After wretched 2009, Delhomme savors fresh start with Cleveland

Associated Press

BEREA

Before leaving the practice field, Cleveland’s new starting quarterback looked up and noticed the sky was Carolina blue.

Jake Delhomme felt at home.

Eager to erase the memories of a miserable final season with the Panthers, Delhomme is relishing a fresh start with the Browns, who signed the highly respected 35-year-old veteran to a two-year free agent contract in March.

Delhomme’s boyish exuberance, strong work ethic and professionalism have already made a strong impression on his new coaches and teammates.

“I don’t like making comparisons, but I will,” Browns coach Eric Mangini said Wednesday. “He reminds me a little bit of [Brett] Favre that way. He enjoys practice. He enjoys being around the guys. He’s able to be serious and still keep things light. He has a good rapport with the offensive guys, defensive guys and you just see it in their interaction in the weight room and all the different areas.

“It’s positive, really positive.”

And positive has been in short supply around the Browns in recent years — especially at quarterback.

This franchise has gone through eight opening-week starters since 1999, a carousel of confusion at a position demanding continuity.

Delhomme isn’t making any guarantees on what he’ll deliver for Cleveland, coming off a turbulent 5-11 season. Any talk of Super Bowls is for down the road. But Delhomme, who won 53 games as a starter in Carolina, promises to do all he can to make the Browns better.

“I play this game for one reason and one reason only: to win,” said Delhomme, entering his 14th NFL season. “That’s what’s this game’s about. There’s something about walking into the locker room after a game, those 10 minutes when it’s just the coaches and the players, there’s nothing greater. There’s nothing greater than seeing a mission accomplished from the work you’ve put in. That’s why I play this game.

“I just want to help this team win.”

Delhomme still is pained by his final season with the Panthers.

“For me it’s like a fresh start,” he said. “I loved every minute I had in Carolina. Well, I shouldn’t say that; I loved six of the seven years I had in Carolina. I’ll be perfectly honest with you, everything was great. Last season just wasn’t a lot of fun.”

Far from it.

One year after returning from elbow surgery and leading the Panthers to five come-from-behind wins, a 12-4 record and an NFC South title, Delhomme’s career began to nose-dive when he threw five interceptions in a 38-13 home playoff loss to Arizona.

Still, the Panthers believed he was their guy and gave Delhomme a contract extension. He then threw four picks in Carolina’s opener, and his confidence quickly disappeared like the air escaping a punctured football. He finished with a career-high 18 interceptions in 11 games before a broken finger landed him on injured reserve.

With young Matt Moore ready to take over, Delhomme was cut in March. At his farewell news conference, Delhomme broke down in tears, saying one word.

“I put so much on myself,” said Delhomme, who led Carolina to the Super Bowl in 2003. “I came back after an arm injury and we went 12-4 and was so excited for the playoffs. I played so poorly in that playoff game. Then that whole offseason, my whole focus was just to win back — to win back everyone. That was probably a little too much. I don’t think there’s any doubt, I have to play loose and free and I didn’t do that.”