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Cleveland Browns Caught Off Guard By Johnny Manziel’s Play?

By Nick Dudukovich

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The Cleveland Browns are said to be “surprised” by  Johnny Manziel’s drastic improvement form a rookie season that included two forgettable starts. Perhaps this element is why the coaching staff is is turning back to Josh McCown.

The Cleveland Browns are only two weeks into another season, and there’s already a quarterback controversy, thanks to the improved play from Johnny Manziel. According to NEOMG’s Terry Pluto, the team is “surprised” by Manziel’s early-season performance. Pluto made the comment on Drennan Live!, which airs on Fox Sportstime Ohio.

“I just think Johnny surprised them ,that’s what I’ve heard. They didn’t expect him to act like a professional quarterback as quickly as he had,” Pluto said.

Pluto–a longtime Cleveland sports columnist with The Plain Dealer, alludes to hearing information from some source that the Browns were “surprised.” Perhaps that’s why Pettine doesn’t have an itchy trigger finger…because he wasn’t counting on Johnny to do anything…let alone actually win a game.

McCown prepared to start the entire preseason and actually led a decent opening drive until he went “helicopter man” and fumbled on the 1-yard line.

Pluto continued:

"“There isn’t a single person with the Browns that thought at the start of training camp, with Johnny coming out of rehab, that he’s ready to start in the NFL. Think about it. He didn’t know the plays last year. He wasn’t doing this work and when he did play, his last six quarters produced a grand total of three points and five first downs.…The thing that surprised everyone was how quickly Johnny has catched up in terms of just asking acting like a pro…which he wasn’t doing the year before.”"

Pluto made the comments on Tuesday, about 24 hours before McCown was named the starter. It was around the same time a report broke from the Bleacher Report which stated Manziel is inspiring his teammates because of how far he’s had to go to turn his life around.

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Manziel only attempted 15 passes in his first career victory in a start against the Titans, but he the type of plays fans envisioned he’d make the Browns took him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Manziel connected on touchdown passes of 50 and 60 yards with Travis Benjamin, as the duo has now hooked up on three scoring plays already this season.

Manziel was so bad last season, the Browns brought in Josh McCown to start in 2015. GM Ray Farmer and coach Mike Pettine seeemed content to move forward with the journeyman as their starter, but Manziel seemed to throw a wrinkle into that plan–until the Browns announced they were going with McCown in Week 3.

In Pluto’s comments, the longtime writer alludes to hearing information from some source about the Browns being surprised. Perhaps that’s why Pettine doesn’t have an itchy trigger finger.

McCown prepared to start the entire preseason and actually led a decent opening drive until he went “helicopter man” and fumbled on the 1-yard line.

Next: Even ESPN's Merril Hoge Thinks Johnny Manziel Should Start

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