Quinn didn't walk on water all season, unless one counts his slick moves across the nightclubs of Miami. Still, he put in a very impressive showing for first-year coach Cam Cameron, ending at a 9-7 record, just missing out on the playoffs. Quinn especially shone on Monday Night and Sunday Night, rising to the occasion for the national cameras.
His first Pro Bowl appearance after the 2008 season followed a 10-6 season and completing nearly as many passes as rumors of celebrity indiscretions. Still, a young prince is allowed his dalliances if he succeeds in the postseason, which he failed to do, putting in his first poor performance under the spotlight against the Broncos.
Unlike his corporate predecessor, Quinn wouldn't let the hothouse flower label stick for long. In 2009's preseason, Quinn let slip (quite accidentally, certainly) that he looked forward to playing in a virtual home game in Super Bowl XLIV that February. Quinn's Super Bowl guarantee hung over him all season, possibly leading to the increase in interceptions as he tried to force his team to victory. A 9-7 record allowed Miami to sneak in this time.
From there, the Miami Kid began writing the best chapters of his epic tale. With no home field advantage along the way, Brady Quinn rode a hot hand and a steely determination to his promised destination, providing Miami with its first Super Bowl appearance in Quinn's lifetime. His Super Bowl MVP heroics cemented a legend. Fans finally leaving Dolphin Stadium half-jokingly argued about where to put the Brady Quinn statue and what pose to put it in.
With 2010's bitter AFC Championship Game loss to an aging Tom Brady and New England still lingering, Quinn reloads with a promising running game and a new commitment to success. He has supposedly cut back on his endorsements, though his smiling bronze face still seems to be ubiquitous on Sundays. His focus, never really in question, seems sharper than ever.
The Miami Kid will strike again this fall.
Now read Matt Sussman's "Brady Quinn The Bust."
Article comments
1 - RJ
Fine writing. But more important questions need to be asked.
Does he get to bang Eva Longoria? Does he forget to "wear his helmet" and impregnate a "very special fan" like the other QB named Brady? Does he beat the Lions at home on Thanksgiving Day, causing Matt Millen to finally do the right thing by trying to eat a live land mine?
Inquiring minds want to know...
2 - Tuffy
- By 2011, Eva will be too far below him to be below him.
- Many, many times. His touch will cause women to bear his child and men to regrow their balding hair. Because of this, his center will appear to be a grizzly bear.
- No, but I like your moxie.