National Football League

Delhomme sits out Thursday's practice

Published Sep. 16, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme missed practice again Thursday as he continues to recover from a right ankle injury.

Coach Eric Mangini said Delhomme has "made some progress," but that no decision has been made yet about his availability for Sunday's game against Kansas City. If Delhomme can't play, backup Seneca Wallace would start.

Mangini said how well Delhomme progresses will determine if he'll start, or whether he'll even be the No. 2 quarterback. If Delhomme is inactive Sunday, rookie Colt McCoy would serve as Wallace's backup.

"I couldn't tell you now where it's going to go," Mangini said. "You have to look at where Jake is at the end of the week. Is he good to be the (starter)? Is he good enough to be the (backup) or depending on how he responds is it the (emergency third quarterback)? "

For McCoy, it puts him in a potential critical role just weeks after beating out Brett Ratcliff for the No. 3 job.

"If Jake doesn't play, if his ankle is not ready, then you are one play away," said McCoy. "I just always have to be in tune. I just always have to be ready, making sure your arm is loose on the side because you never know what's going to happen."

Meanwhile, Wallace continues to work with the first team in practice, and he's accustomed to starting on short notice after service as a backup in Seattle for seven seasons.

"That's really the life of a two, sometimes it's a quarter sometimes it's a full game and sometimes it's a string of games," Mangini said. "He's worked in that spot for a long time and he has a lot of experience in doing that. I feel really good about his ability to come in and start, come in and play and do it at a high level."

Wallace's experience was one reason he was acquired from Seattle, where current Browns team president Mike Holmgren drafted Wallace in the fourth round in 2003. Mangini wouldn't disclosed his conversations with Holmgren regarding Wallace, but acknowledged the coaching staff and Wallace are discussing the plays he is most comfortable running.

"There is a real dialogue there because we can have the best plays in the world but if the guy with the ball isn't comfortable running them, they aren't very good plays," said Mangini.

Then again, Wallace could still be the backup if Delhomme recovers in time. Mangini wouldn't commit to Delhomme having to practice by Friday in order to play.

"We have tomorrow and we have Saturday. We have a couple different approaches to how the game could go and we're just going to have to see as the week unfolds which one we're going to use," said Mangini. "I can't give you a specific answer to that right now. We're planning, but I don't have enough of the other information to say this is how it's going to go."