Colt McCoy is optimistic he'll be ready to play, but Mangini will wait and see.
View full sizeColt McCoy "was able to get to where he could function as the third [QB in Buffalo]," Eric Mangini said of the Browns' situation at quarterback, "so we've got to see where that is and think about it and we'll go from there."BEREA, Ohio -- Colt McCoy is optimistic he'll be ready to play Sunday against the Bengals. If he is, there's a good chance coach Eric Mangini will give him the nod.
McCoy, who's missed the past three games with a high ankle sprain suffered Nov. 21 in Jacksonville, told Browns radio play-by-play man Jim Donovan on the field before the Bills game that he felt he'd be ready to go in Cincinnati. If that's the case, Mangini will make a decision between McCoy and Jake Delhomme, and he may have tipped his hand when asked what he'd do it McCoy isn't ready.
"If Colt couldn't play, then I'd go with Delhomme," said Mangini, who effectively ruled out Seneca Wallace as a starting option.
And if McCoy is healthy?
"I'm going to see where we're at on Wednesday and kind of go from there," said Mangini. "He was able to get to where he could function as the third [in Buffalo], so we've got to see where that is and think about it and we'll go from there."
McCoy, who went 2-3 as a starter, returned to practice on a limited basis on Friday and moved well in pre-game warmups in Buffalo. He shed the walking boot last week and has said all along that he could return quicker than Delhomme and Wallace did from their high ankle sprains because his was to his left, or non-plant, foot.
Is the plan for Mangini to start McCoy in at least one of the three remaining games?
"The plan is just for me to be able to look at it objectively with all of the information and make a decision from there," said Mangini.
Monday, Wallace expressed frustration in the locker room from sitting back and watching the offense sputter. The team has scored 19 points over the past two games and has just two field goals the last 10 times the defense has given it the ball on a takeaway.
"It's always frustrating, but like I said, it's coach's decision and when he calls on whoever he calls on to play, they've got to play," said Wallace. "It's frustrating watching them go out there and we're struggling a little bit on offense, but you know I can't do too much on the sideline."
As for what's wrong with the offense, he said, "I don't know. I don't have too much to say about it."
Mangini said he understands Wallace's frustration. Wallace went 1-3 in his starts, but showed steady improvement, completing 11 of 15 attempts against the Falcons before suffering the high ankle sprain.
"Seneca's a team guy," said Mangini. "They all want to play. I totally get that and I'd expect nothing less. You'd be frustrated if a guy was happy to not be playing. You definitely wouldn't want to put that person in the game. He did a good job when he played and the guys have confidence in him and I have confidence in him."
Nevertheless, Wallace won't be considered for the start in Cincinnati despite having quarterbacked the Browns in their 23-20 victory over the Bengals on Oct. 3. He completed 18 of 30 attempts for 184 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
"I like both guys," said Mangini. "I just think where we are offensively right now and the things that we're trying to do, Jake does those things really well. Not that Seneca does them poorly, but he does them well."
Mangini also defended Delhomme's performance in Buffalo, where he completed 12 of 20 attempts for 86 yards, with no touchdowns, one sack, one fumble and one interception, earning a 49.2 rating. Delhomme's arm was hit on both the fumble and the interception.
"Look, the game isn't all on Jake by any stretch," said Mangini. "There were some things Jake could've played better, but part of any success in the passing game is protection, guys getting open, and being able to get them the ball. He played like the group. There were moments where he was really good and moments where it wasn't as good."
He acknowledged Delhomme didn't have anywhere to go with the ball much of the time. The Bills took away tight end Ben Watson, who had 10 catches in Miami and only one in Buffalo.
"We could've done a better job in getting open yesterday in all of the areas, receivers and tight ends," said Mangini. "Buffalo did a good job in terms of covering those guys up. You've just got to find a way to get open. That's what receivers do."
Mangini conceded the game plan was deficient too. Delhomme only completed two passes of more than eight yards.
"There were some things from a scheme perspective that we could have done better as well," he said. "We're all in it together and we all need to pull a little harder."
At one point in the first half, the CBS cameras caught Delhomme and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll arguing, but Mangini said it was no big deal.
"No, that's normal emotional stuff," said Mangini. "It wasn't like a heated exchange between Brian and Jake by any stretch. It was more frustration with the way the play unfolded and it was nothing like that. Jake is fiery, but it's never fiery-disruptive. It's just competitiveness. He's never been like that."
Mangini said the discussion could be entirely different if Delhomme's arm hadn't been hit by safety Bryan Scott, causing the ball to pop up in the air for an easy interception by Leodis McKelvin. Scott stormed in past the right side of the Browns' line.
"We get a little bit of a push there on Jake right at the end when he was unleashing the ball to Mohamed [Massaquoi]," said Mangini said. "Mohamed's behind the guy and if we hold up half a beat longer it's probably a touchdown."