Colt McCoy Now The Browns #1 QB?

Added on Oct 16, 2010 by Jason Kearney in

NFL

Colt McCoy is getting the start on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers and although the Cleveland Browns’ ‘party line’ is that he’s been pressed into service due to injuries to Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace based on comments from offensive coordinator Brian Daboll it sounds like barring a disastrous effort he may now be the #1 quarterback on the team. It’s no secret that the Browns took McCoy in the draft to be their quarterback of the future and he’s definitely got the skills and more importantly the personality and ‘intangibles’ to be a potentially great NFL QB. While St. Louis’ Sam Bradford may be more of a ‘can’t miss’ prospect you can make a good case that McCoy has even more potential upside. He’s being thrown into the ‘deep water’ facing a nasty Steelers’ defense in his first pro start and obviously there’s a learning curve for any new NFL QB but it’s not like he’s new to pressure and playing in ‘big games’.

Daboll gave this assessment of McCoy on Friday. He even used an expression–’it’s go time’–more often heard from douchebags trying to start fights in bars:

“It’s go time. He’s facing the No. 1 defense in the league. What better way than to start out against the Pittsburgh Steelers? This is what he’s always dreamed of.”

Of course head coach Eric Mangini thinks he’s General Eisenhower commanding the troops in WW II and hasn’t *officially* announced McCoy as the starter, but he’s going to start. Browns’ defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is also big on McCoy’s potential:

“I really like Colt McCoy. I’ve seen him light our defense up for three weeks so it’s good to have him actually play against somebody else.”

“You know (Steelers’ DC Dick) LeBeau is going after him. The young man is exciting to me, but I’d be lying if you don’t go after a young quarterback, of course you do.”

McCoy might not have the ‘look’ of a prototypical professional athlete, but Ryan says it’s a serious mistake to underestimate him:

“The guy’s a leader. He’s mature. He doesn’t look like much. He’s a competitive guy and I’m excited to watch him get out there and play. You’ve got to play sometime. Now there would be easier starts than playing the No. 1 defense, but this kid will probably do great.”

McCoy inexplicably slid to the third round in the 2010 NFL Draft (the Rams’ Bradford, on the other hand, was the #1 selection overall). The rationale was that McCoy ‘lacks NFL size’ (he’s 6’1″, most NFL QB’s are 6’3″ or taller–though by this metric Steve Young, Joe Montana and Jim McMahon also ‘lacked NFL size’) and has ‘small hands’. Despite these shortcomings, all he did in college at the University of Texas was pass for 13,253 yards and 112 touchdowns. After redshirting in his freshman year McCoy’s Texas teams posted records of 10-3 in 2006 and 2007 12-1 in 2008 and 13-1 in 2009. The Longhorns had a good look at the 2009 National Championship before McCoy left the BCS Title game against Alabama with an injured shoulder.

Browns’ coach Eric Mangini though *still* not confirming McCoy would start explained his expectations for his young quarterback:

“You can’t force the ball into spots against this defense, you can’t do it. There are too many opportunities when you do that for them to make big plays. You have just got to be smart and you’ve got to make good decisions and you’ve got to go to the open player and make good reads and do a good job of controlling the defense with your eyes and understanding what’s happening.

“Those are the things that I expect from him.”

Heading into the season the Browns’ plan was to play McCoy sparingly, if at all, but a lot has changed since then. Jake Delhomme has been injured most of the season and has looked awful when he has played. Seneca Wallace–a decent enough guy to have around as a backup–is also injured now and unless McCoy seriously struggles against the Steelers the team my figure the ‘best case scenario’ both for his development and their 2010 success is to give him the keys now.

Earlier this week, Cleveland re-signed QB Brett Ratliff who had been on New England’s practice squad. Ratliff was with the Browns last year and was in training camp with Cleveland this year before being cut. Again, the current ‘party line’ is that he’s just being brought in to give McCoy a backup with two working legs this weekend. From an objective standpoint, however, it looks as if the team is laying the groundwork to release one of their injured veterans–most likely Delhomme.

There’s no shortage of jerks in the NFL as in all pro sports, but McCoy seems like a real good kid–we wish him well.