The Real McCoy: Colt Leads Cleveland to 17-16 Victory over Miami

Colt McCoy saved his best for last.

The Browns second-year quarterback led his team on an improbable 80-yard drive that was capped off by a 14-yard touchdown pass from McCoy to Mohamed Massaquoi, with 43 seconds left in the game, giving the Browns (2-1) a 17-16 victory over winless Miami.

McCoy was 9 of 13 for 80 yards on the final drive. A far cry from the 10-26 for 130 yards he was prior to his shining moment.

Cleveland found themselves down early after a McCoy interception led to Miami’s first points of the game. Four plays after the pick, Chad Henne threw a short pass to Daniel Thomas who followed his blockers to the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass with more than eight minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Miami’s lead would remain at 7-0 until McCoy found Joshua Cribbs in the end zone to tie the game at seven. Rolling to his right, McCoy threw a long, floating pass that Cribbs was able to leap up and pull down for a 33-yard catch midway threw the second quarter.

Those were the only points the Browns offense would put up in the first half, as they struggled to get things going without RB Peyton Hillis, who missed the game due to illness.

Miami dominated every facet of the game in the first half but the Browns still were able to keep it close going to the half, down only 10-7.

Cleveland started the second half with the ball and marched downfield before their drive stalled, and settled for a Phil Dawson 30-yard field goal that tied the ballgame at 10.

Miami would score only two field goals in the second half, the last of which was a 38-yarder that put the Dolphins ahead 16-10 with only 3:23 remaining in the game.

After the field goal, Carpenter kicked the ball out of the end zone for a touchback and gave the struggling Browns offense one more chance, starting at their own 20-yard line.

McCoy took over from there and picked apart the Miami defense, completing a series of short passes, including three to Greg Little, that moved the Browns offense to the Dolphins 14-yard line with less than a minute remaining.

On 3rd-and-5 from the 14, McCoy dropped back and showed poise in the face of the Miami pass rush as he sent a pass just over the outstretched hands of Miami corner Jimmy Wilson into the waiting hands of Massaquoi, who cradled the ball and kept his feet in bounds for the game-tying score.

The crowd’s jubilation was short lived, however, as the Browns received an excessive celebration penalty that made them kick the ball off from the 20-yard line, all but guaranteeing the Dolphins good field position as they took over with a time out remaining.

Things would get more troublesome for Cleveland when Miami’s Edmund Gates broke containment on the return and was only brought down when Browns special teamer Dmitri Patterson horse collared the speedy returner, bringing him down but also picking up a 15-yard penalty that gave Miami and Henne the ball back inside Cleveland territory.

It was time for Browns fans to worry, bite their nails, pray and sweat as their defense needed to hold Henne, who was 19-29 for 255 yards on the day, and the Miami offense to little or no yards and keep Carpenter, who hit a 60-yard field goal against Cleveland last year, from having an opportunity to kick the game winner.

The defense did its job, causing three Henne incompletions before Mike Adams picked him off to seal the deal on his fourth attempt of the drive.

With the win, the Browns have won two games in a row, while the loss for the Dolphins will cause head coach Tony Sparano’s hot seat to get even hotter.