Josh McCown is ready to the lead Browns once again.
The veteran quarterback will start Sunday against the Jets, offering a shorthanded Cleveland team a boost as it searches for its first win of the season,
But first, McCown, who has missed the past five weeks after suffering a shoulder/collarbone injury against the Ravens in Week 2, sat down with ClevelandBrowns.com.
ClevelandBrowns.com: What's the feeling like to get back out there after so long?
It feels good, we're in this thing to play and to be a part of it and when you go through injuries and different things, you try to help the team as much as you can in those different roles. But when you get back on the field, there's a different sense of I think fulfillment because you're actually out there doing it. I'm excited to be back out there.
*CB.com: Can you kind of walk us through that recovery and when you were able to get back throwing it? *
Yeah, when you're dealing with the bones, it's kind of like watching paint dry. You're just waiting for it to work and get settled and feel like you're strong enough again so just following the doctor's lead on all those things. And there's obviously a rehab process just to get the shoulder ready because it's not only the bones but you're dealing with the ligaments and muscles around it. So they did a heck of a job helping me feel better every day and then adding the weeks together, it felt really good and so you start throwing a couple weeks ago like I did and then you've got to get to a point where you feel like the bone's strong enough and it's going to hold up. We feel good about where we're at right now and I'm looking forward to playing Sunday.
CB.com: Week 2 in your postgame press conference, you had a moment that resonated around the league where you talked about wanting to be out there. Did you realize how much that would stick with players as it did?
No, I mean, in the moment, I'm just speaking for whatever I feel like that moment. You don't know if it's going to resonate but you just know that that's how I felt on that day and that's how I feel about this whole thing. There's a lot of things that are going on in the world and it's a very cool thing, it's privilege to play in this league. And so the opportunity is to go out there and play, you've got to maximize and make the most of them no matter if you're in Year 1 or Year 15 because tomorrow's not promised and so for me that opportunity on that day I wanted to be out there with the guys. Everybody in this organization invests so much into Sunday and I think the older you get the more you realize that and understand that. And so you don't take a snap lightly. It means a lot to me to go out there — it's an honor and privilege — so I'm just excited for this next opportunity.
CB.com: What have you seen from your perspective on the sideline in how Cody Kessler's has evolved through his starts?
Yeah, he's handled himself well, especially considering his age and being a rookie and everything. I'm just really pleased with some of the stuff he's done and he's set a good, he's off to a good start as far as his career's going and his process that he's building for himself and how he's going to find success and play at a high level in this league. That's the key as a young player, you've got to find that. What's good for you to be ready to go on Sunday? And Cody has done that, he's still tweaking and learning that but he is developing that and that' key because that's really what helps sustain you throughout a career and to be able to play for a long time. Just really proud of him and his work ethic and the way that he's developed that process and the challenge is now, once you figure out what you're going to do, the mental toughness to stay with it week in and week out for 17 weeks. He's off to a great start.
CB.com: During your absence, Terrelle Pryor has become a bigger part of this offense. How important is he in accomplishing what you want to on Sunday?
He's a huge part of our offense, as you said, and so everybody's got to be involved, we've got to get the ball to everybody and that's the good thing is that we've seen different guys step up and make plays. We're going to depend on everybody but certainly with Terrelle's skill set, you want to get that guy touches because he does special things with the ball with his speed and ability to catch in the red zone. So he's absolutely going to be part of it but it's all of us together and that's the key.CB.com: How would you gauge this team's confidence? You all seem to be pretty upbeat despite the record right now.
Yeah that goes straight to coach Jackson. That's on him and who he is as a leader and what he demand from us on a daily basis and so I give that credit to him. And then you also, it goes from him to the coaches and the coaches to the veterans in the locker room who have to carry that message and pull the young guys along. Because they don't know what being in the NFL is like and facing adversity in the NFL, they don't know what that's like. So you watch Andrew Hawkins come to work every day, you watch Tramon Williams come to work every day and work hard despite the adversity that we're fighting through and the young guys learn that, 'Hey this is what it's about and this is how we're going to turn this around.' It's just a credit to coach Jackson and I tell you it's a great foundation that's being laid hopefully for future success because of the way that we work regardless of the record because you're going to hopefully one day find success and find yourself on the other side when you're 7-0 and you're gonna send the same message. You're going to come to work, you're going to work hard, trust your process. You're not going to get too high or too low and so that's the foundation that we're trying to lay now, and I think coach Jackson has done a great job with that.
CB.com: What's the biggest challenge the Jets defense presents for you?
It's a physical front, it's a physical front seven and so both getting the run game going and holding up in the pass game is going to be critical. And then just for us in the pass game, just executing outside throwing and catching and doing those things. But it's a physical front, they're in their second year of being there with coach (Todd) Bowles and you're facing a defensive coach and the success he's had in this league and the kind of coaching they have over there, you know they're going to be well-prepared and so we know we're going to have our hands full. But we feel like we've put together a good plan so now it's just on us to go out there and execute and execute it at a high level, so we look forward to that opportunity.
