Saturday, Aug. 15 (PM) — Pettine Declares McCown the Starter… But Did He Need To?

On a football team, the head coach is much like the president of a country — when he speaks, people listen. Even the simplest statement can carry weight. And when that statement involves the quarterback, it echoes even louder.

Quarterback, after all, is the most important position in all of team sports. If you have a good one, you have a chance to win. If you don’t, you probably won’t.

So, it wasn’t surprising that Browns head coach Mike Pettine’s comments on Saturday — following the team’s final public training camp session in Berea — grabbed attention. When asked about his quarterback situation, Pettine reaffirmed that veteran Josh McCown is “firmly” the team’s No. 1 quarterback.

“I haven’t wavered from that,” Pettine said.

That’s fine. Coaches make those kinds of declarations all the time. And on a team like the Browns, where quarterback controversy is a near-annual tradition, maybe some fans needed to hear it.

But… was it really necessary?

Was there anyone, inside or outside of Berea, who didn’t already know McCown would be the starter when the Browns open the season against the Jets in New York? That outcome was locked in the day he signed as a free agent — especially after GM Ray Farmer and Pettine pulled out all the stops to beat the Bills in a mild bidding war for his services.

To put it in perspective, Pettine’s statement was about as surprising as saying the sun will rise in the east, that Northeast Ohio is hot and sticky in August, that Ohio State will have a strong football team, or that LeBron James is good at basketball.

In other words: no kidding.

Yes, Johnny Manziel has shown improvement in camp. He’s looked more composed, more mature, and more comfortable in the offense. But this is McCown’s job — and it has been since the moment the ink dried on his contract. Unless he gets hurt, retires, or leaves to become a botanist in a remote village, he will be under center on Week 1. You can take that to the bank — and you could have months ago.

Still, Pettine’s comment may serve a strategic purpose. It’s possible he’s trying to give McCown confidence while publicly quieting any brewing quarterback debate. But let’s not pretend there ever was one — not in the immediate term, at least.

In truth, if Pettine was going to use his podium to deliver bold commentary, there were far more pressing issues worth addressing:

• Why can’t the Browns stop the run — again?

• How much longer will cornerback Justin Gilbert, the underwhelming No. 8 pick from 2014, get a chance before being relegated to the bench?

• And hey, what did Pettine think of the team’s flashy new uniforms that debuted Thursday night?

Now that’s the kind of insight that would’ve sparked some genuine interest.

So, while it’s nice to hear that McCown remains the starter, we didn’t need a press conference to tell us that. What we need are answers to the questions that could determine whether this team finally turns a corner — or finds itself, once again, right where it always is: searching for answers in September.

Steve King

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