NFL Notes: Browns, Redskins, Saints, & Steelers

Browns

Head coach Mike Pettine told Albert Breer of NFL Media last night that rookie QB Johnny Manziel has been “ready to play all year.”

“He’s been ready to play all year,” Pettine said. “He’s prepared like a starter all year, and he certainly showed today he was ready when he came in.”

Pettine did, however, stress that a decision regarding the team’s starting quarterback will be a “pure football” decision.

“It’s all things football,” Pettine said. “You look at the matchup (the Browns host the Colts next Sunday), you look where we are, what we’re playing with, who the opponent is. You look at confidence — confidence the player has in himself, and confidence the other guys on the team would have. We’ll hit the reset button. Where are we? It’s important for us to do it that way, and we will as a staff. It’s a football decision. Nothing else will factor into it, just pure football.“

Redskins

Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports reports that after speaking to sources in the past few days, he no longer believes that the Redskins have completely shut the door on Robert Griffin III.

Garafolo mentions that the sense he’s getting is that the Redskins want RGIII to “clear his mind a bit, string some good practices together (indications are he’s practiced well even through the struggles) and see if he can regain some confidence.”

Saints

• HC Sean Payton told reporters after Sunday’s game that RB Khiry Robinson (arm) is expected to return for Week 14’s game. (Mike Triplett)

Steelers

• QB Ben Roethlisberger mentioned that the hand injury he sustained during Sunday’s loss to the Saints did not affect his throwing.

“I am sure every quarterback has that happen every game,” Roethlisberger said, via Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Does it hurt? Yeah. Did it affect my throwing? No.”