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Mike Pettine

Mike Pettine, Browns Haven’t Discussed Coach’s Job Security

December 6th, 2015 at 8:34pm CST by Ben Levine

It was exactly 13 months ago when the Browns topped the Bengals to gain sole possession of the AFC North. Since then, the team has gone 3-16, including losses in 15 of their past 17 games. Predictably, some pundits have questioned Mike Pettine‘s job security.

The head coach added some fuel to the fire following Sunday’s loss to the Bengals, telling Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that he hasn’t received any assurances from owner Jimmy Haslam regarding his job status for the rest of the season.

“We haven’t had those discussions,” Pettine said. “Jimmy and I had good conversations. We talk every week. Frankly, there’s a lot of football left to be played. We’re evaluated every day, whether we’re evaluating ourselves or whether it is coming from him.

“We’re just going to fall back on what we know how to do. We’re going to come in every day, prepare relentlessly like we do, we’re going to coach our players hard and we will see what happens.”

As Cabot points out, Haslam previously said that he wouldn’t “blow things up” following this season. However, those statements followed a promising 7-9 campaign, and things haven’t gone so well for the organization since. Embattled quarterback Johnny Manziel has had a tumultuous sophomore campaign, and the Browns have gotten little production from their recent first-round picks.

The writer believes Haslam will let Pettine stick around for the rest of the season, although there’s no guarantee beyond that. The owner has already fired a pair of coaches in Pat Shurmur and Rob Chudzinski.

Browns Rumors: Pettine, QB, Haden, Hawkins

December 3rd, 2015 at 7:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns played a little better than many observers expected during Mike Pettine‘s first season as the head coach in 2014, but the team finished that season on a five-game losing streak, and have gone 2-9 so far in 2015. Taking those struggles into account, Pettine acknowledges that he and owner Jimmy Haslam figure to have a talk about his performance sooner or later, and he hopes he’ll have some positive signs to point to when that discussion happens.

“As the season winds down, [my future] could potentially come up between [Haslam and me],” Pettine said today, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m full speed ahead to getting it fixed here in Cleveland, and I know the results aren’t anywhere near where they need to be. But that doesn’t mean that we’re not making strides, we’re not getting it set up that it can be done. So, to me, it’s a belief that we can. We got five games left and we’re going to go out and wear the Cleveland logo proud and try to win football games.”

As Pettine attempts to right the ship in Cleveland, let’s check in on a few more Browns-related notes…

  • Discussing the decision to start Austin Davis in Week 13, making him the Browns’ third starting quarterback in three weeks, Pettine suggested that just because Davis is atop the depth chart now, that doesn’t mean he’ll finish the year there (link via Ulrich). “I don’t want to declare, ‘Hey, this is what it is going to be from here on out,'” Pettine said. “[Davis and Johnny Manziel] are two young quarterbacks that have upside, and we want to see what that upside is. Austin is the guy for this week.”
  • According to Pettine, the Browns may have some discussions about the possibility of placing cornerback Joe Haden and/or wide receiver Andrew Hawkins on injured reserve (Twitter link via Tom Withers of The Associated Press). Both Haden and Hawkins have concussions, but the team hasn’t decided yet to shut down either player for the year.
  • New Browns wideout Terrelle Pryor said today that he was in the middle of a visit with the Bears this week when Cleveland called him, per Ulrich (Twitter link). Pryor was interested in a return to Cleveland since he knows the offense and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.
  • The three-week practice period for Browns tight end Randall Telfer expired this week without a roster move, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. Telfer has been on the non-football injury list all season, and having missed his window to be activated, he’ll officially be out for the rest of his rookie year.

Extra Points: Martin, Manziel, Kelly, Coaches

November 26th, 2015 at 5:51pm CST by Zachary Links

As we progress into Thanksgiving night, here’s some news from around the league, beginning in Tampa Bay.

  • Buccaneers running back Doug Martin is set to hit the open market after this season, but it sounds like he wants to stay put. “I love Tampa. I built a house here,” Martin said, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter). When asked if Tampa is his No. 1 priority, the tailback responded in the affirmative. On Tuesday, coach Lovie Smith called the fourth-year back a “priority” for the team in the offseason.
  • Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears that the decision by Browns coach Mike Pettine to bench Johnny Manziel is part of an overall power struggle between Pettine and GM Ray Farmer. Farmer and others within the organization would like to see Manziel continue on as the starter in 2015, but Pettine doesn’t believe that Manziel has made any strides towards getting his act together. Cole speculates that Pettine could move to trade or cut Manziel in the offseason and that could lead to a showdown between the coach and GM.
  • Black coaches around the league are concerned with the lack of black offensive coordinators or quarterback coaches, Cole hears (video link). There are only three black OCs — Hue Jackson (Bengals), Edgar Bennett (Packers) and Harold Goodwin (Cardinals) — and only Jackson calls plays for his team. Cole goes on to mention how there are no black quarterback coaches and how the coaches that spoke to him are observing a key avenue for potential promotions being largely cut off for black coaches.
  • Months after a Chip Kelly–Marcus Mariota reunion didn’t end up transpiring in the draft, the embattled Eagles coach could end up instructing him again, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Should Kelly be interested in coaching the Titans, whose placement of Mike Mularkey as head coach Florio views as a temporary status considering his past, the teams could work out a trade if Jeffrey Lurie is willing to part with Kelly after what’s looking like a disappointing season concludes. A trade or Kelly forcing his way out of Philadelphia could be in play, Florio offers.

