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In Cleveland, hope dies last

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16 Nov 2010

Final Thoughts on the Browns-Jets

A day later and, while we’re not discouraged, Sunday’s loss to the Jets still hurts.

We like how quarterback Colt McCoy had Chansi Stuckey’s back after the game:

”There’s things I feel I could have done better. I should have made some plays when it counted, especially in overtime,” McCoy said in published reports. ”I definitely can stand up here and I can take some of that. It’s not Stuckey’s fault, it’s not anybody’s fault on the offense. I was the one leading it and I need to make some more plays.”

Too bad we can’t say the same for Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, who named Stuckey the Goat of the Week in his Monday Morning Quarterback column, writing that:

“Tough call. Very tough. Because the similarly deserving Nick Folk of the Jets missed three field goals, including a 24-yarder that would have prevented overtime, and then another in overtime that would have ended it. But it wouldn’t have come down to a tie had not Stuckey made a boneheaded play, getting the ball yanked from his grasp at the Jet 32 with 10 minutes left in OT. Going down there would have given the Browns a first down at the New York 32, and a very good chance at the winning field goal. Instead, a heartbreaking defeat lay, tortuously, just minutes ahead.”

Yeah, on a day when Brett Favre throws three more interceptions to kill the Vikings in Chicago, Stuckey’s the bad guy of the week.

***

We were surprised there was some criticism of Joe Haden for intercepting, rather than knocking down, Mark Sanchez’ pass near the end of overtime. Browns coach Eric Mangini said Haden would have been wiser to bat the ball down and force a punt.

”I’m sure in the heat of the moment when the ball is up there, he’s just thinking about making sure he has his hands on it and he doesn’t knock it up and tap it into the receiver’s hands,” Mangini said in published reports. ”You’d like to because it was third and such a long distance [14], force them to punt and see where it comes out. It’s a hard situation, especially for a young guy.”

We’re not so sure about that. Just look at the end of the Jacksonville-Houston game from yesterday. Houston defensive back Glover Quin tried to knock the ball down on the last play of the game but it ended up bouncing right into the hands of the Jaguars Mike Thomas for the winning score.

So you never know; we’re OK with Haden making the interception. He should work with Abe Elam this week about how to make an interception.

***

We’re still cool with the Browns going for the win at the end of overtime. It sends a message to the rest of the league that the Browns won’t stop fighting until the game is over.

And while a tie may have been better than a loss, we think in the long run this will be better for the team. The coaches can use this as an opportunity to remind/teach the players just how slim the margin is between winning and losing. If the Browns had just been able to make a couple of more plays they would have come out on top.

***

Still not sure how Matt Roth can’t sack a one-legged quarterback and how Eric Wright can’t cover a one-legged receiver on the same play.

***

More injury woes for the Browns as guard Billy Yates is going on injured reserve and linebacker Scott Fujita may be out for a few weeks, according to The Plain Dealer. Hopefully Josh Cribbs and Sheldon Brown can come back for Sunday’s game.

***

Looks like Pittsburgh should have studied the Browns a little closer; maybe then they would know how to beat the Saints and the Patriots.

Posted in Chansi Stuckey, Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, Joe Haden, NFL | Leave a comment
14 Nov 2010

The Browns Go Down Fighting

The Browns may have lost Sunday’s game vs. the Jets, but we witnessed a team that obviously believes in themselves, never gives up and came within a couple of plays of its third straight win against a superior team with Super Bowl dreams.

And we definitely witnessed that Colt McCoy is the real deal and why Mike Holmgren deserves every penny of his salary.

The Browns gave the Jets everything they could handle but a couple of mistakes and first-half injuries to Joshua Cribbs (The PD is reporting he dislocated four toes on his right foot), Scott Fujita and Sheldon Brown added up to a solid effort that came up just short.

The Jets appeared to take control of the game at the start of the second half, as they put together a 19-play drive that took 10 minutes off the clock. Even though they ended up missing a field goal, the Browns subsequently went three-and-out on their next three possessions and seemingly lost their way as the Jets built a 20-13 lead with less than three minutes to play. At that point the Browns had 15 yards of total offense in the second half.

That’s when McCoy turned into the NFL quarterback that Browns fans have been waiting for since 1999.

