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Browns' Pettine says McCown is favorite to start at QB

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  • I agree with the vision and direction Pettine and Farmer are taking the Browns. This club is going to be solid with talented quality players on both offense and defense. The Browns like Pettine states are building the team right and I agree with his assessment on McClown:

    "We just look back to when he was in Chicago, when he had a pretty good supporting cast around him, and he was able to be more than functional. He had a very successful year," Pettine said on 92.3 The Fan, via the Beacon Journal. "When you build the team right, it minimizes the importance of the quarterback."

    I like how the Browns are keeping a number of options in place going forward. Manziel may yet be a good NFL quarterback and Connor Shaw shows promise as well.

    http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000491060/article/browns-pettine-says-mccown-is-favorite-to-start-at-qb

  • No one should be surprised by this.

    No one...

  • Absolutely. Did anyone really think they'd just name JFF starter immediately? No. It's McCown until Manziel (or Shaw) shows himself to be the better QB.

  • Absolutely. Did anyone really think they'd just name JFF starter immediately? No. It's McCown until Manziel (or Shaw) shows himself to be the better QB.

    @gftchris said:

    Absolutely. Did anyone really think they'd just name JFF starter immediately? No. It's McCown until Manziel (or Shaw) shows himself to be the better QB.

    Agreed....100%

    Guaranteed JFF's gonna have to work(extra hard) to win Pettines trust and get the starters job here.....really really hard......and it will take time(especially the trust part).....plus, McGown will also have to be bad. Because if he's good, JFF will never see the field.....

  • Of course by August it will be JFF.

  • I am not surprised McCown is the favorite to start but I was surprised when they first signed McCown with his horrible season last year with Tampa. It wasn't until I saw McCown's stats the year before with the Bears, his great attitude and locker room presence as well as his willingness to mentor Manziel I saw how much he was bringing to the table.

  • I fully expect that this year both get an equal look with the 1's during preseason games instead of how they did it last year with JF always with the 2's. Of course they way he earns it is in preparation between now and then.

  • I am not surprised McCown is the favorite to start but I was surprised when they first signed McCown with his horrible season last year with Tampa. It wasn't until I saw McCown's stats the year before with the Bears, his great attitude and locker room presence as well as his willingness to mentor Manziel I saw how much he was bringing to the table.

    @oldbrownsfan said:

    I saw McCown's stats the year before with the Bears, his great attitude and locker room presence as well as his willingness to mentor Manziel I saw how much he was bringing to the table.

    Yep....Pettine mentions the Bears too.....so theyre hoping to recreate that same comfort zone for him.....

    The attitude and willingness to mentor is really important too.....and I think it's a big part of the reason they didnt try to sign Hoyer. McCown is clearly the better guy to have if you're trying to groom a rookie QB..........Think Gary Danielson.....

  • Absolutely. Did anyone really think they'd just name JFF starter immediately? No. It's McCown until Manziel (or Shaw) shows himself to be the better QB.

    @gftchris said:

    Absolutely. Did anyone really think they'd just name JFF starter immediately? No. It's McCown until Manziel (or Shaw) shows himself to be the better QB.

    Or until next year when perhaps they try to go for the cherry on top.

  • I fully expect that this year both get an equal look with the 1's during preseason games instead of how they did it last year with JF always with the 2's. Of course they way he earns it is in preparation between now and then.

    @texasag1969 said:

    I fully expect that this year both get an equal look with the 1's during preseason games instead of how they did it last year with JF always with the 2's. Of course they way he earns it is in preparation between now and then.

    And I fully expect looks with the 1's will not be "equal". They will be earned in the film room and practice... just as they were last year minus the one gift, Pre-season start the clear #2 was given.

    If we learned nothing else last year, it should have been that:

    • this competition approach during the week is real; and
    • Pet and Company know how to evaluate weekly performance.
  • I fully expect that this year both get an equal look with the 1's during preseason games instead of how they did it last year with JF always with the 2's. Of course they way he earns it is in preparation between now and then.

    @texasag1969 said:

    I fully expect that this year both get an equal look with the 1's during preseason games instead of how they did it last year with JF always with the 2's. Of course they way he earns it is in preparation between now and then.

    @tour2ma said:

    And I fully expect looks with the 1's will not be "equal".

    Im with the "not equal" vote.....(think he's already lost that chance)

    Last year, because of the ""quarterback competition"", Hoyer did not get full reps with the #1's and, in the end, Coach spoke of that as being a big negative in the pre-season preparation.....soooo....

    I honestly dont see them having that same open competition this year...yes, of course JFF can earn it(and will have too)....but I dont think he'll get #1 reps or anywhere near 1/2 of them.....until he's good and has shown some consistency......and he'll have to do it with the #2's, before he gets to be with the 1's.......and, by then, it'll be pre-season and he'll still be #2, playing with the 2's...

  • @texasag1969 said:

    I fully expect that this year both get an equal look with the 1's during preseason games instead of how they did it last year with JF always with the 2's. Of course they way he earns it is in preparation between now and then.

