DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2015 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 20 Oakland 27 McCown Cleared; Set to Start

I don't agree with this decision. Starting McCown does no good for the future outlook for the Browns.

I can see both sides of the coin. Just looking at what McCown did while he was on the field, he was moving the offense, so I can see he is the better choice if we want to win this year IMO. I also see the side of the coin that we let Johnny start to see what we really have. I'm not upset either way.

I do think if McCown keeps throwing his body around the way he did in preseason and that first game, Johnny will be starting again before too long anyhow. However coaches aren't stupid, they are going to put what players they feel give us the best chance of winning now, not later. I know all the debbie downers don't think so but we still have every chance to succeed this year, the season just began.

Hoping Flip calls a great game against his former employer

Was hoping to just see Manziel play and get the chance...However McCown needs to play sound ball which I can't really see him maintaining...I'm sure if not this week in some other week we will be hearing Manziel chants

He has stated this repeatedly. I don't get why so many are second-guessing his motivations or looking for reasons other than the obvious.

It does make the board a bit more entertaining, though-

As we all know, a 36-year old QB helicoptering headfirst into the endzone is one of the smartest plays a football player can make. I'm glad to see that scrambling is no longer considered extending a play.

Thing is, if McCown is half a step quicker and scores the TD, we wouldn't be talking about how dumb it was, rather about how ballsy an end to an outstanding opening drive.

But he's not. And he also got crushed a few times in the preseason.

The more I think about it, this was the right cal by Pet.
Johnny's last game will give him confidence as he continues to learn.
I'm hoping he will be the franchise QB we have all been dying for.

Wow... a positive post regarding the QB from SuperBrown?

Pinch me, I'm dreaming...

It may be unpopular to have to wait for him, but I think that most fans believe that Pettine does have a plan for Manziel, that he is comfortable with.

I suppose my issue is why do so many of you have such blind faith in regards Pet's and Farmer's ability to evaluate qbs and how to handle them?

Their short history here tells us that they have done a terrible job at evaluating offensive skill positions.

But whatever, I am getting to the point where I don't even care that much. They always seem to make the stupid move rather than the smart one.

If Pettine and his crew created a plan over the offseason to develop Manziel and the offense, I'd have a lot less respect for him if he made a knee jerk decision to scrap the entire plan based on the events of one early season game.

At school, we have a set evacuation plan that gives us a route out of the school if there were ever to be a fire.

I'll be sure to go down the stairwell that is on fire just because it was mapped out in advance instead of choosing an alternative route.

Preposterous? Of course, but so was your scenario. You play the best guys. You keep an eye on the future. Winning a game or two more in a losing season is NOT worth sacrificing your future because you have some preconceived plan that is cemented in stone.

Good leaders make plans. They also know when to adjust the plan.

Custer was a guy who followed the plan through and ignored advice from his advisors. Nice plan, George.

I just don't think there's enough evidence from 1 game to scrap a plan that was more than likely carefully developed in the off season. Custer's entire plan was a knee jerk, glory seeking fiasco. I think starting Manziel would be more of a "last stand" than would sticking to his original plan.

Plans can be bad.

Like when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor. Bad plan.

Given what came out of the woodwork last season with Manziel's behavior versees the collapse of the offense, I can understand the way 2014 was handled. This year with going with McCown, I understand going the safe route. I don't agree with it because sometimes bold decisions can reap rewards. I'm in the camp that we need to see what Manziel can do in real games to properly evaluate whether or not the position needs addressed in 2016.

Now trust in player evaluation, there isn't enough history to make a judgement call in the skill position arena. As far as bringing in players, that's on Farmer. Last I heard, Pettine isn't picking the players (though if I'm wrong, I'd like to know). My initial reaction is to not trust Farmer, but I think that Pettine has some characteristics of a decent HC.

Are you serious? I have to know.

This is my reason for giving them the benefit of the doubt

I don't do this often, but I will speak for cfrs: No, he wasn't serious. His line was from a movie. Perhaps you've heard of it. Animal House

LOL, thanks for clearing that up! Even my wife, she's a seventies child, didn't get it!

Heres a good article I found on McCown...Kinda highlights his strengths/weakness with GIFS http://www.dawgsbynature.com/2015/3/4/8129431/josh-mccown-part-one

Mike Pettine explains decision to stick with healthy Josh McCown as starting QB

Link

Veteran gives Browns ‘best opportunity to win’ vs Raiders

Mike Pettine stuck with Josh McCown as his starting quarterback because of everything he’s seen from the veteran since he joined the team and how it affects his belief about who gives the Browns the best chance to win Sunday.

One strong performance from Johnny Manziel, while incredibly encouraging about the second-year quarterback’s development and the Browns’ overall depth in the quarterback room, wasn’t enough to deviate from the plan.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked of him in the offseason and so far this year. He’d earned the right to be our starting quarterback,” Pettine said before Wednesday’s practice. “We feel he gives us the best opportunity to win on Sunday. That was truly the basis on the decision.”

McCown, who suffered a concussion at the end of Cleveland’s first offensive series of the season, was cleared to return to the practice field Wednesday after an examination from an independent neurologist. He’ll man the spot Manziel held throughout last week’s preparations for the Titans as the Browns work toward Sunday’s game against the Raiders.

