| | Browns facing another controversy -- at QB
Associated Press
BEREA, Ohio -- Typical Cleveland Browns. Just when their
bizarre season finally ends with a numbing loss in the AFC
playoffs, something unexpected happens.
Don't these guys know when to quit?
After a turbulent regular season of Sundays filled with
unimaginable twists, turns and tragedy, the Browns appear headed
for an equally bumpy offseason.
Leave it to these Browns. A season that began with the dispute
over linebacker Dwayne Rudd's now infamous helmet toss, has ended
with another controversy.
At quarterback.
In just the fourth start of his pro career and his first in the
postseason, backup Kelly Holcomb passed for 429 yards and three
touchdowns in Sunday's 36-33 wild-card loss to the Pittsburgh
Steelers.
Holcomb, filling in for injured starter Tim Couch, didn't just
show he could play. The six-year veteran directed Cleveland's
offense better than Couch -- out with a broken leg -- has in four
years, and Holcomb posted the third-highest passing total in NFL
playoff history.
Only Bernie Kosar (489) and Dan Fouts (433) had more prolific
postseason games.
"Look at the numbers he put up,'' cornerback Corey Fuller said.
"There's going to be a lot of controversy all offseason about
Kelly Holcomb and Tim Couch.''
Only the Browns.
Cleveland showed dramatic improvement in its second season under
coach Butch Davis, who guided the Browns back to the playoffs for
the first time since 1994.
After starting 2-4, the Browns won seven of 10 to earn a
wild-card spot with three of those wins coming in thrilling
fashion.
Couch hit Quincy Morgan with a last-second desperation TD heave
for a 21-20 victory at Jacksonville. Two weeks later, Couch took
the Browns on a 92-yard TD drive with no timeouts to beat
Baltimore. Cleveland then capped its regular season with a
goal-line stand to beat Atlanta and clinch a playoff berth.
"It was a pretty crazy year,'' Holcomb said with a laugh while
recalling 13 games decided in the final minute. "There were a lot
of ups and downs. The thing I'll remember about this year was that
there were a lot of times for these guys to quit.
"But we showed a lot of character on this team.''
Cleveland's character was tested many times.
Pro Bowl linebacker Jamir Miller tore his Achilles' tendon
during the exhibition season, then Rudd became the butt of national
jokes after throwing his helmet in the finals seconds and costing
the Browns a victory over Kansas City in the first game of the
season.
In October, team owner Al Lerner died.
Couch broke his leg in the season-finale against Atlanta,
another game undecided until the final ticks of the clock.
"This team fought,'' Davis said. "The victories were hard to
come by and the losses were bitter. That was the nature of the way
this season unfolded. It seemed like every single game went down to
the last two or three minutes.''
That was the case again Sunday, when the Browns blew 24-7 and
33-21 leads while seeming to forget everything they had learned
during a challenging season.
"We just didn't finish,'' Fuller said. "That had been our
theme all year. We didn't finish, and that's one of the things we
have to work on.''
Cleveland also needs to improve an inconsistent rushing attack
that struggled for much of the season and managed just 38 yards on
28 attempts Sunday.
After a slow start, rookie William Green finished with 887 yards
and appears to be the every-down, feature back Cleveland has
desperately needed.
The Browns' defense also let them down at the worst possible
time, committing several costly penalties that helped the Steelers
score 22 points in the fourth quarter.
Davis' biggest challenge, though, could be deciding what to do
next season at quarterback.
Before being injured, Couch threw a career-high 18 TD passes and
led the Browns to four come-from-behind victories. However, he had
18 interceptions and was booed at home by some fans who cheered
when he suffered a concussion.
Couch was pleased with his season, and said he's looking forward
to better ones -- with or without the Browns.
"My goal was to lead this team into the playoffs, and I think I
did that,'' Couch said. "That's really the only thing that
mattered to me. I feel like I'm a starter. If things don't work out
for me here, then I know there are a lot of places I can go and
play.''
Holcomb is signed for two more years, and despite his big
playoff performance, he's not expecting the Browns to hold an open
competition at training camp.
"That's not my call,'' he said. "Each year it changes. This is
Tim Couch's football team until somebody says otherwise. Everybody
knows that's the reality.''
Davis refused to address the Browns' brewing quarterback
situation during his season-ending news conference. Several times
this season, Davis staunchly defended Couch, saying he was the
Browns' quarterback of the future.
On Monday, Davis didn't sound so certain.
"The best guy's got to play and the guy who gets the job
done,'' he said. "It's all about winning. I feel like we've got
two outstanding quarterbacks. I believe both of those guys are
capable of helping us win and get to where we want to go.''
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Too good to sit