    And I fully expect looks with the 1's will not be "equal". They will be earned in the film room and practice... just as they were last year minus the one gift, Pre-season start the clear #2 was given.

    If we learned nothing else last year, it should have been that:

    • this competition approach during the week is real; and
    • Pet and Company know how to evaluate weekly performance.

    @tour2ma said:

    And I fully expect looks with the 1's will not be "equal". They will be earned in the film room and practice... just as they were last year minus the one gift, Pre-season start the clear #2 was given.

    If we learned nothing else last year, it should have been that:

    • this competition approach during the week is real; and
    • Pet and Company know how to evaluate weekly performance.

    Don't disagree at all with emphasis on "earns it" in my original statement.

  • The QBs better not get equal reps with the 1s. If Pet thinks his best chance to win is with McCown, then he needs to get the lion's share of the reps. I don't see Pet making the same mistake two years in a row with his QBs.

  • manziel did nothing but waste a season last year, so really this is his first year.

    the kid will surprise me if he can beat out mccown.

  • For me it comes down to whether you believe Pettine and Farmer know what they are doing in building the Browns team or not. I believe they know exactly what they are doing and I am ecstatic to have both of these guys. If McCown wins the starting QB there is every reason to believe he can duplicate what he did in Chicago. If you read the comments though a whole lot of people aren't buying it. For many they see the "same old Browns" . I don't see the same old Browns but a new owner, GM and HC sold out to bringing winning football to Cleveland.

    There is a psychological aspect to football and I see Pettine addressing that as well. After many losing seasons a team can take on a losing mentality and that has to go. Pettine has got the broom and sweeping it out. I like his comments on "Playing Like a Brown":

    Cleveland Browns Head Coach Mike Pettine has clear vision to build team into winners

    Coach Mike Pettine lays out the definition of what it means to “Play Like a Brown.”

    You’ve probably heard the phrase Play like a Brown from Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine.

    And let me notify you up front: it’s not some bogus, coach-speak, cliché motto plastered on the walls in Berea. It’s a well thought out master plan I had the liberty of exploring with Pettine during a sit-down conversation in his office.

    The first part of Play Like a Brown has virtually nothing to with football. It’s a shift in mentality.

    “People from the outside want to characterize us as the same old Browns, and let them do so,” said Pettine. “I tell our team, ‘We are breaking off the rearview mirror.’ Acknowledge the history is there, but that’s not us.”

    “We want to get guys that hate to lose so much that it almost makes them borderline physically ill,” Pettine said, half-seriously.

    Part two of Play Like a Brown, still is not about how much weight a player can lift, or how fast he can run the 40-yard dash. It’s about showing relentless mental toughness on a day-in and day-out approach.

    The new head coach in Cleveland recognizes that there is noticeable excitement inside the walls of the franchise. But it’s April. Every NFL team has a clean slate.

    Pettine experienced a similar refrain to “same-old-Browns” from New York media pundits, who talked about the “same old Jets” when he was hired as Rex Ryan’s defensive coordinator in 2009. But he and Ryan advanced to back-to-back AFC title games by becoming unrelenting.

    The Jets developed into attackers who prided themselves on burying opponents with the most miniscule details. A tipped pass by a defensive lineman, a bone-crushing block on special teams, a linebacker sniffing out a trick play at the line of scrimmage: Preparing and executing for these situations will encompass what Play Like a Brown is all about.

    The final phase of Play Like a Brown is the hardest part: figuring out who wants to actually play like a Brown.

    “I told our players, ‘There are guys in this room that are good enough to play in the NFL. They just might not be a fit for us,’” Pettine said. “That to me is critical. You have guys that are talented enough but just don’t fit the way our program is going.”

    General Manager Ray Farmer helped address the situation to a ‘T,’ and according to Pettine the organization, “is thrilled with our batting average in free agency.”

    http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Cleveland-Browns-Head-Coach-Mike-Pettine-has-clear-vision-to-build-team-into-winners/bbcd7b06-d842-4431-8ea9-b84cf2d1fe3e

  • @tour2ma said:

    And I fully expect looks with the 1's will not be "equal". They will be earned in the film room and practice... just as they were last year minus the one gift, Pre-season start the clear #2 was given.

    If we learned nothing else last year, it should have been that:

    • this competition approach during the week is real; and
    • Pet and Company know how to evaluate weekly performance.

    Don't disagree at all with emphasis on "earns it" in my original statement.

    @texasag1969 said:

    Don't disagree at all with emphasis on "earns it" in my original statement.

    Well... OK then... 🙂

  • For me it comes down to whether you believe Pettine and Farmer know what they are doing in building the Browns team or not. I believe they know exactly what they are doing and I am ecstatic to have both of these guys. If McCown wins the starting QB there is every reason to believe he can duplicate what he did in Chicago. If you read the comments though a whole lot of people aren't buying it. For many they see the "same old Browns" . I don't see the same old Browns but a new owner, GM and HC sold out to bringing winning football to Cleveland.

