Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns say they're "disappointed" in Johnny Manziel for hitting the club scene during the team's bye week ... and have demoted him from starter to 3rd string QB.

Browns head coach Mike Pettine issued a statement saying, "Josh McCown will be the starting quarterback on Monday night against the Ravens."

"I’m especially disappointed in his actions and behavior because he has been working very hard. 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."

"Everyone in this organization wants what is best for Johnny just like we do for every player in our locker room. It goes well beyond the field. We are going to continue to support him in every way possible, but at this point, we’ve decided it’s best to go with Josh as the starter going forward.”

As we previously reported, Manziel hit up at least two clubs in Austin, TX on Thursday and Friday -- partying with bottles of champagne.

It was clearly concerning to Browns brass considering Manziel entered treatment earlier this year after a hard partying streak.

More photo evidence from Johnny Manziel's party weekend -- this time, a pic of the Cleveland Browns QB at RIO nightclub in Austin, TX on Thursday night.

Same hat. Same mustache. Same bracelets as he was wearing in the champagne video from the next night.

Sources in the club tell us Johnny was behaving himself -- not doing anything crazy.

We spoke with a staff member at the RIO who confirmed Manziel was at the bar on Thursday night.

Johnny Manziel's party weekend may have cost him his starting job ... with Browns coach Mike Pettine saying he's not ready to commit to Johnny as the #1 guy on Sunday.

Pettine just spoke to the media about the TMZ Sports footage of Manziel partying Friday night at an Austin nightclub with bottles of champagne.

Pettine says the Browns are still investigating the situation -- but admits he's disappointed in Manziel.

"I can't stand here and say it's not disappointing," Pettine said ... noting the whole thing was "frustrating."

Pettine says he'll have more information on the QB situation in Cleveland Wednesday.

Ex-Cleveland Browns star Eric Metcalf says ENOUGH IS ENOUGH when it comes to Johnny Manziel -- and the team should finally drop the QB because he's a magnet for bad publicity.

Metcalf -- who was a stud for the Browns back in the '90s -- says the latest example is Manziel's brush with police last week ... in which his GF claimed the QB hit her a couple of times during a domestic dispute, though Johnny was ultimately NOT arrested.

"I don't think he should be with the Browns, just because of all the things he's gotten into. It's all bad publicity," Metcalf says.

"He's not really helping the football team right now and every time you hear his name it's negative. At this point they should move on. It's tough to say about a player, but at this point, they should move on."

Seems like it was just a matter of time, but the Cleveland Browns have officially cut ties with offensive line coach Andy Moeller ... after an altercation with his fiancee earlier this month.

As we previously reported, Moeller's fiancee called police and claimed he strangled and beat her at his Maryland home on September 5th.

Cops investigated and determined an "incident of a volatile nature" took place ... but DID NOT charge him with a crime because they couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Moeller actually attacked his fiancee.

It's not just the Browns fans who want Johnny Manziel to start at QB -- several Cleveland players are also calling for #2 ... telling TMZ Sports it's "f**ked up" he's still riding the bench.

We spoke with 3 starting players on the Browns offense -- all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity -- who tell us the team wants Manziel under center on Sunday ... not Josh McCown.

One player who admits he's extremely frustrated with the QB situation says, "I love both Johnny and Josh but its f**ked up when you have Johnny come in and play well and has proven to the team that he is the right person for the job."

"It’s frustrating to him and us when you sit a player down when he is playing well. Coach has got to understand you are messing up the chemistry and timing with players and its f**ked up."

Another player tells us, "The team plays better when [Manziel] is in the game. I play better when he plays."

"You can’t get better unless you play. We won when he played and coach has got to trust him like he trusts Josh."

A 3rd player added, "When Johnny in the game it puts the defense on edge. He doesn’t just sit in the pocket, he makes plays. Coach has got to make the change now."

The Cleveland Browns offensive line coach who was accused of beating and strangling his fiancee will NOT be hit with criminal charges ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported, Andy Moeller's fiancee called police on September 5th claiming Moeller snapped during an argument at his home -- and physically attacked her. She claimed he had been drinking.

Enter the Berea City Prosecutor ... who says cops investigated the incident -- but can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Moeller actually attacked his fiancee.

In a statement, the prosecutor says he's convinced an "incident of a volatile nature" took place -- but he doesn't think he has enough to convict Moeller of a crime.

TMZ Sports has obtained the 911 call made by the fiancee of Cleveland Browns offensive line coach Andy Moeller ... in which she claims he strangled and beat her ... and it wasn't the first time it happened.

During the call, the woman is clearly distraught and out of breath -- and in the process of fleeing Andy's house, where she had been staying while visiting from Maryland.

She tells the operator, "[Andy] just tried to strangle and beat me. I'm leaving the premises and I gotta get out of here quickly."

During the call, the woman says the two were engaged -- "Not anymore though."

As for what triggered the incident, the woman claims she was talking to her son on the phone when Moeller told her to "shut up" ... and then got violent.

"I kept telling him to stop and not to hurt me."

As we previously reported, cops responded to the scene -- but didn't see any evidence of an injury. Hours later, the woman told officials she no longer wanted to press charges against Moeller.

The cops who responded to an alleged assault involving Cleveland Browns offensive line coach Andy Moeller say they observed NO INJURIES on the female accuser ... this according to the police report.

