Did Buffalo reveal Josh McCown’s kryptonite?
By Thomas Moore
Aug 20, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) is pressured in the backfield during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
There are plenty of questions surrounding Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback Josh McCown heading into the 2015 NFL season.
The most-important question has already been answered, of course, as head coach Mike Pettine has never wavered from the reality that McCown is the starting quarterback.
While McCown was up to the task of holding off the challenge of Johnny Manziel (who is most likely done for the rest of the preseason, according to Pettine), Connor Shaw and Thad Lewis, the Buffalo Bills revealed what may be a bigger challenge during last week’s preseason friendly at FirstEnergy Stadium.
According to the game grades from Pro Football Focus, both McCown and Manziel struggled in a big way when the Bills brought pressure, with McCown posting a quarterback rating of just 16.7 on plays where he was under pressure.
“He just understands the system. He’s a pro’s pro. He can make all the throws. He commands the huddle.” – Joe Haden on Josh McCown
Even though not every team the Browns will face this fall has a defensive line on par with the Bills, the game may have revealed McCown’s kryptonite and given opposing defensive coordinators a clear game plan against the Browns.
It also highlights the biggest unanswered question facing the Browns: which version of McCown will they see on the field this season?
In 2014, during his disastrous time in Tampa, McCown was blitzed on 33.2 percent of his pass attempts, just a shade over the NFL average of 29.9 percent (per Pro Football Focus). Given his overall poor performance, it comes as no surprise that McCown graded out at -5.6 when facing a blitz (seventh from the bottom of the rankings).
Conversely, during his successful stretch in Chicago, McCown posted a grade of 9.0 against the blitz. He was also the best in the NFL when facing pressure, posting a quarterback rating of 112.2, completing 79.7 percent of his throws and passing for 8.6 yards per attempt, per Pro Football Focus.
So what can we make of that, if anything?
‘We’re confident because we feel good about the roster that we put around (Josh).” – Head coach Mike Pettine
For starters, it shows that McCown, like just about every quarterback who has ever played the game, enjoys things more when he has a clean pocket to work out of.
It’s also probably not a coincidence that Mike Glennon, who shared quarterback duties with McCown with the Buccaneers last season, was the most-blitzed quarterback in the league. Tampa’s offensive line was one of the league’s worst, as was the running game, meaning it was open season on the quarterbacks.
That is where the Browns have an advantage.
There is little doubt that Cleveland’s offensive line is superior to Tampa’s, providing McCown with a clean pocket, and that the running attack of Terrence West, Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson should be able to offer a nice outlet for the veteran quarterback.
Even though the Browns have struggled through the first two preseason friendlies to establish the run, it is important to remember how the team performed before and after last season’s injury to center Alex Mack.
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In the five games Mack started last season, the Browns ran for an average of 146.4 yards per game and averaged 4.4 yards per carry. In the 11 games he was out, the team ran for just an average of 90.5 yards per game and averaged just 3.2 yards per carry.
Basically, it is a team game and the team wins together and loses together.
“To me, he’s one of 11,” Pettine said. I know it’s the most important position, but he’s not going to look good if we don’t play well around him, but I think that’s true of any quarterback. We’re very confident in Josh’s ability and what he’s done from the day he walked in the door here.”
The Bills may have shown everyone McCown’s kryptonite during last week’s game.
But if the Browns’ offensive line and running backs can do their job, they just may be able to build a Fortress of Solitude around McCown and help him come closer to being the player he was in Chicago, rather than the one we all saw in Tampa Bay.
What do you think – do the Browns have enough around McCown to make him a decent QB in 2015?