Mike Pettine was right for ignoring the cries to stick with Johnny Manziel when Josh McCown was sidelined with a concussion.
McCown, as good of a “bridge” quarterback for the Browns as Ryan Fitzpatrick is for the Jets, established a franchise record with 457 yards passing in Sunday’s overtime victory against the Ravens.
And remember, this is a franchise that has boasted Tim Couch, Charlie Frye, Brad Quinn, Colt McCoy and Brian Hoyer, among others. McCown’s go-to guy is as unlikely a hero as he is: 30-year-old tight end Gary Barnidge, or “Big Play” Barnidge, as they affectionately call him. Barnidge has a career-high 24 catches for 374 yards and three TDs. His previous season high was 13 catches. His 19-yard TD catch against the Ravens has been dubbed “The Thighmaster,” because he secured the ball between his legs while on his back.
“I love being underestimated speed wise because I run weird in some people’s eyes,” he says.
McCown-to-Barnidge isn’t Brady-to-Gronkowski. But don’t tell that to rabid Browns fans.
“I didn’t write me off and there’s obviously some folks in Cleveland that didn’t write me off and I’m thankful my wife and kids didn’t write me off,” McCown said.
Just about everybody else did.
NFL’s 1-4 teams: Buy or sell?
The 1-4 Chiefs lost Jamaal Charles to a torn ACL, and they recently finished celebrating the first touchdown by a receiver (Jeremy Maclin) in more than a year. Knile Davis and Chardarick West replace Charles, and perhaps there would be a smidgen of hope if Andy Reid had the young Donovan McNabb at quarterback. Because Alex Smith won’t be lifting the team on his shoulders anytime soon. Charles was The Straw That Stirred The Drink.
I’ll keep the 1-4 Ravens on life support because of John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco, who won a Super Bowl together. The wild card isn’t a pipe dream mostly because their main competition figures to come from an underwhelming field that includes the Jets, Bills, Steelers and Chargers.
I’ll keep the 1-4 Saints on life support because of Sean Payton and Drew Brees, who won a Super Bowl together. But the plug will be pulled should they lose Thursday night to the Falcons.
You can bury the 1-4 49ers, however. Colin Kaepernick may have looked less lost against the Giants than he had been, but they’re in the wrong division to be 1-4.
He was the ninth back selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. He started this season as the backup to rookie Tevin Coleman. He’s totaled 539 yards with seven touchdowns over the last three games.
His name is Devonta Freeman and he is as much of a reason for the Falcons’ 5-0 start as Dan Quinn and Julio Jones.
Seahawks playcaller Darrell Bevell is in a slump. Tight end Jimmy Graham (three catches, 30 yards) went the final 37:38 against the Bengals without being targeted.
And on the two overtime series, running back Thomas Rawls, who had 169 yards rushing, didn’t touch the ball. The rookie was playing in place of Marshawn Lynch, who’s still wondering why he didn’t get the ball from the 1 at the end of the Super Bowl.