Garcia is a stranger in a strange land

Sporting News, The, Oct 11, 2004 by Brian Baldinger

For NFL quarterbacks, changing teams can be like traveling abroad. The customs are different, the beliefs are different, the language is different--so much so that the jet lag from a trip to a new offense can linger for weeks.

Which brings me to Jeff Garcia. The Browns' new quarterback still knows the 49ers' offense better than he knows the Cleveland offense, primarily because of the language barrier. Get this: When the play is relayed to him, he has to translate that in his mind to what that play was called in San Francisco, where he started for five seasons. That's how he knows what to do. But he has to call the play in the Browns' language, and sometimes by the time he gets to the line of scrimmage, he has forgotten what he said in the huddle. So instead of going to the line and reading defenses and making adjustments, he's trying to remember what he just said and what it means. He's really struggling with that.

In San Francisco, the system had been in place for years. Everybody spoke the same language, and players knew what to do and where to go. If a play broke down, Garcia could scramble around and know where to find a receiver. In Cleveland, where Garcia is new, the coordinator (Terry Robiskie) is new and the offense is new (more running, less passing), guys still are trying to figure out where everybody is on most plays. That has been frustrating for Garcia.

The Browns are getting there. A couple of weeks ago, Garcia pleaded with Robiskie for rollouts, bootlegs and play-action--the types of plays in which he thrives. Robiskie listened. On one drive last Sunday, Garcia completed passes on three bootlegs, including a touchdown toss to Aaron Shea that helped the Browns beat the Redskins. I'm sure that was a result of Garcia talking to Robiskie at halftime.

It's all about healthy compromise. Garcia must learn the Browns' terminology and continue to digest the playbook. His teammates must learn to adjust to him and what he does on the field. And Robiskie must install plays that Garcia likes and is comfortable with. Toward that end, he took Garcia's favorite play with the 49ers, "Flanker Drive," and added it to the playbook--49ers wording and all.

Garcia and the Browns' offense are a work in progress. Give them a bit more time, and the jet lag should wear off.