Steelers QB1 Kenny Pickett Blasted With A Feeble Comparison To Bubby Brister By Incompetent Cleveland Hack

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the franchise formerly known as the Cleveland Browns had a great rivalry. The Browns dominated before the Super Bowl era, winning NFL championships in the 1950s and 1960s. The Steelers have won six Super Bowls and appeared in eight during the modern era of football. In 1995, Art Modell decided to move the Browns from Cleveland and became the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens' version has reached the Super Bowl twice and won both times. In a bizarre agreement, the city of Cleveland demanded that when they re-entered the league in 1999, that they get the Browns’ name and their history back. Modell, who had owned the Browns since 1961, agreed to the terms and the ancient history of the Browns’ glory was restored.

The franchise has been a joke since it returned to the NFL. They have blown through quarterbacks and coaches like a drunken sailor spends a fistful of cash on shore leave. The Browns have not won a division title since they returned to the NFL. They've fielded just three teams with winning records and have made two playoff appearances. They faced the Steelers twice in the playoffs and are 1-1. They lost to the Kansas City Chiefs for a combined 1-2 postseason record.

Rooting for the Browns is a tough gig and covering the never-ending disappointments must be even harder. Someone has to do it and the Sports4Cle on Cleveland.com podcast Friday sank to a new low, even for the city dubbed as the ‘mistake by the lake’. Dave Bacon and his co-host Garret Bush decided to break down Kenny Pickett as a quarterback with some very dubious conclusions.

“When you look at all of the excitement about Kenny Picket, you could argue with the numbers, but the numbers are the numbers. Kenny Pickett, yeah, he was a rookie. He will get better. I’m not sure he is a high-end quarterback. Man, I am sure he is not a high-end quarterback,” Bacon stated.

An argument can be made that a certain degree of 'homer’ mentality is good for those who cover the team. However, comparing Pickett’s numbers in his 13 appearances to Deshaun Watson’s six appearances is at best disingenuous. The Browns paid Watson a ridiculously fully guaranteed contract at unprecedented numbers. The handpicked metrics favored the Browns quarterback, but frankly, the margin should have been a lot wider for what they are paying.

“We’ve seen Kenny Pickett before,” co-host Bush joined in. “Austin Davis’s of the world, the Cody Kessler’s. Hey, listen we’ve even had Kenny Pickett with a strong arm in DeShone Kizer. We know all about bad quarterback play."

It is one thing to compare Pickett and Watson directly, but it is quite another to compare him to some of the worst quarterbacks in Browns’ history. There is no planet where Pickett, who led the Steelers to a 7-5 record in his 12 starts and four come-from-behind victories, belongs in a comparison with some of the biggest failures the Browns have ever had behind center.

“We should start a consulting firm here in Cleveland,” Bush continued. “We actually go tell your quarterbacks if they are contenders or pretenders. We saw a lot of pretenders; we can tell you who is on the up and up and who ain’t. He is not one of the guys, we are not scared. To be truthful, I would like to not see Mitch Trubisky because Kenny Pickett is check-down Charlie.”

Since 1999, the Browns have had 34 players start at quarterback. They have only had three seasons out of 23 where a quarterback started every game. The Browns fan base touted Baker Mayfield as a top NFL quarterback. Mayfield is so dominant that since leaving Cleveland just one year ago, he is now on his fourth NFL team battling Kyle Trask to succeed Tom Brady as the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Maybe the read on good quarterback play from the Browns podcasters is not reliable.

“Maybe a solid dude,” Bush concludes. “But if you talking about whether he is a Ben Roethlisberger or a Terry Bradshaw, no he is more of a Bubby Brister.”

The comparison is meant as an insult by the 92.3 FM radio host, but in true Cleveland fashion, it misses the mark. Brister started two playoff games in his NFL career for the Steelers and went 1-1. He was 28-29 in 57 starts for the Steelers which would make him the most successful quarterback in the new Cleveland Browns' history if he had the misfortune of playing for them.

Steelers' Kenny Pickett May Be Poised To Take Over As The New King Of The AFC North

The only thing the Browns have accomplished since they drastically overpaid Watson is nearly breaking the quarterback market. The Ravens nearly lost Lamar Jackson after the signing. Despite rumblings, June is nearly over, and Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert don’t have extensions.

Pickett for the record is 1-0 against the Browns and Watson after a 28-14 drubbing in the season finale in Pittsburgh. The Browns have never won the division and the Steelers have never finished last in the AFC North, yet Cleveland prognosticators predict the demise of the Steelers annually. Even if a broken clock is right twice a day, Cleveland's record is 0 for 8,395 days. Maybe they are the exception that proves the rule.

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Do you pity Cleveland, or does this make you angry? Please comment below, or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.

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