Browns Break Tys to Reality

How do you spell panic? C-O-U-C-H. All the baloney about a secret plan to work Tim Couch slowly into the Browns’ lineup disappeared in a cloud of nothingness in the franchise’s first game. Dwight Clark, the team’s personnel whiz, said he was surprised by the decision, believing the organization had agreed to evaluate Ty Detmer and Couch every three games. But now Couch will start, and Detmer will sit. This drew the kind of response that makes coaches so unbelievable. “I’m not disappointed in Ty,” Chris Palmer said.

Rookie wide receiver Ronnie Powell said, “I was shocked about it--me, personally, I wasn’t looking for it to happen.”

Palmer may be overreacting, but then a 43-0 loss was the worst opening-game performance by an expansion team.

“A good college team probably could have kept it close,” said offensive lineman Lomas Brown, who plays for the Browns.

Former USC standout Daylon McCutcheon also got a quick promotion, replacing Antonio Langham as the Browns’ starting right cornerback. He’d have a better chance of excelling if matched against Couch.

The Steelers had the ball for 47 minutes 49 seconds against the Browns--an NFL record since they began recording the statistic in 1977. That’s a pretty mean game of keep-away.