How Johnny Manziel’s Poor First Start Compares To Other NFL Greats
By Stephen Igoe
How did Johnny Manziel’s first start compare with other NFL greats?
The magic of Johnny Football was nowhere to be seen this past Sunday in Cleveland.
Instead, it was just Johnny Manziel struggling mightily and looking like what perhaps a rookie should look like in his first career start.
Manziel posted putrid numbers, and the Browns’ offense showed little to no life with him running the show. The former Heisman Trophy winner and Texas A&M product, who dazzled opponents with his wizardry and evasiveness in college, looked nothing of the sort in a 30-0 loss to the Bengals, completing 10-of-18 passes for 80 yards, no touchdowns and a pair of costly interceptions. Cincinnati also bottled up Manziel’s running ability, holding him to 13 yards on five carries while sacking him twice.
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But it’s important to remember this is just one start, and – as bad as it was – a player’s potential career shouldn’t be based off one performance. If NFL teams had given up on other promising quarterbacks a single start into their pro career, there’s a very good chance some of the all-time greats would’ve instead fizzled out.
Below, we take a look at some of the more notable quarterbacks in NFL history and the numbers they posted in their less-than-stellar NFL beginnings.
Troy Aikman (Sept. 10, 1989 @ NOR): Like Manziel, Aikman also suffered a shutout in his first career start. Starting the first game of the season after being drafted first overall by the Cowboys, Aikman completed 17-of-35 attempts for 180 yards, no touchdowns and two picks in a 28-0 loss at the Saints.
Terry Bradshaw (Sept. 20, 1970 vs. HOU): Bradshaw’s numbers at the end of his start were brutal, maybe even worse than Manziel’s. The now Hall-of-Fame quarterback connected on just 4-of-16 pass attempts and threw for 70 yards, no touchdowns and one pick in a loss. His passer rating at the end of the day? 19.3.
Tom Brady (Sept. 30, 2001 vs. IND): Taking over for the injured Drew Bledsoe, the little-known Brady (at the time) posted pedestrian numbers, but he didn’t have to do too much. The Patriots blasted the Colts 44-13, while Brady threw for 168 yards on 13-of-23 pass attempts. He didn’t throw an interception or a touchdown in a victorious effort.
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John Elway (Sept. 4, 1983 @ PIT): Denver won the game, 14-10, but no thanks to Elway in his first NFL performance. Elway completed just 1-of-8 attempts for 14 yards, was intercepted once and sacked four times before injuring his elbow and finding his way to the bench.
Boomer Esiason (Oct. 7, 1984 vs. HOU): The Bengals topped the Houston Oilers 13-3, but it wasn’t Esiason’s finest hour. The southpaw out of Maryland didn’t account for a touchdown in his starting debut, completing 13-of-24 passes for 159 yards. Esiason finished the day with a QB rating of 40.1.
Andrew Luck (Sept. 9, 2012 @ CHI): The first overall pick out of Stanford in 2012, Luck started the season opener at the Bears, and while he did show some promise, there were more downs than ups. Luck was limited to a 51 percent completion rate (23-of-45) and he was picked off three times compared to just one touchdown. He was also sacked three times.
Peyton Manning (Sept. 6, 1998 vs. MIA): Manning, the No. 1 overall pick out of Tennessee in the 1998 NFL Draft, was thrown into the fire right out of the gate with the Indianapolis Colts, and it wasn’t pretty. Sure, he threw for 302 yards and his first pro touchdown, but he completed 21-of-37 attempts and was picked off three times in a 24-15 loss to the Dolphins. Manning went on to throw 11 picks compared to three touchdowns through his first four starts with the Colts.
Joe Montana (Dec. 2, 1979 @ STL): A third-round pick of the 49ers in 1979 out of Notre Dame, Montana lost his first career start against the St. Louis Cardinals. He connected on just 5-of-12 attempts for 36 yards in the 13-10 loss. The Hall-of-Famer lost his first four NFL starts.
Steve Young (Nov. 24, 1985 vs. DET): While Young is remembered for his 49er days, he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and saw his first NFL action there. Young wasn’t spectacular against the Lions, but he did enough in a 19-16 victory, completing 16-of-27 passes for a pedestrian 167 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
The moral of the story? Don’t overreact. Whether it’s Manziel or any young signal-caller, it’s not a surprise if they struggle right out of the gate. It’s one game, and even in today’s NFL where immediate results are expected, it’s unfair to expect a quarterback to perform at a veteran level this early in his career.
Manziel deserves the benefit of the doubt and some time, even if it is painful to watch at first.