#quinn d’andrea

[thebowerypresents]

Trousdale - Backyard at Hudson Yards - July 24, 2024

Out on the road in support of their country-tinged debut pop album, Out of My Mind — and having just released the deluxe version of the LP — Southern California trio Trousdale were in the great outdoors on Wednesday night, filling the Backyard at Hudson Yards with high-quality melodic harmonizing.

(Trousdale play Thompsons Point in Portland, Maine, on 8/10.)

Photos courtesy of Sachyn Mital | www.sachynmital.com

[myheartissetinmotion]

omg I only just saw your brat pack ask game so I’m gonna be super late and ask you questions for it now: 6, 8, 15, 25, 26, 31 and 33

ahhhhhh ty!!

6. favorite geek?

surprising no one, my heart belongs to MTG’s portrayal, but I also really love Kyle’s and Pip’s (his riffs in the video you sent to the discord that time live in my head rent free)

8. favorite basket case?

QUINN QUINN QUINN

the vulnerability the vibes the vocals all of it

her 🥰

(honorable mention to queen Emily Lopez)

15. song you think is better than the original?

I will yell to the rooftops about how each rebel (specifically Shawn) takes the shallow lyrics of somebody’s baby and turns it into this vulnerable lovestruck banger

25. moment that had you Shook™️ when you first watched it?

the first production I saw was the cruise ship version on Shawn’s youtube channel, and I was full-on vibing up until the rebel’s confrontation with mr; when I say shook I mean SHOOK

theatre. god. theatre

I’m aware that the way I’m talking here makes me sound like some unintelligent teen but I swear I do have Actual Eloquent Nuanced Thoughts about the way young people are treated by authority etc

26. favorite acting choices?

I’m just gonna answer this with the cruise ship production bc that’s the one I’ve watched the most-all of them, truly, but the ones coming to mind include every little breath, pause, and movement in Shawn’s phone monologues, the visceral yearning/regret/resignation/pain/etc of Quinn’s your eyes reprise, Michael’s “I would have died for you” and that entire bit seeming so much more genuine than even the original movie, Katie’s “I just want to let them know that they didn’t break me”, each inflection in Patrick’s voice that makes his character go far beyond the stereotype, Perry’s “I’m a swell guy” making you physically recoil, and EVERYTHING DURING THE ENTIRE DETENTION SCENE

31. favorite costume?

the princess’ during “changes” (which I attempted to recreate when the seniors had 80s day at school a few months ago) has to take the top spot, along with that iconic duckie look and the ensemble outfits

33. what does the show mean to you?

in short, everything.

I first saw a few breakroom clips that had been sent to a zep discord I’m in, at first watching it for Michael and Patrick and very quickly falling for the whole atmosphere. It was my reprieve, the representation of the senior year my friends and I should have had, and the representation of all I want to do as a theatre actress: immersive, joyful work that covers quite a bit of the human condition in an honest way.

When I got more into it and did a bit more digging, I learned of the pre-show karaoke, prom royalty chosen from the audience, discounts for high school students, costumed crowds, even more audience participation, etc, and it was almost painful. This is the kind of show that makes me miss theatre more than anything-I remember watching the cruise production once, and when Shawn said that line about the world hurtling to an apocalypse, I almost cried. The finale was deeply bittersweet for a time, because no matter how hard I sang along, I couldn’t will myself into that moment; I was still in my parents’ living room, headed to a college that’s nowhere near my first choice, the future of the art form I’ve dedicated myself to-not to mention, of course, the world itself-appearing as a menacing question mark. I longed and still long not only for the life being portrayed on that stage, but the life taking place on it.

anyway it’s a Very Good Show, and I’d give anything to be part of it and to work with those people. thank you and goodnight

[junker-town]

5 remaining NFL games we’re most excited for this season

Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images

As the playoff races get tighter, the games start becoming more and more interesting.

The first 10 weeks of the 2019 NFL season threw a few classic games into the mix.

