With Josh McCown slated to miss the rest of the season with a fractured collarbone, Browns head coach Mike Pettine has bypassed Johnny Manziel and named Austin Davis the team's starting quarterback in Week 13.
Browns tab Austin Davis over Johnny Manziel for starting quarterback job
The undrafted third-year QB has surpassed Manziel on the depth chart.
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
However, Pettine still left the door open for Manziel to start later this season. “It’s safe to say now that this is a weekly thing,” he said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Davis came in for McCown Monday night against the Ravens after Manziel had been demoted for reportedly lying to management when asked about videos showing him partying and drinking during the team's Week 12 bye week. Manziel, who spent 10 weeks in a rehab clinic in January, reportedly informed the Browns that the videos were old.
Davis entered Monday night's game with 8:29 left and completed seven of 10 passes for 77 yards. His 42-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin with 1:47 remaining tied the game at 27. But a blocked field goal and return for a touchdown with no time left on the clock gave the Ravens a 33-27 win.
McCown suffered his broken collarbone with 2:21 left in the third quarter when he got hit by Ravens defense end Timmy Jernigan during a throw to the end zone. The Browns officially placed him on IR Wednesday.
After the contest, Pettine added he was impressed with how Davis looked.
“I credit Austin for coming in,” he said. “He did a heck of a job on the touchdown drive. He made plays. That’s a credit to the quarterback room, that those guys are prepared. I know he was a little shaky. It’s tough for anybody coming in and your first plays third-and-10. I thought once he got out there next time, settled in, he was solid.”
McCown signed a three-year contract with the Browns in the offseason but injuries have derailed his season. He’s missed three games and is just 1-7 as a starter, though he has performed well when on the field (12 touchdowns, four interceptions, completing 64 percent of his passes).
Davis, 26, graduated from Southern Mississippi in 2012 and went undrafted. He was signed by the Rams that summer, cut, picked up by the Dolphins, cut again, and then re-signed by the Rams. He's made eight starts in his career, all last season in St.Louis, and appeared in 11 games. He's thrown 12 touchdown passes, nine interceptions and completed 64 percent of his passes. His record as a starter is 3-5.
Former quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who the Browns signed as a wide receiver Tuesday, will be the team's emergency No. 3 QB for the duration of the season.
The Browns, now 2-9, welcome the 9-2 Bengals to Cleveland this Sunday. Davis will be the 24th quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999.
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