FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - Quinn enters in fourth quarter to cheers
CLEVELAND (AP) - Brady Quinn's pro debut was nearly picture perfect.
With flashbulbs popping all around the stadium, Quinn threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes in his first NFL exhibition game and looked better than any Cleveland quarterback in the Browns' 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions on Saturday night.
The former Notre Dame star, who isn't expected to begin the season as Cleveland's starter but could become a late addition to the club's ongoing competition between Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson, entered with the Browns down 23-7.
As No. 10 jogged onto the field with 9:20 remaining, Cleveland fans welcomed Quinn with a roaring ovation, and many of them stayed on their feet after Quinn hit Chris Barclay on a screen pass that went for 30 yards on his first play.
Quinn completed five passes in a row before his first miss. On second-and-3 at Detroit's 4, he calmly rolled to his right and drilled a TD pass to rookie Efrem Hill, who got open near the sideline.
The next time Cleveland got the ball, Quinn drove the Browns 92 yards in 1:52, hitting Jerome Harrison with a 6-yard TD pass with 18 seconds left.
Quinn, who missed 11 days of training camp before signing a five-year, $20.2 million contract, didn't play in last week's win over Kansas City. Coach Romeo Crennel has insisted Quinn is behind in learning Cleveland's new offense, but with the way Frye and Anderson are playing, he may be able to catch up quickly.
Quinn finished 13-of-20 — with three spikes to stop the clock — for 155 yards