Since the Cleveland Browns’ reemergence as a franchise in 1999, 24 starting quarterbacks have graced the field. Remarkably, in those 17 seasons, only one quarterback has held the starting position for an entire season. That was Tim Couch in 2001, who is now remembered as another name on the Browns’ long list of draft busts.

Now there is yet another controversy in Cleveland over which quarterback is worthy of the starting spot.

Following another abysmal start for the Browns, many fans are ready to throw veteran Josh McCown under the bus.

Clevelanders are calling for infamous poster boy, Johnny Manziel.

The young quarterback has a troubled history. The Texas A&M graduate was suspended for the first half of his season opener in 2013 for violating an NCAA regulation, which states, “the use of his or her name or picture to advertise, recommend or promote directly the sale or use of a commercial product or service of any kind.”

In his rookie season with the Browns, Manziel arrived late to practices and pregame workouts on multiple occasions. Yet these mishaps pale in comparison to his abuse of drugs and alcohol, addictions that seemed to develop throughout his college days and into his rookie year.

To his credit, Manziel completed a stint in rehab and appears to be a changed man. Throughout the current season, a matured Manziel has done everything that has been asked of him and is 100% committed to football. Regardless of his improvement, Manziel will never shake his identity of a controversial figure in sports.

However, before we delve into the actual analytics of the quarterback battle, let’s forget their names, and pretend these men are simply QB 1 and QB 2.

Cleveland has developed a repeating cycle over the years: start the season poorly, find someone to blame, use QB 1 as the scapegoat, and unanimously call for change by bringing in QB 2. Then, when management collapses to increasing pressure from fans, QB 2 will become QB 1, and the cycle will repeat itself.

Last season, Manziel was caught in this cycle with former Browns’ quarterback Brian Hoyer. By week 15, the Browns were sitting at 7-7, and Manziel was named the starter against the Cincinnati Bengals. He performed horribly, throwing for a measly 80 yards coupled with two interceptions. This was one example where the Browns simply should’ve finished the season with their original starter, Brian Hoyer. Manziel was thrust into the starting position too soon for his own good.

Unfortunately, what fans and the Browns’ front office fail to realize is that this method is not the answer. In fact, it is a recipe for disaster.

Furthermore, the organization’s awful performance over the years cannot be attributed solely to the starting quarterback. A failure to establish consistency within the team has been a direct result of the disappointment.

No quarterback should be expected to gel with the playbook when there have been 13 different offensive coordinators since 1999, which includes six in the last six years.

An offensive coordinator plays a vital role in the quarterback’s success. Often times, it takes a considerable amount of time before a coordinator and a quarterback can get on the same page.

That being said, the organization is not giving their quarterbacks the chance to ever succeed. On top of that, the front office has not surrounded any of its quarterbacks with the right supporting cast.

In the last 16 NFL drafts, the Browns have had a total of 16 first round picks. For the most part, there is a consensus among Cleveland fans that the majority of these players did not live up to expectations.

In the 2012 draft, the Browns owned the fourth pick, and had their eyes set on Alabama running back, Trent Richardson. The Minnesota Vikings were the owners of the third pick. Somehow, the Browns were led to believe Trent Richardson would be swept up from under them, so they traded the Vikings their fourth, fifth, and seventh round picks to move up one slot.

With the third pick, the Browns drafted the man they had so desperately desired. Unfortunately for Cleveland management, Richardson never panned out, and was shipped to the Indianapolis Colts the following season in exchange for a 1st round draft pick.

The former Crimson Tide rusher has since been cut by the Colts and Raiders. To add insult to injury, ESPN analyst Ryan Clark said, “Trent Richardson is the worst running back of all time.” This woeful assessment of Richardson was somewhat comical, and serves as one of the many possible examples of Cleveland’s draft shortcomings.

It takes 11 men working as a unit on all sides of the ball in order to win. One player alone cannot be expected to lead the team to stardom.

So why are there unfair expectations on Browns’ quarterbacks? Well, that’s simple, frustration.

The dedicated fans of Cleveland cannot stand to endure losing seasons any longer. The people need answers for the woes of their football team, and since quarterbacks receive the greatest spotlight, they are the easiest targets. Patience in Cleveland has run dry, and Josh McCown is the next man up to receive the cold shoulder from the city.

Although the Browns have begun another season unsatisfactorily, McCown has proved he is suitable for the job. Through three games McCown has thrown for 746 yards and 4 touchdowns compared to only one interception. His quarterback rating and completion percentage also trump Manziel’s. In addition, the veteran quarterback is more adjusted to the pace and play style of the NFL.

At times, it seems as if Manziel is still playing his college game. Although his razzle-dazzle style of play worked at the college level, often times it does not fly in the NFL.

An example of this include Manziel’s tendency to make plays happen with his legs by running or scrambling in the pocket. Many young quarterbacks are prone to this issue due to the fact that their ill-advised techniques proved feasible against less talented defenses in college. When these athletes reach the professional game, more times than not, it is the wise decision to take the conservative route and complete a pass for short yardage rather going for the home run ball.

Moreover, Manziel’s greatest drawback on the field has been his failure to establish himself as a strong pocket presence. Inexperienced quarterbacks are subject to poor decisions outside of the pocket. Many will force throws to covered receivers or will hold on to the ball for too long; this results in interceptions and sacks galore for opposing defenses.

In those scenarios with all of his targets unopen, a smart quarterback would typically cut his losses and throw the ball away to move on to the next down. Manziel is guilty of immature actions such as these, as this was a common occurrence in his awful start against the Bengals in 2014.

Of course, Manziel has immense potential, but in my opinion he is still too raw. Considering McCown’s experience of 11 seasons in the NFL, Manziel has a bright opportunity to learn from a veteran and to improve upon his current weaknesses. If Manziel is able to match his supreme athleticism with an “NFL brain”, the  Browns may have a fantastic quarterback on their hands in the future.

Numerous elite quarterbacks in today’s game spent years behind their superior veterans. Some of these examples include Green Bay Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers and Dallas Cowboys’ QB Tony Romo who each spent three seasons in their careers serving as backups.

Consequently, this time spent as a backup could be beneficial for Johnny Manziel and the Browns in the long run.

As for right now, I firmly believe Josh McCown gives the Browns the greatest chance to win week to week. Be as it may, that chance to win on a weekly bases remains slim.

In reality, matters in Cleveland remain grim. It appears that regardless of whoever is starting behind center, the Browns will remain a substandard team. That reality can be credited to the front office as they continually fail at assembling a complete team. This is the miserable nature of the Cleveland Browns franchise.

Furthermore, the fans must alter their natural ways of dismissing their current leader in favor of an unproven one. Otherwise, there will be no hope for future success in Cleveland, and the same losing cycle will continue to play itself out.

Other Facts to Consider (All Figures since 1999)