Colt McCoy: Cleveland Browns Rookie Faces Stiff Test Against Steelers

Colt McCoy finally gets to take the next step in his young career. 

After wearing the burnt orange jersey of the Texas Longhorns and winning more football games than any other collegiate quarterback of all time, the quarterback gets to put on the orange helmet of the Cleveland Browns, buckle his chinstrap, and step onto the field as a starting quarterback in the NFL. 

Sure, it took injuries to both Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace, but the rookie has his first shot at making a name for himself at the pro level. 

Much like Garrett Gilbert in the National Championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide, McCoy is being completely thrown into the fire. Gilbert hadn't played a meaningful snap all season for the Longhorns but was asked to come in and replace McCoy in the biggest game of the year. 

Similarly, McCoy is going to have to step onto the field in the regular season for the first time against, gulp, arguably the best team in the entire NFL. 

The original plan, as stated by Mike Holmgren, was for this season to be a de facto redshirt year for McCoy. Let him learn by holding a clipboard while listed third on the depth chart. The Browns didn't want to test him too soon. 

But things change quite quickly in this hard-hitting league we love so much. 

So now, barring a miraculous recovery to either of the injured ankles of Wallace and Delhomme, it's McCoy's chance to prove he's the real McCoy. 

The Situation

At first glance, this appears to be an awful matchup for young Colt and his Browns. There's no denying that fact.

Let's take a look at all the things that McCoy is faced with. 

First off, he doesn't have much experience, especially because he was injured for part of the preseason. 

Then there's the quality of the opponent.

The Steelers have been fantastic this year and are a last-minute touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to T.J. Houshmandzadeh away from an undefeated 4-0 record.

Pittsburgh also gets Ben Roethlisberger back from suspension so the offense will only be improved. It's not unrealistic at all to expect the Browns to be playing catch-up all game. 

Led by a suffocating defense reminiscent of the Steel Curtain of old, the Steelers have allowed nine, 11, 13, and 17 points in their games thus far.

Now if you're really pushing it, you could claim that there's an upward trend in points allowed, so the Browns are bound to put up at least 20 points, but something tells me that trend is nothing more than a coincidence. 

The Steelers are ranked first in scoring defense, 20th in passing defense, and first in rushing defense. Yikes. 

Now add to that the fact that Pittsburgh is coming off a bye week. Not only are they going to be pumped up to play well because of Big Ben's return, but they'll also be well-rested.

The Browns are most definitely not well-rested. The only standout offensive weapon thus far, running back Peyton Hillis, is questionable for Sunday's game with a pulled quad muscle.

Once again, this doesn't make the quarterback's job any easier. 

What This Means For Colt

Well obviously it means that this is going to be a tough way for the Texas product to start his career, but in a way this might end up being a good thing for No. 12. 

Look at it this way. If McCoy plays well, he's a hero for overcoming the odds and knocking off the heavily favored Steelers. 

But, if he doesn't play well, he won't have really been expected to.

While I'm by no means condoning the use of excuses, he has quite a valid one here. Almost every rookie struggles in their first game, but virtually none have had quite the same level of difficulty in their respective debuts. 

One thing is for sure though: Colt McCoy will not be making excuses. If he loses the game, you can bet that he'll be taking the blame and working harder to make himself better. That's just the kind of player he proved to be in college. 

Finally, don't forget that this quarterback does have a special knack for winning football games. You don't set the NCAA record for wins as a starting quarterback by accident. 

He's also completed his last 13 passes and even though those all came in the preseason, he was still facing an NFL defense. 

How does that phrase go again? Any given Sunday?