Colt McCoy gets his first start: What will make his debut a success? Poll

What will make Colt McCoy's debut as Browns quarterback feel like a success to fans?

Colt McCoy is going to make his pro debut as quarterback of the Cleveland Browns this Sunday. Statistically, historically, he's got all the stuff you think would set the foundation for a successful professional career. Check out his Wikipedia bio:

McCoy won the 2008 Walter Camp Award and was the 2008 Heisman Trophy runner-up.  McCoy won more games (45) than any quarterback in NCAA Division I history. In his senior year, he won 13 of the top 15 major college player awards including quarterback of the year, offensive player of the year and outstanding football player of the year.

And yet the plan under Browns President Mike Holmgren, an acknowledged "quarterback guru," and head coach Eric Mangini essentially was to "redshirt" McCoy for a year while he learned the pro game. Injuries to rental quarterback Jake Delhomme and career backup Seneca Wallace stuffed that plan quicker than Metcalf-up-the-middle.

In some quarters, the question is why the kid (who, for the record, is 24, and definitely NOT a kid) has been treated so gingerly. The easy answer is, the companyspeak answer, is that the pro game is totally different than the college game. The defensive lines are bigger, meaner and faster; the secondaries feature guys who were stars on their teams. Look at it this way: There are fewer than 1,700 men on active NFL rosters. Take away the kickers and the guys who play offense and you have the 900 best defensive players in the world coalesced into one league. Of COURSE it's tough.

Can he handle it? Who knows? The sports books are littered with great college quarterbacks who failed in the NFL - Ryan Leaf, Matt Leinart, Andre Ware, David Klingler and yes, Tim Couch.

But it takes failure to build success. In Troy Aikman's rookie season, the Hall of Famer went 1-15 and saw more stars in the sky than downfield. But that one win meant the year was a success because it was against the Cowboys' rival, the Washington Redskins. Would a lone win against the Browns' rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, mean success? That's up to Browns fans ... and history.

But it all begins with a first game. Realistically, given the talent levels of the two teams, nobody expects him to win the game. So we have to ask: What will make Colt McCoy's debut a successful one?