Now Browns fans can see why Mike Holmgren brought in two veteran quarterbacks.
The frustration was easy to see in rookie quarterback Colt McCoy's eyes after he fumbled the snap on the first Browns play Thursday night. The fumble was recovered by the Bears, but McCoy bounced back to complete all 13 of his pass attempts as the teams played to a 10-10 standoff in the first half.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Colt McCoy completed all 13 of his passes in the Browns' game against Chicago Thursday night -- and not one fan should think for one moment that he should be the starter.
What a relief.
The Browns know exactly what they are doing at quarterback since ... well ... when?
Maybe the early years of Tim Couch?
None of this is meant as a criticism of McCoy. Rather, it's an acknowledgement of life for a rookie quarterback in the National Football League.
Usually, it's painful, physically and emotionally. That's why team president Mike Holmgren was wise to bring in not one, but two veteran quarterbacks.
The Browns have the NFL's second worst record since 1999. Jake Delhomme will be the team's seventh different opening day quarterback in the last seven years. This shaky team needs some stability at that position, and it's doubtful any rookie quarterback could bring it to these Browns.
Delhomme has been brilliant in the preseason, completing 38 of 48 passes with a sparkling 110.5 rating. Wallace also has been strong, connecting on 13-of-26 for three touchdowns and 230 yards. The two veterans had only one interception in 74 passes.
Odds are that production will slip once the season opens on Sept. 12 in Tampa. But odds do favor that between Wallace and Delhomme, they will have acceptable play at quarterback.
And McCoy can sit and watch and learn under absolutely no pressure.
A talented rookie running back such as the Browns' Montario Hardesty can miss a big chunk of training camp and still impress in a preseason game. Didn't he look good hitting the holes? Notice how he fell forward when tackled. That's why it was so discouraging to go down with a knee injury, even if it turns out to be minor.
Rookie running backs can make an immediate impact because their level of responsibility is much smaller than the quarterback. They really have to worry about only a few things.
Not so for a rookie quarterback.
McCoy is learning that the first pro season can be a real shock to your confidence. The game seems so fast while a young quarterback's head feels so full. The linemen and linebackers are bigger and quicker than anything McCoy had seen before when they rush. The defensive backs seem to cover the receivers tighter than they did in college.
Keep in mind that McCoy faced a rugged schedule and played under intense pressure with major media scrutiny at Texas. He started 53 games, finished with 47 school records and became the first player in NCAA history to win at least 10 games in all four of his college seasons.
But the NFL really is a different ballgame.
Look at the difficulty that McCoy had even taking some snaps from center Thursday night. He's been slow to pick out a receiver, taking some sacks that could have been avoided. The Browns were wise to make sure he threw a lot of short passes.
In the preseason, McCoy was 28-of-39 for 232 yards. But he also had six sacks. His longest pass was for 17 yards. None of this is reason for alarm because this is like a college red-shirt season, something nearly every rookie quarterback could use.
A few months ago, I talked to Brian Sipe about McCoy. Sipe recalled feeling lost as a rookie, "I got only a few reps in practices, and I kept fumbling." He didn't even play in a regular season game until his third season.
So there's no need to write off McCoy, or even make any significant judgments about his future.
Think about the other Browns quarterbacks since 1999 who were rushed into action: Tim Couch, Charlie Frye, Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. It seemed all of them appeared ill-prepared and shell-shocked at various points in their careers.
That's why this approach with McCoy and veteran quarterbacks is refreshing, and something the Browns should have done earlier with their quarterbacks.