Johnny Manziel makes his second start of the season Thursday night when the Cleveland Browns visit Cincinnati.

Here are five things you need to know about Manziel as he faces the undefeated Bengals, a team that embarrassed him in his first start as a rookie last season.

Was this start earned?

Yes, because Manziel has earned the backup job. Coach Mike Pettine has been steadfast in viewing and treating Josh McCown as the starter and Manziel as the backup. But McCown’s injured ribs would not let him face the Bengals, and so the Browns went to the backup. This is not a “let’s see what we have” decision. It’s a decision to go with the backup because the starter is hurt. Just two days before naming Manziel the starter for Thursday's game, Pettine said the Browns were not ready to begin playing young players to see what they had. If Austin Davis were the backup, he’d be starting.

Can Manziel keep the job by playing well?

That hasn't been determined. The decision would be Pettine’s and it probably would be made a few days after the game. If Manziel plays well it might be time to see what the Browns have so they can make a judgment going forward. It would be unfair to McCown, but the NFL is hardly known for fair personnel decisions. If Manziel plays well and wins, the pressure to keep him in the lineup increases -- especially since there will be 10 days before the Browns play again, at Pittsburgh on Nov. 15, and then 15 more days before a Monday night home game against Baltimore on Nov. 30. That’d be a lot of time to get a young quarterback some practice reps.

How has Manziel done this season in his limited play?

Let’s ignore the two times he went in with a few minutes remaining against St. Louis and Arizona, at the end of losses. That wasn't time to get anything established. Against the Jets, he started with a TD and then his possessions went this way: punt, field goal, end of half, interception, punt, fumble, fumble, downs. Against Tennessee, he started with two touchdowns, then went punt, punt, downs, punt, punt, punt, punt, touchdown and the end of the game. The last touchdown was the uplifting one to Travis Benjamin that sealed the victory. That’s 20 possessions, with four touchdowns and one field goal, three turnovers and eight punts. His Total QBR is 51.4 (McCown’s is 52.8), his passer rating is 93.2 (McCown's is 95.2) and his yards per attempt is 7.9 (McCown’s is 7.5). Manziel also played against Tennessee when the Browns ran the ball 60.9 percent of the time, the fourth-highest percentage in a game this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

What is the biggest challenge the Bengals present?

Up the middle. Word is out around the league that defenses have to keep Manziel on the spot. Keep him a dropback passer, where his size might work against him. Plus, keeping him in the pocket takes away a strength: his mobility. With most quarterbacks, the idea is to get them off the spot. With Manziel, it’s the opposite. That brings Cincinnati defensive tackle Geno Atkins into the picture. Atkins is back to his dominant Pro-Bowl form, and will be a handful for the middle of the Browns' line. If Atkins has a big game, Manziel will not.

What does Manziel do without two of the Browns' top receivers?

Andrew Hawkins and Brian Hartline will miss the game because they have concussions. That means the Browns will have Taylor Gabriel, Benjamin, Dwayne Bowe and Marlon Moore at wideout. Moore is a special-teams player working his way into the receiving rotation. Bowe has been a non-factor this season after signing as a free agent. The good news for Manziel: He has Gary Barnidge on the field, and Benjamin has been his favorite target. Manziel has completed 7-of-9 passes to Benjamin this season for 209 yards and three touchdowns -- and each time he’s thrown to Benjamin it’s been 18.8 yards downfield, per ESPN Stats & Info. Benjamin also has three touchdowns from Manziel of 50 yards or more.