Cleveland's Unlikely Hero
-
Cleveland's unlikely hero.
Josh McCown probably should have taken his gold watch last year. Nice career, meandering from Arizona to Detroit to Carolina to Hartford of the United Football League to coaching high school football to Chicago to Tampa Bay last year. At 35, coming off a very good five-start stretch for Chicago in 2013, McCown was going to be the Bucs’ bridge to the future. But offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford fell ill before the season, never was right during the year, and the offense was in shambles, and the offensive line was the worst in football, and McCown played poorly. There were his wife and kids in Charlotte, and no one would have thought it odd for McCown to leave the game and go back to coaching.
“But I just thought, ‘This isn’t the best I can be. I don’t want to go out like that. I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder from Chicago—I know I’m capable of doing that,’ ” he said Sunday night. “I just knew I could do it again, and my wife was super supportive.”
So the Browns needed a sort of player-coach to play and mentor Johnny Manziel—or whomever the next quarterback there would be. McCown signed, won the starting job in camp and led the Browns on a 17-play drive on the first possession of the season at the Jets. He was concussed on play 17, trying to dive for the end zone. Johnny Football time. Manziel had some moments, and beat the Titans in Week 2, and the locals were frenzied. Cleveland wanted Johnny. And this, old-fashioned McCown understood.
“I was heartbroken after that long drive against the Jets, because I thought we’d have a big day,” he said. “But people don’t understand—you sign with a team, and you’re there to serve your team. If you’re called on to play, you play. If you’re not playing, you help your team in other ways. So my job until I played again, if I played again, was to help Johnny be the best. The organization picked this young man in the first round and has high hopes for him—still does. So I wanted to help him.”
That sounds trite, honestly. You’re tempted not to buy it. But I know it’s the way McCown feels, because I’ve heard it from him before—about Jay Cutler, about Mike Glennon—and because he has this weird attitude that quite a few players don’t. Team guy.
“My wife and I went to couple of the NBA Finals games here in the spring,” he said. “We’re walking downtown and we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if this would happen with the Browns?’ The energy, the passion, the drive. So I promise you—I get it when they chant for Johnny. You know why? They want to win. They want a spark. Give us a win! Make us feel good!”
McCown got his job back in Week 3 and threw for 341 yards, but the Browns lost to Oakland. He kept the job in Week 4 and threw for 356 yards at San Diego, but the Browns lost in overtime. No reason to think Sunday in Baltimore would be different; the Ravens were 13-1 against Cleveland in the John Harbaugh era, and Harbaugh’s 1-3 team needed a win badly.
Baltimore up 21-9. McCown, methodical, with 75 and 79-yard drives to put Cleveland up 22-21. The second touchdown came on the strangest TD catch you’ll ever see. From the Ravens’ 18, McCown, pressured, lofted one to tight end Gary Barnidge at the goal line. He jumped with a Ravens’ defender, and Barnidge ended up falling, the ball near his feet. As he fell, Barnidge kept the ball off the ground between his legs but not touching his hands; somehow it never touched the ground and he was able to pop it back into his hands while lying on the goal line. The officials couldn’t believe it, and no one else could either. Touchdown. Browns up.
They were waiting for replay after the score to confirm or deny when McCown saw Barnidge on the field.
“Did you catch it?” McCown asked.
“Yeah—just not with my hands!” Barnidge said.
“Hey, put that on the stat sheet!” McCown said.
The catch counted. But back came Baltimore. They traded touchdowns again—Ravens up 27-22, then Cleveland up 30-27—and Justin Tucker’s field goal with 25 seconds left tied it going into overtime.
