RTN: Brunell appears to be rejuvenated

[bubba9497]

Brunell appears to be rejuvenated

The veteran quarterback is playing without a knee brace, is looking more agile and is quicker.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/profootball/30095.html

ASHBURN, Va. -- This is what is readily apparent about Mark Brunell:

He has shed the knee brace he wore during training camp a year ago.

The footwork that helped make him one of the NFL's most agile, elusive quarterbacks over a dozen years has returned.

Passes that were floated into tight spots last summer and during the regular season now have some zing on them.

The question is why, and the answers are few.

What happened to Brunell a year ago in the nine overwhelmingly unproductive games he started for the Washington Redskins was one of the team's great mysteries. The reasons he appears to be in the midst of a reversal of form may remain mired in murkiness, too, especially if Brunell spends this season on the bench.

Brunell, who turns 35 on Sept. 17, lost the starting quarterback's job to Patrick Ramsey after Ramsey turned in more efficient performances during the final seven games of last season. Brunell's status as backup is supposedly etched in stone, and has been for some time.

"To the best of my knowledge, the job is not open," Brunell said recently. "It's Pat's job. He went into the offseason as the starter and came into training camp as the starter. If something's changed, it would have to come from Coach Gibbs."

Nothing's changed, Gibbs insists. Whether something might change in the future the coach won't directly address.

Last week against Carolina, Brunell played much more like the man voted to three Pro Bowls from 1996-99 than the player who failed to crack 100 yards passing in three of his last four games a year ago.

Taking the field with just 37 seconds left in the first half, Brunell completed two of his first three passes. Then, on third-and-seven, he side-stepped the rush and threaded an 11-yard pass to Darnerien McCants to set up a field goal.

On two third-quarter possessions, he led the Redskins to a failed field-goal attempt, then a touchdown, before sitting. For the night, he was 11-of-19 for 121 yards.

"When he's at his best, he's very quick and has good feet," Gibbs said. "He's very athletic and, when healthy, he can help us."

The case can be made that Brunell wasn't healthy when he arrived in Washington via a trade with Jacksonville. He had missed the final 13 games of the 2003 season after an elbow injury paved the way for rookie Byron Leftwich to take over.

In retrospect, Brunell threw last year as though it still bothered him, something coach and player deny. The arm's the same, they insist.

Then, and now, Gibbs portrays Brunell as victim of an offense that was struggling and unsure of itself, and Brunell was dragged him down with it.

"The quarterback's a reflection of the team," Gibbs said. "We weren't very good at the beginning of the season and he's a reflection of all that. We weren't good enough, but we got a better as the year went on."

The last time Brunell entered a season as something less than a starter was 1995. He sat behind Steve Beuerlein for six weeks before taking over, and he performed with distinction until early in 2003.

"I'd love to be the starter," Brunell said. "Anyone who's been in this league for any length of time loves to get out there and compete. This isn't easy, but I'll do what I can to help Patrick because that's my job right now. But of course I want to play. I'm just like every other backup."

[CHUBAKAH]

...and the music from Dragnet comes in.

[RabidFan]

He def looks like a new QB

[skinsplayboy]

It dont matter to me how he looks. If Ramsey goes down I dont want to suffer watching Brunell again. Bring out the rook if anything happens. Brunell is a joke and what we paid for him is the same...:puke:

[DialSux]

Gibbs will put Brunell in long before JC gets to take a snap in a real game.

[seanyt]

Now this should be interesting. If something were to go wrong, one has established rapport, and the other might be viewed as a Spurrier mistake...

[Chachie]

Originally posted by skinsplayboy

It dont matter to me how he looks. If Ramsey goes down I dont want to suffer watching Brunell again. Bring out the rook if anything happens. Brunell is a joke and what we paid for him is the same...:puke:

I certainly won't deny the season he had last year, but I wouldn't throw away the way he played every other year before that. Brunell commands alot of respect in this league and has had a great career. He's dangerous when healthy.

I keep saying it, but I still remember how happy I was the day he came here. I eventually joined the "Bench Brunell" ranks just like everyone else, but I'm willing to give him a second chance. We'll need experience to handle the NFC East this season. If Patrick's is enough, fine. If not? Brunell is the ONLY alternative. Campbell is a rookie and they can "look good" while losing alot of games.

[galentjm]

Maybe Brunell has been hanging out with Raffy Palmeiro

[DialSux]

Nah...I'm sure Brunell will swear that he's never done steroids in his life. Oh wait....