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Johnny Manziel Controversy Could Undermine Cleveland Browns Season

By Toni Matthews
Published on: 12:05 PST, Sep 30, 2015

Johnny Manziel is at the heart of a brewing controversy in Cleveland. According to TMZ Sports, following the Browns’ loss to the Oakland Raiders, three unnamed Cleveland players spoke out about failing to start Manziel. Despite a great showing by Johnny against the Titans, coach Mike Pettine decided to make Josh McCown the starter once more. The players allegedly told TMZ that the decision to choose McCown over Manziel is messing with the team’s chemistry.

“When Johnny in the game it puts the defense on edge. He doesn’t just sit in the pocket, he makes plays. Coach has got to make the change now.”

The TMZ story was later roundly criticized by Browns players. Cleveland.com quoted receiver Andrew Hawkins as calling the story “1000 percent made up.” Pettine, as reported by the Associated Press, also seemed to address the controversy during a recent press conference.

“Are we going to have one thousand percent agreement on how we’re using players? No. It falls into. ‘Coaches coach and players have their jobs to do.'”

“Given the veterans that we have in the room,” said Pettine, “and being on the inside and talking to the players constantly, and getting feedback whether it’s other coaches or other players, and getting a sense for the pulse of the locker room, I’m confident [benching Johnny Manziel] is not an issue.”

Despite the public front by Pettine and certain players, it’s doubtful the story will vanish into thin air. TMZ Sports is sticking to its story about what was said about starting McCown over Manziel. TMZ’s Evan Rosenblum responded to denials by the Browns on Twitter.

Also, it’s important to remember that we are entering Week 4 of what is sure to be a tough season for Cleveland. Thanks to his recent performance and improved attitude, Johnny Manziel has managed to restore the buzz around himself as a player. An improved Johnny leading an inspired Browns team is an image that lends fans hope. No Johnny, no inspired performance, and what builds is a lot of negativity and doubt.

Josh McCown seems to understand he has a lot to prove in order to win over supports. He’s currently 0-2, and another additional loss won’t do much to restore fan confidence. However, the decision to bench Johnny Manziel unless McCown suffers an injury would hardly be as problematic as the uncertainty created by shuffling starting quarterbacks.

It’s also important to remember that Mike Pettine previously caved to fan pressure to debut Johnny Manziel and it arguably cost the Cleveland Browns a trip to the playoffs. The controversy could undermine this year’s playoff hopes if Pettine doesn’t pick a starter and stick to him for the duration. It appears that Mike is determined to stick to his guns, regardless of what players may (or may not) have said to TMZ Sports.

As for Johnny Manziel, even his position as a second-string quarterback is allegedly not so secure. That’s what the New York Post is suggesting following the news that the Cleveland Browns, “[just] signed third-string quarterback Austin Davis to a two-year contract extension through 2017.”

The Post says that the contract is worth $4.2 million with $500,000 guaranteed for Davis.

It could very well be that quarterback positions are due to become very competitive at Cleveland. That wouldn’t be a bad thing for McCown, Manziel, or Davis. However, instability and rumor-mongering would hardly be productive. The only thing that Johnny Manziel can and should do at this point is continue to work hard in practice and be available when needed. If he continues to show promise, it’s inevitable that his time will come.

Do you believe that Browns players talked to TMZ Sports about their lack of satisfaction? Is the Johnny Manziel situation a sore point in Cleveland? Please share your thoughts below!

[Image Credit: Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images]

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