he did all the time in college at the University of Miami, when he guided the Hurricanes to a 38-2 record in three years as a starter, a national championship and another national title game appearance.

"When you're not on the field, it's tough," Dorsey said. "I don't think there's anybody in this league who doesn't want to play. You do whatever it takes to keep yourself ready, and when your opportunity arises, you go out and play and do the best you can."

Also, Dorsey will taking a 4-8 club, which has lost two straight - both at home - and scored just six points each in those games, to face the Titans, who are tied for the NFL's best record at 11-1, have given up the second-fewest points in the league with 175 and are closing in on their first division title since 2002, the AFC South's first year.

"The Titans are a tremendous team," he said. "They have a great defense and all kinds of weapons, so we're going to have to be ready to play. It's going to be a great challenge for us, but one I'm looking forward to."

With all that having been said, Dorsey does have something - a significant something, at that - working in his favor. It's the fact that despite Dorsey's lack of playing time with the Browns, the team's offensive coordinator, Rob Chudzinski, knows him well. Chudzinski was an assistant at Miami for all of Dorsey's career there, first serving as tight ends coach only and then as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach for Dorsey's final two seasons.

Thus, he knows full well what Dorsey can - and can't - do and will structure the game plan and play-calling accordingly.

"I've known Chud a long time," Dorsey said. "We've got a good feel for each other. I feel like I know what he's thinking and why he's calling certain plays.

"Knowing somebody is a real plus, but at the same time, you've still got to go out and execute against a great defense."

Dorsey's strengths?

"He's a very smart quarterback, and he's a competitor," Browns head coach Romeo Crennel said.

Dorsey agrees with that assessment.

"I feel like that," he said. "I've seen a lot of football. I've been in a lot of offenses and around a lot of offensive coordinators. I've been through a lot in this league, and I think that's helped me to this point.

"I just try to go out there and do what I'm supposed to do and make good decisions out there."

BEREA, Ohio -- Recently we caught up with Cleveland Browns backup quarterback Ken Dorsey to discuss, among other things, life in Cleveland versus his native California, and what type of offense he would run as offensive coordinator.

1. Who knows Cleveland's offense better: assistant Rob Chudzinski or Ken Dorsey?
Ken Dorsey: (Laughs) It's easily Chud. He really does. He's on top of it and the wheels are always churning. Not only adding plays, but he's making things better. You can't get him out of his office. He's always studying, always doing something. It's his offense, you know what I mean? So he knows it.

2. How is a California kid like yourself adjusting to life in Cleveland?
KD: I love it. It's been great. I think the fun part for me is during the summertime where I live. You can't walk outside without talking to a neighbor for a half an hour. In California, I can go my whole life without ever talking to a next-door neighbor. It's just kind of the way that it is. And I love California, but it's kind of cool that you get that hometown feel out here.

3. It's no secret that coaching might be in your future. So what the type of offense would "Coordinator Dorsey" run?
KD: It would be a combination of this and a West Coast offense, probably. We have some West Coast philosophies here. But I think there are some other things in the West Coast offense that I like, and I'd probably incorporate. Just different route schemes and the way we read things. Stuff like that.

4. Would you be a "mad scientist" type, the way Chudzinski is at times in devising schemes and his play chart?
KD: Oh yeah, definitely I'd be that way. I think the majority of what I'd take would be from this offense. It's the ability to attack, attack, attack downfield, and then the balance in the running game. I don't think you can have success without those things, and I think that's what we do well here. And I'd definitely be the type of personality that's kind of working, working and working all the time.

5. You're the only quarterback in Cleveland that doesn't have a signature chant, such as "D.A.! D.A.!" or "Brady! Brady!" Do you feel left out?
KD: (Laughs) I'm not upset. Every once in a while I'll get a call out from the stands, and I definitely appreciate it. Usually, I'll sit there and chant with the fans as they're cheering (for Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn). I don't mind it as much. Being the third guy, you just don't get too many chants.

(espn.com)

The quarterback position is solidified, at starter and backup, but the news out of minicamp is less encouraging:

Ken Dorsey is currently the Browns’ most consistently accurate quarterback on the roster. Unfortunately for the team, the Miami product is entrenched as the third-string quarterback and his trait does not appear to be rubbing off on the team’s first or second choice at the position.

Well, common sense dictates that Romeo Crennel should name Dorsey as the starter. Okay, that’s a tad reactionary, and it’s June; there’s plenty of time to work out the kinks. Derek Anderson did struggle with accuracy last season, but it’s going to take more than a few early-season interceptions to see Dorsey on the field. Brady Quinn, however, could be a different story.

(footballgab.com)

Ken Dorsey holds the clipboard on Sundays and he is always around Brady Quinn helping him learn on the sideline.  Dorsey doesn’t have much of an arm and the Browns would have to take some plays out of the playbook if he were forced into action.  But, he does have experience which is more than most #3 QBs can say.  Dorsey didn’t get to play in a game last season for the Browns.  He has now played in 12 games (10 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 171 of 317 passes (53.9%) for 1,712 yards with 8 TD passes and 11 interceptions (63.5 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 9 times for 18 yards (2.0 ypc) in his career.

(brownslocker.com)

5. Ken Dorsey: No player better typified the Miami dynasty of the early part of the decade than Dorsey, the heady quarterback who led them to the national championship in 2001 and posted a record of 38-2 as the Hurricanes' starting quarterback.

Dorsey was a two-time Heisman finalist who rewrote Miami's record book, setting marks for passing touchdowns, completions, attempts, total offense and passing yards. His leadership also marked Miami's dominance, keeping his team in the national title hunt during most of his college career as the Hurricanes ran off a 34-game winning streak.

His big efforts enabled him to be a three-time All-Big East selection and two-time conference offensive player of the year. He was the co-MVP of the 2001 Rose Bowl, leading the Hurricanes to the national championship with a victory over Nebraska. He also directed Miami to a victory over Florida in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, earning MVP honors after passing for three touchdowns.

9. Ed Reed: A two-time consensus All-American, Reed was the unquestioned defensive leader of the Miami dynasty that claimed a national championship in his final college game. He was a catalyst for a talented Miami secondary that featured three pro-draft picks, helping to turn around the Hurricanes' program.

After an All-American season as a junior in 2000, Reed was a devastating force for the Hurricanes during his senior season. He led the nation with nine interceptions for a school-record 209 yards and three TDs. His biggest was a play that sealed a season-saving victory over Boston College, when he snatched a ball out of teammate Matt Walters' hands and raced 80 yards for a game-saving touchdown.

He capped his career with a dominating performance against Nebraska in the Rose Bowl, finishing as Miami's career leader in career interceptions, career interception return yards and interceptions return for touchdowns. His athletic versatility was highlighted with four career blocked punts as a special-teams standout and a javelin championship in the Big East conference track meet.

(espn.com)