The Saints and Texans kicked off Week 1 by exchanging leads in the final 45 seconds of a game eventually won by a 58-yard field goal in primetime. Lamar Jackson pantsed the Patriots, briefly let up in the middle of the game, then went right back to bullying. The Seahawks and 49ers played an ugly, beautiful mess of a game that had something for everyone.

That’s a tough lineup for the back end of the schedule to follow, but there are plenty of games that could live up to the standard. Key divisional races across the league will see rematches like Packers-Vikings, Cowboys-Eagles, and Niners-Seahawks. The Chiefs and Patriots will run back their 2018 AFC title game classic, only this time in New England. The Jets get another crack at the Dolphins, which will technically be football.

We already picked some of the worst games left this year (and a reason to watch each one). Now it’s time for the ones we’re most looking forward to in the final weeks of the season.

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs, Week 13

The Raiders are the most pleasant NFL surprise of 2019. After a last-place finish in the AFC West in 2018 and preseason drama courtesy of Antonio Brown, Oakland bounced back to become a legitimate playoff contender in Jon Gruden’s second season.

Derek Carr’s playing the best football of his career, and the Raiders’ powerful rushing attack is making up for a still-in-progress defense. The only team in their way of an unlikely climb to a division title is Kansas City. Earlier this year, the Chiefs looked like the same buzzsaw that went to the AFC Championship Game last season. They jumped out to a 4-0 start and even ran through the Raiders in Week 2 with a 28-10 win.

Kansas City has slowed down, though. It dropped back-to-back games to the Colts and Texans, then lost Patrick Mahomes to a knee injury. The Chiefs went 1-1 with Matt Moore at quarterback, then lost to the Titans in Mahomes’ return. The biggest reason for the Chiefs’ recent struggles is its lackluster run defense.

Oakland is surging and Kansas City is sliding. But the gauntlet won’t be passed in the AFC West unless the Raiders can travel to Arrowhead Stadium and win. That’s still a really tall task. But if Oakland can lean on its run game, maybe it can pull off the upset. I’m intrigued to watch and find out. — Adam Stites

New England Patriots at Houston Texans, Week 13

In the next few weeks, we should have a better idea of how good the Texans are this season. First up is a highly anticipated rematch between dynamo quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson (and the first time they’ll meet on an NFL field). Houston follows that date in Baltimore with a divisional rivalry game at home against the Colts, who handed the Texans a loss in Week 7.

It’s the game after that I’m most interested in, though, because it should finally let us know if this is the year the Texans have taken that next step to becoming a real contender.

Throughout their 17-year existence, the Texans have never made it past the Divisional Round of the playoffs. They’ve won just three postseason contests: two against the Bengals, which is as gimme a win as there is in January, and one against the Connor Cook-led Raiders. They’ve lost to the Patriots twice in the playoffs.

Their history against New England doesn’t get much prettier during the regular season, either. The Patriots hold an 8-1 series lead, with their only loss coming in Week 17 in 2010. Tom Brady played just three series before he ceded snaps to backup Brian Hoyer.

Bill O’Brien took over as Houston’s head coach in 2014, and the former Patriots offensive coordinator is still seeking his first win against his old team. In fact, O’Brien has the worst record against Bill Belichick of all his one-time assistants.

The Texans have come close to knocking off the Patriots since, though — especially with Watson. In his rookie year, he was sensational in just his second start ever. Watson threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns at Foxboro Stadium, leading Houston on two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to give his team a 33-28 lead. But O’Brien made the grave mistake of putting the game in Brady’s hands, and one touchdown later, the Patriots secured the three-point win.

The next year, the two teams met in Week 1, which was Watson’s first game back after tearing his ACL. He was slow to get started, but he was able to find a bit of a rhythm later in the game — just a little too late. The Patriots won 27-20.

Will the third time be the charm? This season, Watson is a bonafide MVP candidate. He’s not a rookie, and he’s not coming back from a major injury. Meanwhile, the Patriots are, well, still the Patriots. They also showed a major vulnerability in their one loss of the season, when they struggled to contain Jackson and the Ravens’ running game.

