Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown will miss the remainder of the 2015 NFL season after sustaining a fractured collarbone, which could pave the way for the return of Johnny Manziel to the starting lineup.

Manziel was supposed to start for the remainder of the season even before the injury, but the Browns demoted him to third-string position after leaked videos revealed that he partied during their bye week.

With McCown out for their remaining games, Manziel has a chance to start again. But not so fast, as Browns coach Mike Pettine announced on Wednesday that Austin Davis will start against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and not the former Texas A&M standout.

Davis had an impressive performance when he came in for McCown during their 33-27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, completing 7-of-10 passes for 77 yards. He also had game-tying touchdown before the Ravens escaped with the victory.

"Austin took advantage of his opportunity on Monday night," Pettine told reporters. "He was prepared, played well and put us in position to win. He's been great in the quarterback room all season and he has earned the right to start on Sunday. We expect him to play well."

Davis said that he did not treat his appearance against the Ravens as some sort of an audition. He knows anything can still happen in their remaining games this season, but he is prepared to prove that he deserves to start for the Browns.

"I feel like I'm trying to beat the Cincinnati Bengals," Davis said. "Kind of how you have to approach it, and everything else just kind of happens. One week at a time. Keep preparing, keep playing."

As for Manziel, Pettine reiterated that the former first-round pick could still start for the team because they are determined to evaluate their quarterback situation to map out their offseason moves. He also insisted that the decision to start Davis had nothing to do with Manziel's demotion.

"Just felt given the circumstances, where we had placed him, what we had done as a result of what had happened, that Austin was above him and went out and played well," Pettine said. "He deserves this opportunity. It's more about Austin and seeing what he can do than it is about length of punishment."

Sunday's game against the Bengals will be Davis' first start for the Browns this season. Last season, the 26-year-old quarterback started in eight of 10 appearances, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,001 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.