CLEVELAND, Ohio – It’s time to see if Johnny Football is the change the Browns need and, at the same time, see if Bengals coach Marvin Lewis will have to eat his words.
With his team clinging to its hopes for a playoff spot in the ultra-conservative AFC North and a showdown with the division-leading Bengals (8-4-1) looming on Sunday, Cleveland (7-6) coach Mike Pettine has decided to start Johnny Manziel (above), the former Heisman Trophy winner from Texas A&M, whose playmaking ability captivated college football.
The No. 22 overall pick in this year’s draft, the popular and polarizing Manziel has been on the field for just 18 plays this season. He came off the bench two weeks ago in the fourth quarter for Hoyer and completed 5 of 8 passes and scored on a 10-yard touchdown run.
Pettine considered allowing Manziel to make his first NFL last week, but has officially handed him the reins. Brian Hoyer has thrown eight interceptions in his past four games.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, meanwhile, has apologized a second time for some “small talk” aimed at the rookie. Lewis apologized again on Tuesday for calling Manziel “a midget” during a radio show on Monday night, saying his comment was insensitive and offensive.
He released a statement on Tuesday saying he realizes that his comment “was offensive to people of short stature and to their families and friends. It was thoughtless on my part to use the word I did, and not excusable, and I greatly regret it.” Lewis says he has read about the issue on the Little People of America website.
He has also apologized to the 6-foot Manziel and the Browns.