Former Browns quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer, now with Carolina, and former Panthers quarterback Josh McCown know exactly what went wrong with Jake Delhomme in Carolina last season -- and just how to fix it.
View full sizeThe 2009 season was not a good one for quarterback Jake Delhomme, who ended up getting released by the Carolina Panthers just one year after leading the team to a 12-4 record.CLEVELAND, Ohio — The biggest questions heading into Browns training camp today are what went so horribly wrong with quarterback Jake Delhomme in Carolina last season, and what makes anyone think this year will be any different?
The two people closest to Delhomme during his horrible 2009 -- former Browns and current Panthers quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer, and Josh McCown, Delhomme's backup and close friend -- know exactly how it all unraveled, but also are convinced that Delhomme can return to his Pro Bowl and Super Bowl form in Cleveland.
In fact, Scherer blames himself in large part for Delhomme's meltdown last season.
"We took Jake away from being the guy that he had become, which had gotten him the success he had," said Scherer. "It was like trying to stick a square peg in a round hole. I kind of kick myself, because I hate that Jake went through that under my watch."
Delhomme, 35, endured the worst season of his career -- one in which he threw 18 interceptions and only eight touchdowns en route to a dismal 4-7 record. It was so bad that his beloved Panthers fans turned on him -- despite a 12-4 record in 2008 -- and the team let him go despite still owing him $12.5 million guaranteed.
"Jake would never do anything but blame himself entirely for that season," said Scherer. "But there's more to the story, and I accept responsibility for it."
View full sizeFormer Browns assistant and current Panthers quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer takes some blame for Jake Delhomme's poor 2009 season.When Scherer took over as Panthers quarterbacks coach in 2009, he and offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson, a former Browns assistant, decided to implement a more structured approach to the passing game, with specific rules for where to throw the ball against certain coverages. It was a mix of the New England system and the things former Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski brought to Cleveland.
"Jake had evolved into more of a 'feel way' than a systematic way," said Scherer. "We just felt it would be best for Jake and for our quarterback position in general."
Delhomme had become so close to previous quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy -- who left to become Denver's offensive coordinator -- that the two had their own special language, one that even a veteran quarterback such as McCown struggled to understand at first.
"When I got traded there just before the 2008 season, I was sometimes going, 'What's the rule? Where are we going with the ball in this instance and that instance?' " recalled McCown. "Mike knew where Jake was going with the ball, but it might catch Jeff and everyone else off guard."
But who could argue? The system helped Delhomme reach two NFC Championship Games, a Super Bowl in the 2003 season, a Pro Bowl and a 12-4 record in 2008. The only time it really failed him was in the 2008 divisional playoffs against the Cardinals, when Delhomme threw five interceptions and lost a fumble in a crushing end to their Cinderella season. Then McCoy left for Denver.
"With the change at quarterback coach, there was an opportunity for Jeff to approach things the way he wanted to," said Scherer. "It was a mutual decision."
Scherer immediately flew to Delhomme's hometown of Breaux Bridge, La., a tiny town west of New Orleans, to lay out the plan. "We spent a day together and had dinner and talked about it, and Jake really wanted to become more fundamental and technique-oriented," said Scherer. "He felt like he had gotten away from that, so he really embraced it. If he had expressed any reluctance, I would've met him somewhere in the middle."
But with the playoff debacle hanging over him like the thick Louisiana air, Delhomme was open to anything. Besides, he had just received a huge contract extension -- including $20 million guaranteed -- and was determined to pay dividends. The Carolina fans were counting on him.
But not long into camp, it became evident Delhomme wasn't right. Playing by the new set of rules was harder on him than anyone guessed it would be.
"It was like teaching an old dog new tricks," said McCown. "Jake was behind the eight-ball because he had so much to de-program."
Delhomme forged ahead, not letting on to Scherer that he was struggling.
"Jake's such a good team guy and a coachable guy," said Scherer. "He never fought it one day. And it's not like he wasn't capable. He's one of the smartest quarterbacks in the game."
Delhomme often confided in McCown.
"There were times early on where he'd say, 'I just want to do it my way,' " said McCown. "Then Jake would come back on his own and say: 'I'm going to stick with it. I want to do what Rip's coaching me to do.' "
In the days leading up to the 2009 opener against the Eagles, Delhomme's wife Keri -- who had begun dating him when they were freshmen in high school -- called him out.
