Hold on a second. Nobody should expect Brandon Weeden to be Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. What the Browns drafted was a much-needed upgrade, not a savior.
John Kuntz, The Plain DealerThe passion of some Browns fans desperate for an improved offense has given Brandon Weeden exactly ... what, one week? ... to prove his mettle. That's a little shortsighted, says Bud Shaw.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The honeymoon can't be over for Brandon Weeden anytime soon, or this will make a Kardashian marriage look like a life-long commitment.
Let Weeden clear his throat and find his range before giving him the Simon Cowell treatment. Seems only fair. If not, we'll officially live in the craziest football city in America. So we'll have that going for us.
We need quarterback perspective in this town the way Mrs. Chad Johnson needs an annulment. The Browns didn't draft Weeden expecting him to match Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, and especially not by Labor Day. That's exactly why Plan A involved trying to draft RGIII.
They reached for Weeden at No. 22, expecting him to become a significant upgrade over Colt McCoy. That's not exactly like stepping in for Pavarotti in the second act of La Boheme, by the way. It's a much more fair measure of Weeden. Based on his size, arm strength, maturity and accuracy, it remains a good bet.
Will he be spectacular at times? That's the hope. Will he provide the strong passing game you need to compete in the NFL in 2012? That's the acceptable minimum.
If that standard goes blatantly unrealized at season's end, new owner Jimmy Haslam has every right to fire all the chefs in the kitchen who claim quarterback as their signature dish. But that's at least 19 weeks from now.
You sensed palpable disappointment in Weeden's first exhibition game, though the source of it was unclear. Was it because too much was expected? Or does it stem from the warm attachment between the undersized McCoy and an underdog football town?
McCoy had significant parts of two seasons playing with the No. 1s, such as they are. Sometimes he looked like a good game manager. A few times he recalled Brian Sipe. Most often he looked below average or overmatched.
It can't be a surprise that Weeden -- without Trent Richardson and with a new right tackle and baby-faced wide receivers -- failed to find any kind of rhythm in three series of his first exhibition game. If you gave McCoy the benefit of the doubt given his poor supporting cast, well, the supporting cast Weeden worked with last week didn't become top-notch overnight.
The Browns are betting on Weeden's tangibles over McCoy's intangibles -- and over the long course of a season, not just the first quarter of the first exhibition game. They're betting he'll step up in the pocket under pressure and fight to own the space to deliver the football instead of giving into his flight instincts.
What fans see as McCoy's edge in mobility isn't all it's cracked up to be. Michael Vick has loads more of it than McCoy, and he can't make it through a season without injury. The model for the Weeden pick is Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco. Big guys who can avoid sacks, keep plays alive then make defenses pay with their arms. (Not that Flacco is in the same class.)
Weeden will be judged on that. Does he need to look better Thursday night in Green Bay than against Detroit? It would be nice for him. (If it quiets McCoy's fans, I'm all for it.) But it's hard to define "need" when the stakes are exhibition games and there's no quarterback competition.
A year ago, McCoy looked good in the preseason. Against Green Bay, he completed nine of 10 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. What good did it do him? What good did it do the Browns? They started planning a shopping trip to find his replacement at the end of the season.
If Weeden shows improvement Thursday night in Green Bay, it'll beat the alternative. Beyond that, rave reviews will carry about as much weight as the bad ones from a week ago.
The selection of Weeden was about finding a quarterback with a higher ceiling. If you can't see that, you must have bumped your head on the low bar set during the 2011 season.
SPINOFFS
When Chad Johnson threw away his chance to play for the Miami Dolphins after allegedly head-butting his new wife, it was almost too perfect that -- according to the report filed with police -- he was seated in a Smart car at the time.
Johnson and Evelyn Lozada dated on the show "Basketball Wives," where she became known for mixing it up with other cast members. With reality TV as the rock-hard foundation of their marriage, it's hard to believe it didn't last at least as long as Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries. ...
