CANTON, Ohio -- For the record, it took about an hour and fifteen minutes for the new Cleveland Browns to officially develop a quarterback controversy.

	Rookie quarterback Tim Couch put up some veteran numbers in his debut: 11-for-17 for 137 yards and one touchdown pass.

At least that's how long it took for No. 1 overall pick Tim Couch to throw his first NFL touchdown pass in the Browns' 20-17 overtime exhibition victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the Hall of Fame Game on Monday night.

But it took even less time than that for Couch to impress an overflow crowd of 25,156 mostly Browns fans at Fawcett Stadium in the Pro Football Hall of Fame complex.

Couch showed a brilliant touch right from the onset, completing 10 of his first 11 passes and mixing short dump-off throws with perfectly timed deep balls.

The highly touted rookie from Kentucky played all of the second and third quarters, taking 34 snaps and finishing 11-for-17 for 137 yards with one touchdown pass.

Those certainly aren't the typical numbers of a rookie quarterback in his NFL debut -- even if he was playing against Dallas' second-string defense.

"I thought I did all right. I've still got a long way to go, but it was a good first game," said Couch in a major understatement. "We've got to stay on an even keel and realize there will be some tough times down the road."

Sure, it was only a preseason game, but Browns fans were clearly enamored with Couch's play. That means Cleveland coach Chris Palmer had better be ready for more questions about when Couch will replace Ty Detmer as Cleveland's starter.

"We're going to make this job easy for you," Palmer said to the media after his team's overtime victory. "You'll be able to second-guess us all preseason."

Couch, who had talked before his first NFL action about how he wanted the game to slow down for him, quickly went for it all upon entering the game early in the second period.

On his first play, Couch took a quick five-step drop and went deep for fellow rookie Kevin Johnson, who challenged the Dallas secondary on a fly pattern down the left sideline. Couch lofted a perfect ball over the outstretched arms of two Cowboys defenders and in a spot where only Johnson could catch it.

The rookie receiver from Syracuse couldn't quite catch up to Couch's first pass, but the perfectly thrown ball drew a few "oohs" and "ahhs" from the crowd. And it was a sign of things to come.

It was also about the only thing that wouldn't go Couch's way all night. He would go on to complete his next 10 passes in a mix of short and mid-range throws that kept Dallas off-balance.

He even showed the savvy to pull the ball down and run for an 8-yard gain on his first series, wisely running out of bounds to avoid contact on the play.

Couch's first NFL drive might well have ended in a touchdown if running back Sedrick Shaw had not fumbled the ball after the Browns had earned a first down on Dallas' 11-yard line.

Oh well, Couch quickly made sure the Browns reached the end zone on his second march.

After he hit a short pass over the middle to a diving Mark Campbell and a dump-off to running back Terry Kirby that gained 15 yards, Couch showed off his arm strength by throwing a laser to Johnson for a 6-yard gain on an out pattern that gave Cleveland a first down on Dallas' 24.

Couch and Johnson, the Browns' second pick in the '99 draft, then decided to try the same play that had nearly worked on the young quarterback's first pass. Johnson ran a fly to the left corner of the end zone, and Couch lofted a pass that fell just within the grasp of the lunging 5-foot-10 receiver.

Another perfect ball with a perfect touch, and it resulted in the first TD for the Browns' promising rookie combination.

"We wanted to set the tone early. I barely missed KJ there. We wished we could have gotten it on the first one, but we hooked up later," Couch said. "It was kind of special to get it to Kevin, especially since we came in the same draft class. Hopefully, it will be the first of many."

After Couch's first TD pass, one Browns fan in the crowd screamed, "Well, we don't need Detmer anymore."

Couch stayed hot at the onset of the second half. He found rookie Darrin Chiaverini on a sideline timing pattern to open the half, extending his string of completions to 10.

Although he missed four of his next five passes, Couch did lead the Browns to a tying field goal early in the third quarter. During that drive, he took a page out of John Elway's book with an all-out, head-first scramble in an attempt to pick up a first down.

That prompted a little sideline chat with coach Palmer.

"I told him we're going to work on sliding tomorrow in practice," said Palmer, protecting the Browns' $48 million investment.

But right now, that investment looks pretty solid.

"I was excited to get the first one out of the way and just to get a feel of what the NFL is like," Couch said. "I know it's a preseason game, but I did get a feel from getting in there and taking some hits."

Palmer is getting a feel of his own -- a feeling that his prized rookie will be starting sooner rather than later.

"When it becomes clear, everyone will know it," Palmer said of making Couch the No. 1 guy. "The players will know it, the fans will know it and I will know it.

"But he's a good player, folks. It's getting clear, and I don't need contacts to see it."

After Monday night, Couch's future appears just as clear.