Brandon Weeden has grown this season, but the losses are taking a toll on the Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback.
"I think I'm frustrated because I knew what kind of questions I was going to get and I came in prepared," Weeden told The Plain Dealer on Tuesday. "I'm frustrated. We've won two games. We've been in games where we've had a chance to win and we've come up short too many times. I feel like I need to do more to help this team win."
Browns coach Pat Shurmur backed his first-year starter and said he doesn't believe Weeden's confidence has suffered.
"I do believe in him," Shurmur said. "He is our guy. It's not going to be perfect all the time."
Some of the negatives are obvious: Weeden's early season was soiled by costly interceptions. His 12 picks are second among NFL starters. Weeden still holds the ball too long and his decision-making must improve, but he's shown signs of improvement.
His pocket presence stands out. Weeden isn't afraid to hang in and deliver the football. When hit hard, he isn't afraid to face the rush on the following play. This speaks to his maturity at the position, as does his patience with a frustrating group of receivers sporting more drops than any team in the league. Those drops have cost the Browns points and damaged Weeden's overall numbers.
Cleveland has faced a gaping void at quarterback ever since Bernie Kosar exited stage left. Decades have passed without promise. Weeden isn't perfect, but he's shown enough progress to keep the job as this young team develops.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
