No matter what he does, Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel just can't seem to help but court controversy. After an abysmal rookie year that resulted in just 18 completions and a self-imposed rehab stint, Manziel has actually managed to look the part of a competent NFL quarterback through a couple of games of work during the early part of this season. But while Manziel played well during efforts against the New York Jets and the next week against the Tennessee Titans, the Browns and head coach Mike Pettine decided to go back to veteran journey Josh McCown for this past weekend's tilt against the Oakland Raiders. It's a decision that reportedly has not set well with some of Manziel's teammates, who recently revealed to TMZ their belief that it's "f---ed up" that McCown got the nod against Oakland.
"I love both Johnny and Josh but its f---ed up when you have Johnny come in and play well and has proven to the team that he is the right person for the job," an unnamed Browns player who is "extremely frustrated" with the current Cleveland quarterback situation told TMZ. "It's frustrating to him and us when you sit a player down when he is playing well. Coach has got to understand you are messing up the chemistry and timing with players and its f---ed up."
TMZ claims to have actually spoken with three "starting players" on the Browns offense, all of whom beat the drum for Manziel over McCown. It's not hard to see why Manziel would be the preference. Beyond being both younger and more physically gifted, Manziel has actually shown a better understanding of the offense and a willingness to take what the defense gives him in his second professional season. While he has thrown an interception and fumbled four times, most of those turnovers came during a lopsided season-opening loss to the Jets wherein Manziel entered the game after McCown had already bumbled it away. Chasing down a New York team built on a strong pass rush and ballhawking secondary isn't good for any quarterback, let alone a young one still looking to develop.
Still, despite the adverse circumstances, Manziel threw a long touchdown to Travis Benjamin and completed 13 passes. The next week again Tennessee, he completed eight balls for 172-yards and two touchdowns as the Browns cruised to a 28-14 victory.
The change in Manziel's game is apparently not lost on his teammates.
"The team plays better when [Manziel] is in the game. I play better when he plays," another player told TMZ. "You can't get better unless you play. We won when he played and coach has got to trust him like he trusts Josh."
McCown hasn't looked bad during his time on the field, completing 28 of 49 passes against the Raiders for 341-yards, two touchdowns and one interception. But he simply doesn't provide the same spark to the offense that the young and, sometimes electrifying, Manziel does.
Still, while these three players are reportedly on the Manziel bandwagon, the Browns coaching staff doesn't seem to feel the same way. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, Pettine, when asked on Monday after the Raiders loss whether he was thinking about making the move back to Manziel, said simply, "No."
