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Browns to start QB Austin Davis; Johnny Manziel is backup

The Cleveland Browns will start Austin Davis at quarterback over Johnny Manziel against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, coach Mike Pettine announced Wednesday.

Browns QB Josh McCown will miss the remainder of the season with a fractured clavicle suffered in Monday night's loss to the Ravens.
Josh McCown was placed on injured reserve Wednesday and will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his collarbone in a 33-27 loss to Baltimore on Monday night.

Davis nearly guided the Browns to a win over Baltimore after replacing McCown in the fourth quarter. Davis was 7 of 10 for 77 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown pass to tie the score.

"Austin took advantage of his opportunity on Monday night. He was prepared, played well and put us in position to win," Pettine said in a statement. "He's been great in the quarterback room all season and he has earned the right to start on Sunday. We expect him to play well."

Austin Davis will be the 24th different quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999. AP Photo/David Richard
Pettine emphasized that the Browns' quarterback situation is a "weekly thing" and that Manziel could again play at some point before the season ends.

"I talked to the quarterbacks this morning, and I said, given where we are, what our circumstances are, it's safe to say now that this is a weekly thing," Pettine said. "The decision was made [that] it's Austin for this week. I'm not going to go beyond that."

Davis said he did not look at the game as a chance for an audition to be the Browns' long-term starter.

"I feel like I'm trying to beat the Cincinnati Bengals," he said. "Kind of how you have to approach it, and everything else just kind of happens. One week at a time. Keep preparing, keep playing."

Davis understands the starting position could change from week to week, but he said he will do all he can to prepare.

"The fact of letting people down just bothers me," he said.

Manziel was the third-team quarterback against the Ravens because he had been disciplined for his decisions during the team's bye week and because he lied to the coaching staff about a video that appeared of him partying in Austin, Texas.

Hello, My Name Is ...

Austin Davis will be the 15th different Browns quarterback to start against Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, who has an 17-8 mark in 25 career matchups vs. Cleveland.

"I don't want to get into the punishment and length of it," Pettine said. "Just felt given the circumstances, where we had placed him, what we had done as a result of what had happened, that Austin was above him and went out and played well. ... [He] deserves this opportunity. It's more about Austin and seeing what he can do than it is about length of punishment.

"These are two players that we both want to see play, is the bottom line. I don't want to declare, 'Hey, this is what it's going to be from here on out.' These are two young quarterbacks that have upside, and we want to see what that upside is. So Austin's the guy for this week."

Pettine also said that hasn't seen any serious dissatisfaction from Manziel that might indicate he would want out of Cleveland after the season.

"I'll keep it private, but we've had very good discussions about what's happened, what did happen and the future," Pettine said Wednesday. "I see no indication of that."

Manziel has given no indication privately or public that he's dissatisfied.

Davis, 26, who will be making his ninth career start, becomes the 24th different quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999. He started eight games for the St. Louis Rams in 2014, throwing for 2,001 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is getting used to seeing somebody new under center for the Browns. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Davis will be the 15th different quarterback to start for the Browns in what will be Lewis' 26th career game coaching against Cleveland. The Browns are 8-17 in those games.

ESPN Staff Writer Pat McManamon contributed to this report.

I wonder how long this is gonna last. Davis is horrible...

Hacksaw_64 wrote:I wonder how long this is gonna last. Davis is horrible...

Start Cincy's defense in your fantasy league if you can, I predict 2 defensive touchdowns.

I don't really know what Davis is but if one thinks his 12TD/9INT, 85 rating stint with the Rams was horrible, then Foles' year this year must warrant quite the adjective.

For me Austin Davis really fails the eyeball test. I didn't get to see him Monday night so i'm just going by his time with the Rams.

Then again, my eyeballs aren't always right...

moklerman wrote:I don't really know what Davis is but if one thinks his 12TD/9INT, 85 rating stint with the Rams was horrible, then Foles' year this year must warrant quite the adjective.

Foles has been an abject failure no doubt
But looking at Davis numbers overll doesnt provide the proper perspective
His last 3 games yielded horrible results, 45/83, 482 yds 56.5% 3TD 5INT and a 61.1 passer rating and planted him quite deservedly on the bench

But its interesting to see what he does in Cleveland. Seems like the QB that have played for the Rams lately had their worst seasons playing for the Rams. Other than Kellen Clemens, he was merely bad with us and terrible elsewhere. Lol

I realize Davis' numbers fell off but speaking of perspective, am I to infer that the fall was entirely because of Davis' limitations?

Because I recall the KC game the Rams o-line suffered some injuries and really went into the tank which coincides with Davis going from pretty effective to being in over his head.

But even if that doesn't explain his struggles, we're talking about a QB who had 3 good starts and 3 bad one's. And now, one good relief appearance for the Browns. It'll certainly be interesting to see what he does with the Browns because if he looks good, that's just one more strike against Fisher's ability to identify the potential of QB's.

Browns move QB Johnny Manziel back to starting role

Johnny Manziel will return as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns after a two-game benching for his off-field missteps, sources told ESPN on Monday.


Given where the Browns are with their quarterback situation and where they are as a team, it simply makes sense to see what they have in Johnny Manziel the final four games of the season, Pat McManamon writes.

Browns coach Mike Pettine would not confirm whether he has decided to start Manziel, saying Monday that he still has not talked to the team's quarterbacks about his plans.

While a team spokesman said he had no knowledge that Manziel would be named the starter, one source told ESPN that Manziel would replace Austin Davis as the starter unless Manziel had done something to jeopardize his status between the end of Sunday's loss and Monday.

Manziel's start is set to come at home against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Cleveland then closes out its season with games against the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Johnny Manziel, who was benched by the Browns after he lied about video of him in an Austin, Texas, nightclub, will start against the 49ers this week, sources told ESPN. AP Photo/David Richard

Davis went 25-of-38 for 230 yards with no touchdowns and an interception against the Bengals. He was sacked three times.

The Browns want further evaluation of Manziel's ability on the field and how he handles any success and failure off it, a source told ESPN. Even then, the sources said, the Browns are uncertain whether Manziel can re-establish the hope the franchise had when it made him a first-round pick in 2014.

Manziel was demoted to third-team quarterback after being disciplined for his decisions during the team's bye week and because he lied to the coaching staff about a video that appeared of him partying in an Austin, Texas, nightclub.

Josh McCown returned as the starter in Week 12 but suffered a season-ending broken collarbone and was replaced by Davis.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14312 ... ng-qb-role


that didn't take long. So much for AD

Hard to keep your starter on the bench when your backup is Austin Davis...

Im sure Manziel learned his lesson... What an effing joke that Pettine is