The Johnny Football era has finally arrived in Cleveland.

Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine announced on Tuesday afternoon that second-year quarterback Johnny Manziel would assume starting duties for the remainder of the season, taking over the reins from veteran signal-caller Josh McCown.

After struggling to capitalize on the opportunities that he received as a starter in 2014, prompting the 2-8 Browns to add McCown in free agency, Manziel has turned it around in 2015, completing 60 percent of his passes for 933 yards, five touchdowns and just two interceptions in the three games that he has started.

Filling in for an injured McCown (ribs) in Week 10's 30-9 defeat at the hands of the formidable Pittsburgh Steelers, Manziel performed admirably, converting on 73 percent of his pass attempts for 372 yards, one touchdown, and one pick.

Despite being unable to conclude Cleveland's five-game losing streak, Manziel's showing was enough to convince Pettine of his readiness for the starting job.

Pettine told ESPN.com, "The performance against Pittsburgh validated for us the progress that he's made, the improvement that he's shown and that he deserves this opportunity."

"It's something that we understand where our season is at this point and this is a kid we invested a lot in. This will give us an opportunity to see how far he's come and what he's capable of."

Manziel has come a long way maturity-wise over the past year. Following his porous performance with the Browns last season in which he completed just 51 percent of his pass attempts for just 175 yards, two interceptions and zero touchdowns in five games played, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner recognized the necessity for him to erase his trouble-filled past.

The Texas A&M product spent 70 days in a rehabilitation facility over the summer while abandoning his "Money Manziel" persona in an effort to mature. While a dispute with his girlfriend, concluding with police intervention, caught the eye of the mainmedia a few weeks ago, Manziel has been cleared by the NFL of all potential disciplinary action, allowing him to focus solely on preparing for the Browns Nov. 30 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

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Liam OBrien
Just a Boston man who loves sports. Oh, and writing is kind of a priority.