BEREA: Browns coach Mike Pettine gushed over Johnny Manziel’s performance in a 30-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers but stopped short of naming him the starting quarterback for the final six games of this season.
It doesn’t mean Pettine won’t make the call soon.
“I’m not prepared to say [Manziel is the starter], but that’s a conversation that certainly will be had,” Pettine said Monday during a news conference.
The discussion will take place between Pettine and his staff as the Browns (2-8), in the midst of a five-game losing streak, attempt to regroup during their Week 11 bye.
Manziel started in place of veteran Josh McCown (ribs) on Sunday, completing 33-of-45 passes (73.3 percent) for 372 yards and one touchdown with an interception. He posted a passer rating of 95.8. He ran three times for 17 yards (5.7 average) and took six sacks. He lost a fumble.
The outing represented the type of improvement the Browns wanted to see from Manziel after he completed 15-of-33 passes (45.5 percent) for 168 yards and one touchdown with a rating of 71.3 while starting for McCown in a 31-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 5.
“He showed significant progress,” Pettine said. “That was one of the better quarterback performances. ... I just thought the improvement he made from the Cincinnati game to this one was a leap. Kind of given what he’s gone through, you’re just proud of the kid and happy for him. I just wish we had a better result from a team standpoint.”
Manziel consistently stayed in the pocket, went through his reads and threw to open receivers against the Steelers. He didn’t do it nearly enough against the Bengals.
“He did a much better job of that in this game than he did before,” Pettine said. “But the unique thing about Johnny is, as we all know, when it’s not there and he has to go to his second read and it’s not there and maybe the pocket starts to break down and he had to move and get out and make a play, that he as a unique ability to do that. We’re looking for the best of both worlds. Take the plays that are there, but when it does get extended, go ahead and do your thing.”
Is Pettine still going to play the quarterback he thinks will give the Browns their best chance to win?
“We haven’t discussed it yet,” he said. “Probably the next time I sit in front of you I’ll be able to answer that.”
Throughout the season, Pettine has considered McCown the quarterback who gives the Browns the best chance to win. But even McCown realizes now might be the right time for the organization to give Manziel a longer look to find out definitively what it has in the 22nd overall pick from last year’s draft.
“If you pick somebody in the first round and they start to play and start to do some good things, I understand it if that’s the decision,” McCown said Monday. “... When that day comes, then obviously Johnny will be playing and I won’t. I’ll support him and help him get ready, just like I did [last] week.”
McCown isn’t the only one who would support Manziel as the starter.
“It passes the muster, no doubt,” left tackle Joe Thomas said. “I think that he’s done enough that he’s proven that he can be a winning quarterback in the NFL based on the performances he’s had in the last couple weeks. ... The sharpness, the command of the offense, the command of the huddle is really impressive, especially considering where he was a year ago.”
Manziel’s teammates have seen him make the biggest strides when he has prepared as the starter for a full practice week.
“When Manziel gets the right focus in practice and prepares fully for a full week and goes out there and plays, he’s a baller,” wide receiver Travis Benjamin said.
McCown said the painful rib injury that forced him to sit out the past two games is “feeling better.” He said he was close to playing Sunday, but the team’s doctors “thought it best to wait.”
“I still wanted to play, wish I would’ve played, all those things,” he said. “It was just the best thing to wait.”
As McCown sat out, he became proud of what Manziel was able to accomplish.
“He stayed in the pocket, and he did the things he needs to do to continue to grow and play the position,” said McCown, who considers himself a mentor to Manziel. “ ... That’s what you look for in an NFL quarterback — a guy who’ll stand in there on third-and-long and make those throws.”
It’s easier said than done for someone who played in a college spread offense like Manziel.
“It’s very hard. In this day and age, we don’t give quarterbacks or anybody a long time to grow,” McCown said. “Patience is the key, but it’s a hard thing because their game in college is a little bit different than what we’re doing. ... Each snap is a chance for him to get better and better and keep moving in the right direction. I think he did that.”
The Browns won’t play again until they host the Baltimore Ravens Nov. 30 on Monday Night Football, so Pettine doesn’t need to settle on a quarterback right away. Pettine said it’s a coaching decision, though he will talk to owner Jimmy Haslam about it.
“We’ll talk at some point during this time off, and we’ll hit a lot of points,” Pettine said. “We’ll cover a lot of ground, and I’m sure the quarterback situation will be one.”
On Monday, an NFL spokesman said Manziel’s Oct. 12 in-car fight with girlfriend Colleen Crowley “remains under review.” The league is trying to determine whether Manziel violated its personal conduct policy.
Pettine said he hadn’t heard anything from the league regarding the matter.
Perhaps only discipline from the NFL could keep Manziel from starting now.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.