Browns name Josh McCown starter for Oakland game
By Thomas Moore
Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) throws a pass against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine made the decision this morning to return quarterback Josh McCown to the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders.
The team announced the move on its website.
McCown left the season-opening game against the New York Jets after one series with a concussion. While there was considerable speculation that he would be cleared in time to play in the home opener against Tennessee, that was not the case.
In his place, the Browns turned to quarterback Johnny Manziel who, in addition to showing signs that he is making progress, helped lead the Browns to a win over the Titans.
But while Manziel has shown improvement, that improvement is only in comparison to his play as a rookie, when he was outmatched and unprepared to do the work needed to be an NFL quarterback.
And while his touchdown passes to wide receiver Travis Benjamin are fun to look at on the weekly highlights, and give a hint of what could be in the future if he keeps on working hard, the truth is Manziel is still not far enough along in his development for the Browns to be comfortable turning over the offense to him.
Speaking of turnovers, Manziel supporters are not going to like this stat:
Johnny Manziel has had a turnover-worthy play on 13.2 percent of his dropbacks, worst rate in the NFL
— PFF (@PFF) September 23, 2015
Because of that, and because of the misguided belief that the Browns should give the starting job to Manziel to “see what they have,” Pettine’s decision will likely prove to be an unpopular one with some fans.
For example:
I hope McCown throws 4 INT's on Sunday to make Mike Pettine look like more of an idiot than he already is
— Devin (@JumperLikeKlay) September 23, 2015
— Mavs Ace (@Mavs_Ace) September 23, 2015
#Pettine #Browns @Browns see Delhomme, Garcia, Anderson Experiments and then you will understand why fans not buying McCown as the Qb.
— DiceMan🎲🥷 (@diceman4192) September 23, 2015
Luckily, there are still many Browns fans who understand what the team is doing:
The Browns are too talented to just throw in the towel in week 3 for their younger, lesser QB.
— Pete Smith (@_PeteSmith_) September 23, 2015
Yes, Johnny Manziel has improved. But has he done enough to earn the starting job outright? No. C'mon. #Browns
— Glenn Moore (@GlennMooreCLE) September 23, 2015
This isn’t a knock against Manziel, or necessarily an endorsement of McCown. It is clear that Manziel is getting better, and Pettine made a point to mention how Manziel is now more engaged with the game plan during the week.
All of that points to the fact that the approach the coaching staff is taking with Manziel, and his acceptance of that approach, is starting to pay off. But they’ve only just begun down a journey, one that is still going to take some time.
For once, the team is letting the process play out without putting an artificial timeline on it.
And shouldn’t that be a good thing?