Cleveland Browns Lose to Rams: Johnny Manziel Time?

Veteran quarterback Josh McCown should not be blamed for the Cleveland Browns losing to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Not by anybody.

McCown, if anything, has been a warrior for the Browns since he suffered a concussion at the conclusion of Cleveland’s first offensive drive of the National Football League regular season. The 36-year-old journeyman QB was a victim of a registered nine hits against the Denver Broncos in a losing effort last week. He was brought down four times and hit on seven occasions in the 24-6 defeat to the Rams.

The reality of the situation could not be clearer for the Browns. At 2-5, the Browns are already staring at another losing season. McCown is nowhere near 100 percent heading into the upcoming midweek. He took a brutal shot to the head in the fourth quarter, one that should have resulted in the Cleveland starting QB being examined by medical personnel. McCown then entered the locker room early with an apparent shoulder injury.

He was struggling to lift his right arm as he completed the long walk off of the field.

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What is known about second-year pro Johnny Manziel is that not enough is yet known. Manziel is apparently not going to be punished by the NFL for an alleged domestic incident involving the player and his girlfriend, a matter that resulted in Manziel not being cited for anything by law enforcement. The former “Johnny Football” has been active and the team’s backup QB for the past two weeks, and there is no reason to believe that will change before the Browns host the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday.

The loss to the Rams and McCown’s physical status have changed the conversations about Manziel. It is no longer a topic that features supposed Manziel fanatics who work in the front office of the Browns wanting to see the popular and polarizing younger model over McCown. Cleveland starting Manziel next Sunday would not be the first step in the team seeing what it has in Manziel or planning for 2016.

Oct 25, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) throws the ball against the St. Louis Rams during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Manziel is a 22-year-old who is No. 2 on the depth chart behind a damaged veteran who is in the twilight of his career and who has won a single start this season. If there are concerns that Manziel is still not ready to be given the keys to the offense of the Browns, he should not have been active ahead of Austin Davis for the games against the Broncos and Rams. Head coach Mike Pettine and company clearly have at least some faith that Manziel can line up under center without embarrassing himself or the Browns.

There is, of course, the possibility that the NFL will still make the choice easy for the Browns. While the league has apparently not been in a hurry to make any move following what may or may not be a concerning incident involving Manziel, he could still face some punishment per the NFL. As Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle wrote last week, there could be a reasonable explanation for why Manziel has not been called in the office of NFL principal Roger Goodell:

"This is another example of why the NFL should tread lightly when it comes to disciplining players charged with crimes. In Manziel’s case, he wasn’t even charged in the incident, which gives a hint as to whose story police believed."

You can find just about any opinion on Manziel you desire if you search hard enough on social media websites such as Twitter. Manziel is the savior the Browns have been searching for since 1999. Manziel is a bust and also a criminal who should be booted right out of the NFL. Manziel is a spoiled punk who is not dedicated to his craft. The Browns have to name Manziel the starting QB immediately to have any chance of getting the best out of him.

That last one comes from an article authored by Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. La Canfora wrote the following about Manziel in a piece that was published on Sunday morning:

"“Concern began at that point that Manziel might not be as focused and diligent both at the team’s facility and in his free time, and during the past two weeks there were small signs that he was not quite as dedicated to his craft, sources said, as it became apparent that he was going to be in a backup role for the foreseeable future. Manziel flashed well in his lone start of the season, with McCown recovering from a concussion, but has not seen the field since. The fact that he was drinking at 2 p.m. on Monday, prior to the incident with his girlfriend, has been a major point of concern.”“This kid is such a competitor and he got a taste for it and made some plays and started a game and I think he thought he got the job back,” said one team source. “So you had a bad feeling something might be coming and he might slip. I’m not sure he’s wired to be a backup and he had really won people over, but I can’t say it’s a surprise that something like this happened after he ended up back on the bench.”"

There is something to be said for the Browns not rewarding Manziel with a start if the La Canfora report is accurate. Manziel needs to be fully dedicated to the cause whether he is a backup or a starter. He hopefully received a harsh reminder of that when he was called into action in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game after McCown was injured. Moving forward, it should be a positive for Manziel’s confidence and his off-the-field activities if he is trusted to be the team’s starting QB for a significant period of time.

While McCown has posted impressive numbers with the Browns, one statistical category continues to stand out: Losses. All McCown has done with any regularity over the past two seasons is lose. McCown lost 10 of 11 starts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014. He has gone 1-5 with the Browns this year. He may be a solid mentor for Manziel and for Davis. He may be a nice person. McCown is also a loser as a starting QB, and that reputation continues to hover over him.

Oct 25, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) scores his second touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Manziel alone is not saving the 2015 Browns. Not even close. He cannot open holes for Cleveland running backs, nor should he carry the rock 20 times a game. Manziel is not going to patch the holes in the leaky run defense of the Browns. Starting Manziel ahead of McCown will not change the fact that the wide receivers on the Browns are undersized, and that the offense lacks play-makers.

Maybe, however, Manziel could provide a proverbial spark that a 2-5 team that is going nowhere could use as the second half of the season looms ahead. Perhaps running an offense that features Manziel being able to open things up with his legs and his arm will excite those around him. It’s possible that Manziel showing that he could be something resembling a franchise QB could give a lift to a group of players who likely, after Sunday, see the writing on the wall as it pertains to playing playoff football.

The Browns owe it to fans and to his teammates to see what Manziel is, because the alternative is unacceptable.

What is the worst thing that happens if the Browns announce on Wednesday that McCown is out with an injury and that Manziel will start against the Cardinals? He flops, and the Browns lose? Big deal. The team is playing losing football now. The worst possible scenario if Manziel fails is that the Browns lose a game, and then McCown reclaims his job the following week.

Big deal.

What the Browns know about Manziel right now is that they don’t yet know enough. The best way to rectify that is to see if this version of Manziel is improved from the disaster that he was as a rookie. Manziel should be given the start against the Cardinals next Sunday because he’s next man up at the position, because McCown is not the long-term answer for the Browns, and, most importantly because…why not?

Next: Gurley a Nightmare for Browns

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