Browns QB McCown likely to start Sunday if cleared for practice Friday morning

BEREA, Ohio Browns quarterback Josh McCown will find out Friday morning whether he’ll receive the green light from an independent neurologist to return from a concussion.

McCown will likely start Sunday against the Tennessee Titans if he is medically cleared in time to fully participate in Friday’s practice, coach Mike Pettine said. Practice is scheduled to run from 11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m.

“If he’s cleared and practices fully tomorrow, I don’t see, barring anything unforeseen, a reason why we wouldn’t play him,” Pettine said Thursday.

In the meantime, the Browns (0-1) have been preparing backup quarterback Johnny Manziel to start the home opener against the Titans (1-0). If Manziel plays, Sunday’s matchup will feature two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks because last year’s recipient, rookie Marcus Mariota, is coming to town after throwing four touchdown passes and posting a perfect rating of 158.3 in his regular-season NFL debut.

McCown suffered the concussion Sunday in the first quarter of the Browns’ season-opening, 31-10 loss to the New York Jets while attempting to dive into the end zone for a touchdown. Both Pettine and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo have defended McCown’s choice to take the plunge rather than err on the side of caution by sliding.

Opinions about the play aside, it’s impossible to know whether McCown will receive clearance to participate in the final practice of the week.

“There’s no Ph.D. after my name, so that I do not know,” Pettine said. “We’re hopeful, optimistic. To me, these situations you learn over time, they’re just impossible to predict.”

McCown has attended meetings, studied film and watched practices on the field throughout the week.

“I don’t notice any change in Josh,” DeFilippo said. “He has been in the meetings. He has been attentive. He has been himself. 1/8But3/8 when it comes to the medical, I just take a backseat and listen to the doctors.”

If McCown practices Friday, he wouldn’t need to be examined again afterward to receive the go-ahead for Sunday.

“There is nobody that would evaluate him after practice Friday,” Pettine said. “There’s no practice once and then go back again. The final step of the protocol would potentially be 1/8Friday3/8 morning.”

Pettine said he wouldn’t worry about McCown facing the Titans after missing practices Wednesday and Thursday because many parts of the Week 2 game plan were installed during training camp.

“He’s gotten quality reps on a lot of the elements of the plan that we have,” Pettine said.

All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas wouldn’t be concerned about McCown sitting out two practices, either.

“Josh has played 1/8in the NFL for 133/8 years,” Thomas said. “Friday practice, in my opinion, is the most important practice because it is kind of where you kind of put it all together. As long as he gets a Friday in, I think he would have no problem stepping in and not missing a beat.”

The Browns marched 90 yards in 17 plays during McCown’s lone drive of the opener. Pettine said “it was encouraging.” None of the offense’s drives last season had as many plays.

“I think that was the longest drive of my career,” Thomas said.

Browns wide receiver Travis Benjamin explained McCown knows the intricacies of the offense while Manziel still struggles with details at times.

“There is a slight difference because Josh is the mastermind behind the offense,” Benjamin said. “He can change the plays and change the protection. Whereas Johnny, we go in as a receiver group and we know we might see this or that coverage and make sure we correct Johnny.”

Manziel, however, has made strides, and the Browns are confident he’ll be prepared to perform well in the event McCown can’t play. Unlike last week, Manziel has been taking reps with the starters in practice this week.

After replacing McCown in the second quarter Sunday, Manziel threw his first career touchdown pass (54 yards to Benjamin on a go route) before unraveling in the second half with an interception and two lost fumbles.

“If you didn’t notice a change in Johnny Manziel from last year to this year, then I don’t know 1/8what you saw3/8,” DeFilippo said. “I saw him going through his progressions. Did he take off and run when a lane was there? Yeah. Did we get down and was he trying to do too much at times? Probably. I think that just comes with the maturation of understanding situational football.”

DeFilippo insisted Manziel can become a quality NFL starter.

“Johnny has tremendous physical attributes,” DeFilippo said. “We just have to keep grooming him and keep teaching him situational football and when to take chances and when not to.”

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