    Sam Robinson contributed to this report 

AFC Notes: Manning, Osweiler, Manziel

November 15th, 2015 at 7:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest on some AFC quarterbacks:

  • Peyton Manning‘s dreadful 2015 season reached a new low Sunday when he completed just 5 of 20 passes for 35 yards and four interceptions in the Broncos’ 29-13 loss to the Chiefs. Head coach Gary Kubiak removed Manning from the game in the second half in favor of backup Brock Osweiler, but Kubiak took the blame for Manning’s poor showing afterward. Kubiak said that he “made a bad decision” in playing Manning, who entered the game with a rib injury (Twitter link via Troy Renck of The Denver Post). Kubiak added, “Peyton is our quarterback,” per Renck (via Twitter).
  • Osweiler was better than Manning on Sunday, completing 14 of 24 passes for 146 yards, a touchdown and an interception. But he doesn’t expect to parlay that into increased playing time. After the game, the fourth-year man echoed Kubiak and threw his support behind Manning. “Peyton is our QB,” he said, according to Renck (Twitter link). “We all support him 100 percent. I don’t expect to start.”
  • Browns head coach Mike Pettine will have a hard time taking the starting job away from Johnny Manziel and giving it back to Josh McCown after Manziel’s Sunday showing, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. Though the Browns dropped a 30-9 decision to Pittsburgh, Manziel was impressive in completing 33 of 45 passes for 372 yards. In Manziel’s previous start, a 31-10 loss to the Bengals in Week 9, the second-year man hit on 15 of 33 throws for 168 yards. From at least a statistical standpoint, then, Manziel significantly improved this week. Pettine acknowledged as much, saying (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com), “He took a big step forward.”

AFC Notes: Hunter, Manziel, Pettine, Luck

November 15th, 2015 at 4:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Congratulations are in order for Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who, with a four-yard pass to running back Ronnie Hillman, leaped Brett Favre and took hold of the NFL’s passing yardage record with 71,840 yards (and counting). It’s been a trying season at times for Manning — in fact, he threw an interception to begin today’s contest — but the future Hall of Famer earned some deserved recognition from the crowd following today’s accomplishment.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC:

  • Titans receiver Justin Hunter had to be carted off the field during today’s game against the Panthers, and head coach Mike Mularkey said the injury is “not good,” per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link), who adds that Hunter has a cast on his right leg and is using crutches (link). Dr. David Chao of SiriusXM tweeted that the injury looks like a leg/ankle fracture, and postulated that Hunter will likely miss the remainder of the season.
  • Due to an injury to Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel started at quarterback for the Browns today, completing 33 of 45 attempts for 372 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 30-9 loss to the Steelers. However, head coach Mike Pettine‘s refusal to commit to Manziel full-time could be Pettine’s undoing, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Per La Canfora, there is “sweeping support” for Manziel throughout the organization, from ownership to the front office to the coaching staff. By continuing to stick with McCown, says La Canfora, Pettine is putting his job at risk. Meanwhile, owner Jimmy Haslam told Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link) that there will not be any coaching changes during Cleveland’s upcoming bye.
  • The NFL is still conducting its investigation into the Colts failure to report Andrew Luck‘s rib ailment on their injury report, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Indianapolis is expected to argue that it wasn’t necessary to include Luck’s rib injury given that it was actually a shoulder problem that kept him out of game action.

AFC Notes: Texans, Richardson, Bowe

September 28th, 2015 at 10:19pm CST by Zachary Links

With Randy Bullock looking shaky, the Texans will audition a number of kickers this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Houston will take a look at Nick Novak, Connor Barth, Kai Forbath, Chris Boswell, and Giorgio Tavecchio as potential replacements, though it’s not a lock that they’ll sign one of those players.

Here’s more from the AFC..

