Johnny Manziel: BENCHED ... Demoted to 3rd String

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.