Manziel’s first and only job is to beat the Titans

This really isn’t that hard.

Actually, it’s very simple.

When Johnny Manziel starts at quarterback for the Browns on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans in the home opener – and for however long he holds onto the job – he will be judged on just one thing.

That is, can he guide the Browns to victories?

That’s exactly the measuring stick for all quarterbacks on all football teams, from the youth leagues to the NFL.

It’s great – and somewhat necessary – if the quarterback also plays well statistically, especially in this day and age when offense, scoring and thus quarterback play are all so important. But it doesn’t have to happen.

At the end of the day, a quarterback’s No. 1 job – his only job — is to get wins. That’s it. If he does nothing else other than that, then he’s a smashing success.

And so that’s the challenge before Manziel.

He did not play well last Sunday in the 31-10 loss to the New York Jets. But he shouldn’t be judged too harshly on that. He was forced into action only because of the reckless play of starter Josh McCown, who was knocked out of the game with a concussion on Cleveland’s first drive and did not complete the concussion protocol this week to be cleared to play against the Titans.

But Manziel was not ready to play. He had not practiced for all week and was – and still is – hampered with a sore throwing elbow.

Now he has no excuse. He has had plenty of practice time and mental preparation time. And with McCown not able to play, there will be, in essence, no one looking over his shoulder. It is his job for the day – all day. Period.

The Browns are hoping – praying – that Manziel is better than in his first start last year, when he looked lost in a 30-0 blowout loss.

But that was a Manziel who was secretly battling demons. He has worked hard in the offseason to fight off those demons and to come back and show that he can not just make it in the NFL, but also to be the franchise quarterback the Browns want – and so desperately need – him to be.

What the Browns also need are, of course, victories.

Indeed, all this losing has to stop. And it will stop only after the Browns find their franchise quarterback.

Winning – and great quarterback play – are indelibly linked. You can’t have one without the other.

But great quarterback isn’t gauged by throwing for 350 yards and four touchdowns. It is determined solely by winning.

That’s why Peyton Manning, with all his great numbers, isn’t viewed as being as good of a quarterback as Tom Brady, who has four Super Bowl rings, or three more than Manning.

It’s also why Otto Graham is remembered as such a great quarterback. He led the Browns to 10 league championship games, with seven titles, in his 10 seasons from 1946-55. He was the ultimate winner. Anything less than a title meant that the season had been a failure. There were only three failures.

Brian Sipe wasn’t a great quarterback until he began winning. Neither were Bernie Kosar, Frank Ryan or Bill Nelsen. If you don’t believe it, you can look it up.

Thus, if the Browns beat the Titans 3-2, 50-49 or 100-99 – or anything in between – then Manziel will have been great.

McCown sure isn’t the answer. At his age, he isn’t going to get any better, only worse. Perhaps Manziel will be the answer. We’ll see.

With each win – and loss – we’ll know more of that answer.

Manziel was a big winner at college. He just needs to do the same in the NFL.

Obviously, it’s harder to do it in the pros, but it’s not impossible. Countless quarterbacks – of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and throwing styles — have done it over the years.

It’s been fruitless for all of the expansion era, but this search – for wins and a winning quarterback – has to flip sometime for the Browns, doesn’t it?

Now would be the perfect time for it to happen.

And Manziel, who has been through so much in the last year – albeit all of his own making, but still a whole lot, much more than any young man should have to endure – would be the perfect guy for it to happen to.

If you’re a Browns fan, then that’s what you’re rooting for, and Manziel is who you’re rooting for.

It’s that simple.

Really.