Couch a relative veteran after 3 starts

Thursday, October 07, 1999
Couch a relative veteran after 3 starts
No. 1 pick better each week

BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Tim Couch has an edge over Akili Smith in NFL experience.
(AP photo)
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Tim Couch has a head start.
He was selected No.1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in April's NFL draft, two spots ahead of the Bengals' Akili Smith.
Couch signed right away, four months ahead of Smith.
Couch participated in all of the Browns' mini-camps, offseason workouts and preseason training camp sessions. Smith sat out of the Bengals' camps.
Couch will start his fourth game Sunday when Cleveland plays host to the Bengals. Smith will make his first start. Both teams are 0-4.
“It's kind of neat how it's worked out,” Couch said Wednesday. “I think both of us are really looking forward to it.
“I'm just worried about the Bengals' defense and not really looking at it as me against him. All I'm worried about is Takeo Spikes and those guys coming after me on those blitzes.”
The former University of Kentucky star is making progress in the early stages of his professional career.
His 81.6 quarterback rating in last week's 19-7 loss to New England was Couch's best of the season. For the year, he has completed 37-of-86 passes for 452 yards and three touchdowns. He has thrown two interceptions but just one as a starter; his first came on his first pass attempt as a pro against the Steelers.
Still, coach Chris Palmer named Couch as his starter for Week 2 against Tennessee. Couch was 12-of-24 for 134 yards in that game.
Last week he threw for a season-high 195 yards, including a 64-yard TD pass to rookie Kevin Johnson.
“Any time you get experience in this league, it's a big plus for you,” Couch said. “Ev ery repetition, you get a chance to get better, an opportunity to see things you've never seen before, and you get a chance to grow that way.
“I feel a lot more comfortable now as each week goes by. ... The game starts slowing down just a little bit for me, and I get a chance to see the plays develop a little better.”
Remember, this is a player who completed 69 percent of his passes and totaled 8,559 yards and 73 TDs his last two years in college.
“As a quarterback, you always have to have that confidence and belief in yourself that you can go out and put up those kind of numbers, but it's difficult, especially as a rookie in this league,” Couch said.
“You've just got to go out there and try to be patient and not force the issue too much and just take care of the football.”
The Browns had signed veteran Ty Detmer as their starting quarterback. Detmer was ineffective in Cleveland's season-opening loss to Pittsburgh (43-0), and Couch was in the game by the fourth quarter.
Palmer planned to bring Couch along slowly, letting him learn on the sideline. But he scrapped that idea.
Having never used a playbook at Kentucky, Couch studied relentlessly to prepare himself in Cleveland, should he be asked to play.
Little did he know that opportunity would come so soon.
“There have been some signs of promise,” Couch said. “I've made some good plays, but I've made some bad plays as well.”
“I didn't think I was taking a risk,” Palmer said of his decision to start Couch.
Couch is the foundation on which the Browns are building their resurrected franchise.
The organization reportedly was leaning toward picking Smith with its first draft pick, but in a workout for the team in Lexington, Ky., six days before the draft, Couch was impressive enough to become the quarterback of choice.
Now rookie and coach have to show patience. Both know it takes time. They have only to look at Peyton Manning. As a rookie last year with Indianapolis, the Colts and Manning had their ups and downs during a 3-13 season. Now, Manning is the 10th-rated QB in the NFL and leads the AFC with seven touchdown passes.
“I think Tim's doing a nice job on first and second down, and the last piece of the puzzle is third down,” Palmer said. “That's true with any rookie or first-year quarterback. The tough thing for a young quarterback is third down, where you have all these different deployments and different coverages and you have more athletic people on the field. Sometimes it takes a quarterback a whole year to figure that out.”
That's precisely why the Bengals are ready to attack the rookie.
They have seen Couch on film and are impressed with his ability.
“You have to respect the No.1 draft pick,” Bengals cornerback Artrell Hawkins said. “He probably will be a great quarterback, but right now he's not sure of a lot of things. We don't want him to be great against us at all.”
“The best thing is get him before he gets you,” Cincinnati linebacker Takeo said Spikes, a Bengals linebacker. said. “I'm a firm believer in that. We cannot let him have success early. Nobody wants to be the one to have a rookie quarterback come in and burn them.”

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