Madden 09: Cleveland Browns Franchise
Settings:

• My Skill (Varies, basically everything is "All-Madden" except for Pass Defense, which is "Pro")
• Hardcore (No rewinds & Penalties at 100%)
• 11 minute quarters
• User everything
• Patch 2 and Roster Updates as of . . . after Week 2 of the "real NFL"

The Preseason: 0-4.

Seriously.

I even lost to the Lions in the "Great Lakes Classic."

I was giving up too many deep passes, missing tackles and giving up huge runs, and throwing at least 2 picks a game with DA in 1 quarter (or series) and multiple sacks. BQ10 did ok, but with 2nd-team line and WRs only, and once Ken Dorsey entered the game in the 2nd half, it was basically like throwing in the towel.

I chalk this up to 3 things:

1. Learning Curve for a new version of Madden
2. The Browns were over-rated
3. I suck at everything.

REGULAR SEASON

Heading into the season, I make a HUGE move in signing Ty Law as a #2 CB, addressing a need and utilizing the cap space available. Why the real Browns didn't do the same is beyond me.

With Joe Jurevicius (Knee - 4 wks) the only player still on the Injury Report going into Wk 1, there were not a lot of changes I could make in the depth chart to really add to the quality of the offering put forth by the team:

OFFENSE
QB: Anderson (C) /Quinn / Dorsey
RB: Lewis / Harrison / J. Wright
3DRB: Harrison / J. Wright
FB: Vickers / Ali
TE: Winslow / Heiden / Dinkens
WR: Edwards / Stallworth / Cribbs (C) / Steptoe / Sanders
O-LINE (L-R): Thomas / Steinbach / Fraley / Hadnot / Shaffer
O-LINE Backups (All Positions): Tucker / McKinney

DEFENSE
LE: WIlliams / Leonard
RE: R. Smith / Leonard
DT: Rogers / S. Smith / Leonard
LOLB: Williams / McGinest (C) / Hall
MLB (2 start): D. Jackson / A. Davis / McGinest / Williams / Bell
ROLB: Wimbley / McGinest (C) / Hall
CB: E. Wright / Law / McDonald / Cousin / Daniels
FS: Pool / Adams
SS: Jones / Sorenson

SPECIAL TEAMS
KR: Cribbs (C) / Steptoe
PR: Cribbs (C) / Steptoe
K: Dawson
P: Zastudil
KO: Zastudil
LS: Tucker

WEEKS 1 to 5: 1-3

So I hadn't really improved that much heading into the Bye week (Week 5). I lost handily to the Cowboys and Steelers -- chalking that up to my assumption that they were probably 2 of the strongest teams in the game -- and I was able to grind out a win in Baltimore, despite giving up over 200 yds on the ground and 2 TD passes to Joe Flacco. I had a few short illusions that I was "picking up the game," but those were quickly squelched in an OT loss to the Bungles the next week.

Injuries weren't much of a problem, other than Donte Stallworth rarely finishing a game (go figure) and Kameron Wimbley being lost for the next 4 weeks (one of which will be a bye week) with broken something or other. ( I understand is an issue in user-played franchises, and I didn't sim any games).

As it turned out, losing the Cincinatti game was more important than anyone could know, as I decided it was time to make a change -- sending out a message to the rest of the league that the Browns were surely down but not out:

ROSTERS > TRADING BLOCK > NEW > DEREK ANDERSON (C) QB

And the offers came pouring in: The best of which were a 1st and a 3rd each from Chicago, New Orleans (Really?), and Kansas City. I quickly evaluated the Free Agent wire for available QBs and took a breath: The Brady Quinn era was about to begin in Cleveland.

A cursory glance at the suitors' records and needs and I pulled the proverbial trigger with the Chiefs.

So with DA traded (for a 1st, 3rd, and 5th Round Pick in the 2010 draft), an additional week to (simulated) train players and Joe Jurevicius returning to the receiver corps at BQ10's disposal, taking on the reigning Super Bowl champs in WK 6 seemed a plausible, albeit formidable, task.

Chris Simms was signed off the FA wire -- his salary, experience, and accuracy were favored over the likes of Joey "The Piano Man" Harrington, ex-Rocket Bruce "Bald Eagle" Gradkowski, and Quentin "Black Quarterback" Gray (among others).

Why Chris Simms? Not only is he the failed son of a Super Bowl MVP, but he's also left-handed. I always liked to watch left-handed QBs for one reason or another.

Here's one reason: they look weird.