    There is a psychological aspect to football and I see Pettine addressing that as well. After many losing seasons a team can take on a losing mentality and that has to go. Pettine has got the broom and sweeping it out. I like his comments on "Playing Like a Brown":

    Cleveland Browns Head Coach Mike Pettine has clear vision to build team into winners

    Coach Mike Pettine lays out the definition of what it means to “Play Like a Brown.”

    You’ve probably heard the phrase Play like a Brown from Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine.

    And let me notify you up front: it’s not some bogus, coach-speak, cliché motto plastered on the walls in Berea. It’s a well thought out master plan I had the liberty of exploring with Pettine during a sit-down conversation in his office.

    The first part of Play Like a Brown has virtually nothing to with football. It’s a shift in mentality.

    “People from the outside want to characterize us as the same old Browns, and let them do so,” said Pettine. “I tell our team, ‘We are breaking off the rearview mirror.’ Acknowledge the history is there, but that’s not us.”

    “We want to get guys that hate to lose so much that it almost makes them borderline physically ill,” Pettine said, half-seriously.

    Part two of Play Like a Brown, still is not about how much weight a player can lift, or how fast he can run the 40-yard dash. It’s about showing relentless mental toughness on a day-in and day-out approach.

    The new head coach in Cleveland recognizes that there is noticeable excitement inside the walls of the franchise. But it’s April. Every NFL team has a clean slate.

    Pettine experienced a similar refrain to “same-old-Browns” from New York media pundits, who talked about the “same old Jets” when he was hired as Rex Ryan’s defensive coordinator in 2009. But he and Ryan advanced to back-to-back AFC title games by becoming unrelenting.

    The Jets developed into attackers who prided themselves on burying opponents with the most miniscule details. A tipped pass by a defensive lineman, a bone-crushing block on special teams, a linebacker sniffing out a trick play at the line of scrimmage: Preparing and executing for these situations will encompass what Play Like a Brown is all about.

    The final phase of Play Like a Brown is the hardest part: figuring out who wants to actually play like a Brown.

    “I told our players, ‘There are guys in this room that are good enough to play in the NFL. They just might not be a fit for us,’” Pettine said. “That to me is critical. You have guys that are talented enough but just don’t fit the way our program is going.”

    General Manager Ray Farmer helped address the situation to a ‘T,’ and according to Pettine the organization, “is thrilled with our batting average in free agency.”

    http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Cleveland-Browns-Head-Coach-Mike-Pettine-has-clear-vision-to-build-team-into-winners/bbcd7b06-d842-4431-8ea9-b84cf2d1fe3e

    @oldbrownsfan said:

    For me it comes down to whether you believe Pettine and Farmer know what they are doing in building the Browns team or not. I believe they know exactly what they are doing and I am ecstatic to have both of these guys. If McCown wins the starting QB there is every reason to believe he can duplicate what he did in Chicago.

    This is the main point I'd like to address for all those who read. I don't believe McCown can and will duplicate what he did in Chicago. 13-1 TD:INT. First off, he had 2 pro bowl receivers, a probowl RB and a good TE. Secondly, he was asked to throw quite a bit because of Chicago's porous defense. If our dline can take that next step foward and be in the upper half of the league against the run while maintaining similar numbers for opponent passer ratings - I do believe McCown is capable of duplicating what Hoyer gave us the first 6 weeks of this past season. Which, in principle - is all we should need to be successful.

  • @oldbrownsfan said:

    For me it comes down to whether you believe Pettine and Farmer know what they are doing in building the Browns team or not. I believe they know exactly what they are doing and I am ecstatic to have both of these guys. If McCown wins the starting QB there is every reason to believe he can duplicate what he did in Chicago.

    This is the main point I'd like to address for all those who read. I don't believe McCown can and will duplicate what he did in Chicago. 13-1 TD:INT. First off, he had 2 pro bowl receivers, a probowl RB and a good TE. Secondly, he was asked to throw quite a bit because of Chicago's porous defense. If our dline can take that next step foward and be in the upper half of the league against the run while maintaining similar numbers for opponent passer ratings - I do believe McCown is capable of duplicating what Hoyer gave us the first 6 weeks of this past season. Which, in principle - is all we should need to be successful.

    @tiamat63 said:

    This is the main point I'd like to address for all those who read. I don't believe McCown can and will duplicate what he did in Chicago. 13-1 TD:INT. First off, he had 2 pro bowl receivers, a probowl RB and a good TE. Secondly, he was asked to throw quite a bit because of Chicago's porous defense. If our dline can take that next step foward and be in the upper half of the league against the run while maintaining similar numbers for opponent passer ratings - I do believe McCown is capable of duplicating what Hoyer gave us the first 6 weeks of this past season. Which, in principle - is all we should need to be successful.

    So we are in agreement McCown can be successful. There are many who don't think he can be successful.

  • I expect McCown to start. He clearly has the most experience of all of the QB's on our roster. JFF will have to be downright stunning to win the job IMHOP

  • Just what we need, a 35 year old QB who sucked last year as starter. I'm excited. JFF all the way. If not, then draft a QB high next year.