Mike Pettine says Johnny Manziel's latest misstep 'upsetting' for all
— -- BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine understands the interest and public outcry about Johnny Manziel's incident with his girlfriend a week ago, but he believes the organization can discipline Manziel privately and effectively.
"If you think that we're just turning a cheek to this and ignoring it, then you'd be dead wrong," Pettine said at a Monday news conference dominated by questions about Manziel.
Pettine spoke for the team as the Browns followed their typical Monday procedure. Owner Jimmy Haslam and general manager Ray Farmer did not meet with the media.
On Oct.12, a police report quoted an eyewitness saying Manziel's car drove at high speed on the berm on an interstate west of Cleveland before cutting across several lanes of the highway to exit. Manziel and his girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, both posted on social media that the couple had an argument that got out of hand.
"I get it," Pettine said. "It's an unfortunate thing. There's a lot of things going on. And you're dealing with somebody's personal life and confidentiality and some things that have come out that are disturbing.
"I get it. I get the outcry, and I know that everything with him is magnified times 1,000. He's made a lot of strides. This is a process with him. It's upsetting. It's upsetting for all of us. I don't know how much more I can say on it."
He angrily denied that the team is not holding Manziel or any Browns player accountable.
"I just don't like where we're headed with, just because there was no instant public punishment, that all of a sudden there's no accountability in the locker room," he said.
Pettine suggested that the NFL is investigating the incident. Manziel spent 10 weeks in a treatment facility between January and April and presumably is in the league's substance abuse program.
"The league gets involved when there [are] cases like this," Pettine said. "I don't know what their timetable is. I don't know the specifics. As with anything that comes up, there is a reporting process you go through, but I'm not privy to what their details are, as far as timetable."
"We are aware of the incident but have no further comment," the NFL said Friday. A league spokesman said there would be no further comment. However, the league typically investigates potential violations of its personal conduct policy.
Pettine said Manziel was kept active for Sunday's loss to Denver based on all the information the team had leading up to the game.
Pettine declined to compare Manziel's situation to that of former offensive line coach Andy Moeller, who was suspended immediately after a domestic incident with his fiancée. Charges were not filed in either situation. Moeller never returned to coach, and he and the team have parted ways.
"I'm not going to go into the details of comparing the individual incidents," Pettine said. "It's a personal thing. We've dealt with it. It's not like we ignored it. We've dealt with it, but like I said, I just don't think this is the forum to discuss it."
Pettine said Manziel has "made huge strides" with the team this season and that when in the building he has "been A-plus."
"Certainly, we're not saying that he has it all figured out," Pettine said. "It's a process, and we're supporting him through it."
Avon, Ohio, police released audio from the 911 calls and the DashCam video. A caller on the highway said Manziel "flew past us" on the shoulder of the highway and crossed several lanes to exit. The DashCam showed Manziel was cooperative with police.
Linebacker Karlos Dansby said Manziel is "a prisoner of his own success."
"Can't turn your back on him," Dansby said. "We're not going to turn our back on him. We're going to support him."
Quarterback Josh McCown declined to comment and said his conversations with Manziel will remain private.
"It doesn't matter what I think, as far as publicly," McCown said. "If the idea is, as you said, to mentor Johnny and do all those things, then that's between Johnny and I."
