starter | Bottlegate

First the news broke that Johnny Manziel will be named the Browns starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

Scoopage: #Browns are making the switch to Johnny Manziel as starting QB for rest of the season @NFLonFOX

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) November 17, 2015

Browns have informed both QBs that the change has been made. Manziel for rest of season

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) November 17, 2015

Then came the news that the NFL found no wrongdoing in Johnny’s little roadside incident last month in Avon.

No #NFL discipline for Manziel pic.twitter.com/8tGEyZcMzN

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) November 17, 2015

Cops want to knock me, D.A. wants to box me in
But somehow I beat them charges like Rocky
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
Not guilty, he who does not feel me
Is not real to me, therefore he doesn’t exist
So poof! — vamoose, son of a bitch!

-Johnny Manziel

Look, this was the move the coaching staff needed to make. At 2-8 there’s no point in salvaging the season by playing the 36 year old who might give the team the “best chance to win.” Let’s see what the kid’s got. If he falls flat on his face then your decision becomes very easy. Cut him and move on.

BUT, if he shows something, then the organization has a major decision on their hands. Personally I don’t want to draft another quarterback in the first round and and sit through his rookie season. This team has about a BILLION other needs and if quarterback isn’t one of them, that’s a good thing.

(I also want the 1st pick in the draft so I’ll be rooting for Johnny and the Browns to drop 35 points a game but also to give up 40. Sorry.)

We all knew it was coming. After the debacle at First Energy Stadium on Sunday, this is the only choice. Johnny Manziel will make his first career NFL start vs. Andy Dalton and the Bengals. Division rival with the season on the line. Buckle up because this ride is going to have twists and turns and loops and drops and inversions and G-forces.. shit, the train might even fly off the tracks… or it may arrive safely at the station with all it’s riders laughing and smiling. I don’t know what the hell to expect but I know it’s going to be fun.

Is he going to fall flat on his face? Is he going to come out firing bullets, making defenders look foolish and then flashing the money sign in chumps’ faces? I don’t know. No one does. And I think the unknown is what makes this so exciting. We have NO IDEA what to expect Sunday afternoon at First Energy Stadium. We just handed the keys to the franchise (along with a suffering region’s playoff aspirations) to a 22 year old wildcard. Am I nervous? Absolutely. Eager? Yep.

I trust Kyle Shanahan 1000% to put Johnny in the best position to succeed and get him in a rhythm. Whether that be the read option, a couple of designed QB runs, or 9 straight play action rollouts, Shan knows what he’s doing.

Sunday begins a new era in Cleveland. It’s Manziel time. You better buckle the fuck up, keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times because we’re going for a whirl… hopefully it’s not too late…