McCoy took the team 59 yards in 10 plays, hitting Mohamed Massaquoi with a touchdown pass to tie the game with 44 seconds left. On the drive McCoy was five-of-nine for 58 yards, with a 17-yard completion to Ben Watson on third-and-1o and an 18-yard completion to Evan Moore on the next play.

“No. 12 [McCoy] is a special player,” cornerback Sheldon Brown told The Plain Dealer. “The poise is unreal for a rookie. I never saw anything like that for a rookie. The way the offense plays so hard for him. That whole drive, to see a rookie do that with calm [is unusual].”

Most notably, McCoy didn’t hit a wide receiver on the drive until the TD pass to Massaquoi. More on that in a bit.

After holding the Jets on the opening possession of OT, McCoy had the Browns driving for the win when Chansi Stuckey fumbled the ball away on the New York 32-yard-line. We can’t fault Stuckey as he was trying to make a play there.

After trading possessions throughout overtime, the Jets finally pulled out the win when Mark Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes on a short pass and Eric Wright and T.J. Ward stood around while Holmes ran 37 yards for the winning score.

This is a game that, in the past, the Browns would have lost going away. The Jets controlled the time of possession, especially in the second half, losing Cribbs took away a weapon on offense, and not having Brown in the secondary really showed as the Jets converted some key third downs to keep drives going.

We’re sure some will be critical of the Browns not accepting a tie (and Bud Shaw delivers) after Joe Haden intercepted a pass on the Browns three-yard-line with 1:35 left. The Browns could have tried to run out the clock and go home with a hard-fought tie, but why? The team is 3-5, you play to win and it was the right call there trying one last time to win the game.

“We can play with anybody and fight with anybody,” said Mangini in published reports. “We fight and deal with adversity well.”

Even though the Browns lost, we feel more so than ever the team is moving in the right direction. And Browns fans everywhere have Mike Holmgren to thank for that.

Because Holmgren “pulled rank” on draft day, the Browns have McCoy, who each week looks more and more like the quarterback of the future.

Because Holmgren convinced Tom Heckert to take over the role of GM, the Browns have a talented, credible talent evaluator.

Because Holmgren has brought order to the team, Eric Mangini is free to concentrate on coaching the team and we are seeing the payoff. The Browns are a hardworking group that gets the most out of their talent. They are a team that the fans can fall in love with.

As for McCoy, just think what he could do if he had some more weapons at his disposal.

While Peyton Hillis continues to deliver – 82 yards and another TD on Sunday – when he’s not in the game the defense has no reason to play the run, especially once Cribbs was injured.

Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie continue to be a complete void at the wide receiver position. While Massaquoi did pull in the tying TD, he only had one other catch while Robiskie posted his typical Blutarksi stat line – 0 catches for 0 yards.

If Montario Hardesty can get healthy next season – or the Browns can pick up someone who is – to give Hillis some support in the running game, and the Browns can bring in some NFL-caliber wide receivers, that can only help McCoy, who’s already shown he has the poise and savvy to play the position.

This one will hurt for a while, but we can temper the hurt by realizing that better days are ahead for the Browns.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, NFL | Leave a comment
13 Nov 2010

Browns vs. Jets – Week 10

The Browns go for their third win in a row over a team with a winning record – something they haven’t done since 1989 – at home on Sunday vs. the Jets.

The Opposition

New York Jets: 6-2
Offensive rank: 14th overall/21st passing/4th rushing
Defensive rank: 4th overall/16th passing/4th rushing
All-time record: Browns lead 12-7 (including playoffs), with a 9-5 mark at home. The Browns have won four out of the last five overall against the Jets
The line: Browns +3

What to Watch For

The Browns have been making steady and discernible, progress this season, culminating in last week’s win over New England, a true team win and the best example yet of what Browns Football should look like under coach Eric Mangini.

Sunday’s game against the Jets should be another tough – but not insurmountable – test for the team.

The Jets are 4-0 on the road this season and haven’t lost a regular season road game since Week 11 of last year, against New England. That’s a credit to the team’s strong rushing attack, which is fourth in the league at 148 yards per game.

The Jets bring the league’s fourth-ranked defense into the game as they are fourth against the run and 16th against the pass. But looking closer at the defensive numbers in comparison to the Browns starts to give us a path to victory for Cleveland.

