Cleveland Browns to Start Johnny Manziel against the 49ers

By Cheri Cheng - 07 Dec '15 17:44PM
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Johnny Manziel is expected to be the Cleveland Brown's starting quarterback for the rest of the season, league sources revealed according to several media outlets.

After Sunday's 37-3 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals, head coach Mike Pettine stated that he would evaluate the quarterback position and make his decision on Monday.

"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."

Pettine is expected to pick Manziel over Austin Davis despite Manziel's off-field issues. Manziel went from starting quarterback to becoming the team's third option throughout this season due to his off-field issues. Manziel was caught on camera partying and drinking, and instead of telling his coaches the truth, Manizel had lied about the timing of the video, which prompted his demotion.

Manziel was benched for two consecutive games, which led to the Browns starting Austin Davis and sticking with him. Davis completed 25-of-38 passed for 230 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception in the Sunday afternoon game.

"We are judged on wins and losses, so you saw how the game went," Davis said in a post-game interview. "It is disheartening to put so much into a week of prep and then you go out and have a game like that. Whatever my performance was, it wasn't good enough."

After the blowout game, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam declined to comment while some players provided short and bittersweet statements.

"It was bad," cornerback Tramon Williams said after the game. "We're bad right now."

Wide receiver Brian Harline simply said, "I want to keep a job."

The team's No. 1 quarterback, Josh McCown suffered a season ending injury - a broken collarbone in week 12. The Browns, who are 2-10, have not won since Oct. 11.

A source told ESPN that the Browns wanted to examine Manziel's ability further before selecting him as the starter once again. They were also interested in seeing how Manziel will deal with both his failures and successes on the field. In this season so far, Manziel has made six appearances. He completed 59.4 percent of his passes and recorded five touchdowns with two interceptions.

The Browns will play the San Francisco 49ers at home on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

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