With Colt McCoy Out, Is Mangini’s Job in Jeopardy?

Colt McCoy has fallen victim to the devious high ankle sprain that has bulldozed through Browns quarterbacks this season, and it's not known how long he will be out. If the same injuries to Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are any indication, it could be four to six weeks.

McCoy brought a certain level of excitement to the Browns and, more importantly, he helped engineered important wins against quality opponents. Combine that with the play of running back Peyton Hillis and it looks like the Browns are beginning to build something in Cleveland. That three-to-four week stretch that included the Saints, Patriots and Jets games did a lot to increase the possibility that head coach Eric Mangini's job was safe for next year.

However, after a disappointing loss to the Jaguars, the Browns must sit back and realize that they are, in fact, 3-7 and have squandered many fourth-quarter leads. With Jake Delhomme likely to start for the foreseeable future, the Browns run the risk of looking pedestrian and potentially losing to teams that they have no business losing to. Injuries are the main reason for this, but it won't matter when people look at Mangini's track record with the team.

The Browns have to find a way to beat the Panthers, and even the Dolphins, Bills and Bengals, but it's going to be difficult without Colt McCoy or the team's defensive leader, linebacker Scott Fujita. Mangini deserves to keep his job, but you have to think that he might just end up being a victim of circumstance.

Dawg Pound Daily

Tags: Colt Mccoy , Gameday , mangini , players