As good as New York’s rushing defense is, their numbers are not that much better than the Browns: the Jets give up an average of 3.3 yards per rush, the Browns 3.9; the Jets have given up only three rushing touchdowns this year, but the Browns have only given up one; the Jets do have an edge when it comes to rushing yards, as they are giving up 87.4 yards on average per game, while the Browns are at 105.9.

Eighteen yards may not seem like much of a difference, but that equals about four to five first downs, keeping drives alive and wearing down the opponents defense.

But if the Browns can bring a stout run defense to the game on Sunday that could pave the way to a win because it will force Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez to have to make a play – and that is something the Jets probably want to stay away from.

After not throwing an interception in his first five games, Sanchez has thrown five in the past three games. He’s had to pass more because the Jets have fallen behind and the more the Browns can put the ball in Sanchez’ hands the more chance there is he will make a mistake.

If the Browns defense can confuse Drew Brees and Tom Brady, it’s not a stretch to believe they can have success against a second-year quarterback who hasn’t played well since Week 4.

Offensively, the Browns just need to keep doing what they have been doing: pound Peyton Hillis, take what the defense gives them in the passing game, mix things up a bit and don’t make any mistakes.

If the Jets can shut down the running game, it could be a very long day for the Browns offensively. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is reportedly 100 percent healthy and he can probably single cover both Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie by himself.

Oh and hope Colt McCoy doesn’t have a “rookie” game on Sunday.

The Best Browns vs. Jets Game I’ve Ever Seen

This is the easiest one yet: the double overtime playoff win in 1986. The Browns winning the Super Bowl is probably the only thing that will ever top this game. Mark Gastineau’s roughing-the-passer penalty, Brian Brennan drawing a huge pass interference penalty, Webster Slaughter open down the left sideline, Mark Mosley finally ending it; still, to this day, the most amazing Browns game I’ve ever seen.

Read The Plain Dealer‘s game story here. Video is available here.

The Prediction

We really want to pick the Browns this week. They are playing well and, despite some adversity early in the year, the team hasn’t given up. They were rewarded last week when the beat the Patriots and they deserve to be rewarded again this week.

But despite their offensive troubles, the Jets are good, real good, and they are tough on the road. There’s also very little chance they will overlook the Browns this week, not with all the connections between the two teams.

If the Browns were getting four points they would probably be a safe pick this week. But this game as three-point loss written all over it, so we’re going to take the Jets -3.

One thing we are sure of, though, is no matter what, it should be one heck of a game on Sunday.

Record picking the Browns this year: 1-6-1

Posted in Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, NFL | Leave a comment
13 Nov 2010

Week 10 Picks

We continued to find our stride last week, posting a perfect slate in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational over at Cleveland Frowns. We close the gap on leader jimkanicki and now sit just 2.5 points off the lead.

This week we like:

Boise State (-34.5) vs. Idaho

Oregon (-20) vs. Cal

Indianapolis (-7) vs. Cincinnati

Money pick: Tennessee (-2) vs. Miami

Posted in Cheddar Bay, NFL, point spreads | Leave a comment
11 Nov 2010

Colt May Be The Real Deal

Browns quarterback Colt McCoy is starting to gain some respect from the national media.

Vic Carucci has some nice things to say about McCoy in his latest column: The Real McCoy? Browns think they have their QB of future.

Jeffri Chadiha’s latest piece at ESPN.com about how NFL teams are changing their attitudes toward developing young quarterbacks is also a good read.

And while he focused solely on first round picks, such as Matt Ryan, Mark Sanchez and Josh Freeman, a lot of what he wrote could be applied to the Browns and Colt McCoy.

And it makes us more comfortable that the Browns, even though they had to deviate from The Plan, are finally going about developing a quarterback the right way.

Chadiha points out that the biggest question about young quarterbacks used to be do you start them or sit them? He says that the current crop of young quarterbacks are succeeding because their franchises have been more focused on other issues, such as:

  • Does this quarterback really fit their needs?
  • What kind of supporting cast can be put around him?
  • How much patience is necessary to put the player on the path to success?
  • Above all else, a team wants to know how resilient the kid is.

