After Brian Hoyer capped the largest road comeback in NFL history and the biggest comeback in franchise history, Mike Pettine was able to breathe a little easier knowing that the inevitable cries for Johnny Manziel were at least a few more weeks away.
Pettine still had to answer questions about his backup, though, after Manziel was caught on a CBS television camera laughing with a teammate while the Browns were trailing, 28-3, in the second quarter.
In what looks to be a smart move by the young head coach, Pettine made it a non-issue (because it is a non-issue).
"I don't (have a comment) because, again, I don't know what the context of that is," Pettine said at his news conference Monday. "Down 28-3, the way we were playing I think probably you could term it laughable, but I don't know the context of it."
When asked if Manziel needs to realize that the cameras are on him at all times, Pettine again reiterated that he wasn't bothered by the gesture.
"Yeah, that's a lesson to learn, but still I don't consider it a big deal."
With the team riding high, the worst thing Pettine could have done was criticize Manziel and, in turn, flood the locker room with reporters looking for a comment about the most talked-about backup in football.
At the moment, Pettine's team is in a good place, and he wants to keep it that way.
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