Suh, Lions set to test Browns’ rookie QB in debut

By NATE ULRICH

Akron Beacon Journal

DETROIT

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden will get his first taste of a true NFL pass rush tonight against none other than superstar Ndamukong Suh and the rest of the Detroit Lions’ ferocious defensive linemen.

During spring practices and training camp, Weeden has shown his ability to deliver sharp, accurate passes. He has adjusted well to playing under center after operating almost exclusively out of the shotgun formation at Oklahoma Stat. And he has mastered the basics of coach Pat Shurmur’s West Coast offense.

Still, standing in the pocket and delivering throws while dealing with an opponent’s pressure is an important test Weeden has yet to encounter at the professional level. Shurmur said Weeden and the rest of the Browns’ starters will probably play about one quarter when they visit the Lions tonight in the preseason opener for both teams at Ford Field.

“My main goal is — however long I play — be 100 percent on my responsibilities,” said Weeden, the 22nd overall pick in this year’s draft. “No missed assignments on my team, and I think it’s going to be fast. Guys are going to be flying around. It’s going to be fun. It’ll be nice to get hit a couple of times.”

The Browns, of course, would prefer Weeden stay untouched and healthy rather than become another one of Suh’s rag dolls.

In the Lions’ 2011 preseason opener, Suh applied a headlock-type move to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, knocked his helmet off and then slammed him to the turf, prompting a $20,000 fine from the NFL. In 2010, the league fined Suh $7,500 for grabbing then-Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme’s face mask, twisting it and taking him down in another exhibition game.

Weeden said he has never faced Suh, the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft from the University of Nebraska. The first meeting should be a challenge, and with Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson sidelined as he recovers from knee surgery on Thursday, the spotlight will focus on Weeden.

“Let’s remember, now, he’s a rookie, so when he goes in, this will be his first NFL contest,” Shurmur said. “We’re looking for him to go out there and execute and be generally efficient and then take a lead of that huddle and direct us in to the end zone.”

The 28-year-old Weeden, who spent five seasons in minor-league baseball before pursuing a college football career, knows every rep he receives in live action will be invaluable as he prepares for the regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 9.

“As a quarterback, you can’t see enough looks, you can’t make enough throws, you can’t get enough game reps to get prepared,” Weeden said.