Now, the Browns are not set up to be a throwing team. With Josh Gordon suspended for the year and with a solid run-blocking line, coach Mike Pettine was planning to be pretty balanced between the run and the pass. But it hasn’t worked out that way in the past three weeks. Since McCown has taken the reins back, Cleveland has called pass plays on a remarkable 72 percent of the snaps. “When I came here, I was thinking maybe 30 throws a game,” McCown said. “But in our quarterback room, we have the attitude that we don’t have to be babysitters. We can win the games.” On this overtime drive, there was a key third-and-1, and Baltimore expected run. McCown delivered a strike to Barnidge for 19 up the seam. That got Cleveland near field-goal range. After nibbling at Baltimore’s exhausted defense a little more, the Browns set up for Travis Coons’ winning 32-yard field goal.
When it was over, McCown saw the incredible numbers: 36 of 51, 457 yards, two touchdowns, no picks.
The Browns were founded 69 years ago. Through Otto Graham and a succession of pre-’90s very good passers and the Browns’ rebirth, no quarterback ever had a regular-season game like this one. No other Brown ever threw for as many yards.
“When I’m done,” McCown said, “I think it’ll sink in, and I’ll enjoy it. But we’re in the middle of something pretty cool here. We went to San Diego last week and had our hearts broken, and the energy in the locker room was so fantastic—we’ve got something good going here. Today we come back to Baltimore, and obviously it’s a team that’s been tough for us, but the energy was fantastic again. I just love being in there. I love being a part of the team. That’s what means something to me.
“Now, we have a quarterback room, and the Browns have these murals on the walls with all the great quarterbacks, back to Otto Graham, and Frank Ryan, Brian Sipe, Bernie Kosar. You see the history in there. It’s cool. And I’ve sat there and I’ve thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to be on that wall someday, and have the respect of the next generation of quarterbacks in this room?’ That would mean something to me.”
-
“But people don’t understand—you sign with a team, and you’re there to serve your team. If you’re called on to play, you play. If you’re not playing, you help your team in other ways. So my job until I played again, if I played again, was to help Johnny be the best. The organization picked this young man in the first round and has high hopes for him—still does. So I wanted to help him.”
If true and as King says it's easy to dismiss as trite, this is so impressive
-
Money McCown's definitely a class act, I just didn't think he was that good of a QB when we signed him.
Well needless to say, seems like McCown is at least better-than-advertised. I mean he had what will probably be one of the best QB performances in the entire NFL for 2015 - with no running game until the 4th-quarter and a bunch of misfit receivers who are 5'7, 5'8, and so on.
It's one thing to throw for 450+ yards in 50 attempts, but to do it with a QBR of 110+, 70% completion percentage, and no turnovers is a legendary game (especially against the rats on the road).
-
Good read...
McC strikes me as just being secure in himself.
May be being a big brother also helps him be comfortable in his mentoring role.
Aside: There was no question that JM was fully engaged on the sideline yesterday. Was in every shot of McC huddling with Flip that I can remember.
"When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196 -
he's definitely a texas kid/man. the way he carries himself and goes to players with congrats is top class stuff. hopefully johnny is learning a lot from him.
-
Good read...
McC strikes me as just being secure in himself.
May be being a big brother also helps him be comfortable in his mentoring role.
Aside: There was no question that JM was fully engaged on the sideline yesterday. Was in every shot of McC huddling with Flip that I can remember.
-
Im a fan of the herd and DVR it daily.
He was talking about what MCcown did and will do for us, they talked about how Pettine is willing to adapt to the ability of his players i.e 75% pass vs run. Talked about how young alot of players of our players are and things appear to be heading in the right direction. He had the guy from mmqb.com on and really were positive about the Browns. They do think that Pettine isnt the right coach for Johnny tho, being that he is a defensive coach.
Either way it was a solid piece that focused on the big picture instead of areas of improvement.
Mccown is the first Browns Qb to throw for 300+ yards in 3 straight games...i didnt realize that.
-
Great stuff! I knew nothing about Josh, not even after we signed him. Then at the start of camp, I saw my first interview with him and I came away really impressed... "A guy's guy" I called him on this forum.
Then came the helicopter on the opening drive of the season, and I was all in, hook, line and sinker. The dude is tough as hell, wants to win and is a great leader of men. I hope he continues his outstanding play, for us fans obviously because that means we're winning, but honestly, for him too...... He deserves it.