Manziel will be back in the No. 2 role he held since the start of offseason workouts. He returns to the spot buoyed with confidence after leading the Browns to their first victory of 2015 and his first victory as a starter last week against the Titans.

The feeling is mutual among Pettine, offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell after Manziel completed 8-of-15 passes for 172 yards and two long touchdowns in the 28-14 victory.

“Johnny did an outstanding job with his opportunity. He knows there are some things he needs to get cleaned up -- the quarterback room knows we need to be more protective of the football,” Pettine said, referencing the five fumbles (three lost) by Browns quarterbacks this season. “Very proud of him personally and professionally with the progress he’s made. Very positive thing for us. This is all very positive. We know we have a backup that can come in and he’s already proven he can move the team and make plays and win games for us.”

Manziel has said he’d be fine returning to the backup role, and Pettine said he handled the news well Wednesday.

How McCown, an avid Manziel supporter who has relished the opportunity to mentor the fellow Texan, responds isn’t a concern to Pettine. There’s no such chatter about a “short leash,” either.

“Any player, anytime you put a guy on a leash and in the back of his mind it’s, ‘hey, if I make one mistake I’m out,’ I don’t think that’s any way to play,” Pettine said. “In most situations that becomes self-fulfilling. He’s our starting quarterback and we’ll take the situations as they unfold.

“Knowing what I know about Josh, I would be surprised if he didn’t handle it well.”

Pettine said Monday the fact that he, DeFilippo and O’Connell had to have a discussion about who would be the team’s starter was a positive development because it was spawned by a backup rising to the challenge rather than a starter underperforming. In his series against the Jets, McCown completed 5-of-8 passes for 49 yards and ran three times for 23 yards. He was hit hard by two Jets and fumbled as he attempted to dive into the end zone.

McCown took all of the first-team repetitions throughout the preseason, completing 29-of-39 passes for 207 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. All of it contributed to a discussion Pettine said was somewhere between quick and lengthy to determine who would start Sunday.

“His experience, the understanding of our offense, the intricacies of it, having been with (DeFilippo) before, the way he executed it when he was in there,” Pettine said, rattling off the reasons why McCown was the pick over Manziel. “There was a reason we started the season with Josh as the one and Johnny as the two. That was our plan and at this point we’re not seeing a reason to deviate from it.”

The same intricacies we saw the second half last week..yeah that's tough for any QB to master.

Who says that anyone has blind faith? No one knows how Manziel will turn out, or Pettine, for that matter. However, it does seem like he does have a plan for Manziel, and he is sticking to that plan.

Vers "your negativity towards Farmer and Pet is disturbing and makes me doubt your objectivity"

Definitely agreed. Personally I do not understand the decision at all and disagree with it. You know what you have in McCown. He is a journeyman, he is old, and he's not going to take you to the super bowl. I'm not saying that Johnny will, but he has confidence right now, I for one would like to see him play. After all we DID pick him in the 1st round. So it's either, A - you play your 1st rounder who is starting to look good to see what you have in him, or B - you play Josh McCown, who is a stop gap quarterback who has no future.

For me the decision seems quite easy....

it was Elway. Now every time a QB helicopters, he gets accused of trying to be John Elway (in addition to looking ridiculous.)

Yeah, it was Elway. HAHAHA!!! He'd definitely been seen differently. Just like if Manziel didn't fumble while trying to extend plays, he'd be praised like Rodgers and Rapistbooger are when they do it.

Vers, I don't think your Fire plan works in this case.

In order for that to happen, Josh would have had to already crash and burn. He hasn't, so you don't throw out all of spring training and pre-season just because.

I didn't like it either, but I understand it. How many times have we all said "stick with the plan" and we have not? I like the fact that they trust Josh enough to execute the plan and feel like he gives us the best chance now. I'm sure Johnny will get his chance, but for now I think we have to stick with the plan. I really like this group.

Luke McCown and Josh McCowna are both starting Sunday. It's 2015.

I foresee spreading the ball around when passing but running a ton....could be a nice game for Duke Johnson. Not too many deep throws, if any. Yeah, bad news for TB.

I agree w/you. It doesn't work. I think I even called it "preposterous."

I threw it out there to demonstrate that the previous poster's scenario was equally preposterous.

I started off liking this group, especially Pet. I have really soured on Farmer and Pet is making me wonder. I'm not done w/them, but they blow my mind w/some of the decisions they make.

I don't think this particular decision was mind-blowing. It was most certainly the safe and conservative way to go. It doesn't alienate the fan base because so many fans hate Johnny and because a player should not lose his job to injury. It's safe. It's conservative.

We disagree on the regime, but that is no big deal. I like the way you debated me. Nice job............oh, and btw....I hope you are right and I am wrong.

Rather see Manziel now, rather than later when the season schedule is 100x more brutal.

Don't worry! McCown will "Play like a Brown"...

Luke is gonna get a start also...not to mention weeden....we are a farm for qbs....hehe

if only colt could get some playing time..

Lol. No matter what happens, they can say "I told you so".