A Look Back at Last Time Colt McCoy Started vs. Patriots
In case you haven't heard yet - the Washington Redskins announced on Friday that veteran quarterback Colt McCoy will be their starting QB during their Week 5 game against the New England Patriots. The decision makes sense, as McCoy has experience in the offense, which is more than rookie first round pick Dwayne Haskins can say.
McCoy's presence on the field on Sunday may bring back memories from nearly a decade ago. Back in 2010 was the last time McCoy got to start against the Patriots, and it led to one of the biggest regular season upsets in New England during the Brady-Belichick era.
Let's roll back the clocks and set the scene: It was Nov. 7, and McCoy had one of the hottest names in the backfield that year - Peyton Hillis. Ben Watson was the starting tight end in Cleveland, and Danny Woodhead was a beloved player in New England. The Browns had a losing record (2-5), while New England was near the top of the AFC (6-1).
The Week 9 game was supposed to be a landslide victory for the Patriots. But that wasn't the case that day in Cleveland, OH.
New England lost that game 34-14. Hillis scorched the Patriots defense for 184 yards and two touchdowns, which was the best single game rushing performance in his seven-year career. McCoy completed 14-of-19 passes for 174 yards, while also rushing three times for 20 yards and a touchdown. He had a 101.6 QB rating that day, which was very impressive when considering his three top targets that day were Mohamed Massoquoi (four catches, 58 yards), Hillis (three catches, 36 yards) and Watson (one catch, 24 yards).
Brady completed 19-of-36 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns that day. The leading rusher for New England was Woodhead (nine rushes, 54 yards) and the leading receiver was tight end Aaron Hernandez (five catches, 48 yards, two touchdowns).
Cleveland finished off the season winning only two more game after that Week 9 bout, which brought their record at the end of the season to 5-11. For the Patriots, that was one of only two losses they suffered during the regular season. They finished the regular season with a 14-2 record and lost in the divisional round of the playoffs to the New York Jets by a score of 21-28.
That game was a flash in the pan for the Browns. But it has nevertheless stuck in the minds of Patriots fans. This will only be the second time in McCoy's career that he will take the field against New England in an NFL game. Consider it a revenge game of sorts for a Patriots team and fan base that hasn't forgotten about that day back in 2010, even if it was a meaningless day in the end.
Follow Devon Clements on Twitter @DevClemNFL.
