“Wide right” is the cruelest phrase a person can utter in western New York.

Brady Quinn and the Browns used it to their advantage and escaped Buffalo with a narrow 29-27 win on Monday night. The victory moves Cleveland to 4-6 on the season and keeps its razor-thin-playoff hopes alive, while Buffalo’s setback drops them to 5-5 and last place in the AFC East. Read more »

The entire country, or at least those with the NFL network in their cable package, tuned in to the beginning of Thursday Night Football this week to watch former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn make his first professional start. What they got was a front row seat to watch one of the most disappointing offenses in the league break out of its funk and light up the scoreboard.

The Denver Broncos came out of the gates hot to start 2008. They weren’t held to under 34 points until they suffered their first loss in Week 4 to the Chiefs. In their first five games Denver’s quarterback Jay Cutler eclipsed 300 yards passing on three occasions, including games of 350 and 361.

Rookie wide receiver Eddie Royal blew up in his pro debut by receiving for 146 yards and a touchdown. The next week, in his first game of 2008, wideout Brandon Marshall followed Royal’s example and hauled in 18 passes for 166 yards and a score against division rival San Diego. Sitting at 4-1 during an AFC power-shift, Mike Shanahan and company seemed poise to grab the reins and ride the wave of success to a playoff berth and then some. Read more »

While the unknown is an exciting, sometimes-fruitful adventure in fantasy football, it remains exactly that - unknown. Second-year quarterback Brady Quinn is no exception, even if he is talented and relatively prepared to make his debut, which will come Thursday against Denver, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Fantasy owners, especially those who used a fifth-round draft pick on Derek Anderson, may not quite understand this move. After all, Anderson had been productive in the previous four weeks, throwing six touchdown passes to just one interception. But, he failed where it counted and was booed off the field in Sunday’s 37-27 loss to Baltimore. Read more »

Kellen Winslow felt like the Browns treated him “like a piece of meat.” So, he started treating the organization like a piece of something slightly more repulsive. And for his barrage of criticism through the media, Winslow was suspended without pay for this weekend’s tilt at Jacksonville, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

As the story goes, the organization wished to keep Winslow’s staph infection private, which it did. Winslow released those details after Sunday’s game in Washington and also voiced his displeasure with the team and general manager Phil Savage. His honesty drew a $235,294 slap on the wrist on Tuesday, as he will miss out on a full game check.

There are always details to these stories left outside of the public eye, so we will never have a firm grasp on the situation. Read more »

Alright, back to square one. After a 5-9 Week 6, I’m back at an even .500 (43-43-2) on the year. All I can say is that if the Rams can win a game, then I can come up with a big week.

Before looking at the picks, let’s all visualize the unbeaten Titans and try to block out the negative energy of teams like the Bengals and Lions who have combined for an 0-11 start to the year. OK, that’s enough visualizing. It’s go time! Read more »

This year’s trade deadline came and went Tuesday afternoon, supplying several familiar faces in much newer places. Easily, the major deal included sending Detroit WR Roy Williams and a few draft picks to Dallas for a slew of similar draft picks, including a first rounder in next year’s draft.

Elsewhere, former MVP Shaun Alexander signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins, joining a club that already boasts the league’s leader in rushing yards, Clinton Portis.

The headline deal that wasn’t made was Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez. The disgruntled future Hall-of-Famer will now finish out the season with Kansas City, for better or worse. Read more »

Those that missed Monday night’s game between the Giants and Browns again missed out on another primetime delight.

It was underdog Cleveland that handed New York its first loss this year, a 35-14 statement that not only knocked out the champs but also hopes to kick-start the Browns season.

In an unexpected finish, it was a strange reversal of roles between the two teams. The Giants looked flat on both sides of the ball, much like the Browns in their first four games. Meanwhile, Cleveland resembled the 2008 Giants with an explosive offense and a stiff defense that held its own against tough teams.

The case was similar individually for both quarterbacks: Eli Manning put up Derek Anderson-like numbers while Anderson himself looked much like New York’s Super Bowl MVP. Read more »

We like to consider the needs of fantasy owners before our own here at ImaginaryGridiron.com. Your fantasy needs are important, yes, but we also care a great deal about your emotional well-being and stability during a rollercoaster ride of a season. Tom Brady and Marques Colston owners are especially in need of a hug this week, and we’re here to lie and tell them that everything will be OK.

We’re also here to set your sights on the proper things this weekend. First, Sunday’s must-see games, the ones that should be watched and/or recorded, if at all possible. Next, we’ll optimistically tackle the players who got out of the gates strong and look to have the staying power to go well beyond preseason expectations. And lastly, we’ll talk about 10 not-so-fortunate players who could prove to be 2008 busts. Read more »