BEREA, Ohio — Derek Anderson answered the final question, bowed his head and stared blankly at the floor. He then walked slowly toward a door at the far end of Cleveland's locker room, pausing to exchange a fist bump with linebacker and fellow team captain Andra Davis on his way out.

Seconds later, Brady Quinn entered to face a media semicircle in front of Anderson's stall.

Quietly, the quarterbacking torch was passed.

On a day in which change was the buzzword across the country, power shifted for the Cleveland Browns.

The team began a new era with fan favorite Quinn as its on-field leader. He'll replace Anderson, benched by coach Romeo Crennel who said he based his decision on the Pro Bowl QB's inconsistent play, Cleveland's poor offensive ranking and the club's disappointing 3-5 record at the season's halfway point.

"I felt like we needed a different dynamic on the offense," said Crennel, who added that he had been considering a Quinn-for-Anderson swap "for a while now."

The switch came one day after Anderson threw a costly interception late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 37-27 loss at home to the Baltimore Ravens. Thousands of Cleveland fans, who have been enamored with idea of Quinn under center almost from the moment he arrived, responded to the pick by chanting "Bra-dy! Bra-dy!" in the final minutes.

The timing of the change — coming in a short week with the Browns hosting Denver tomorrow night — has prompted some to wonder if Crennel was obeying orders from higher in the organization or perhaps reacting to public pressure. Crennel, though, maintains it was his decision alone to go with Quinn, the former Notre Dame star who will make his first NFL start against the Broncos (4-4).

"The short week had nothing to do with it," Crennel said. "It was just time, so I did it."

Anderson, who led the Browns to 10 wins last season, was shocked by his demotion. But the soft-spoken, rocket-armed, 25-year-old understands the rationale behind the change.

"We didn't win enough games," he said. "We're 3-5. That's how it is in this league. It's a bottom-line thing."

ELSEWHERE

Bills: Buffalo's top pass rusher Aaron Schobel will miss at least another two weeks and could potentially be out for the rest of the season with a left foot injury. The two-time Pro Bowl defensive end is to meet with a specialist in North Carolina today to have his foot examined, a person familiar with the injury told The Associated Press yesterday.

Lions: Quarterback Daunte Culpepper passed his physical and signed with Detroit yesterday and could be ready to play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 31-year-old Culpepper, who earlier this season had announced his retirement after failing to find a team that fit his needs, signed a two-year deal with the winless Lions (0-8).

Rams: St. Louis Rams placed wide receiver Drew Bennett and wide receiver/kick returner Dante Hall on injured reserve yesterday, a day after coach Jim Haslett said both would be out for the season. Bennett broke his leg in the season opener. Hall sustained a high ankle sprain in Sunday's 34-13 loss to the Cardinals.

Steelers: With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's status for Sunday's game against Indianapolis uncertain due to his reinjured right shoulder, Pittsburgh (6-2) may give Byron Leftwich his first start since last Nov. 18 with Atlanta. Roethlisberger underwent an MRI exam yesterday, but the Steelers did not release the results.