Johnny Manziel has been called a lot of things. One thing he hasn’t been called is a mature young man.
But Manziel deserves a chance to start this week against Oakland. That’s not going to happen as Cleveland coach Mike Pettine already has named Josh McCown the starter. McCown has recovered from a concussion he suffered opening week.
The Raiders have lost 12 consecutive road games. That string extends to 15 in a row when they play in the Eastern Time Zone.
Pettine trusts the 36-year-old veteran McCown to take care of the ball better than Manziel. I understand that. Pettine needs all the wins he can get with his job likely on the line. McCown is worth a half to one-point more on the betting line than Manziel.
I find Pettine’s decision short-sighted, though.
The Browns drafted Manziel in the first round last season. Supposedly he’s more mature. Manziel made several big plays to help beat the Titans last week.
Manziel can make plays that McCown, who is near the end of the line, can only dream about. Manziel can escape pressure not curl into a fetal position like McCown does when he sees pass rushers in his face.
It’s not like the Browns are going anywhere this season. They may not be favorites in a game the rest of the season.
Cleveland needs to give Manziel game experience every week. The Browns need to find out if Manziel has what it takes to be a quality starting quarterback. This just gives him one less opportunity.
