On Sunday, rookie Johnny Manziel made his first NFL start and it was an unmitigated disaster. A day later, former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar went on the radio to point out what most Cleveland fans have known for some time: The problems start at the top.
"They don't know how to lead and organize and set a culture for doing what you have to do to play winning NFL football," Kosar told WTAM 1100. "... It makes me want to throw up. That's the results you get when you do that stuff."
A day later, another former Browns quarterback, 1999 first-overall pick Tim Couch, pretty much agreed with everything Kosar said.
"It's been a long 15 years of watching the same thing repeat itself over and over," he said, via ESPN.com. "The biggest thing that frustrates me is the lack of commitment and loyalty to let a coach see it out and a quarterback play it out."
Coach Mike Pettine is in his first year and has done a masterful job getting the Browns to 7-7. But Manziel was nothing short of terrible.
But you know what? That happens, especially to rookies. We talked about it in this week's Overreactions, and pointed it out again as folks now proclaim what a bust he is (even though we heard from exactly none of these people after Manziel's pro day).
"You're never great every week," Couch said. "This is just repeating the same process of the last 15 years, like Bernie said. Whether it was me, Kelly (Holcomb) or on and on and on, the finger keeps being pointed at the quarterback. It's the team. Build a team and then worry about the quarterback. ...
"Johnny played one game, and granted it was awful, but most people are writing the kid off already," said Couch, who thought the Browns should have stuck with Brian Hoyer.
"Every quarterback has ups and downs, no matter who it is," he said. "It's a tough league."
Manziel will make his second start on Sunday when the Browns travel to Charlotte to face the Panthers.
