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Delhomme Starts for the Cleveland browns while McCoy is Injured
Jake Delhomme has spent much of his first season with the Cleveland Browns in a mentor’s role, shelling out sound advice to rookie qb Colt McCoy.
This week, he passed down his walking boot. The horrible high ankle sprain has grown to be as contagious as a common cold in Cleveland.
Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas jokingly said it’s like a disease, and he does not want to catch it. With McCoy benched this week and possibly for a number of more with a sprained left ankle, Delhomme, who has competed in just 2 games this season considering of a similar ankle affliction, will start Sunday as the Browns (3-7) play host to his former squad, the Carolina Panthers (1-9) in sports betting.
In a season of redemptive contests for Cleveland, it’s Delhomme’s turn to encounter old friends.
Delhomme, 35, hasn’t started since the Browns’ Sept. 12 year starter, when he rolled his right ankle throughout the first half vs the Bucs. He has not played since Oct. 10, when he came off the sidelines to replace Seneca Wallace, whose high ankle sprain came vs the Atlanta Falcons.
Delhomme was inactive on 8 other Sundays, forced to remain on the sidelines in a baseball cap to cheer and coach his team mates. Like anything else he does, Delhomme dealt with the down time with class. He grew tight to McCoy, coaching the youngster in some ins and outs of the NFL’s most demanding position. Delhomme never complained, never quit working, never placed himself ahead of the squad.
However he missed competing — horribly. It’s no wonder he almost dashed across the locker room to talk to reporters before practice.
Cleveland browns coach Eric Mangini didn’t officially declare Delhomme his starter, but in a uncommon admission for one of the league’s most tightlipped coaches, Mangini did confirm that McCoy endured the same trauma that benched Delhomme and Wallace for more than one month.
Mangini is still hopeful that McCoy will not be out as long as his additional 2 QBs, though with the way this season has gone, there is no telling what might transpire. Delhomme believes McCoy will return earlier than he did.
Delhomme understands the irony of coming back in time to play against the Carolina Panthers, who waived the qb in March following his worst season as a starter. The parting was friendly, but painful. Delhomme spent 7 years with the Carolina Panthers, leading them to their only Super Bowl.
His reminiscences of his days in Carolina blue are happy, and it’s just not in his makeup to hold a grudge. Vengeance? Not this time around.
With McCoy away, Mangini’s additional solution was to settle for Wallace, who made four consecutive starts before he was hurt and losing his job.
Mangini said he preferred Delhomme due to the fact of the QB’s knowledge of Carolina. Wallace was playing well when he went down. He has every right to be annoyed about Mangini’s pick, but he isn’t campaigning or complaining. Delhomme said he, Wallace and McCoy made a promise weeks ago that they would agree to Mangini’s word. It has been an uncomfortable season, and the threesome didn’t desire to make it any worse at the sportsbook.
Delhomme is back in the starter’s role, where he began the year and where he intends to conclude it. He came into his thirteenth year as a professional rejuvenated and ready to put space between himself and a dreadful 2009 with the Carolina Panthers. He looked like a new man in training camp along with preseason.
The injury was a drawback, however now that he’s totally recovered, Delhomme wants to prove he can still win. It’s yet another chance. Thomas believes every word.
Tags: Affliction, Atlanta Falcons, Baseball Cap, Bucs, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Coach Eric, Colt Mccoy, Common Cold, Down Time, Eric Mangini, High Ankle Sprain, Jake Delhomme, Joe Thomas, Old Friends, Pro Bowl, Rookie Qb, Seneca Wallace, Sound Advice, Team Mates
