Anderson ruled out for year, Browns down to No. 3 QB

BEREA, Ohio -- Derek Anderson's season is officially over, yet another slap for the down-on-their-luck Cleveland Browns.

Anderson, who lost his starting job to Brady Quinn several weeks ago, will miss the final four games after tearing a ligament in his left knee on Sunday against Indianapolis.

An MRI taken Monday revealed Anderson tore the medial collateral ligament when he was sacked in the final minutes of Cleveland's 10-6 loss to the Colts. Anderson, making his first start since Nov. 2 after being benched for Quinn, will not need surgery. He will be placed in a brace and will need four to six weeks to recover.

Quinn, too, is done for the season with a finger injury. He has not yet decided whether to have surgery on his broken right index finger, which he hurt on Nov. 17 at Buffalo.

The injuries to their top two QBs means the Browns (4-8) will start third-stringer Ken Dorsey on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans (11-1). Return specialist Josh Cribbs, who played quarterback at Kent State, will serve as Dorsey's backup unless the Browns can sign a veteran quarterback in the next few days.

"Once Derek came back in we were all confident because we know Derek can play and its frustrating now that we have to change again," guard Eric Steinbach said.

Coach Romeo Crennel said the club will try to find another quarterback familiar with Cleveland's system.

Derek Anderson's injury is the latest in a long series of bad breaks for the Browns. (Getty Images)

Dorsey went 2-8 as a starter for the San Francisco 49ers in 2004-05. In college, he was 38-2 as a starter at Miami and won a national championship in 2001. Dorsey hasn't completed a pass in an NFL game in three years, and has attempted just four since joining the Browns in 2006.

Dorsey's previous start also came against the Titans in 2005. Then with San Francisco, he completed 23 of a career-high 43 passes for 192 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

"He's a very smart quarterback and he's a competitor," Crennel said. "He probably doesn't have some of the physical skills that some other quarterbacks in the NFL have. I think that's probably been the biggest drawback."

Unfortunately, Dorsey won't have won of his favorite targets as tight end Kellen Winslow will also sit out this week after sustaining a high ankle sprain on Sunday.

Winslow, who played in college with Dorsey, will be fitted with a walking boot for one week, but it's still too early to determine if he'll play again this season.

Dorsey will try to keep things simple.