Johnny Manziel was looking like a different quarterback. Through two games, he was the biggest producer for the Cleveland Browns as he led them to their first win of the season while tossing a touchdown pass in his debut. He was making mistakes, but he was also improving. However, that has landed the quarterback back on the bench in favor of the now healthy Josh McCown and the second-year pro is understandably a little upset that he is not making his second start.
Manziel had the momentum, but McCown has always been considered the season starter regardless. The quarterback has been out since Week 1 after suffering a concussion in the season opener. Manziel made the start Week 2, but now that the veteran has been cleared to play, head coach Mike Pettine is putting in McCown. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, McCown will start Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. The veteran returned to the practice field and was a full participant. Pettine stated that McCown gives them the best chance to win and Manziel made it clear he was not thrilled over the call.
"Obviously I'm not going to sit here and say that I love the decision,'' Manziel said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "But I respect coach Pett (Mike Pettine), and that's the guy that makes the calls for this team. I'm going to be a team player and do what I need to do from here on out and be ready if my number's called. I felt like I went out and did some good things. I bridged the gap and that's what we needed. Our team needed a win, and I was the next guy up. We got the win."
If anything, Manziel showed he is a viable option for the future in Cleveland. Right now, the Browns are invested in the veteran and must go with McCown, but the second-year pro has shown more improvement in the last few weeks than he did all of last year. The Browns will continue with the same personnel. Fantasy owners should expect that Travis Benjamin continues to be a star on the rise. Dwayne Bowe continues to be a non-threat on the field as Brian Hartline and Andrew Hawkins outshine the veteran.
The biggest thing the Browns need is improvement in the run game. Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson looked better in Week 2 after a lackluster season debut. The Browns do have Robert Turbin waiting in the wings, but he is still dealing with an ankle injury and is not expected to play until Week 4 at the earliest.