  • The Jets haven’t heard from the league about more possible discipline for Sheldon Richardson and as of right now, coach Todd Bowles is operating under the assumption that he’ll be back on Monday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Despite the fact that he has yet to make his mark in Cleveland, Browns coach Mike Pettine says the team has not discussed cutting wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets.  Bowe had a $9MM guarantee on his deal and the team expects him to play this season.
  • Jets guard Willie Colon suffered a sprained knee on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.  Colon will likely be out this week and may miss more time beyond that.
  • Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth told reporterss, including Coley Harvey of ESPN.com, that length wasn’t the most important factor for him when it came to his extension. Whitworth only wanted to be in Cincinnati again and the length of the deal was apparently secondary.  He admitted that his family and other factors could influence decisions on future deals.  “I want Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, Adam Jones and all these guys to know what it’s like to win a Super Bowl,” Whitworth said (link).

Extra Points: Goodell, Raiders, Mariota, Vaccaro

September 19th, 2015 at 3:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Roger Goodell‘s said he’s open to changing his role in the disciplinary process, the status quo won’t change for a while. Steelers owner Art Rooney II said any changes will be negotiated in the next collective bargaining agreement, which is up for renewal in 2021, and owners are in no rush to pursue what would be a complex fix, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

“Look, I think more than likely we’re not talking months here. We’re most likely talking years,” Rooney told Pelissero. “I think there’s probably still a fair amount of time before both sides are willing to really roll up their sleeves and get something done.”

The NFLPA, however, responded to Rooney’s assertions of both sides having “informal discussions” on amending the personal conduct policy by saying the league has been unwilling to comply with the association’s requests to collectively bargain on the issue that’s become one of the key components of the modern NFL.

Should the two sides somehow agree to an extension on the CBA with new language on player discipline, that extension would be for a couple of years, Rooney told USA Today.

Here are some additional items affecting the league in Week 2.

  • Following his stadium proposal that was widely panned, developer Floyd Kephart won’t be taking part in future proposals involving a new Raiders stadium in Oakland, according to the Bay Area News Group. Kephart’s exclusive negotiating agreement was not renewed by the city of Oakland, and CSNBayArea.com notes this should facilitate more direct dialogue between Oakland and the Raiders, who dismissed the financial basis for Kephart’s Coliseum City project.
  • Aldon Smith should see work in the Raiders’ base packages soon after playing only on passing downs in Week 1, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Smith played mostly at right defensive end in his 29 snaps last week, and Bair expects that to increase against the Ravens. With Jack Del Rio-led defenses reluctant to blitz, the onus will be on Smith and Khalil Mack to lead a four-man pressure package.
  • With the Browns set to host the Titans on Sunday, Mike Pettine admits a personal interest in Marcus Mariota‘s career, according to the Northeast Ohio Media Group’s Tom Reed. The second-year Cleveland coach believes many around the league are secretly rooting against Mariota and his former coach at Oregon, Chip Kelly, to fail and preserve the superiority of pro-style systems. “(Mariota) is the kind of guy you root for from a personal standpoint,” Pettine said. “But I think the football purists who want it to be a true pro-style game are not going to cheer for a guy like him because that would only encourage teams to blow this up and bring in college coordinators.”
  • The Saints want to expand Kenny Vaccaro‘s role to include covering slot receivers, Nick Underhill of TheAdvocate.com writes. Vaccaro played 156 downs in slot coverage in 2013 and 108 last season, per Underhill, and was utilized as an in-the-box player when New Orleans opted for single-high safety looks.”

AFC Notes: Ravens, Manning, McCown, Colts

September 18th, 2015 at 7:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Let’s look at some of the news coming from AFC teams’ camps as teams begin final preparations for Week 2.

  • Eugene Monroe will miss the Ravens‘ second game after sustaining a concussion in their first, Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports. James Hurst will likely start at left tackle. Hurst helped DeMarcus Ware receive a J.J. Watt-esque +10.6 grade from Pro Football Focus in the Ravens’ Week 1 loss to the Broncos. Breshad Perriman will also miss Week 2.
  • John Harbaugh deemed recently signed pass-rusher Jason Babin fit to suit up for the Ravens on Sunday, with the team likely using him in pass-pursuit situations behind Elvis Dumervil and Courtney Upshaw, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports.
  • Josh McCown did not believe he sustained a concussion on his end zone dive against the Jets and drove himself home from the Browns‘ facility after the game, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. Cleveland’s primary starter expected to be cleared for this week but will comply with the concussion protocol, Cabot notes. Mike Pettine seemed to acknowledge McCown endured a setback this week, according to Cabot, noting that such an occurrence resets the recovery clock in the concussion protocol.
  • Gary Kubiak‘s offense continues to be a dud with the Broncos thus far, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reports, with Peyton Manning‘s hot stretch coinciding with the 18-year veteran taking 31-of-37 snaps out of the shotgun following his second-quarter pick-six compared to being under center for seven of the 13 plays prior to Marcus Peters‘ interception, per Football Outsiders. “We’re trying to help him by running the football better and do some things,” Kubiak told media. “But we also know what he’s very comfortable doing, so we’re trying to somehow find a medium between the two and we think that will be good for our team.”
  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com examines whether a potential Colts dynasty has been squandered due to the failure to form a quality roster around Andrew Luck. Corry’s chart of contenders’ quality players lists the Colts with having nine, a number well below their top-tier brethren; the Broncos have 17, the Patriots 15, the Packers 14 and the Seahawks 13 in this analysis.
  • Jonathan Cyprien (calf) is doubtful for the Jaguars‘ AFC Florida supremacy battle, while Luke Joeckel (ankle) is questionable, according to an Associated Press report.

