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Browns may be forced to turn to Johnny Manziel against Tennessee

By Thomas Moore

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Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) throws a pass during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Browns 31-10. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine stated the obvious on Monday while meeting with the media following the Browns’ opening-day loss to the New York Jets.

With starting quarterback Josh McCown currently in the NFL-mandated concussion protocol, the Browns will be forced to begin preparations for the home opener against Tennessee with Johnny Manziel as QB1.

McCown was reportedly at team headquarters earlier today watching film (if it was of the Jets game that certainly would not have improved his mood), but with the Browns not returning to the practice field until Wednesday, the team simply doesn’t know when McCown will be ready.

“In an ideal situation, Josh would be back at the end of the week but we have to plan otherwise.” – Head coach Mike Pettine

“In an ideal situation, Josh would be back at the end of the week but we have to plan otherwise, meaning he won’t be available at least early for practice,” Pettine told the team’s website. “We will have to see how it plays out. Johnny will get, early in the week, the starting quarterback reps.”

According to a recent story in The Washington Post, there are five steps to the league-mandated protocol that McCown must traverse before he can resume playing:

  • Rest and recovery. Players may stretch and work on their balance, but they don’t work out beyond that. In addition, they’re advised against spending time on computers, any electronic device and social media. They don’t take part in team meetings.
  • Light aerobic exercise. Under supervision of the team’s medical staff, the player can start cardiovascular exercise, such as riding a stationary bike and using a treadmill, and work on more dynamic stretching and balancing. The workload is increased gradually and halted entirely if concussion-related symptoms recur. Players can attend team meetings and study film.
  • Continued aerobic exercise, introduction of strength training. Building gradually on the work of step 2, the player can start weight training.
  • Football-specific work. The player adds non-contact football drills, such as throwing, catching and running to his repertoire of exercise. No contact allowed with other players, tackling dummies or sleds.
  • Full football activity, full clearance. The player resumes practicing with the team, with no limitations. Once the team physician clears him to complete, the player is examined by the independent neurological consultant, who also reviews any relevant neurological tests.

One interesting point of note is that the league doesn’t say how long a player has to remain in each step, so if McCown shows he is making progress he could return to practice in time to face the Titans.

“Obviously, the second half leaves a bitter taste in our mouth but we’ll see what happens throughout this next week.” – Quarterback Johnny Manziel

If not, then it will be Manziel making his first start at FirstEnergy Stadium since his ill-fated debut against Cincinnati last December.

That was the day where Manziel finished the game just 10-of-18 for 80 yards (32 of which came on one pass and run to Josh Gordon), with two interceptions and three sacks. The Manziel-led offense was also just one-of-10 on third down, only had five first downs all game – two of them came on penalties – and amassed 107 yards of total offense.

The good news is that the Manziel we all saw on Sunday against the Jets, while certainly not good, was at least noticeably better than the one that took the field that day against the Bengals.

Better still does not equal “starting quarterback” however, as after a touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin on his first drive of the game, Manziel and the offense had eight drives and only put up three points. They punted twice, turned the ball over three times (an interception and a pair of Manziel fumbles), and had a series end with a turnover on downs.

In addition, the offense in the second half only had 112 yards of total offense – barely more than McCown put up in his lone drive of the game.

“Obviously, the second half leaves a bitter taste in our mouth but we’ll see what happens throughout this next week,” Manziel said following the game. “For me, going into this week right now, as far as I know, (I have to) be ready to go, get in with those guys and get a chance to mesh with them a little bit. Obviously, I haven’t been with the ones a lot since training camp and this week. I’m a little disappointed in the second half but there still were some good things despite the turnovers.”

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The good news is that Manziel earned some much-needed experience on Sunday, which is probably never a bad thing for a quarterback who entered the season with just six quarters of NFL play under his belt.

The bad news is that Manziel’s play is still not good enough to give the Browns a chance to win – no matter what anyone tries to tell you. He completely missed a touchdown pass to Andrew Hawkins by holding onto the ball too long, didn’t have a lot of zip on his passes, and still looks to run at the first sign of trouble.

That is a problem, because for the Browns to have any real hope of improving on their record this year, they need to take advantage of the first four games of the season, the “easy” part of their schedule. With games against the Jets, Tennessee, Oakland and San Diego to open the season, getting on the winning track is vital for the Browns.

If the Browns have to go with Manziel over McCown on Sunday, that just makes everything a little more difficult.

Of course, if the rest of the team doesn’t play any better than it did against the Jets, it may not matter who lines up under center for the Browns.

Next: Stats and Facts from Week 1

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