Johnny Manziel: What will Tennessee Titans game hold?

Johnny Manziel will be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns when the Browns host the Tennessee Titans this coming Sunday.

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The Browns announced on Friday that Manziel will get the nod against the Titans in Week 2 of the 2015 National Football League season. Per the official website of the Browns:

"Johnny Manziel will start at quarterback Sunday in the Browns’ home opener against the Tennessee Titans, coach Mike Pettine announced Friday.Josh McCown, who left last week’s season opener in the first quarter, remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol and will not practice this afternoon."

The announcement came less than 24 hours after Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine heavily hinted that McCown would be his starting QB versus the Titans. Pettine, per ESPN Staff Writer Pat McManamon, said the following to reporters on Thursday:

"“I don’t see an issue if he’s cleared and practices fully (Friday). I don’t see, barring anything unforeseen, a reason why we wouldn’t play him.”"

There are several components to this story, and each is interesting in its own way. First is that McCown has not yet been cleared to return to practice let alone to in-game action following last week’s encounter with the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. McCown lasted only a quarter against the Jets, as a nasty collision at the goal line resulted in the veteran being examined by doctors. It was determined before Cleveland’s subsequent possession that McCown had suffered a concussion, and he has since been in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Independent neuro-consultants assigned to NFL teams determine whether or not a player has suffered a concussion during a game. While a diagnosis from a professional should not be discarded, it is noteworthy that McCown, according to local radio reports, drove himself home after the game against the Jets. McCown was in film study preparing to start for the Browns against the Titans throughout the week, and Pettine and his staff were, as of Thursday, expecting to have the 36-year old back in practice on Friday.

Manziel has been dealing with his own health concern as of late. Elbow soreness in his throwing arm that sidelined him for the final two weeks of the preseason has not fully subsided, and the second-year QB is on the injury list of the Browns (probable). Manziel did practice with the first-team offense during the week, but he was, according to Pettine, put on a “pitch count” during those sessions. It did not appear that Manziel was overly bothered by the problem versus the Jets.

The polarizing Manziel will now face what is, to date, his most unique challenge in the NFL. Rookie QB Marcus Mariota has been somewhat of an anti-Manziel during his first several months in the league, an all-business professional who was named starting quarterback of the Titans during the summer months. Mariota was not only ready to face a NFL defense in his first ever official start. He produced what was, statistically speaking, a perfect performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday.

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Manziel and Mariota will forever be linked even though they entered the NFL a year apart. Both Manziel and Mariota won the Heisman Trophy. Both have ties to Oregon, although Manziel eventually changed his commitment to Texas A&M. Mariota seems to have the skills, the size, the intelligence and the work ethic to consistently win in the NFL. Those claims cannot yet be made about Manziel, and the possibility remains that the former “Johnny Football” will never get there.

It is unrealistic to expect that Manziel and Mariota will engage in a shootout at FirstEnergy Stadium along the shoreline of Lake Erie on Sunday. Both are young QBs, both will be facing good defenses, and both are going to make mistakes. Manziel will be far more scrutinized than Mariota, though, because of how the Cleveland quarterback has conducted himself since being drafted by the Browns, and also because of how Manziel has performed in previous NFL games. The way that Manziel handles or fails to deal with that pressure will say a lot about where he is as a professional.

Opinions on Manziel aside, it cannot be debated that the Browns are already down one quarterback, and also that Manziel is one crunching hit away from being sidelined. Enter Austin Davis, the 26-year old who will be the No. 2 QB of the Browns against the Titans. Davis is more-proven than either Manziel or Mariota, having notched 10 career starts during a second stint with the St. Louis Rams in 2014. Davis received some first-team reps during the midweek while Manziel was resting his elbow, but he has only been with the Browns since September 7.

He is not yet ready to start for the Browns.

The original plan that involved Manziel sitting and learning behind McCown, preferably for as long as possible, no longer exists through no fault of the Browns. McCown should have known better than to sacrifice his body on the final play of the first drive of the season, but what’s done is done. Manziel was always going to have to prove himself worthy of a roster spot and perhaps even a starting role at some point in 2015. Would it have been better for all involved if Manziel would have had more time working as a backup? Of course.

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Manziel is not a Superman of a quarterback, but even Superman sometimes needed assistance from Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Cleveland running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson will need to do better than the 2.2 yards per carry that they posted against the Jets last Sunday. The offensive line of the Browns will need to be one of the best units in the NFL as advertised. Rattling Mariota early and often is a must for the Cleveland defense. Manziel cannot get the job done by himself.

We may learn on Sunday that he can’t get the job done at all.

Next: Manziel Starting QB By Default?

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