Coming up is the worst NFL Monday night game of the season with 3-7 Baltimore at 2-8 Cleveland. The quarterback matchup is Matt Schaub against Josh McCown.
Good luck ESPN trying to hype this one up. It didn’t have to be this way. Browns coach Mike Pettine could have stuck to his original plan of starting Johnny Manziel. Then the game would hold a little intrigue.
But social media pictures of 22-year-old Manziel partying and drinking during his days off came up. So Pettine, being one of those old school hard-ass coaches who rarely wins ( career mark of 9-17) or shows any innovation, demotes Manziel.
Hard-drinking, party animal quarterbacks have been around since Bobby Layne. But Layne, Brett Favre, Joe Namath, Kenny Stabler and Sonny Jurgensen – to name just a few off the top of my head – never had to deal with social media. Who knows if their great careers would have taken off if their coach would have suspended them for being themselves.
No, I don’t believe Manziel is going to come close to being in those quarterback’s class. I think he’s going to be a bust. My perception of him is that of a punk.
But the Browns invested a No. 1 draft pick on him drafting him ahead of Derek Carr and Teddy Bridgewater. So give the kid a chance. Where are the Browns going with McCown? Nowhere.
Find out if Manziel has anything. This is his second year. Then make a decision. The Browns should be smart not reactionary.
