Colt McCoy comes full circle and finishes his rookie season playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team against which he broke in on Oct. 17.
The Browns are 2-9 in division games in two seasons under coach Eric Mangini. He volunteered one reason for that inferiority this week.
The Browns are hoping that by having one game against the Steelers under his belt, Colt McCoy will be better able to avoid situations such as this, where he is hit by the Steelers' James Farrior (right) and Lawrence Timmons after throwing an incomplete pass."This will be, I think, the first time in the two years where we've actually had a quarterback face the same division opponent two consecutive games," Mangini said.
Not technically accurate, but close. Brady Quinn started both games against Baltimore in 2009, but was yanked at halftime in the first meeting.
Colt McCoy, who made his NFL debut in Pittsburgh on Oct. 17, gets another shot against the Steelers on the Browns’ home field Sunday. So he should become the first Browns quarterback under Mangini to play a full game against them — or any division opponent — twice in the same season.
Last season it was Derek Anderson starting in the first meetings against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh with Quinn getting the rematches. This year, Seneca Wallace started the first Baltimore and Cincinnati games. McCoy has started the rest.
"It does help because he does have familiarity with their scheme," Mangini said. "He's played against it. He's seen the speed with which they bring their pressure. It's a different speed."
Expectations were low for McCoy when he was pressed into the starting role for the first Pittsburgh game because of high ankle sprains suffered by Wallace and Jake Delhomme. McCoy was supposed to be figuratively buried somewhere beneath Heinz Field.
Instead of a mutilation, the game was a revelation and inspiration. McCoy not only survived, he competed. He went from rookie "redshirt" to franchise hope in the span of three hours.
Yes, he was sacked six times and tossed two interceptions in the 28-10 Pittsburgh win. But the poise and composure he showed in the face of Pittsburgh coordinator Dick LeBeau's "Blitzburgh" scheme earned him instant respect. McCoy completed 23 of 33 passes for 281 yards and one touchdown.
The Browns' 327 yards offense were their most in a Steelers game since the 36-33 loss to them in the 2002 season playoffs.
"I can tell you this, I wasn't surprised he was able to represent himself as well as he did," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "This guy's no stranger to big stages. He comes from a program where he's been in some big football games. He's extremely smart guy and has great football intelligence and passion for the game. So, to put together a performance like that is not surprising at all."
McCoy's 23 completions in the first Steelers' game exceeded the combined total of Anderson (nine) and Quinn (six) in the two Steelers games last season.
And yet.
"I watched the tape when we played earlier in the season and thought, 'Man, I've come a long ways from that,' " McCoy said. "I'm playing a lot better. There are still a lot of things that I can improve on and work on. I just look forward to the opportunity to get out there again, get this sour taste out of my mouth, take care of the football and lead the team."
McCoy was referring to the debacle last week against Baltimore, his worst of seven starts. He was intercepted three times, twice by safety Ed Reed, and produced a career-low passer rating of 27.0.
This week, McCoy may have to contend with another All-Pro safety in Troy Polamalu. The Steeler has missed the past two games with an Achilles injury and has not practiced this week, but is expected to try to go today. Polamalu was largely quiet in the first meeting.
"They play a little bit different spots, but they play the same way," McCoy said of Reed and Polamalu. "They're [risk-takers]. They strive to make plays and that's what has made them who they are. They're the best safeties in the league. I'll have to be better, more sharp looking off, finding the open guy without them being around."
Five of McCoy's seven interceptions have come in two games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
"I have to eliminate those mistakes," he said. "I have to take those away, and if you take those away and you look at the game, it's like, 'Wow, we stayed on the field. We converted on third downs.' We made a couple of bad decisions and it cost us. I understand that fully."
Besides Polamalu, McCoy has to contend with the Steelers' vise-like run defense, which is No. 1 by far in the NFL, and their pass rush, tied for the NFL lead with 44 sacks, led by linebacker James Harrison's 11.
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"Those guys play so well together," McCoy said. "They know their blitzes, know their gaps. They come in and out and their scheme is based around them and what they do. We are going to have to handle that.
"A lot of guys are confident in this locker room. A lot of guys are going out to practice, working and competing. We are going to finish strong and finish the right way."
McCoy is known as a quick study. Many others before him have learned the hard way that playing the Steelers doesn't always get easier the second time around.
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