The Browns have hit on all four of those items with McCoy:

  • McCoy fits the team because he’s a smart quarterback who doesn’t make mistakes or try to play outside of his ability
  • While the wide receivers are still a work in progress, the rest of the supporting cast is in place. The Browns, due to their division and geographic location, need a strong offensive line and a power running game. They currently have both.
  • The fact that the team was willing to let McCoy sit an entire season before playing shows the level of patience they have. No more will we see Tim Couch inserted in the second half of the opening game.
  • You could not pick a tougher three-game stretch for a rookie quarterback to open their career with than the one McCoy just went through – Pittsburgh and New Orleans on the road, New England at home. Through it all, it’s clear the game isn’t too big for McCoy and he never lost his poise and avoided the kind of mistakes that have killed this team in the past. In coach Eric Mangini’s words, “He just hasn’t been fazed.”

Carucci points out a particular play from the Pittsburgh game to illustrate McCoy’s football smarts:

Further proof came in the week leading up to the Pittsburgh game. With injuries to Delhomme and Wallace, the Browns were running out of quarterbacking options. However, by then, McCoy was showing that he had strong grasp of the offense, both in meetings and on the practice field.

In the second quarter, the Browns called a naked bootleg, anticipating that safety Troy Polamalu would blitz. McCoy stepped away from center, as if he were going to change the play. He never did, but his movement caused Polamalu, who was edging closer to the line, to recoil and take a couple of steps back. McCoy then went right back under center, took the snap, and had a positive play.

“To me, that’s innate,” Jake Delhomme said. “You can’t coach that. That’s playing the game. Something as small as that, to me, you’re seeing it. You know what’s going on.”

Chadiha also writes that veteran support is key in a young quarterback’s development. McCoy has that judging from his teammates comments:

“He’s very calm in the pocket. He’s smart, and he knows the reads,” tackle Joe Thomas has said in published reports. “One-two-three [options], nobody open, so he takes off or throws it away. There is no indecision. That means a lot up front. He’s not back there, patting the ball, the way you see so many rookies do.”

“One thing I can say about him is that everyone in that huddle respects that he’s the leader,” guard Eric Steinbach has said in published reports. “He’s in there and he’s talking to the offense, telling us what we’ve got to do, what’s expected of us. At one point yesterday, he’s like, ‘All right, this is a big drive.’ And it’s funny ’cause the kid’s only got three games under his belt in the NFL, but he knew it.”

If Thomas and Steinbach have McCoy’s back, then the kid must be doing something right.

There’s still a lot season to be played and, once Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme are healthy, the coaches will have a tough decision on their hands.

But for once it’s nice to see a Browns quarterback play himself into the discussion rather than playing himself off the team.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, developing quarterback, NFL | Leave a comment
09 Nov 2010

Jets Week is Finally Here

The NY Jets arrive in town on Sunday, reportedly CBS’ No. 1 announcing team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will also be in town, and there’s lots to go around.

First up is Gary Myers in The New York Daily News, who writes that Browns coach Eric Mangini has no hard feelings about the team that fired him after the 2008 season:

“For me, personally, it’s special to play the Jets,” Mangini said from the Browns offices in Berea, Ohio. “Just like last week it was special to play New England because I was able to take so much from both of those organizations. And in New York, they gave me my first opportunity to be a head coach.

“I was really proud of the things that we did there and I learned a lot and been able to take those lessons here to Cleveland, apply those lessons here to Cleveland, grew a lot as a head coach. I just really appreciate that time, that experience, those people, all those guys that worked hard. It was a really special time in my life, both personally and professionally.”

The Jets players are saying all the right things as well, according to Manish Mehta in The Daily News:

Darrelle Revis insisted there’s no animosity between the Jets and Eric Mangini, but he didn’t exactly praise his former coach, either. Mangini will get his first crack Sunday at the team that fired him two years ago.

“There’s no hatred with us as the New York Jets organization (from) when Mangini was here,” Revis said. “Smart guy. He did all he could … Now he’s in a different place. I’m sure he’s looking forward to this game … I’m sure after the game guys will go talk to him … and see how he’s been.”

The Jets will face a rejuvenated Cleveland defense coached by Rex Ryan’s twin brother, Rob.

“If he’s half of what Rex is,” said center Nick Mangold, “it’s going to be a major pain for 60 minutes.”

And lets not forget it’s Ryan vs. Ryan this week. Oh, did we mention that it is Rex Ryan vs. Rob Ryan as well?

