While I don’t usually like writing about 2-7 football teams and I only really write about topics I find interesting, this is a very rare exception.
With the circus and everlasting drama that has become the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation and the eternal craziness that surrounds new starter Johnny Manziel, this is a team and a state of affairs that is worthy of being addressed. So let’s address it.
Basically, you see, what had happened was, Browns starting quarterback Josh McCown was concussed when he tried to helicopter over two Jets defenders in week 1 (that wasn’t the best idea). He was replaced by backup/lightning rod Johnny Manziel, and, put simply, Manziel did pretty well. Manziel, known to that point in his NFL career for his drinking problems and extended stay in rehab to get them under control, had struggled mightily in his one full game last season, throwing for just 80 yards in a 30-0 hammering at the hands of the in-state rival Bengals.
Manziel threw for 182 yards in that game against the Jets, ending the contest with a touchdown and an interception. He would get the start the next week due to the McCown injury and defeated the Titans in easily the best performance of his young career. While he only put the ball in the air 15 times, he threw for two touchdowns, 11.5 yards per attempt, and, most importantly, did not turn the ball over. But the Browns and head coach Mike Pettine decided to go back to McCown in week 3, and McCown rightfully kept the job after averaging 384.67 yards per game for the next three weeks.
Unfortunately, losing his starting job led to Manziel, at least in one instance, returning to drinking. Of course, he shouldn’t win the starting job because he has difficulties handling a backup role, but this is simply the most likely reason why this occurred. It’s a shame, but Manziel clearly has to learn how to handle failure, and part of his lack of success in the NFL has been caused by his inability to do so.
But that was then, and this is now. McCown’s performance took a step back after his ludicrously impressive three-week run, and he injured his shoulder in a week 7 loss to the Rams. At this point, it was time for Manziel to step in again, and he would lead the 2-6 Browns into Cincinnati last Thursday night to play the team that ruined his debut a year ago. How would he fare?
The answer depends on your dissemination of his play. While his numbers are thoroughly underwhelming (15-33, 168 yards, one touchdown), he did something that he failed to do last season: protect the football. Cleveland would lose 31-10, but Manziel orchestrated a ten-play, 92 yard drive for the Browns’ only touchdown right before the end of the first half. His second half was marked with inconsistency, but he was still able to protect the ball through his struggles.
So why exactly is it time to give the keys to the offense to Manziel, even when McCown has clearly played better? For one thing, youth is obviously on Manziel’s side (he is 22; McCown is 36) and at this point, Manziel has the higher ceiling. The Browns fell to 2-7 with the loss on Thursday, and it became apparent a long time ago that they aren’t going anywhere in 2015.
Letting Manziel play out the rest of the regular season serves a dual purpose; 1) the organization can figure out if Manziel can sustain his somewhat impressive play and 2) if Manziel fails, the team will realize this, lose, and probably get a high draft pick. They could use that high draft pick on a quarterback (California’s Jared Goff and Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg are the two most highly-touted QBs in this year’s class) and move on from Manziel/McCown.
This is a point that was visited by Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport on Friday:
Where he then proceeded to play so badly that the Buccaneers cut bait after one year.
Explain to me exactly how this somehow prepares the Browns for a bright future? Or any future?
Of course, the team is presently led by Mike Pettine.
Oh yeah, that’s right. Mike Pettine.
Pettine has been consistently lukewarm toward his current starting quarterback’s style of play, and he is not overly appreciative of Manziel’s tendency of create plays outside the pocket. When asked by reporters about his quarterback’s performance against Cincinnati, he responded in exactly the manner in which you would expect. These are all real quotes.
“No, I can’t (say he’ll play the next game)…. When we get in and get back from this time off, we’ll assess what pool of players are available and go ahead and make those decisions from there. This will be a good time to step away and reassess where we are moving forward.”
“It was just inconsistent…. He did some good things, but in the second half, especially after we fell behind, he was just trying to make too many big plays instead of just taking completions …. It’s also a function of how well we play around him…. I don’t know if in the second half we played well enough around him for him to play well.”
Pettine is absolutely correct in stating that Manziel was inconsistent. He is also correct in stating that the Browns were not good enough around him. I wouldn’t say this play was good enough on Thursday night:
It’s not a surprise, then, that the Browns had it taken to them in the second half. But that isn’t Manziel’s fault; why is his coach emphasizing his inconsistency and stressing the need for the team to look at all options instead of just letting Manziel play?
I honestly can’t tell you why this hasn’t happened already, but the Browns really should give Johnny Manziel a chance. And a real chance at that; don’t just give him another game or two and hand the reins back to McCown. The former has shown that he is at least capable of playing at the professional level, and he should be given an opportunity/audition to prove that he can be the team’s franchise quarterback going forward.
If the team elects to go back to McCown, though, it will probably be setting itself further back. A move like this would disallow the team to get a good look at a very clear future.
That very clear future is Johnny Manziel.