Why Colt McCoy's First Cleveland Browns Start Will Be His Last
The 2010 NFL season has been the year of the backup quarterback.
We've already seen backups start games for 10 teams: the Bears, Bills, Browns, Cardinals, Eagles, Lions,ย Panthers, Raiders, Steelers and Titans.
In Week 6, we could see the Packers added to that list, while the Browns will likely be down to their third-string quarterback: Colt McCoy.
Cleveland coach Eric Mangini announced that he is leaning toward giving the rookie his first career NFL start after ankle injuries to Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace.
McCoy is set to be behind center for the Browns' Week 6 divisional showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But I'm here to give you the top 10 reasons why his first start of the season will be his last.
10. A Rude Welcome to the NFL
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I'm sure Colt McCoy was pretty excited when he heard that he would get his first career NFL start this weekโuntil he looked at the schedule.
The Browns play the Steelers at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh has the league's top-ranked scoring defense and has managed to get off to a 3-1 start without Ben Roethlisberger.
I wouln't be surprised if McCoy played so poorly that he found his way back to the bench in Week 7.
9. Once a Longhorn, Always a Longhorn
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Recently, Texas quarterbacks haven't succeeded at the NFL level.
Yes, Vince Young was named the Rookie of the Year and went to the Pro Bowl in 2006. But Young has more career interceptions (41) than touchdowns (38) and has a career quarterback rating of 74.2.
Chris Simms has just 12 career touchdowns and 18 career interceptions and is now out of the league, while Major Applewhite quit to pursue a career in coaching before ever playing a down in the NFL.
Of course, this doesn't guarantee McCoy will fail in the NFL, but it could be a sign of things to come.
8. His Best Days Came at Texas
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Some quarterbacks reach the pinnacles of their careers while playing in college. They're great college quarterbacks, and that's all they'll ever be.
It was Ken Dorsey at Miami, Danny Wuerffel at Florida and Matt Leinart as USC.
It will be Colt McCoy at Texas.
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7. The Browns Aren't Built to Succeed
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Cleveland's wide receiver corps is among the worst in the league. The Browns certainly don't have a No. 1 wideout and barely even have a No. 2-caliber receiver on their roster.
Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie and Josh Cribbs aren't going to get the job done unless someone like Peyton Manning is playing quarterback.
Colt McCoy is bringing a knife to a gun fight.
So even though a poor performance against the Steelers won't be entirely his fault, he'll take most of the blame.
6. Peyton Hillis Isn't Healthy
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Peyton Hillis has been one of the lone bright spots on the Browns this year, but he isn't healthy.
Though Browns head coach Eric Mangini said he expects Hillis to play this week, he won't be 100 percent against Pittsburgh.
If Hillis is limited, that leaves James Davis and the newly acquired Mike Bell as the only other backs on the roster.
If Cleveland can't run the ball against the Steelersโwhich I doubt they'll do even if Hillis playsโthat won't bode well for Colt McCoy.
5. He Was Almost Released
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Does anybody remember that Colt McCoy was almost released after playing very poorly in the preseason?
McCoy did perform well in the Browns' last exhibition gameโhe was a perfect 13-of-13 in two quartersโbut his overall performance was bad enough that he nearly didn't make the team.
There's a chanceโhowever slight it may beโthat it could happen again if McCoy stinks up the stadium at Heinz Field.
4. It Won't Be Easy to Keep His Job
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Colt McCoy can't complete 12 of 25 passes with two interceptions this week and expect to remain the Browns' starter.
With two veteran quarterbacks already on Cleveland's roster, the team isn't going to let McCoy play just because the Browns aren't a very good football team.
Cleveland still wants to win some games this year, so Seneca Wallace and even Jake Delhomme will be ready to go if McCoy stumbles against the Steelers.
3. The Pat White Effect
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More often than not, successful college quarterbacks do not translate to the NFL, especially smaller quarterbacks who like to scramble.
The most recent example I can use is former West Virginia quarterback Pat White.
Though I'd argue that McCoy is a better passer, White is the latest quarterback to have a hard time adjusting his game to compete at the NFL level.
Where is he now? In the Kansas City Royals' minor league system.
If McCoy can't become a more proficient pocket passerโin the mold of another smaller quarterback like Drew Breesโhe might wind up out of the league just like White.
2. Seneca Wallace Should Be the Team's Starter
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No one is going to confuse Seneca Wallace for a great NFL quarterback, but he has played reasonably well so far this season.
Wallace has completed at least 60 percent of his passes in three of his four starts, and his quarterback rating topped 103 in games against the Ravens and Falcons.
He gives the Browns the best chance to win now.
1. McCoy Isn't Ready to Be a Full-Time Starter
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There's a reason why Sam Bradford was chosen with the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft and Colt McCoy slipped to the third round: McCoy wasn't ready.
Like Tim Tebow in Denver, McCoy was drafted by Cleveland as a project quarterback. He wasn't drafted to be the the franchise savior like Bradford in St. Louis.
It was widely expected when the Browns selected McCoy that he would develop for at least a year or two before being given a shot at the starting job.
McCoy will see his first NFL action before he's even remotely prepared.
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