Shurmur supports QB despite uneven game

Associated Press

BEREA

Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden received a vote of confidence on Election Day from his coach.

He’d happily trade it for a win.

Although the rifle-armed rookie failed to lead Cleveland to a touchdown during a 25-15 loss to Baltimore on Sunday, Browns coach Pat Shurmur offered his unwavering support to the 29-year-old QB, whose first nine games in the NFL have included some moments of brilliance and others he’d love to have back.

As the Browns (2-7) headed into their bye week with a long list of problems, a quarterback controversy is not one of them.

“I do believe in him,” Shurmur said Wednesday. “He is our guy. It’s not going to be perfect. It’s not going to be perfect all the time.”

During a season in which rookie quarterbacks are making a major impact around the league, Weeden has yet to make a significant dent. He ranks behind fellow first-year starters Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannehill in many statistical categories and he trails them all in the thing that matters most — wins.

“I’m frustrated,” Weeden said following practice. “We’ve won two games. We’ve been in games when we’ve had a chance to win and we’ve come up short too many times. As a quarterback, that’s frustrating. I feel like I need to do more to help this team win.”

Weeden still seemed upset about his uneven performance against the Ravens. He drove the Browns inside Baltimore’s 20-yard line five times, but Cleveland couldn’t get into the end zone and had to settle for five field goals from Phil Dawson in dropping its 10th straight game to one of its bitter AFC North enemies.

Weeden finished 20 of 37 for 176 yards and two interceptions, dropping his passer rating to 67.9 — the league’s second-worst mark. He did throw one touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, but it was wiped out by an illegal formation penalty. It’s been that kind of season for Weeden, who has had more passes dropped than any other quarterback but he has also missed his share of wide-open receivers.

There were chances for big plays against Baltimore, but Weeden didn’t make them. On Cleveland’s second series, he overthrew running back Chris Ogbonnaya (on a play that was nullified by a penalty) and later missed tight end Benjamin Watson, who was streaking uncovered down the field for what could have been a long TD.

They were mistakes, Weeden’s mistakes and he took the blame for them.

“When the guys are open, you have to make the throws,” he said. “And when they’re open, you have to be routine with those. When they’re wide open, you have to be 100 percent. You know I missed Obi. That’s a wide-open throw. I’ve gotta make that. I missed Ben on a crossing route. Simple throw. I’ve gotta make that.

“Stuff like that, that’s the stuff that eats away at me more than anything. It’s guys that bust their tail to get open and I’m not able to give them a chance.”