NFL Helmet Green Dots?

Has anyone noticed the green dot on the back of the QBs helmets this year? (*see photo*) I started noticing them during the Hall of Fame Game (Saint vs. Steelers), but up until last nights Green Bay vs. Jacksonville game did I hear the reason.

Apparently this year, only one offensive player can have helmet communications on the field at a time. This green dot is easily identifiable by the referees and umpires. I don't know what the consequence is for breaking this rule, but I imagine it would fall under the "Illegal Substitution" rule and cost them 5 penalty yards.

Now, on those teams who wish to have more than one player on the field with a "communication-enabled" helmet, the personnel must change to a regular helmet. There will be some jumbling around on those teams who use trick plays with 2 QBs.


Did you know: The earpiece in which the QB receives the play call in is turned off when the play clock reaches 15 seconds!


Photo courtesy of NOLA.com "Everything New Orleans"

To Start or Not To Start?

Romeo Crennel is in an interesting position right now over who should lead the Browns this year at QB. We all know the Brady Quinn is the future of the franchise, but has his holdout held back his progress enough to warrant not starting him? To delve into this topic, we first need some backgroud info.

Cleveland's QB Depth Chart (*as of right now*)

1. Charlie Frye (3rd yr)
2. Derek Anderson (3rd yr)
3. Brady Quinn (Rookie)

Charlie Frye is the incumbent starter right now, but is he really the man to lead the Browns on towards the playoffs? Frye has good skills all-around, but is prone to make mistakes in coverage reads. He has a career TD/Int ratio of 0.63 and a career passer rating of 72.2. He has the advantage of experience in the system, but his upside doesn't seem to bright. He doesn't have enough talent to carry the team on his shoulders.

Derek Anderson is penciled in as the #2 QB right now, but that will change based on Quinn's progress. He has been in the league for 3 years, but has only attempted 117 passes. His talents on the field haven't been tested too much yet, so no one knows what to expect. He can make all of the throws necessary, but hasn't be in long enough to be evaluated.

Brady Quinn is the franchise QB to be. His holdout has cost him valuable time working with the team in camp, but everyone knows his abilities. There is little doubt the Quinn can handle the week to week pressures of a starting QB, but when does he receive the reigns to the offense.

The Browns are in arguably the toughest division in the NFL. Charlie Frye will not do any better than Brady Quinn will in the win category this year. Why not accelerate Quinn's education by putting him into the starting role right away. Eventually the Browns will lose a few games, there will be all sorts of chatter around town to start Quinn, why not just get it out of the way. If Quinn doesn't have a stellar year, he gets the experience and you chalk the season up to an educational year and start fresh next season. But if Quinn wins games, Crennel will look like a genius. This debate can go on and on, but I believe Quinn should get the starting job for week 1.