McCown was a warrior for the Browns, completing 63.7% of his passes for 2,109 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions in 8 games.
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In announcing Manziel was being demoted, Pettine at first said McCown would be the starter going forward but then altered his stance to say it was only for one game. The original plan for the Browns was to have Josh McCown be their starting quarterback with Johnny Manziel as the quiet backup. “He was prepared, played well and put us in position to win”, Pettine said in a statement.
“Austin took advantage of his opportunity on Monday night”, Pettine said in a news release.
Photos and videos of Manziel partying emerged following the team’s bye week, just a short time after Pettine named him the starter for the remainder of the season.
“While Gary is statistically having one of his most productive seasons, it is the result of the unwavering work ethic and team-first mentality that he has carried throughout his National Football League career, which has significantly impacted the Browns, as well as Cleveland and communities across the world”, Pettine said.
“It was nearly a game of redemption”, said John Harbaugh, head coach of the Ravens. He had missed the previous two games with injured ribs, and Manziel, 22, started in his place. The Browns were intrigued with his potential but decided not to keep him. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Kamar Aiken celebrates after scoring a 15-yard touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Monday, Nov. 30, 2015, in Cleveland. Pryor was signed as a receiver, but he could potentially double as an emergency quarterback with McCown now out for the season. After a couple weeks of practice, the Browns signed Davis to a two-year contract extension – as sure an indication as any that they wanted him to be part of their future.
Pettine said he would “take everything into consideration” when deciding which quarterback starts.
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Well, what’s best for the organization is to find out if Manziel is worth all this trouble. “I can’t think of too many game-ending scenarios that would make you feel worse at the end than that”. Travis Benjamin, Gary Barnidge and Duke Johnson will need to have big games if the Browns intend to survive the rest of the year.
