Johnny Manziel: Advice Cleveland Browns’ QB
By Zac Wassink
Johnny Manziel is (reportedly) on the verge of becoming starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns. Here are a few pointers for ya, John.
Johnny Manziel is going to be starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns at some point. He may be this weekend when the Browns host the Indianapolis Colts for a contest that could make or break Cleveland’s playoff chances. The truth of the matter is that each of the team’s four December contests is a must-win game for the Browns, a club that doesn’t possess any significant tiebreaker advantages heading into the first weekend of the month. Cleveland will likely have to go four-for-four during the final one-fourth of the campaign to qualify for at least a single January football contest.
So what does all of this have to do with Johnny Football? Word around Cleveland is that some inside of the Browns organization, perhaps general manager Ray Farmer and owner Jimmy Haslam let alone offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, are leaning toward starting Manziel as quickly as Week 14 of the 2014 NFL season. The recent struggles of Brian Hoyer — one touchdown and six interceptions over the past three games, and a single touchdown pass in his last 47 drives — have been well documented. Assuming that head coach Mike Pettine and company have seen the writing on the wall and realized that Hoyer will not be the future quarterback of the franchise, they may feel as if they have no choice but to see how Manziel has evolved, if at all, since training camp and the preseason.
Whether or not you believe that the Browns starting Manziel while the club is in the heart of a playoff race is a wise move, the truth of the matter is that the first-year pro is probably going to see the field for at least a series or two over the next month. Manziel can be quite the entertainer on and off of the football field, but there are a few things that he should take the heart as he awaits his opportunity to assume the duties that come with being a NFL starting quarterback.
To begin with, Johnny, you should probably make some tweaks to your schedules, most notably regarding what you do with yourself on Friday nights that come before NFL games. Fans are kidding themselves if they believe that Manziel is the only backup quarterback who lives it up on a NFL Friday evening. Manziel will be the leader of the Cleveland offense once he is named the team’s starting quarterback, and there is more that comes with that responsibility than just performing well on Sundays. He needs to be as prepared for game-time as possible, and Manziel will also have to prove to veterans on both sides of the ball that he is all-in on all that comes with being a starting NFL quarterback.
The Johnny Football persona made Manziel a superstar. No reasonable person who isn’t 75-years old and/or who remembers watching the Browns win a NFL Championship back in 1964 thinks that Manziel needs to tone it down to the point of becoming a deacon. Manziel can wait and hit up The 9 and East Fourth Street in Cleveland after he helps the Browns win a game.
Cleveland fans have grown fond of the “Money Sign” Manziel makes after he scores a touchdown or makes a big play. Those who attend Browns games will perform the gesture when Manziel exits the tunnel, when the rookie warms up and when he either throws a TD pass or scrambles into the end zone on his own. Do the Money Sign to your heart’s content, Johnny, but don’t forget to leap into the Dawg Pound to celebrate the score and give some of the most diehard fans in the NFL a one-on-one encounter with a superstar athlete. It is a tradition that, unlike losing, Browns fans would like to hold onto moving forward.
Odds are that Manziel has noticed that wide receiver Josh Gordon has been less than pleased during games since returning from suspension. Gordon’s numbers have been just fine, but he and Hoyer have not been on the same page on multiple occasions over the past couple of weeks. Television cameras have picked up Gordon being visibly annoyed when Hoyer has not connected on passes, and the 23-year old has seemingly taken some plays off with Hoyer under center.
Gordon is a true No. 1 wide receiver, and thus he is a diva by nature. He could be Manziel’s best friend or Manziel’s worst enemy on Sundays depending on how the rookie quarterback interacts with Gordon during games. Gordon actively campaigned for the Browns to draft Manziel during public appearances that he made throughout Super Bowl week last winter. Keep Gordon happy, Johnny, and he will reward you as did Mike Evans at Texas A&M.
Manziel is obviously going to make the headlines, but he alone will not determine whether or not he is successful for the Browns this month. Shanahan must utilize the quarterback’s strengths via his play-calling. The rushing attack of the Browns needs to consistently produce positive numbers. Those around Manziel, targets and offensive linemen included, must help the rookie develop during games.
That said, Manziel cannot afford to be anything but the consummate professional once he is named starting quarterback of the Browns, because there are plenty of defensive players around the NFL who want to get featured on SportsCenter highlights by lighting Johnny Football up with a massive hit.
Manziel has the physical tools required to be a winning professional quarterback. He now needs to live with the playbook six nights a week, he needs to become fast friends with the most talented offensive player on the Browns, and Manziel should also do whatever possible to endear himself to a fan base that is as emotionally broken as is any within the NFL. Manziel will be Cleveland royalty if he does all of that and gets it right.
He will, however, be just another flop in the history of the Browns if he fails.