Johnny Manziel won his first game as a starting quarterback. Yes it was against the Tennesee Titans, but just as of last week, the Titans looked like world beaters. During the game, Manziel did some great things. He also did a few things that made head coach Mike Petine gray hair count increase a bit. Manziel’s numbers weren’t off the charts (8/15 172 yards 2Tds), but the main thing is that he didn’t turn the ball over. In Manziel’s previous performances, ball security was his major issue. Like in all sports, whenever you win the turnover battle it increases your chances at winning. With Manziel things will get better by the week kind of like it did in his early stages at Texas A&M.
Manziel didn’t start off his collegiate career playing like Johnny Football until he became more seasoned at the quarterback position. A few early losses to LSU and Florida made him work a bit harder, but the rest was history after he received his first few history lessons. I know the SEC is nothing like the NFL, but with anyone they get better with more reps. The Browns have invested in Manziel, which means that he should remain being the starting quarterback. Josh McCown is what we know him to be, and that is a journeyman quarterback that has a few good games here and there. McCown is best suited to be the backup quarterback, and he would serve as a great mentor to Manziel as he takes his lumps on the field.
In this day and age, quarterbacks that are drafted in the first-round usually come out the gates starting. The Browns have taken the old-school approach, by brining Manziel along slowly. I may be in the minority, but I feel that it’s time to hand the keys to Manziel. He may fail or he may flourish, but they would never know if he is relegated to the bench. The Browns have been searching for a quarterback since Uncle Charles died on the porch in the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony famous rap video “Crossroads”, and they may finally have their guy in Manziel. The Browns don’t need him to play like Johnny Football, but they need him to make a few timely throws and not to turn the ball over—as he did this past Sunday.
If it makes sense, the Browns normally don’t so it’ll be interesting if coach Petine goes with Manziel for the long haul. If he doesn’t, the Browns may need to consult with Kevin Costner to get them on the right path– hey, it worked in the movie Draft Day. All in all the Browns franchise will still be pedestrian with McCown at the helm, and it very may be the same with Manziel. The question is that, how would they know if he doesn’t see the field on a full-time basis?
