Colt McCoy: Cleveland Browns Rookie Has Earned the Right To Start Long Term

Colt McCoy was supposed to sit on the bench for the Cleveland Browns all year and maybe even hold the clipboard. The original plan was essentially to give McCoy a de facto redshirt year and show him the ropes. 

Veteran quarterbacks Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme were going to teach him how to play the quarterback position. But then they both hurt their ankles and McCoy was thrust into the fire. 

He hasn't looked back since and the Browns fans have got to be extraordinarily happy about it. 

It looks like they've found themselves a longterm starter. 

Take a look at how he got to this point. 

The 2010 NFL Draft

After his stellar career at Texas, McCoy went into the 2010 NFL Draft with "no expectations." He chose to stay at home instead of traveling to shake hands with Roger Goodell and ended up avoiding the embarrassment of slipping down the draft board. 

He was eventually drafted 85th overall by the Cleveland Browns, who signed McCoy to a four-year, $5 million dollar contract. 

After he was selected, he said when asked his thoughts, "I can't wait to be a Cleveland Brown and that we're going to win a lot of games. Cleveland has a little orange in their jerseys just like UT. It's a perfect fit."

However, starting off on the right foot wouldn't last for long. 

Preseason

It's hard to remember now, but McCoy, plagued by injuries during the preseason, was almost released by the Browns. In my opinion, that was an unwarranted rumor because Browns president Mike Holmgren liked McCoy too much to just replace him.

McCoy struggled greatly during the first game. He completed five of 10 passes for 25 yards and two interceptions. The mobile quarterback also ran twice for 25 yards. 

Then came the second game, which saw McCoy run for two yards and throw two incomplete passes. 

The third game was uneventful as well, but saw a vast improvement. McCoy completed 10 of his 14 pass attempts but only picked up 76 yards.

In the fourth game of the preseason, McCoy started to make his case for the job. 

McCoy got the start during the relatively insignificant game and completed all 13 of his passes for 131 yards. There was no cutting him after that. 

Weeks One Through Five

Weeks one through five gave McCoy the benefit of observing the NFL game and learning the Browns playbook. He got to learn behind two veteran quarterbacks, one of whom has a fairly similar set of skills. 

Seneca Wallace has the legs and the ability to scramble out of the pocket. McCoy needed to learn how to do that effectively and efficiently because the NFL game is much faster than the college one. 

Holmgren originally planned on this process lasting for the entire season, but injuries changed that plan. The Browns lost their starter and backup, both to ankle injuries, en route to 1-4 record to open the season. 

With a game at Heinz field looming on the schedule, the Browns had no choice but to turn to McCoy for their sixth game. 

Week Six: Pittsburgh Steelers

McCoy went into the worst situation possible and came out with his dignity intact. 

An away game at Heinz Field against a great defensive team coming off a bye. Ouch. . .

Yet McCoy still overcame the odds and played well, despite the 28-10 loss. 

He showed boatloads of poise while completing 23 of 33 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback did throw two picks, but both came when his receivers deflected the ball to defenders. 

He showed off his arms, his legs, his poise, and his "it" factor in this game. 

Week Seven: New Orleans Saints

Coming off the Steelers loss, McCoy and the Browns bounced back in a huge way. Led by a suffocating defense and a dominant running back named Peyton Hillis, the Browns thrashed the defending Super Bowl champions 30-17. 

McCoy completed nine of his 16 passes and failed to record either a touchdown or an interception. He wasn't asked to make any big plays because he didn't really need to. 

That said, he did what was best for his team and played efficient football. Without turning the ball over, he gave his team a great shot to win, an opportunity which they seized. 

Week Nine: New England Patriots

The Browns wanted to prove that the win against the Saints wasn't a fluke and they did by trouncing the New England Patriots.

The final score was 34-14 and probably wasn't even as close as that score indicates. McCoy was a remarkable 14 for 19 passing and once again didn't throw any touchdowns or any interceptions. 

He also rushed three times for 20 yards, including a touchdown run pictured to the left. On that run, he scrambled out of the pocket, kept his eyes downfield, then broke to the left sideline and dove for the pylon. 

A lot more plays like that and McCoy will become a mainstay on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays. 

Week Ten: New York Jets

This game was ever so close to being a third straight win for the Browns. And it was definitely McCoy's true coming out party. 

McCoy was 18 for 31, resulting in 205 yards and a touchdown. 

After a long drive, McCoy hit Mohamed Massaquoi for a touchdown to tie up the game with 44 seconds left. It was the first truly clutch moment of the young quarterback's career. 

In overtime he led his team down the field once again and threw a complete pass to Chansi Stuckey, but Stuckey fumbled the ball away on the Jets 32-yard line. The Jets went on to score and defeat the Browns in heartbreaking fashion, but an impression was still made by McCoy. 

Week Eleven: Jacksonville Jaguars

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

JACKSONVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 21: Colt McCoy #12 of the Cleveland Browns is chased down by Larry Hart #59 during a game agaisnt the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on November 21, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

This was McCoy's first game as the unquestioned starter and he responded well. 

The Texas product completed 17 of his 28 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also ran four times for 39 yards. 

He really should have led his team to a win, but Jacksonville overcame their six turnovers and scored in the final minute to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish. 

McCoy almost led a dramatic drive for the win though. His last pass was tipped by Sean Considine into the arms of Benjamin Watson, but Watson couldn't hold on and the pass was eventually intercepted. 

Still though, the fact that McCoy put them in that position was impressive enough. 

The Future

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

JACKSONVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 21: Colt McCoy #12 of the Cleveland Browns leads the team out of the tunnel during a game agaisnt the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on November 21, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Colt McCoy has without a doubt earned the right to remain the starter of the Cleveland Browns. 

However, he sprained his ankle, becoming the third Browns quarterback to do so. Whether or not he's ready to play this week, he should have the job whenever he's ready to do so. 

Remember, even though the Browns have been just 2-3 during his tenure, that's twice as many wins as the team had in the same number of games with Delhomme and Wallace starting.

Moreover, McCoy has only faced playoff-caliber teams. The Jaguars have the worst record of the bunch at 6-4.

The Cleveland Browns have found themselves a franchise quarterback.