Watson is also a dual-threat quarterback, but his style isn’t the same as Jackson’s. Watson is a more high-volume passer, while Jackson is a more dangerous threat as a runner. Where they are similar — and where Watson can hurt the Patriots most — is his relentless ability to keep a play alive with his legs and improvise to make something happen for his team.

In that sense, the game should be a good measuring stick for both teams. It almost might provide clarity on what’s been a murky AFC playoff race so far this season. — Sarah Hardy

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints, Week 14

If this game were in San Francisco, I might not be too excited about it, but the Saints getting this one in New Orleans is big. The Saints are 4-1 at home, and New Orleans playing on Thanksgiving the week prior will give the team extra time to prepare.

The 49ers are off to a surprise 8-1 start, and while the Saints are 7-2 with an unexpected loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10, they’re still ahead in the NFC South. This is an important game playoff-wise, as both teams are trying to secure the top seed in the NFC and homefield advantage in the postseason.

One matchup to watch will be the 49ers’ offense against the Saints’ defense. Both rank in the top 10 in the league, so San Francisco might not get close to its season average 29 points per game.

The quarterbacks in this one should be fun, too. Drew Brees and Jimmy Garoppolo have looked good so far. Brees threw three touchdowns in his first game back after rehabbing a thumb injury and is completing more than 74 percent of his passes. Garoppolo didn’t look quite as sharp as he has been all season in his first loss against Seattle, overthrowing some of his receivers while others had drops. But Emmanuel Sanders and George Kittle, his No. 1 target, should be healthy and ready to go for this one.

Although this isn’t a divisional game, it still will have major playoff implications. And it should be a great one, featuring two hot offenses going up against stout defenses. Count me in. —Morgan Moriarty

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, Week 16

Green Bay jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first 16 minutes when these two teams met at Lambeau Field in Week 2. That held up, but only barely. The Packers didn’t score again, and Minnesota wasted four different second-half drives where it could have taken the lead and escaped Wisconsin with a win.

That was with a pre-leap Kirk Cousins, however. The high-priced veteran had his worst outing of the season that Sunday, completing only 14 of 32 passes and throwing a pair of interceptions. Since then, he’s completed better than 72 percent of his attempts, has a 16:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and his 118.5 passer rating is tops in the league — seven points better than Russell Wilson’s number from Week 3 onward.

He’ll have the chance to prove he’s a legitimate MVP candidate when the Packers come to Minneapolis for a Monday Night Football game that could decide the NFC North. Green Bay’s defense was its shining star early in the season while Aaron Rodgers found his comfort zone under new head coach Matt LaFleur, but that unit has given up 24 points or more in five of its last seven games. Rodgers’ resurgence and Aaron Jones’ newfound ability to find the end zone (14 touchdowns in 10 games) has made that less of a liability, but it looks like Week 16’s rematch won’t be one the Packers can win if they fail to score in the final 44 minutes again.

Should the NFC be scared of Kirk Cousins? Is the Packers’ defense championship caliber? These are questions that will get answered in the penultimate week of the regular season. And it’s a great reason to stay up late on Monday night, too. — Christian D’Andrea

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, Week 17

Betting on a Week 17 game being great is always dangerous at the halfway point of the season. The 49ers and Seahawks could be entirely different teams — or they could be resting starters if they have nothing to fight for in the final game of the regular season.

But if things stay the way they are — with the 49ers and Seahawks being within a game of each other — then Week 17’s matchup in Seattle is a big one. The NFC West and playoff seedings would be on the line.

The first meeting between the two teams was genuinely fantastic, even when it was sloppy. Every time one team seemed out of it, it would make a big play and things would get closer. It went to overtime, and nearly ended in a tie save for predictable Russell Wilson heroics. The NFC West is for real, and these are the top two teams in it.

As a 49ers fan, sure I hope they pull ahead of Seattle and get a pseudo bye week since their real one was so early in the season. But as a football fan? I want to see these two teams scrap again. And heck, I’ll sign up for a third meeting in the playoffs, too. — James Brady

SB Nation’s FanPulse surveyed voters to find out which remaining game they were most excited about. The fans chose the Week 14 matchup between the Chiefs and Patriots:

If you had to pick just one game to watch over the last part of the season, which would it be? Let us know in the comments.

