Jake Delhomme enjoys Browns' underdog role

[NewEraDawg]

BEREA — Pick a random game from the Browns’ 1-11 start — OK, a game at Cincinnati.

 

Quarterback Brady Quinn completed 15-of-34 passes for 100 yards and a 51.3 passer rating. That offense was not easy on the eyeballs.

 

Unfortunately for Jake Delhomme, he still can feel Quinn’s pain. In fact, in his last game as a Carolina Panther, that same Sunday, Delhomme went 14-for-34, with four interceptions and a 12.7 rating.

 

Now, Delhomme prepares for his first NFL game since that day. He will start for the Browns on Saturday night at Green Bay.

 

Delhomme is trying to live in self-induced amnesia, forgetting everything that went wrong in Charlotte last year.

 

Depending on how he looks in the preseason games, he is pulling it off, seeming to have convinced most of the team that he is a competent veteran leader. By now, even being a new Cleveland Brown is somewhat old hat.

 

“We do so much in the offseason,” he said. “I’ve had all spring to put on the orange helmet. A lot of the newness has worn off.”

 

The national media sees the same old Browns. ESPN, to cite one example, has Cleveland at No. 28 in its “power rankings.”

 

“I like that kind of perception,” Delhomme says. “It allows us to fly under the radar.

 

“I think there’s a lot of talent here. I really and truly believe that. And I think it’s some deep talent. Guys can do it, and do it in different ways.

 

“These guys are going to do just fine.”

 

Delhomme is adjusting to a “big three” of wide receivers — Brian Robiskie, Mohamed Massaquoi and Chansi Stuckey — with puny career statistics. Joshua Cribbs has turned heads in practice when working with quarterback Seneca Wallace, but Cribbs has barely worked with Delhomme. Veteran Bobby Engram has a strong track record, but he’s 37 and will need to impress in preseason games to make the team.

 

“They all have their strengths,” Delhomme said. “I think they’re all extremely intelligent. They understand routes, and they work their tails off.

 

“The tight ends are doing well ... and the running backs coming out of the backfield. It’s all very positive so far.”

 

Cribbs wants the ball. He wants to build a rapport with Delhomme.

 

“I played with a playmaker like him in Carolina,” Delhomme said. “You’d have to be a fool not to look for that person on game day.

 

“The good Lord has given them a certain ability with the ball in their hands. They’re special.”

 

Jackson’s status is up in the air

 

Browns spokesman Neal Gulkis said linebacker D’Qwell Jackson suffered a pectoral injury in Tuesday’s second practice.

 

Gulkis said the team does not know how long Jackson will be out. An update is expected from Head Coach Eric Mangini today.

 

Gulkis said this pectoral injury is on the opposite side of the body from the pectoral tear that sidelined Jackson for the last 10 games of 2009. He was a captain and starter when he went down in Game 6 at Pittsburgh.

 

Watch for Watson

 

Jake Delhomme has gone to tight end and former first-round draft pick Ben Watson often in practice.

 

“Ben can really run,” Delhomme said. “Some of the separation he can get from guys is really impressive. This offense is very quarterback friendly. It lets you really spread the ball around. You work the offense, and those guys will come into your reads.”

 

Dealing with picks

 

Too often last year, defensive backs blew up Delhomme’s reads. He threw 18 interceptions and just eight touchdowns in 11 games.

 

Asked how he will try to cut down on picks in 2010, he said, “One thing I learned back when I played in NFL Europe with Kurt Warner ... I saw a guy who was unfazed by his last throw. Whether it was a touchdown, an interception, it was always back to a total focus on the next play.

 

“Last year, I think I regressed. I was trying too hard not to make a mistake, then there were a lot of other factors. But I think I’ve had time to sit back and learn from it.”

 

Prior to 2009, Delhomme’s worst season for interceptions was 16, in 2003 and 2005. He played all 16 games in those seasons and had 43 TD passes.

 

Extra points

 

• Bernie Kosar and Jim Donovan will have the call for Saturday’s telecast from Green Bay on WKYC-TV Channel 3. Kickoff is 8 p.m.

 

• Mike Snyder, Doug Dieken and Jamir Howerton make up the radio crew. Local affiliates on the Browns radio network include Canton’s WHBC (AM-1480) and Dover’s WJER (AM-1450). Flagships are WMMS (FM-100.7) and WTAM (AM-1100).

 

• The Browns’ next practice, at 8:45 a.m. today, is closed to the public. A second practice, starting at 5:45 p.m., is open to the public.

 

• The Browns drew about 15,000 for their Family Day. Later Saturday, the Packers played to a Family Night crowd of 47,844.ԋ

 

Copyright 2010 CantonRep.com. Some rights reserved

[SJ_Browns]

it seems like jake knows what he did wrong and also knows how to correct his errors. now we'll see if he can apply that and manage the browns offense (like we hope he can).

[Bag O'Browns]

I'm hopeful Jake has the sort of resurgence that Kurt Warner did for the Cardinals. I don't think it will happen BUT understanding why you were doing something shows he's realized what caused him issue's in the past. I tend to agree with Jake in terms of slipping under the radar and for the Browns that could be the best thing to help us sneak out some wins early in the year....

[blowe]

Jake needs to start hitting our WRs with some passes. From what I have seen in practice and from what I have read in reports he seems like he is totally uncomfortable passing to our WRs. Its been TEs and RBs all day, which has to change if this offense is going to be any better than dump down Quinn's version of it.