ESPN.com · Dec 9, 2016
Vets like Derek Anderson, Thomas Davis know the clock is ticking
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The 2007 Cleveland Browns finished strong, just missing the playoffs with a 10-6 record. Derek Anderson was returning at quarterback after a Pro Bowl season and so was much of the team.
Optimism during the offseason for a playoff run in 2008 was high.
"We come back the next year and we were trash," recalled Anderson, now the backup quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. "It was partly because guys were like, 'We're going to do it and just get back and rolling.'
"It didn't happen that way. We lost a couple of guys. Some guys got hurt. You lose the nucleus of guys a little bit and now it starts to fall apart."
The Browns, 0-12 this season, haven't had a winning season since.