[myheartissetinmotion]

I cannot express enough how much ftr brat pack makes me feel things, especially being a young aspiring actress in the pandemic

I desperately need to be part of this show. sometimes when I watch it, and the curtain call is blaring, I wonder-if I close my eyes and dance hard enough-I long to be transported right there onto that stage. to be belting those songs with wild abandon, to have the deep catharsis and incredible release of the breakfast club scene, to drum with my whole being as the basket case pours her soul into “your eyes”, to indulge in the key changes of “if you leave”, to get the whole audience clapping during “twist and shout”, to say those iconic lines but find your own spin on the character, to be surrounded by the most beautiful people in the world who are all going through that same incredible journey-serenading each other and connecting on the world’s deepest level and grabbing the lapels of each other’s jackets and singing into each other’s faces as the lights are blaring and dancing and dancing and leaving the stage in that rush of adrenaline and applause, only to do it all again the next day

I never got to see it live-I didn’t know it existed until zep brought me to it, but the video on Shawn’s channel is one of my lifebloods as I mourn the senior year I’ll never really get to have. as I fill out scholarship applications, selling my best qualities in order to try to make a life for myself, spending each day stuck in front of a computer, I need more desperately than I can say to be part of something like this. it’s a celebration of humanity. it’s wild and poetic and fun and deep and beautifully, beautifully weird. please, whatever good is up there, let this pandemic end and let live theatre be returned to its glory-more inclusive than before, of course, there’s still a long way to go, but ftr:tbp is something truly beautiful in the world.

I just need to be part of it.

[junker-town]

5 NFL teams that have disappointed us most this season

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Browns are boring, the Falcons are a disaster, and the Cowboys can’t beat teams with a pulse.

Some NFL teams have overachieved to kick off their 2019 season.

The 49ers are one of two remaining unbeaten teams after dismantling foes with a smothering defense. The Saints have overcome Drew Brees’ absence with a 4-1 record that includes wins over contenders like the Seahawks, Cowboys, and Texans. Even the Patriots are 6-0 for the first time since 2015.

Those hot starts have come at the expense of some regrettable ones. The Chargers are threatening to waste another year of Philip Rivers’ career outside the playoff race after a 2-3 start that includes bungling losses to the Lions and Broncos. The Steelers and Jets have each fallen apart after losing their starting quarterbacks for extended periods. The Falcons’ quest to define Dan Quinn’s tenure as anything other than “28-3” has been successful, only in that it’s exposed his team as an overmatched, undercoached mess.

That’s left heavy competition for the title of 2019’s most disappointing team. Four teams have begun the season without a single win in five weeks, and four more only have a single victory — two of whom (the Steelers and Cardinals) got their lone wins against the former group. So who is truly the king of frustration this fall?

The Los Angeles Chargers. The poor, cursed Chargers

This was supposed to be the year. Keenan Allen was healthy. Philip Rivers was back and coming off one of the most efficient years of his career. A top 10 defense, led by the pocket-destroying duo of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, returned mostly intact.

And yet, through five weeks, the 2019 Chargers only have one fewer loss than they had in last year’s entire regular season.

They’ve gone 2-3 in an extremely Chargers way. They only defeated the Colts in Week 1 thanks to Adam Vinatieri’s sudden inability to kick a field goal. They lost to Detroit in Week 2 as a result of red zone turnovers and their own special teams problems — with regular kicker Michael Badgley injured, punter Ty Long made just one of three field goal attempts in a 13-10 loss. Their comeback effort against the Texans one week later was derailed by a holding penalty that wiped out what would have been a first-and-goal situation from the Houston 7-yard line with 30 seconds to play. They lost that game 27-20.