A week after the exhibition opener, we can finally say unequivocally that Mohamed Massaquoi either suffered a concussion or didn't. ...
Browns head coach Pat Shurmur is on record saying Josh Cribbs is "on the back nine of his career." Not sure what that means exactly. Just know that it shouldn't limit his role too significantly, what with so many younger players lost in the woods off the first tee.
Cribbs says you won't hear him talk about wanting an expanded role in the offense again unless the team isn't winning at the bye week in November. What are the chances of that? ...
Replacement refs officiating the Redskins-Bills exhibition game called a touchback on a punt clearly downed at the 4. Nothing says "integrity" quite like the NFL touting the first woman referee as a way of diverting attention from the ridiculous calls we've seen.
Here's an idea. If the NFL is really going to let replacement refs decide regular season games, give coaches three extra challenges. Per quarter.
Settle the dispute already. NFL fans deserve the best bad refereeing money can buy. ...
HE SAID IT
"If I have disappointed you in any way, you have my sincerest apologies." -- Chad Johnson to his supporters after allegations he head-butted his wife, who promptly filed for divorce after 41 days of marriage.
No worries, Chad. The people who know you best took the under.
SHE SAID IT
AP fileHe's a veteran face looking to guide a young offense. "I did win this tournament, didn't I? Maybe I didn't. I can't keep up." -- Serena Williams, returning to the Western Southern Open in Mason, Ohio this week, trying to recall if she'd taken home the trophy there before.
Weird. I have the same issues with whether or not I've won a Pulitzer.
SEPARATED AT BIRTH
Browns offensive coordinator Brad Childress and actor Gerald McRaney – Ron Hollowell, Chardon
YOU SAID IT
(The Post-Olympics, Pre-Apocalypse Edition)
"Bud:
MCT fileHe's a veteran face frequently seen on TV and in the movies, but is best known as Simon ... or is that Simon? "Now that the Olympics are over, it will be nice for Cleveland fans to get back into their comfort zone of rooting for teams that don't win." -- Rey, Avon
Never let it be said that people here don't look on the bright side.
"Bud:
"Exactly how many is a Brazilian? (And) Is Trinidad and Some Bagels a colony of Israel?" -- Jim Corrigan
And still people around the world call us Ugly Americans.
"Hey Bud:
"It was nice to see Gaylord Perry circle the track in the Tribe's bullpen car. Any possibility the Tribe will re-introduce the bullpen car during games for the remainder of the season?" -- Dr. Grinder
Not this year. The plan is to use it next year to transport Grady Sizemore back and forth from center field.
"Bud:
"What does your favorite golfer, Sergio Garcia, do on weekends?" -- O Bill Stone
Tries to get a re-grip on his game.
"Bud:
"Sorry for using the word 'prevarication' in an earlier email. It was used in reference to Randy Lerner saying he wasn't selling and Uncle Art saying he wasn't moving to Baltimore. For future reference, is there a certain number of syllables or a reading grade level desired for a submission to the Spin?" -- Nate J, Brunswick
No, but high levels of detectable boredom are a must.
"Bud:
"When you arrive at work each day and swagger through the hallways on your way to your desk, what are you listening to on your headphones?" -- Ignatowski
I think you meant stagger. Depends. When I know I'm going to be reading "You Said It" emails, I often listen to Radiohead's "How to Disappear Completely."
"Hey Bud:
"Isn't Josh Cribbs bragging he was the Browns' second-leading receiver sort of like Moe claiming to be the smartest of the Three Stooges?" -- Mark
First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.
"Bud:
"Can the Indians still make the playoffs if they shut down Ubaldo Jimenez?" -- Tom Hoffner, Broadview Heights
Repeat winners take a walk.
"Hey Bud:
"I was just wondering when Jeremy Sowers replica jersey night is?" -- JRM
Some repeat winners should be happy for what they wish for.
On Twitter: @budshaw