-
I gave him a lot of crap a couple weeks ago...But hey.. I don't hate the guy.. so far.. so good... Gotta say he's slingin' the rock quite nicely..he reminds Me of Dolph Lundgren as "Drago"
-
I gave him a lot of crap a couple weeks ago...But hey.. I don't hate the guy.. so far.. so good... Gotta say he's slingin' the rock quite nicely..he reminds Me of Dolph Lundgren as "Drago"
I gave him a lot of crap a couple weeks ago...But hey.. I don't hate the guy.. so far.. so good... Gotta say he's slingin' the rock quite nicely..he reminds Me of Dolph Lundgren as "Drago"
2426158-rocky_iv_1985_sylvester_stallone_ivan_drago_dolph_lundgren.jpghe does....but like a 100lbs lighter.
raise one up for apollo creed y'all.
-
Great stuff! I knew nothing about Josh, not even after we signed him. Then at the start of camp, I saw my first interview with him and I came away really impressed... "A guy's guy" I called him on this forum.
Then came the helicopter on the opening drive of the season, and I was all in, hook, line and sinker. The dude is tough as hell, wants to win and is a great leader of men. I hope he continues his outstanding play, for us fans obviously because that means we're winning, but honestly, for him too...... He deserves it.
Great stuff!..... at the start of camp, I saw my first interview with him and I came away really impressed... "A guy's guy" I called him on this forum.
.The dude is tough as hell, wants to win and is a great leader of men. I hope he continues his outstanding play, for us fans obviously because that means we're winning, but honestly, for him too...... He deserves it.
Im with you D....love his grit and hows he's playing right now.....surely didnt think he deserved all the crap he got after only one series and an injury......so very happy Pettine had the sense to stick to his guns....even while the world called for his AND Joshes heads....
I hope the good streak continues......He definitely deserves it.....
-
I thought with his maturity - he'd surprise a lot of people..
but McCown is like the perfect guy that they could have signed.
I heard he threw for those three 300 yards games in a row...
but 457 yards??? No int's? And what he says about the locker room
says a whole lot - this team is on board, and they want to win badly.
That's inspiring. Great read. Canton Mike told me last night - that when
Gordon gets back - he NEEDS a qb like McCown around him to inspire him, too.
We may end up with a great offense before we get a great defense. Who would have thunk it?
-
McCown is the AFC Player of the Week.
If you are looking for some laughs, go back and read the first couple pages of this thread:
-
I like that he wants to be a Browns great...and that he didn't care in the slightest about the Johnny speed bump after week 2.
-
McCown is the AFC Player of the Week.
If you are looking for some laughs, go back and read the first couple pages of this thread:
Zombo said:
McCown is the AFC Player of the Week.
If you are looking for some laughs, go back and read the first couple pages of this thread:
AFC player of the week???.....Well, Ill be......Good for McCown....!!!
And add this thread too.....a week ago, almost 80% of the voters wanted Josh on the bench ......smh.....
-
Did whoever who bashed McCown with "mcclown" ever fess up and sing the "I'm so sorry" song?
-
Zombo said:
McCown is the AFC Player of the Week.
If you are looking for some laughs, go back and read the first couple pages of this thread:
AFC player of the week???.....Well, Ill be......Good for McCown....!!!
And add this thread too.....a week ago, almost 80% of the voters wanted Josh on the bench ......smh.....
And add this thread too.....a week ago, almost 80% of the voters wanted Josh on the bench ......smh.....
And all it took was a 400-yard game on top of twin 300's to quiet the noise...
For the ultimate trip down memory lane try this 12-pager...
http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32149&hl=mccown
"When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196 -
And add this thread too.....a week ago, almost 80% of the voters wanted Josh on the bench ......smh.....
And all it took was a 400-yard game on top of twin 300's to quiet the noise...
For the ultimate trip down memory lane try this 12-pager...
http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32149&hl=mccown
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login