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No, this isn’t an episode of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” or anything, but the decision as to whether Johnny Manziel or Josh McCown will make the start for the Cleveland Browns come Week 10 is currently a hot topic—nothing short of a bonafide “toss-up,” to be honest.
On Friday, Browns’ coach Mike Pettine stated that he’d yet to have made a decision as to who’d be his club’s starting quarterback after Manziel’s losing performance against the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football.
Though Johnny Football’s efforts led to a fairly one-sided 31-10 defeat for the Browns, there were flashes of brilliance—combined with complete and total boneheadedness, of course—from the young quarterback.
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The 2-7 Browns will decide between McCown, who’s been plagued by nagging rib injuries all year, or Manziel, an inexperienced gunslinger under center. While the specifics of the situation aren’t certain, following a fourth straight loss, many insiders see Pettine and his staff looking towards the future and going permanently with Manziel.
Sure, Manziel’s clearly an unpolished product, but he’s improved from his rookies season. For example, in the first half of Thursday night’s loss, Manziel went 11 of 18 for 128 total yards. That said, come the second half, Manziel reverted back to his old self and abandoned the pocket for a series of uncanny scrambles and throws, resulting in a measly 4 of 15 for 40 yards.
On the flip side of things, McCown might not be even be physically able to play on Nov. 15 when the Browns travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers—the only game Cleveland will have played in a 24-day stretch. So, out of little more than necessity, Manziel might’ve lucked into a second straight start.
Fortunately for the young quarterback out of Texas A&M, many of his teammates feel he might be ready for the limelight. Said Browns’ right tackle mitchell Schwartz, “He has all the abilities to do it. He is making huge progression. He has made such a big jump in his second year. As long as he keeps on top of it, I think he can be very productive.”
In spite of Manziel’s struggles, there appears to be little reason to go with the 36-year-old McCown over a developing Manziel. That being said, in nearly all fantasy formats, Manziel is still too much of a risk to be considered for a viable start.
