Cleveland Browns 2011: Is Colt McCoy Really the Answer at QB for the Browns?

When Bill Belichick cut Bernie Kosar after Week 10 of the 1993 NFL season, he opened up a black hole that remains in Cleveland to this day.

Since Kosar's release, the Browns have had 20 different starting quarterbacks. That's unbelievable considering that over that 18-year span, the Browns were non-existent for three seasons.

Quarterback controversies have become a way of life for fans in Cleveland.

The trend seems to be continuing with current starter Colt McCoy. After a 3-3 start to the season with hardly a single positive coming from the offensive side of the ball, the fans and media alike are beginning to question if Colt McCoy is really the long-term answer for the Browns.

Is McCoy too short? Does he have the arm strength? Can he effectively read NFL defenses?

These are some of the questions surrounding McCoy's performance through his first 14 starts as a pro. Does anyone else see a trend here?

When McCoy was drafted in the third round before last season, it seemed as though the Browns had a vision for their young QB. McCoy would learn behind veterans Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace for a couple years before being transitioned to the starter.

Finally, after mishandling numerous quarterback situations, the Browns were starting to figure it out; you actually have to position young quarterbacks for success in this league in order for them to actually encounter some success.

Eight weeks into the season last year, that logic was thrown out the window and McCoy was thrust into a position he wasn't ready for, with an offense that most quarterbacks in the league would have trouble with.

After the 2010 season, McCoy was then faced with the challenge of learning a new offense under limited time with his teammates and coaches because of the lockout.

After all of that dysfunction, let's take a look at McCoy's numbers through his first 14 games and compare them to another quarterback in the league who at one time was questioned for being too short, among other things.

Through his first 14 games in the NFL, the 6'2" McCoy has a completion percentage of 58 percent. He has thrown for 2,954 yards with 14 TDs and 13 interceptions.

Now, let's take a look at the first 14 starts of former Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees' career, who is only listed at 6'0". Brees had a completion percentage of 61 percent, throwing for 2,783 yards, 13 TDs and 15 interceptions. 

It should also be noted that Brees had two veteran wide receivers in Tim Dwight and Curtis Conway along with future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson helping out in his efforts.

I'm not saying that Colt McCoy is going to be the next Drew Brees but the two have some striking similarities. Drew Brees was put into a situation where he was prepared to succeed. Colt McCoy deserves that same chance.

The Browns' offensive line has been shredded with injuries in 2011, and the bruises all over McCoy's body are evidence of that.

His weapons on offense are almost non-existent. No matter what you want to say about him, you have to admit that the kid is tough—something we haven't seen out of that position in Cleveland for a long time. 

McCoy wants to be a winner in Cleveland more than anything else.

You can see it in the way he picks himself up off the ground after nearly every play. He has passion and heart for the game, which is something you can't teach.

Can he be "the guy" in Cleveland and lead the Browns back to the playoffs?

That remains to be seen, but I bet he will die trying if they give him the chance.