This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Berea, Ohio • Dropped from starter to third-stringer — without playing a game.

Johnny Manziel partied his way out of the lineup during Cleveland's bye week.

Browns coach Mike Pettine benched the polarizing quarterback on Tuesday for his off-field behavior, a move that could signal Manziel's days with the team are numbered.

Pettine said Josh McCown will start Monday night's game against Baltimore in place of Manziel, who was recently handed the starting job but couldn't keep it while the team had a week off.

Manziel's benching comes in the wake of a video surfacing of him holding a bottle of champagne and rapping profane lyrics last weekend in an Austin, Texas, nightclub. He had promised not to bring any embarrassment to the team during its week off, and did just that and Pettine, who has been supportive of Manziel in the past, has had enough.

"Everyone in this organization wants what is best for Johnny just like we do for every player in our locker room. I'm especially disappointed in his actions and behavior because he has been working very hard," Pettine said.

"The improvements from last year to this year have been tremendous, but he still has to consistently demonstrate that he has gained a good understanding of what it takes to be successful at the quarterback position on this level," he said. "It goes well beyond the field."

Manziel will not only move back behind McCown, but he'll also be below Austin Davis on the depth chart.

Pettine met with Manziel following practice Tuesday and informed him of his choice to bench him for the foreseeable future. Pettine, whose job could be in jeopardy if the Browns (2-8) don't demonstrate some progress the rest of this season, said owner Jimmy Haslam and general manager Ray Farmer support his decision.

The 22-year-old Manziel has developed on the field during his second NFL season. However, despite saying he had learned from his past mistakes, Manziel, who spent 70 days during the offseason in a rehab facility specializing in alcohol and drug treatment, has not shown the maturity the Browns are looking for from their quarterback.

Before Tuesday's practice, Pettine expressed both disappointment and frustration with Manziel, who passed for a career-high 372 yards in a recent loss to Pittsburgh. As he got ready to turn his players loose last week, Pettine spoke to Manziel about being responsible and was given assurances by the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner that he would behave.

Manziel didn't make his plans known, but pledged that he would not become a distraction.

"I don't think they're going to have to worry about me this week," he told reporters.

But it was hardly shocking when the video and photos appeared of Manziel, who entered the league with a reputation for enjoying his free time.

This time, though, the Browns weren't so willing to excuse Manziel's conduct.

Pettine said much of his displeasure in Manziel stemmed in him not seeming to understand that his behavior was a reflection on the team.

"You have a vision of what you want the team to look like, how you want them to handle themselves when they're out of the building," he said. "It's not just pure football here, it's truly player development on and off the field." —

NFL standings

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

East W L T Pct PF PA

New England 10 0 0 1.000 323 182

Buffalo 5 5 0 .500 244 227

N.Y. Jets 5 5 0 .500 234 208

Miami 4 6 0 .400 205 249

South W L T Pct PF PA

Indianapolis 5 5 0 .500 224 248

Houston 5 5 0 .500 208 228

Jacksonville 4 6 0 .400 211 268

Tennessee 2 8 0 .200 182 233

North W L T Pct PF PA

Cincinnati 8 2 0 .800 266 186

Pittsburgh 6 4 0 .600 236 191

Baltimore 3 7 0 .300 226 249

Cleveland 2 8 0 .200 186 277

West W L T Pct PF PA

Denver 8 2 0 .800 222 183

Kansas City 5 5 0 .500 257 198

Oakland 4 6 0 .400 240 259

San Diego 2 8 0 .200 213 282

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

East W L T Pct PF PA

N.Y. Giants 5 5 0 .500 273 253

Washington 4 6 0 .400 221 253

Philadelphia 4 6 0 .400 229 229

Dallas 3 7 0 .300 190 228

South W L T Pct PF PA

Carolina 10 0 0 1.000 299 191

Atlanta 6 4 0 .600 250 214

Tampa Bay 5 5 0 .500 236 254

New Orleans 4 6 0 .400 255 315

North W L T Pct PF PA

Green Bay 7 3 0 .700 249 198

Minnesota 7 3 0 .700 211 184

Chicago 4 6 0 .400 214 251

Detroit 3 7 0 .300 185 274

West W L T Pct PF PA

Arizona 8 2 0 .800 336 216

Seattle 5 5 0 .500 228 192

St. Louis 4 6 0 .400 179 199

San Francisco 3 7 0 .300 139 252

Monday

New England 20, Buffalo 13

Thursday

Philadelphia at Detroit, 10:30 a.m.

Carolina at Dallas, 2:30 p.m.

Chicago at Green Bay, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday

New Orleans at Houston, 11 a.m.

Buffalo at Kansas City, 11 a.m.

Oakland at Tennessee, 11 a.m.

St. Louis at Cincinnati, 11 a.m.

Minnesota at Atlanta, 11 a.m.

N.Y. Giants at Washington, 11 a.m.

Tampa Bay at Indianapolis, 11 a.m.

San Diego at Jacksonville, 11 a.m.

Miami at N.Y. Jets, 11 a.m.

Arizona at San Francisco, 2:05 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Seattle, 2:25 p.m.

New England at Denver, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 30

Baltimore at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m.