This was all a warm-up to Week 5’s catastrophe. The Broncos were winless when they traveled to Los Angeles. After 10 minutes, they led by 14 points. This was also the game in which Melvin Gordon returned from a contract holdout that kept him from the field in Weeks 1-4. The Chargers promptly rushed for the fewest yards they have all season (35).

Patrick Mahomes’ sudden mortality in light of an ankle injury — he has just one passing touchdown his past two games — should have created an opportunity for LA to rise to the top of the AFC West. Instead, the club is in third place in the division, two games behind the Chiefs and staring up at the Raiders. At least there’s still time for this team to turn things around and rally all the way to an underwhelming Divisional Round postseason loss to the Patriots. — Christian D’Andrea

The Cleveland Browns, who are mediocre and boring

Between hatin’-ass quarterback Baker Mayfield, the dynamic wide receiver combo of Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., and a defense led by destroyer of worlds Myles Garrett, the Browns should be fun to watch. They were a wildly popular pick to win the Super Bowl, but more than anything, the Browns were supposed to be must-watch TV.

The most disappointing about them so far in 2019 is that they’re borderline unwatchable.

Mayfield’s hair-on-fire style of play has devolved into him repeatedly retreating from pressure and playing mostly awful football. He has four touchdowns and an NFL-high eight interceptions.

That’s meant a whole lot of nothing from Beckham, the human highlight reel who was supposed to send the Browns’ offense into overdrive. In his first five games in Cleveland, he caught an 89-yard touchdown on a slant and made one of his trademark one-handed grabs down the sideline. That’s about it. With the Giants, he averaged 92.8 receiving yards per game, and that was with the slowly rotting Eli Manning at quarterback. Now Beckham’s averaging just 67 yards in Cleveland.

Even the defense has been subpar. It’s below the league average in points (21st), yards (18th), red zone conversions against (29th), and rushing yards per attempt allowed (30th). It got absolutely steamrolled by the 49ers to the tune of 275 rushing yards in Week 5.

It’s not even close to too late for the Browns to turn things around. They’re 2-3 and just one game behind the Ravens, who they already beat in Week 4. But their utter unwatchability is what makes the Browns the NFL’s biggest letdown so far the season. — Adam Stites

The Atlanta Falcons, proving that this city can’t have nice things when it comes to sports

Speaking as a current Atlanta resident, I can tell you that the 404 has had a rough couple of weeks (I’m so sorry, Braves fans). The Falcons started this season as a dark horse Super Bowl contender, and instead they’re 1-4 heading into Week 6. Atlanta’s lone win (somehow) came during Week 2 at home against the Eagles on Sunday night.

There are so many problems with Atlanta right now, but I’ll just start with the defense, which gave up 53 points and 426 passing yards to the Houston Texans last week, including almost 600 (592) total yards of offense. While Falcons have had some injuries on defense — most notably Keanu Neal — Quinn’s unit should be much farther along at this point, especially since he took over defensive playcalling duties this season.

The Falcons have usually been able to rely on their offense, but it hasn’t been all that better. They’re scoring just 20 points per game (and giving up 10 more points on average). Matt Ryan has thrown seven interceptions, and Devonta Freeman scored his first touchdown of the season last week against the Texans on a 9-yard reception. The Falcons’ running game is near the bottom of the league. It has totaled just 338 yards and two touchdowns, one coming from Ryan and the other from Freeman’s backup, Ito Smith.

The lone bright spots are Julio Jones and Austin Hooper; both are averaging around 72 yards per game, and have six TDs between them.

The fact that Atlanta is this bad doesn’t bode well for Quinn’s job security, since the Falcons have games against the Rams, Seahawks, Saints, and Panthers coming up after Arizona in Week 6. If the Falcons go winless for that stretch, Atlanta might have to call it quits on Quinn. —Morgan Moriarty

The Denver Broncos, who sucked before Bradley Chubb got hurt

John Elway might not be very good at being an NFL general manager. So far he’s picked nothing but duds at the quarterback position, and Joe Flacco is a hilarious exclamation point on that track record. Vic Fangio is a coach who is easy to believe in, but he’s saddled with an offense that offers nothing in the realm of consistency.

