Entering Week 2, the Cleveland Browns quarterback position is more unclear than ever before. The Browns were hoping to eliminate this type of talk when they acquired Josh McCown, but a concussion has now put things up in the air once again. The starting job began to come into question when Johnny Manziel took to the field in training camp and looked impressive. He stepped in for the injured quarterback in Week 1 and tossed a touchdown pass. However, if healthy the Browns still favor McCown for the role.
According to Pat MacManamon of ESPN.com, Manziel worked out with the first-team offense in practice on Wednesday, but head coach Mike Pettine still plans to start McCown if he is healthy. The quarterback is still undergoing NFL concussion protocol and has yet to be cleared to play. Regardless of when that happens, McCown will get the starting nod once he is allowed back on the field.
"If we have our starting quarterback in the protocol - it's an ideal situation that Josh would be back at the end of the week-- but we have to plan otherwise that he won't be available at least early for practice. We'll see how it plays out. Johnny early in the week will get the starting quarterback reps. We'll just see how that goes," Pettine said, via Ohio.com.
Pettine did not overly impress in his debut with the Browns, but he also did not have any help. The offensive line continued to fall apart causing the run game to be nonexistent and leaving the quarterback to throw under duress most of the time. According McManamon, the Browns still believe that McCown gives them the best chance at winning in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans.
In the preseason, McCown looked strong, gaining praise from his teammates. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe told the media that he has the arm of an elite passer while Brian Hartline raved about his knowledge of the game. Pettine has no choice but to start the veteran if he is healthy.
The Browns are hoping the players around the quarterback can step up in better fashion in Week 2. Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson received plenty of criticism for the lack of production on the field. Pettine told the media that the run game must improve if they are going to have a more successful offense. With little depth on the roster, the Browns are hopeful that Robert Turbin sees playing time soon. According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, Turbin is not expected back until Week 4 following an ankle injury suffered while he was still with the Seattle Seahawks. For now, the Browns are not eyeing any other roster additions.