Not much is on the line when the Cleveland Browns host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 14. The Browns (2-10) are the first team to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this season, while the 49ers (4-8) will be out with either a loss or wins by the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks.
49ers vs. Browns 2015 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Johnny Manziel is back to play a game that means more for draft position than anything else.
So what is there to watch in this one? The quarterback position, mainly. With both teams looking ahead to 2016, they’ll try to answer their questions behind center over the final month of the season.
The Browns are going back to Johnny Manziel after two weeks of speculation. Manziel was originally benched when a video of him partying over the bye week surfaced and he reportedly lied about it to coaches. Josh McCown started the Week 12 game but suffered a broken collarbone, ending his season. Instead of using McCown again, head coach Mike Pettine went with journeyman Austin Davis, who had a poor performance in a 37-3 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
So after all that, we’ll be getting another look at Johnny Football who, despite the off-field drama, was showing signs of improvement in his second year. In six games, Manziel has completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 933 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions, adding 90 rushing yards.
The 49ers have a far more stable situation at quarterback thanks to a most unlikely name. Blaine Gabbert is playing the best football of his career since replacing Colin Kaepernick in Week 9. Through four games, Gabbert has thrown for 963 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions on 80-of-127 passing, averaging 7.6 yards per attempt.
Is this Gabbert for real? What he does in the next four games could go a long way towards determining the 49ers’ offseason plans. Gabbert is under contract for just one more year, while Kaepernick (who had shoulder surgery) has a 2016 salary of $11.9 million that’s guaranteed for injury. It’s highly unlikely that the 49ers will want to pay him that much if he’s not starting next season, adding even more intrigue to Gabbert’s performance.
Both starting quarterbacks could have big games on Sunday. San Francisco’s defense is 27th in passing yards allowed per game, while Cleveland’s is 25th. This game may not have any playoff implications, but there’s sneaky entertainment value in a potential shootout, particularly if Manziel gets back to his gun-slinging ways.
As for draft position, the Browns are in line for the No. 1 overall pick and the 49ers would draft ninth if the season ended now. With seven teams sitting at 4-8, there should be plenty of movement in the top 10 between now and the end of Week 17.
With few big-name options at quarterback in the NFL Draft and both teams potentially needing to turn to a rookie to get things done, draft positioning is especially important in this game. If Manziel isn’t the answer for the Browns, then they could easily elect to select a quarterback before the 49ers are able to pick, which could hurt that organization plenty if Gabbert isn’t he answer.
How to watch
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
TV: Fox
Announcers: Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, Peter Schrager
Online: NFL Game Pass
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