He’s also had some growing pains on the defensive side of the ball, where Denver was supposed to win games this season. Instead, the defense has blown two late leads, first against the Bears and two weeks later against the Jaguars.

The Broncos didn’t get a sack until Week 4 and didn’t force a turnover until Week 5. The pass rush was mostly nonexistent through the first three weeks of play, and when it did finally start to pick up, the Broncos lost Bradley Chubb to an injury.

The Von Miller-Chubb duo was expected to destroy opposing quarterbacks. It hasn’t and it won’t now that Chubb is out for the year and Fangio is still without a dominant inside linebacker to make his defense work (something he had throughout his time with the 49ers).

Denver would be better off going the rebuild route at this point. — James Brady

The Dallas Cowboys, who flounder against good teams

Unlike the other teams on this list, the Cowboys have a winning record. They’re tied atop their division. They’re still a good bet to make the playoffs. There have been times this season when they’ve looked unbeatable.

And yet, I can’t help but be disappointed by how toothless they’ve been against fellow contenders. I expected them to take that next step this year as a Super Bowl contender. I thought I saw it early in the season, when the offense was creative and looked dominant enough to make up for the defense’s slower start. Then, in back-to-back games against the Saints and Packers, the Dallas offense couldn’t do much of anything.

In both losses, turnovers and a less effective running game hurt the Cowboys. Dak Prescott struggled to move the offense at all against the Saints and by the time he found his footing against the Packers, it was too late.

The defense, despite holding the Saints to 12 points, didn’t do its part either. It forced just one turnover and gave up 100+ yards on the ground in both games — a common theme in the team’s losses — including four rushing touchdowns to Packers running back Aaron Jones. Although the pass rush came alive against the Saints (five sacks), it has been quiet in other games and ranks in the bottom half of the league.

Special teams hasn’t been good either, with kicker Brett Maher making only 4 of his 7 field goal attempts so far.

Fans’ confidence has plummeted during this two-game skid, and it’s hard to blame them despite the small sample size. These Cowboys can easily handle teams like the Giants, Washington, and the Dolphins. But they roll over against opponents with winning records.

There’s still room for optimism, though. The Cowboys have been a stronger team in the second half of the season in each of the past two years, and a healthier offensive and defensive line would do wonders to help fix their biggest problems.

Dallas just needs to prove it can beat teams it could potentially meet in the playoffs. Otherwise, it’ll seem like these are the same old Cowboys we’ve seen for more than two decades: good enough to make the playoffs, but not good enough to make it to Championship Weekend. — Sarah Hardy

Which team has disappointed you most so far in 2019? Is it a team we included or another one? Let us know in the comments.

[junker-town]

Which Browns QB from the past 20 years would you pick, if you were forced to?

It’s like a rejected plot from the Saw movies.

The past two decades have seen a deluge of talented passers enter the NFL. From future Hall of Famers like Tom Brady and Drew Brees to budding stars like Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz, franchises across the league have been the beneficiary of a rising tide of quarterback play in a pass-happy league.

Except for the Browns.

Cleveland has cycled through a string of first-round busts and incapable also-rans in its search to find its offensive touchstone. The process has been futile. Since the franchise was rebooted in 1999, only one quarterback has seen the postseason with the club — 1999 No. 1 overall pick Tim Couch. Only one Browns quarterback has earned a spot in the Pro Bowl — Derek Anderson in 2007. Behind them, the list of starters includes luminaries like Ken Dorsey (0-3 as a starter), Seneca Wallace (1-6), Thad Lewis (0-1), and Cody Kessler (0-8).

But if you were forced to build your franchise around one of the Browns’ signal callers from the past two decades, which player would cause the least damage?

First, some caveats. The player you pick starts at the exact level he played at while he was a Brown. You’re not getting Super Bowl participant and Pro Bowler Jake Delhomme — you’re getting 35-year-old, 2:7 TD:INT ratio Jake Delhomme. And since we’re only talking players with regular season Browns experience, that means no Baker Mayfield or Tyrod Taylor.

