Pettine said he will consult with others, but made it clear that the decision on who will start at quarterback on Sunday against the Bengals will be his alone.
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Pettine said he had yet to make a decision on his starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati. He will be the 24th starting quarterback for the Browns since the franchise returned to the National Football League in 1999.
Coach Mike Pettine said McCown will not need surgery, but described his injury as “the worst-possible scenario”.
“These are two players that we both want to see play is the bottom line”, Pettine said.
Prior to Week 12, Manziel had been named the season starter, but social media pictures of the quarterback partying in Texas ended that idea. “We expect him to play well”.
McCown was 21-for-38 for 212 yards and a touchdown, while Davis completed seven of 10 passes for 77 yards and a score.
This story will be updated.
The Browns are last in the division at 2-9 and have now lost 14 of their last 16 games stretching back to last season.
Pettine is not ready to announce who will replace McCown.
In his limited opportunities in relief of McCown this season, Manziel has shown significant on-field progress from his disastrous rookie year.
Davis was signed by the Browns on September 7 after being cut by the Rams. When McCown was injured, he sent Davis into the game.
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Davis played for USM from 2008-11, leading the Golden Eagles to the Conference USA title in his last season. Manziel bounced back the next week and passed for 372 yards against Pittsburgh, a performance that offered a glimpse at his potential. “I make the final call, and I’ll have strong opinions one way or another, but it either gets confirmed or denied by people that I trust, and that makes it easier”. He faced Cincinnati last month and completed 15 of 33 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown in a 31-10 loss. Pettine clearly felt a one-week punishment wasn’t enough. If not for The Most Browns Play Ever, the Browns may have snapped the five-game losing streak that now stands at six. Would you keep Manziel benched, or reinstate him as the starter? You never know when somebody’s going to get hurt or circumstances change.
