The music will stop again on the Browns’ game of musical quarterbacks today.
Browns coach Mike Pettine said after Sunday’s 37-3 loss to the Bengals that he’ll decide after watching the tape whether to keep Austin Davis in the starting lineup or go back to Johnny Manziel.
“We’ll make that decision [Monday],” Pettine said. “Get a chance to watch the tape and we’ll all circle back, circle up on it and see where we are with it.”
On the tape, Pettine will see that Davis did not play well. His numbers (25-of-38 for 230 yards, no touchdowns and one interception) probably make his play look better than it was, as Davis got a lot of yards in garbage time after the Bengals jumped out to a huge lead.
But Pettine previously said that Manziel was being benched because of his off-field conduct. If Pettine puts Manziel back on the field now, what message is he sending to Manziel? That he’s allowed to screw up off the field as long as the other quarterback stinks?
On the other hand, what message is Pettine sending to the rest of the roster if Manziel is the best quarterback available but doesn’t play because Pettine wants to prove a point?
Either way, the situation in Cleveland is a mess. The best news is there are only four games left.