TMZ Sports obtained the docs ... which shows the Berea Police Department got a call from a woman on Saturday night claiming she was assaulted by Moeller.

When cops arrived to the home there were "no initial injuries observed." The woman asked cops to take her to a nearby hotel ... and they obliged.

According to reports, the accuser is a female guest of Moeller's who was visiting from Maryland.

Cops say hours later, the accuser contacted them again and insisted she sustained an injury that was not initially visible -- and said she wanted to pursue charges.

But when cops went back to the hotel to follow up, the woman changed her mind and decided she didn't want to move forward with a case.

R.I.P. Johnny Manziel's money celebration ... 'cause the QB says it's officially DEAD TO HIM.

Manziel was speaking to reporters in Cleveland earlier today and said he was officially retiring his trademark move ... saying it's part of a brand new quieter, less trouble-making Manziel.

"Whatever I can do to help quiet the noise that has surrounded this team and surrounded myself, I don’t want that anymore."

And after calling his rookie season a "disaster" ... Johnny added, "The money sign will not be back."

A former NFL lineman has a STERN WARNING for Kyrie Irving ... don't let the doctors pressure you into coming back early ... or you could wind up with an OBLITERATED KNEE!!!!

The man behind the warning is LeCharles Bentley ... a former 2-time Pro Bowler who played for the Cleveland Browns ... who suffered a pretty major knee injury of his own during his playing days.

As for Kyrie -- the Cavs said he'd been suffering from a "bad case of tendonitis" over the past few weeks and wanted him to play last night. Kyrie's father had reportedly been pushing for Irving to take it easy.

Enter Bentley ... who added his perspective on social media after the game:

"So the doc tells Kyrie it's 'just tendonitis' ... Yea, I tore my patella from having 'just tendonitis'. I tried to 'tough it out'... ."

He then posted a picture of what his knee looks like now -- and said, "Oh, 'it just tendonitis'... I'm out, about to go 'tough out' this leg workout. Could be worse! #Blessed."

Bottom line -- Bentley says, "Athletes better listen to their bodies, not Twitter & Docs."

Johnny Manziel says he learned a "tremendous" amount about himself during his stint in rehab -- and says he's ready to prove he's a changed man.

The Cleveland Browns QB just issued a statement ... in which he apologizes for letting down the Browns organization and his fans.

He also says he takes "full responsibility" for his actions -- and though he doesn't get into specifics, he's clearly referring to his highly publicized alcohol fueled benders last season.

He concludes by saying he wants to focus on football -- and wants to be "the best possible player, teammate, and man that [he] can be."

Here's the statement in full ...

"I would like to thank my family, friends, the Browns organization, my teammates, and Browns fans everywhere, for your patience, understanding, and support during my stay at Caron.

The doctors and staff have been amazing and what I’ve learned in the last couple of months has been tremendous. I owe private apologies to a lot of people that I disappointed but a very public one to the Browns organization and the fans that I let down.

I take full responsibility for my actions and it’s my intention to work very hard to regain everyone’s trust and respect. I understand that will take time and will only happen through what I do and not what I say.

I also understand there’s a lot of curiosity about this but anyone who has a friend or family-member that’s been through things like this knows it’s an ongoing process. I’m going to continue to ask folks to try to respect my privacy as I determine to what degree I am comfortable talking about a subject which I consider very personal.

Johnny Manziel took a break from his intensive rehab to hit the links with his family.

Johnny, his dad and sister played the front 9 Saturday at East Ridge Country Club in Shreveport, Louisiana.

People who interacted with the Cleveland Browns QB say he was in good spirits and extremely friendly. Johnny took a pic with Brian Hall, one of the golf pros.

We don't know what he scored but he's a good golfer and has played the course before.

Johnny Manziel has become a cautionary tale ... at least according to rap legend Method Man ... who says he hopes Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota won't make the same mistake JM did.

The Wu-Tang Clan co-founder is a huge football fan -- especially when it comes to the Jets -- so we had to ask how he felt about all the crazy moves in the NFL this week.

Johnny Manziel is getting some major support from the greatest Brown of them all ... Jim Brown ... who tells TMZ Sports he's proud of the QB for extending his stay in a treatment program.

The Cleveland Browns legend was leaving Craig's in West Hollywood last night when he told us, "I think [Manziel] made a great move to go into therapy ... I'm very happy for him."

FYI -- the Browns recently announced that Manziel has decided to stay in his treatment program beyond the usual 28-day minimum.

Johnny Manziel has checked into a treatment center ... this according to multiple members of Manziel's camp.

A rep for the Cleveland Browns issued a statement saying, "Brad Beckworth, friend and advisor to Manziel and his family, has confirmed that Johnny entered treatment on Wednesday."

"Johnny knows there are areas in which he needs to improve in order to be a better family member, friend and teammate and he thought the off-season was the right time to take this step."

"On behalf of Johnny and his family, we’re asking for..privacy until he rejoins the team in Cleveland."

The Browns did not say exactly why Manziel is being treated -- but it seems pretty obvious ... considering his penchant for partying.

Earlier this season, ESPN's Skip Bayless said he'd spoken with several people close to the Browns QB and was convinced Johnny is an alcoholic.

Johnny responded to the criticism by hitting the bar scene -- and after the season, was seen chugging champagne at a hotel pool.