Johnny Manziel A 'Midget'? Marvin Lewis Insults Johnny Football [VIDEO]

Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine says he has not determined whom his starting quarterback will be on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis may have swayed Pettine's decision.

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700WLW.com reported that Lewis treated Johnny Manziel with little respect. Asked how the Bengals' defense might respond if the Browns decide to bench incumbent quarterback Brian Hoyer for the AFC North clash.

"You'll get a little bit more movement if Manziel's the quarterback, the thing that they did against Buffalo," Lewis said. "But other than that, no, it doesn't impact you at all. You've got to go defend the offense, you don't defend the player, particularly a midget."

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The Bengals head coach later realized the error of his ways and offered an apology.

"I apologize to Johnny, the Browns and all the fans in Cleveland," Lewis said. "It was just a poor remark. I really didn't mean anything by it."

Pettine indicated that a decision was to come later Monday but was not interested in making the decision public right away.

"We're going to meet on that here in the coming hours," Pettine told reporters on Monday. "I'm not prepared to comment on it at this point due to the fact that I have not spoken to both of the players involved."

Pettine said that Manziel would be ready to play if named the starter. Hoyer said Monday that no one on the coaching staff has told him about his fate this weekend.

Hoyer has not thrown a touchdown pass in the last three games but has thrown seven interceptions. But he told NFL.com that he understood "how fast things can change" in the league.

The Browns have lost three of four, which has put Hoyer's job in jeopardy.

Now, Manziel can thank Lewis for putting a chip on his shoulder as well as in his corner. As NFL.com reported, it is ironic that of all the things for which Manziel has been noted since he entered the NFL that his stature was what prompted a salvo from an opposing head coach.