The Cleveland Browns continue to downplay the idea that there is a quarterback competition taking place with the team. Head coach Mike Pettine has stressed that Josh McCown is the man in charge while Johnny Manziel remains the backup. Most people would believe him, but Manziel has outshined the starter for the second week in a row, getting the Browns close to a win against the Buffalo Bills. While neither quarterback has been overly impressive, Manziel is looking more and more like the playmaker.
Pettine does not want to talk quarterback controversy. He is supporting McCown as the starter while praising Manziel for his improvement so far in the preseason. McCown's night ended with two interceptions and three sacks while Manziel led a 96-yard touchdown drive. Neither quarterback put up impressive numbers which might be why Pettine is not ready to give in just yet.
"They did some good things, they did some bad," Pettine said, via ESPN.com. "Josh, I thought -- and he'll be the first one to tell you when he comes in here -- forced some of those throws. I'm not going to sit here and talk about trying to stir up a quarterback controversy."
Manziel stressed that he is simply doing what he is told. The quarterback has been praised for his maturity growth this season and it is showing in media interviews. The backup will not entertain the idea of starting simply saying he is here to help and improve.
"That's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to make an impression and leave a little bit of a lasting memory coming off these games. I wish we would have finished that out the right way, but still despite that, good things were done," Manziel said, via NFL.com.
Meanwhile, the run game looked as unimpressive as the quarterback game. The Browns continue to deal with uncertainty in Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West who have yet to capitalize off the momentum of last year. Both second-year pros are struggling to make an impact which is leading the Browns to consider free agent options. According to West, he would welcome Ray Rice onto the team if the Browns made a move.
"I hope he gets a second chance no matter where he goes," West said, via Ohio.com. "I just hope he gets a second chance. He's like a big brother to me. If he came here, we'd compete, push each other."
Pettine is not ready to jump on the Rice bandwagon just yet. The head coach told the media that any talks about adding Rice or someone like Pierre Thomas were too premature at the moment and the team would make that decision down the road.