The Johnny Manziel saga continues. After he was benched last month for lying to coaches about the extent of his partying in an Austin nightclub, Manziel is back – and he’ll start for the Browns against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Mike Pettine announced on Tuesday that Manziel will take over from Austin Davis, who played in Sunday’s 37-3 against the Bengals. Manziel’s re-introduction marks the sixth quarterback change for the Browns this season, and the third time Manziel has been given the job.
“Johnny will be our starting quarterback on Sunday,” Pettine said. “He’s been solid in the building over the last couple of weeks and we are hopeful he takes this opportunity to continue to build on the progress he’s made on the field throughout the season. The goal for every game is to go out and win, and Johnny needs to show that he can put us in position to do so during these last four weeks of the season.”
Davis endured a tough time against Cleveland on Sunday in his first game as a starter. He threw for 230 yards and an interception as the Browns were mauled by the visiting Bengals. Davis will resume his role as a backup, and Manziel will be given the chance to be the star the Browns hoped they were getting when they picked him in the first round of the 2014 draft.
Manziel has appeared in six games this season and started three, the most recent coming against the Steelers on 15 November. He’s completed 76-of-128 passes for 933 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has 73 rushing yards.
On the season, Cleveland’s three quarterbacks have completed close to 63% of their passes for 3,349 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