Finally, old friend Braylon Edwards opens mouth, inserts foot, as Fanhouse’s Pat McManamon shares:

“I remember the comments,” Edwards told (New York’s) Newsday. “I remember the writers, I remember the fans, I remember the coaches, I remember the people in the organization. I remember everything and everybody there that had something to say when 17 exited the doors. … I left there with a bitter taste in my mouth, and I’m going back there for some satisfaction. They can see it for how they want it. They can read it for how they want it. Just know that 17’s coming to work when we play next week.”

It’s been a wacky, unpredictable and enjoyable Browns season through the first eight games of the season. Something tells us that Sunday’s game versus the Jets might top anything we’ve seen so far this year.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, NFL, Rex Ryan, Rob Ryan | Leave a comment
08 Nov 2010

Final Thoughts on the Browns-Patriots

A day later and we’re still enjoying Sunday’s exhibition of Browns football.

“This is how I envision Browns football,” coach Eric Mangini told The Plain Dealer. “First, you learn how to compete. Then you learn how to win. Then you learn how to win consistently. It’s great to see the guys rewarded with victories.”

Mangini was including the coaches when he talked about “the guys” being rewarded with wins. It’s not just the players, the coaches have been putting in the effort all season long to figure out how to get the best of this team and this week it paid off as both sides of the ball performed well.

“This is a lot more fun talking today than it was before,” Mangini told The PD on Monday. “I feel the best for the guys collectively and the coaches collectively because they work. I know I say it a lot, but they work hard, and they care and it means something and it hurts when we lose. Playing in Cleveland means something. The city means something. Being in front of our fans means something, and you want to see them be rewarded for that. You want to reward the fans for their loyalty. You want to be able to give those groups what they deserve. And that’s important.”

The Browns are also starting to get some respect from the national media:

“The last two weeks have convinced me of a few things,” Peter King wrote in his Monday Morning Quarterback column. “One: It would be a mistake to fire the imaginative Mangini and his hungry staff unless the bottom falls out on this team in the next two months. … Two: The Browns aren’t far away from competing every week in their division. Three: Colt McCoy is afraid of nothing, and I think it’s unlikely the Browns will have to spend their first-round draft choice on a quarterback in 2011.

“Belichick’s first-place Patriots were humiliated, 34-14, by the 2-5 Cleveland Browns,” wrote Dan Shaughnessy in The Boston Globe. “On the same acreage where Belichick failed in his first stint as a head coach — in a chess match against the apprentice who turned on him (‘I know it was you, Fredo, you broke my heart’) — Belichick’s team was exposed. The Patriots looked ill-equipped and ill-prepared. They were outplayed in the city where Belichick always will have something to prove. And they were outcoached by Fredo Mangini, a man Belichick despises more than anyone else in football.”

“When Jets head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer examine the Browns’ game film, they’ll notice how many problems (the Browns defense) gave one of the savviest quarterbacks in NFL history,” wrote Tim Graham on ESPN.com. “ESPN Stats & Information charted Cleveland’s amoeba defense, an unusual scheme described as ‘at least five defensive players in the box with one or fewer down linemen.’ It’s difficult for a quarterback to read at the line, creates pass-protection confusion for linemen and clogs passing lanes. The results were persuasive, according to ESPN Stats & Information’s data. Patriots passing versus the amoeba: 3-of-13 for 51 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception and an 11.4 passer rating.”

And as we pointed out yesterday, Colt McCoy is making it very difficult for the coaching staff to go back to Jake Delhomme or Seneca Wallace once they get healthy.

While the coaching staff needs to base the decision on who gives the team the best chance to win, it seems unlikely they will turn to Wallace if he’s healthy, at least this week. With the team playing at home, inserting Wallace in at quarterback would be setting him up for an almost no-win situation – the first mistake and the fans will be on him and calling for McCoy.

But that’s a decision for another day. For now we rejoice in a two-game winning streak and, while the talk of a playoff run is rather premature, things are good again this week in Brownstown.

***

Here’s a look around the web at what everyone else is saying:

The Colt Report: Week Three – Waiting for Next Year

Man, That Was Fun – Waiting for Next Year

Browns Pound Pats – Cleveland Frowns

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, NFL, winning streaks | Leave a comment
07 Nov 2010

Browns vs. Patriots – Week 9

The Browns are back home, back from the bye and back to work today against a New England that may not be as strong as it’s NFL-best 6-1 record indicates.

