Mike Pettine, not Johnny Manziel, does the next right thing

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Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) watches the game alone on the end of the sidelines during the second half against the Oakland Raiders at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Raiders won 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

By doing the right thing with Johnny Manziel, head coach Mike Pettine may have saved his job with the Cleveland Browns.

By failing to do the next right thing as I wrote he did back in August, Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel likely killed any chance of ever fulfilling the hopes and dreams of Cleveland fans who expected big things when Manziel was drafted No. 22 overall less than 18 months ago.

But by “doing that next right thing,” Browns head coach Mike Pettine may have saved his job with the Browns.

Related: Johnny Manziel relegated to third string

Twelve Step programs don’t preach perfection, but they do preach accountability. When Manziel sidestepped the questions about the Texas party videos by saying “he hadn’t seen them,” he may not have been telling the truth or was looking to hide something. Either way, the right thing to do was to man up and call his sponsor or support network – most certainly his coach – and immediately make amends.

Staring bleary-eyed into the camera while swigging from a bottle of Dom on a TMZ video – yeah, that’s the way to “not to be an embarrassment to the organization” once handed the starting job.

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Related: Browns may be turning away from Johnny Manziel

I was in Manziel’s corner all season, yelling for Pettine’s head after he refused to put Manziel in for a barely-breathing Josh McCown against Arizona when it was still a winnable game.

Combined with his questionable roster activations, his stubborn defensive approach and the continuing penalty plague, I wanted Pettine to be held accountable at season’s end – and he might still join the half-dozen other ex-Browns’ coaches my season ticket payments (every year since 1946) are helping to fund.

By benching Manziel and holding him accountable for his behavior, not his words, Pettine did the next right thing – for the team, the fans and mostly for Manziel.

Because enabling an addict is the one sure roadblock for someone who is on the road to recovery.