Contrary to common belief, there is no traditional “quarterback controversy” in Cleveland between Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb. At least for a few weeks there isn’t, what with backup Holcomb, the people’s choice (if we are to believe the voice vote in Cleveland Browns Stadium Sunday night), breaking his leg and all.
 
What we do have in Cleveland is a quarterback with hurt feelings. This is controversial in and of itself. We want our quarterbacks to be either (1) emotionless, TD-throwing machines in the Rich Gannon mode or, (2) emotional, swash-buckling, TD-throwing wilderness men, a la Brett Favre.

Fist-pumping and the occasional jawing match with a defensive end is cool. But we don’t want quarterbacks to pout. And we really, really, don’t want them to cry. Hell, it never occurred to us that quarterbacks could cry.

But that is what Tim Couch did after Cleveland’s 26-21 loss to Baltimore Sunday, for he was very upset after some fans cheered as he lay dazed in the endzone with a concussion early in the fourth quarter, sandwiched between three Ravens defenders after chasing down a bad shotgun snap. 

After the game, Couch said he didn’t understand the people that booed him, sometimes using profanity to get his point across. And he choked back the tears that welled in his eyes.  

The tears are not a bad thing. It marked a catharsis that Couch and the fans underwent Sunday night — a catharsis that both Couch and Browns fans needed.

There are constructive things to take from this. For one, Couch was reminded of how much Browns fans care about their team, no matter how sick and misguided some of them are, and that egging the home crowd on is not a good way to get them back on your side.

Meanwhile, Browns fans were reminded that Tim Couch, quarterback, is also Tim Couch, human being. He has feelings, and he has a right to his dignity, no matter how badly he plays. And, like it or not, he’s their Tim Couch, because he isn’t going anywhere.
 
You see, for better or worse, Cleveland and Couch are likely going to be together for a while. The Browns wouldn’t have signed off on kicking in the final four years of his original $48 million contract in January — a decision that included paying out an $8.75 million bonus to Couch — if they weren’t committed to him. 

While Holcomb is a gutsy, accurate quarterback who made himself a part of Cleveland lore Sunday night by dragging his broken left leg along as he tried to lead the Browns all the way back to victory, he is nothing more than a fill-in option in Cleveland. Head coach Butch Davis has always stood firm behind Couch, and he didn’t waver after Sunday.

In short, there may be a QB controversy in Cleveland's taverns and on its sports talk shows, but likely not on the field.

Do Cleveland fans want to see a change? Obviously, some do. But the ones who see the big picture likely just want to see Couch, from whom so much has been expected since he was the “new” Browns’ first pick in 1999, live up to the hype.

More than anything, Sunday’s spat was a matter of both sides having expectations that weren’t lived up to. The fans wanted to see the quarterback that was regarded as a better pro prospect than Donovan McNabb, now a star in Philadelphia. Couch wanted some patience and some civility.

It boiled over in a most unfortunate manner in a most inopportune setting: a national cable TV audience tuning in to see if Couch and the Browns had finally turned the corner.
 
What America saw was a quarterback losing his cool as a crowd lost its.

In all, it was an emotionally high-pitched night. The bad thing is, both Couch and the fans said things to each other that can’t be taken back.

The good thing is, all it will take for this to be rendered a rarely cited footnote in Cleveland football history is some good play from Couch. He’s more than capable of turning those boos to cheers. Couch has had periodic episodes of brilliant, All-Pro play throughout his four-year career, like his performance against Tennessee in Week Three, when he carried the Browns to victory in his first game back from an elbow injury.
 
There will be more moments like that to come for Couch. He has four young, fleet wide receivers to throw to. Should rookie RB William Green ever get the hang of the NFL game, the Browns will be very tough to stop.

But along the way there will be more struggles for Couch. There will be games like he had against Baltimore Sunday, where nothing is working and P Chris Gardocki is getting more work than anyone.
 
When this happens, Couch needs to keep his cool, even if an impatient buzz among the home crowd turns, regrettably, to boos.

He has traded fire with Cleveland fans once. Guess what? They are not interested in logic. 

They are interested in winning. 

But if the fans in Cleveland are really interested in winning, they’ll support Couch, because he needs all the help he can get as he finds his way.