Second Thoughts

Former QB: 12-0 Browns not unlikely

If New England quarterback Tom Brady (12) played for Cleveland, the Browns would be undefeated, according to former Cincinnati quarterback Boomer Esiason.
If New England quarterback Tom Brady (12) played for Cleveland, the Browns would be undefeated, according to former Cincinnati quarterback Boomer Esiason.

The Cleveland Browns have an 0-12 record this season and could wind up 0-16 when the season is over.

But former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and NFL analyst Boomer Esiason said recently that the Browns would be undefeated if New England quarterback Tom Brady was under center for the Browns.

Speaking on Inside the NFL on Showtime, Esiason said, "I don't think he'd put up with what we're watching, and what we're watching is quarterbacks getting slaughtered. Their quarterbacks don't have the voice or the credibility to hold their coaches accountable."

In an interview with WHB-FM, 98.5, in Boston, Esiason elaborated.

"I said [the Browns] were going to be undefeated," Esiason said. "Now, I said that for a reason. I tried to emphasize what I believe is the greatest quarterback of all time and how he impacts the entire team. I can tell you one thing, first and foremost, that he's not going to take any crap from the coaching staff."

There are flaws in this theory, which Michael Dixon was quick to point out on the "Sportsnaut" blog on msn.com.

"The New England Patriots aren't undefeated with Brady at quarterback," Dixon wrote. "New England sits at 10-2 overall and 7-1 in Brady's eight starts. Both are fantastic records. Neither record is unblemished.

"So, if we keep following down that road, Esiason is basically saying that, aside from the quarterback position, the Browns have a better team than the Partiots. He also seems to be saying that Hue Jackson and his coaching staff would be better than Bill Belichick's in New England.

"Normally, we would grand some room for hyperbole. Unfortunately, in the same discussion, [former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver] Michel Irvin said that the Browns would be '9-2 or 8-3' with Brady. Esiason made a point to trump the argument.

"Cleveland certainly has issues at the quarterback position. Brady would solve those. But Esiason seems to be implying that this team's only weakness is at quarterback. That's simply not true."

Challenge accepted

The New York Knicks didn't prove to be much of a challenge for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Cavs had their hands full when it came to flipping a water bottle.

As the final minute was winding down in Cleveland's 126-94 victory over New York, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and others tried to perfect the Water Bottle Challenge.

The viral game involves flipping a half-full water bottle and getting it to land perfectly.

Cameras caught Irving and James participating, with James' attempt leading to the water bottle rolling on to the court.

"If you land it, you're like a legend," Irving told John Healy of the New York Daily News. "I was trying to put my mark on the Water Bottle Challenge."

"As if losing by 32 points wasn't bad enough for the Knicks," Healy wrote.

Sports quiz

Which team did the New York Knicks lose to in the Knicks' worst loss in franchise history?

Answer

The Knicks lost to the Syracuse Nationals 162-100 on Dec. 25, 1960.

Sports on 12/09/2016

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