Cleveland Browns QB Colt McCoy Finds a New Mentor in Brett Favre

Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy quieted some of his critics with an impressive first quarter performance in last Saturday’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. He completed nine of ten passes for 135 yards and one touchdown, looking sharp in the newly-installed West Coast offense.

So just how did McCoy look so effective on Saturday? You could chalk it  up to the Camp Colt practices that took place during the NFL lockout, but McCoy also sought advice from someone who mastered the West Coast offense with Mike Holmgren in the 90s – Brett Favre.

While his name has been notable for a lot of unfortunate reasons in recent years (at times because of his own actions), Favre is still one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game and, at this point, might never actually retire from the league. For McCoy to seek his advice was a great move in taking the next step in the NFL.

The Browns quarterback actually called Favre up and spent four days with him in his hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi in order to learn the system inside and out. The two went over every aspect of the West Coast offense, from the necessary footwork and reads to actual precision throws.

In addition to working out with Favre, McCoy also consulted with former head coach and current analyst Jon Gruden about the offense.

The effects of this counseling were evident early last Saturday, as McCoy was precise in his throws, distributing the ball to six different receivers. Obviously, it’s a minuscule sample to draw from, and we certainly can’t make any long-term conclusions from one preseason game, but you can’t argue that McCoy isn’t off to a good start in this new offense.