"She said: 'You just need to have fun. You're not yourself. You're not even close to being the Jake that I know,' " recalled Delhomme. "She could sense it in my body language."
But he was too deep into the new way to turn back. Picking up where he left off against the Cardinals, Delhomme threw four interceptions and lost a fumble in a 38-10 drubbing. All told, it was 11 turnovers for Delhomme in two games -- nine picks and two lost fumbles. He earned a 14.7 passer rating and was booed off the field as McCown trotted on.
"It was heartbreaking," said McCown, who was placed on injured reserve after that game with knee and ankle injuries. "He put so much pressure on himself to come back from that playoff loss, and then he was starting all over mentally. It was tough. As a quarterback, you're fighting that feeling of, 'No matter what I do, something bad's going to happen.' "
Delhomme remained the starter but threw two touchdown passes and seven interceptions in the first three games for an 0-3 start.
McCown said Delhomme was "thinking too much at the line of scrimmage. All of a sudden, you're moving slower, and you don't throw the ball with as much authority. You're throwing it too late, it gets tipped, it gets picked."
Periodically, Scherer would ask Delhomme if the new approach was to blame.
"He always said he was fine," said Scherer. "He didn't want to be the guy that said, 'I can't do that or I don't want to do it that way.' "
View full sizeDelhomme seems to have put his troubling 2009 season behind him and gets a fresh start with the Browns.Finally, after consulting with McCown and others, Scherer told Delhomme about midway through the season to go back to his comfort zone.
"In the quarterback room, I said, 'We're going to back up here with Jake, but you young guys, keep doing what we've been doing,' and then Jake reinforced it," said Scherer. "He said, 'It's the right way for you, it's just not working for me right now.' "
But reversing field, without McCoy's voice in the headset and the new way creeping in, didn't work. In Week 12, he threw four interceptions against the Jets for a total of 18 in 11 games -- and 23 in his previous 12. A broken finger late in the fourth quarter settled the issue. Delhomme was placed on injured reserve for the final five games.
While he was out, third-year quarterback Matt Moore revived the offense, winning four of five.
"I was able to sit back and watch someone pure, someone with no scars," said Delhomme. "I watched Matt go in and fling it around. It was extremely beneficial to me, because I saw someone play loose, the way I wasn't playing for the first time in my career."
Delhomme acknowledged losing his longtime quarterbacks coach McCoy was a blow, "but then again I'd be blaming somebody else for me not playing well, and that's not it at all. I'm still really good friends with Rip. I love Rip. We did things a little bit different, might've read things a little bit different. After that first game, I started playing not to make a mistake, and you can't do that."
On his free-agent visit to Cleveland, Delhomme explained to Browns President Mike Holmgren why things went so bad for him in Carolina, and Holmgren understood -- even drawing a parallel between Delhomme's season and that of Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck, who was also adjusting to a new quarterbacks coach and went 5-9. Satisfied that it was an aberration, Holmgren signed Delhomme to a two-year deal and installed him as the probable starter.
"I think other than the fact that he's won a lot, I think what made Jake attractive to those guys is that he knows the offense," said McCown. "There should be a lot of carryover, which hopefully will help him be more successful. I don't think he'll experience the growing pains he had last year. I know he'll do great."
Browns offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who spent six seasons with Davidson in New England, acknowledged there is plenty of carryover, not just from Carolina's offense, but with some of the West Coast scheme the Browns are incorporating this season. Delhomme learned that offense from Packers coach Mike McCarthy when the two were in New Orleans together.
"Jake and I are speaking the same language," said Daboll. "I've been fortunate to be around some great quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Brett Favre, and Jake fits right in there with them. He's a very savvy quarterback and a smart, smart guy."
Daboll hasn't sensed any of the issues that plagued Delhomme last season.
"He's been playing loose and confident," said Daboll. "His leadership has been tremendous, and nothing fazes him because he's seen it all before. He's had a lot of success, and I plan on him having a lot of success here."
Delhomme's wife has noticed the change.
"She says I'm back to myself," he said. "I'm having a blast. It's fun again. Fresh and exciting."
Scherer isn't surprised.
"Jake has all the tools, the whole skill set he needs to win," he said. "He's got something to prove, and I think this will be a positive catalyst for him. I hope he's successful -- for 15 games next season, except the one against us."