AFC Notes: Von, Texans, Browns, Pats

September 11th, 2015 at 7:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Broncos linebacker Von Miller is a rarity – a star from the 2011 draft class who hasn’t yet signed a mega-extension, writes Mike Klis of 9News.

Miller, who went second overall, has piled up 49 sacks in 56 regular-season games, three Pro Bowl bids and a pair of All-Pro selections. While he’s had to watch as fellow draft class members Cam Newton, Marcell Dareus, A.J. Green and J.J. Watt have signed huge deals, Miller isn’t concerned.

“I’d like to think that the way I handle stuff, I handle stuff a whole lot different than a normal guy would. I’m good,” he said.

The Broncos are currently maxed out on their 2015 payroll and won’t be able to extend Miller until next offseason, according to Klis, so Miller will have to wait a little longer for his colossal payday. In the meantime, Miller’s in a contract year and will look to build on last season’s 14-sack output.

Here’s more from the AFC:

  • The Texans won’t be particularly adventurous with their two-point conversion usage this year, head coach Bill O’Brien told Jeff Adams of the Houston Chronicle. “As far as going for two, we probably don’t think much about it much until the fourth quarter unless it’s something that an oddity comes up during the game and we feel like we have to do that.”
  • Browns head coach Mike Pettine is confident that recently released Terrelle Pryor will turn into a quality NFL receiver, but the timing wasn’t right in Cleveland. “The fact is that [Pryor] wasn’t [healthy] and that he was not prepared at this point to be a viable productive member,” Pettine said, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m not saying that he never will be. I’m very confident that he will be knowing his work ethic. Knowing his skill set, he will be. Like I said, it’s timing and it’s circumstances.”
  • The Patriots worked out a linebacker, Darius Eubanks, and two defensive backs, Tay Glover-Wright and Joel Ross, on Friday (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com).

AFC Links: Mettenberger, Manziel, Cyprien, Broncos

August 15th, 2015 at 12:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

After an impressive showing Friday night behind already-anointed starter Marcus Mariota, Zach Mettenberger should be a Bills or Jets trade target, offers Louis Riddick of ESPN.com.

But the value the Titans would extract in such an exchange wouldn’t equal what they’ll receive with the second-year quarterback serving as key depth behind the No. 2 overall pick, writes Riddick’s ESPN cohort, Paul Kuharsky.

The ESPN Titans reporter notes Mettenberger’s value will go up in time and trading him for what could amount to merely a conditional draft pick now won’t outweigh having a potentially talented backup in case Mariota struggles or experiences health concerns.

Let’s look at some more news from around the AFC.

  • Joining Julius Thomas as an injury-induced preseason spectator will be Jaguars starting safety Jonathan Cyprien, who will miss August with a broken finger in his right hand sustained Friday night, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). The 2013 second-rounder’s Week 1 status is uncertain, but Cyprien did play through the injury Friday night and won’t require surgery. Jags coach Gus Bradley is optimistic both will be available, however, per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Mike Pettine admitted in an interview with Sports Illustrated he fired quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains due to Johnny Manziel not being held accountable for a disastrous rookie season, notes Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “What we did not do a good enough job here [last year], not nearly a good enough job, is holding [Manziel] accountable, even when he wasn’t the guy,” Pettine told Sports Illustrated. “That’s the main reason why I made the switch at the QB coach position.” The Browns now have 30-year-old Kevin O’Connell in charge of Manziel’s development.
  • The Browns’ coach has been publicly challenging players all week, noting his disagreement with Justin Gilbert‘s “flawless” assessment of his play Thursday night, per Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald.
  • The Broncos‘ hopes at attaining a third Super Bowl title hinge on their defense making good on expectations, unlike last year, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. They bring back most of the starting unit, with Terrance Knighton‘s nose tackle spot being the most noticeable void.
  • Dan Herron shouldn’t expect to serve in any type of committee with Frank Gore this season, and the fourth-year runner may not have a claim to the third-down back role he occupied at the end of last season, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. Herron did catch 21 passes last season despite starting just three games, while Gore snagged 11 throughout the season.
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