You’re also signed on for no fewer than three years with this player as your starting QB. So you can take Derek Anderson at his 2007 Pro Bowl peak, but you’re also getting his 2008 and 2009 campaigns as well — so enjoy a passer who makes 16 starts over his next two years and only completes 48 percent of his passes.

With that in mind, you have to build your franchise around a quarterback who proudly donned the brown and white in some point in his career (and it almost certainly went poorly). Who do you choose?

The case for: Jeff Garcia (2004)

Anderson was a one-year wonder, and while it’s tempting to add a player with the potential to throw 29 touchdown passes in a season, his sudden and steep decline in the years that followed took a 10-win team into one that won nine games the following two seasons combined. Garcia, on the other hand, remained a steady veteran hand who mostly stayed out of his own way in his one season with the Browns and then until his retirement five years later.

Garcia went to the Pro Bowl three straight times with the 49ers between 2000 and 2002, but was 33 years old and coming off his worst season as a pro when San Francisco released him in 2003. That downturn and an offseason DUI didn’t prevent the Browns from signing him, however, and he was quickly named the team’s starter.

Garcia was slightly below average as Cleveland’s quarterback, which immediately boosts him to the upper echelon of the rebooted Browns’ annals. He bombed out in losses to the Steelers and Cowboys (19 combined completed passes in two games, 15 if you’re not counting interceptions) and showed out in wins over Baltimore, Washington, and Cincinnati. But he also missed six starts due to injuries, and the team decided to release him in favor of (checks notes. oh no) Trent Dilfer, who promptly turned the league’s 27th-ranked scoring defense into its 32nd.

Meanwhile, Garcia floated to Detroit, where he was bad, and then revived his career as a backup-turned-starter in Philadelphia, going 5-1 in 2006 and recording a 10:2 TD:INT ratio. So, you get a better-than-average QB BROWNS season, one average one, and then one pretty-good-for-anyone season on the way out. You could even hold on to him for a fourth, when Garcia recorded his final Pro Bowl season in a 13-game stint with the Buccaneers.

You weren’t going to win much with late-stage, oft-injured Jeff Garcia — but for the most part, he wasn’t going to be the reason why you lost the games he started. In the world of Browns quarterbacks, that makes him king. — Christian D’Andrea

The case for: Brian Hoyer (2014)

The best thing you can say about Brian Hoyer’s time in Cleveland is that he was a functional player. Hoyer started 13 games for the Browns in 2014 and actually had a productive season (though, he might’ve been aided by a certain receiver named Josh Gordon).

Hoyer averaged 7.6 yards per attempt for the season, which ranked ninth in the league among qualified passers — ahead of Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, and Tom Brady. Hoyer doesn’t compare to these quarterbacks when you throw in touchdown-to-interception ratio (12 touchdowns, 13 interceptions), but he’s still put together the best Browns season in quite some time.

Most of Hoyer’s success that season can probably be attributed to the play-calling of then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, as well as Gordon bulldozing secondaries. But he did have the Browns in playoff contention at 7-6 before they decided to bench him for ... rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Right.

RIGHT.

Hoyer left after the 2014 season, but he’s probably responsible for the most competent quarterback play the Browns have seen in the past 20 years. — Charles McDonald

The case for: Josh Cribbs (2008)

Or, you can choose to burn it all down and put Cribbs in the wildcat for three years. The All-Pro kick returner was electric with the ball in his hands, but typically awful when asked to throw the ball to fulfill Cleveland’s gadget plays. The Browns gave him 14 pass attempts in his NFL career; he completed four of those passes, was sacked twice, and threw one interception.

But Cribbs also gained nearly six yards per carry out of the backfield and was basically the only reason to watch the Browns from 2008 to 2010 other than “a cobra built its nest around my remote.” Plus, his yards per completion number (11.3) was still better than Kessler’s. Or Dorsey’s. Or Robert Griffin III’s. Or Kevin Hogan’s. Or Charlie Frye’s. Or Brady Quinn’s. Or...

Which Browns QB would you choose?