Apparently Johnny Manziel will get another opportunity to show his talents before the Cleveland Browns 2015 season comes to its merciful end.
Johnny Manziel Expected To Regain Browns Starting Quarterback Job
The Browns young signal caller, who was given the starting quarterback job after an impressive performance in week ten against their divisional rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, was not only benched, but demoted to third-string quarterback as punishment from head coach Mike Pettine after a thirty-second video surfaced of Manziel enjoying himself at a Texas night club during the Browns bye-week.
However, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Manziel is expected to regain the lead job at some point down the stretch. Rapoport also added that Pettine’s decision to start Austin Davis against the Cincinnati Bengals was a decision that not everyone in the organization was on board with, and that a change could come as early as next week when the Browns take on the San Francisco 49ers in Cleveland.
Manziel regaining the lead role would have largely depended on how Austin Davis performed this Sunday against the Browns in-state rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. If Davis stepped up and put the Browns in a position to win, then that might only validate Pettine’s decision to keep Manziel on the bench. Davis, who is only 26, played well in stretches for the St. Louis Rams last season. Brett Favre even compared Austin Davis to Kurt Warner who went undrafted as well.
As usual, things didn’t go the way Pettine and the Browns (2-10) had hoped, losing 37-3 to the AFC North leading Bengals (10-2). Austin Davis, starting for the first time this year, replacing the demoted Johnny Manziel, was unable to muster any offense against Cincinnati. Davis finished the game 25-of-30 for 230 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception along with a fumble. It was the Browns biggest margin of defeat since December 24, 2005 when they were shutout 41-0 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Following the game, Pettine’s door remained closed long after the players had left.
There has been a lot talk on how Pettine and the Browns organization have been on the same page regarding Johnny Manziel and how best to discipline him, but now that might not be as accurate as we were led to believe.
Normally when an organization is unhappy with a player, you usually start hearing about that particular player being cut or even traded. And if Manziel’s attitude is that detrimental to the team, then why has either scenario not happened yet?
Manziel is the former Texas A&M star who became at the time, the only freshman in the history of college football to win the Heisman Trophy Award. And despite a disastrous rookie season, Manziel rebounded nicely, making some very positive strides both on and off the field. Whether or not he gets another chance to build upon that in 2015 remains to be seen.
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