Despite the fact that fans could be heard chanting for backup quarterback Johnny Manziel -- and the fact that the Cleveland Browns are 1-2 on the season -- Josh McCown will remain the starting quarterback heading into a Week 4 game against the San Diego Chargers.
Browns vs. Chargers 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers are both 1-2 on the season, but one of them will be .500 after Sunday.
Cleveland's lone win came when Manziel started in place of McCown while the latter was out with a concussion in Week 2. Manziel threw for 172 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and ultimately did more than enough to get the Browns a win against the Tennessee Titans. He didn't have an amazing, career-defining game or anything like that, but he's flashed more scoring potential than McCown at this stage.
Still, McCown was signed in the offseason to be the starter while Manziel was serving time in rehab. The Browns have confidence in McCown going forward and that's not going to change so quickly in the season. McCown had a so-so game in Week 3 against the Oakland Raiders, completing 28 of 49 passes for 341 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
But he'll need to be a lot better than that to get past a Chargers team that surely did not expect to be 1-2 after three games this season. Philip Rivers and the Chargers looked great against the Detroit Lions in Week 1, putting up 33 points. But they had no answer for Andy Dalton's Cincinnati Bengals, and were dominated by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3.
If there's one thing going for the Chargers, it's the fact that the Browns don't have any player like Adrian Peterson. Peterson carried the ball 20 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers, and though Rivers threw for 246 yards and a touchdown, he couldn't put his team in a position to win. The Chargers are a couple games back of the Denver Broncos in the division.
On top of that, they're also back of the Raiders. Many feel like Oakland could go either way at this point in the season, but for now they're on top of the Chargers. San Diego has tough games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers and the Raiders coming up next, and going into those matches fresh off a win over the Browns would certainly help them.
San Diego has to correct its issues turning the ball over. The Chargers are fourth in the league in total offense, putting up over 400 yards per game, but they have eight turnovers and have done little to force them on defense. In fact, putting opposing quarterbacks in a bad situation has been difficult enough -- the Chargers have just a single sack on the season.
McCown is also dealing with a hand injury he sustained in Week 3. He said he doesn’t expect the injury to be a problem on Sunday, but it’s something to watch for with Manziel waiting on the sidelines. At least he won’t have a strong pass rush to contend with, if the Chargers can’t figure things out in that vein.
How to Watch
When: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.
TV: CBS
Commentators: Andrew Catalon, Steve Tasker, Steve Beuerlein
Online: NFL Game Pass
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