Josh McCown did nothing to lose starting job
Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) looks to pass during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. McCown was injured and left the game at the end of the drive. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
It is hard not to get excited when Johnny Manziel is throwing touchdown passes, not turning over the ball, and winning games. Well I should say, winning a game.
The season is still young yet there are already constant debates of who should start at quarterback for the Browns. Now that Josh McCown has been cleared to play and has been named the starter, the debates will only grow louder.
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These debates seem, at least to me, to be unnecessary. Thrusting Manziel into the starting role at this point in time would be setting him up for failure. There is nothing wrong with letting him learn and possibly start later on in the season, if McCown proves to be inadequate.
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But right now, McCown has done nothing to deserve a backup role. Well, diving headfirst into the end zone unprotected on the first drive of the season was not too smart of a move, but he still led an impressive drive.
Based on that drive alone, which is a small sample size, McCown looked to be doing just fine. He drove on the same Jets defense that held Manziel to 182 passing yards, 54 of which came on a single play.
This is not to put down Manziel, but to show that he has done nothing to make himself the clear favorite to start. McCown was the starter all through camp and the preseason, so why ditch him after an average performance by Manziel?
The problem comes with the fact the Browns won against the Titans. If they had lost the game, it is possible that Manziel would be written off as a wasted first round pick and Merril Hoge would have won.While on the topic, Hoge’s logic, or lack thereof, makes no sense. Just because Manziel was drafted in the first round does not mean he has to start right away when he is clearly not ready. Whether Hoge believes what he says or whether producers tell him what to say is unclear, but his credibility is below that of Skip Bayless in my eyes.
But enough about someone who gets paid large sums of money to say idiotic things.
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With the win over the Titans, fans immediately looked at who was playing quarterback and determined that he must remain the starter or else another wasted season will result.
After so many disappointing seasons, patience seems to have been lost amongst Browns fans, not that I would expect patience after years of losing. But it must be realized that Josh McCown actually gives the team a better chance to win than Manziel does, at least right now.
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Instead of attributing the win to Manziel, the overall team performance should be focused on. The defense got to Marcus Mariota early and often, and the Browns running game awoke from its Week 1 coma. Once again, not taking anything away from Manziel, just being realistic and keeping my inner Johnny Football hype at a calm level for now.
Starting McCown over Manziel does not mean Johnny will be relegated to the bench until the end of the season or until McCown gets himself injured again.
Starting McCown is the best option for Manziel and Browns fans alike. If McCown does well and wins, then all is well and Manziel gets more time to mature as a quarterback. If McCown does poorly and loses several games, Manziel will get to play with less pressure than if he was the starter this week.
So instead of being completely pro-Josh or pro-Johnny, I find myself in the middle. I believe McCown is the best option, but if Manziel starts soon and does well I can’t complain. Just waiting for an excuse for the money sign to make a triumphant return.