The Opposition

New England: 6-1
Offensive rank: 24th overall/19th passing/16th rushing
Defensive rank: 25th overall/29th passing/9th rushing
All-time record: Browns lead 12-9 (including playoffs), with a 7-4 mark at home
The line: Browns +4

What to Watch For

The Browns entered the bye week off a big defensive effort to beat the Saints. On the surface, today’s game against the Patriots, who have the best record in the NFL, appears to be just as daunting.

But looking at the numbers a little closer reveals the possibility for a far brighter outcome for the Browns.

Of the Patriots six wins, four have come against teams with losing records (Cincy, Buffalo, San Diego and Minnesota). So they haven’t been hardened by the same tough schedule the Browns have faced.

The one thing the Patriots do is score points as they lead the league with 29.3 points per game. Even without Randy Moss, the Patriots receivers will be a challenge for Browns secondary that is still finding its way.

If the Browns can’t slow New England’s offense it’s hard to see them putting enough points on the board, especially with Colt McCoy getting the start at quarterback.

But there are holes in the New England defense the Browns can exploit. The Patriots are weak on pass defense and are expected to be without starting strong safety Patrick Chung. The Browns should be able to exploit that with tight end Benjamin Watson.

Also, Peyton Hillis should be healthy after the bye week and if the Browns can get the running game going behind him, and control the ball with short passing to the tight ends, they can keep the game close. Josh Cribbs should be fully recovered from the illegal head shot he took against Pittsburgh; this could be the week he finally breaks through on special teams.

The Best Browns vs. Patriots Game I’ve Seen

The 1977 game that Don Cockroft won with a field goal in overtime – the first OT game in Browns history. This one is a little bit of a cheat because I didn’t actually see the game as, even though it was on Monday Night Football, the game was blacked out locally. But I did listen to it on the radio so that counts. Here’s the PD’s game story; love the reference to Greg Pruitt going through tear-away jerseys.

The Prediction

We can certainly see how the Browns can win this game, but a lot has to go right for it to happen.

Playing at home in his third start should be a plus for McCoy and while the Patriots will throw a lot at him defensively, it should not be anything worse than what he saw against Pittsburgh or New Orleans.

While we want to say the Browns will pull off a second consecutive surprising win, the talent gap just seems to wide and it’s not reasonable to expect two defensive touchdowns again this week.

The Browns will keep the game close, but expect the Pats to cover with a late score.

Record picking the Browns: 1-5-1

Posted in Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, NFL, Week 9 | Leave a comment
05 Nov 2010

Week 9 Picks

Things are getting hot in the in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational over at Cleveland Frowns. Even a five-point effort last week wasn’t enough as jimkanicki continued a roll that has seen him go 11-1 against the spread the last three weeks.

He missed the Virgina Tech game already this week, so now that we have him on the ropes it’s time to work the body and cut into the 6.5-point deficit:

Boise State (-21) vs. Hawaii

Oregon (-35.5) vs. Washington

NY Giants (-7) vs. Seattle

Money pick: Pittsburgh (-4.5) vs. Cincinnati

Posted in Cheddar Bay, NFL, point spreads | Leave a comment
04 Nov 2010
1 Comment

Colt’s Extended Engagement

With Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace both sitting out practice Wednesday while recovering from ankle injuries, it looks like rookie Colt McCoy will make his third consecutive start – and home debut – at quarterback Sunday against New England.

If McCoy does get the starting nod, his first three games will have come against Pittsburgh (5-2), New Orleans (5-3) and New England (6-1). You would be hard pressed to find a tougher three game stretch to start a career for a rookie quarterback in league history.

For example:

  • Peyton Manning’s first three starts in 1999 came against Buffalo (who finished 11-5 on the year), New England (8-8) and San Diego (8-8)
  • Tom Brady’s first NFL starts game against Indianapolis (6-10), Miami (11-5) and San Diego (5-11)
  • Brett Favre’s first three NFL starts were against the Duluth Eskimos, Canton Bulldogs and Decatur Staleys

Welcome to the NFL kid.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, NFL

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