Potentially one of the most anticipated debuts in NFL history took place Saturday night, with former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny “Football” Manziel partook in his first bit of live game action at the NFL action.
Johnny Manziel Debut
Manziel completed 7-of-his-11 passes for 63-yards and ran the ball 6-times for a total of 27-yards. He scooted a 16-yard dash for the longest run of the day. Solid numbers, but something fishy went on with the eye test.
He ran the ball WELL, was elusive and even lowered his head to try and fight extra yards but is that what we really wanted to see out of him? Is that a sign of things of to come, does that give Cleveland Browns fan hope of a winner?
One of the most tantalizing players ever to play collegiate football, Manziel will have to leave part of his game in college in order to become successful at the professional level.
While the ability to extend plays with his legs, Manziel needs to learn to extend plays to stretch the ball through the air instead of the ground. It may make one of the more exciting players in the league but it won’t make him one of the more successful.
Michael Vick used his legs to become one of the most dynamic playmaker the NFL has seen. But his inability to work through his progressions and just take off has limited him from becoming a true elite quarterback.
Until Manziel is able and willing to stand in there and work through his receiving options only using his legs as a last case scenario he will too not be able to take his game to the next level.
To be fair, this was only one preseason game, not a regular season game. He said in his postgame press conference that he needs to work on going through his progressions better, and that the more comfortable he gets in the offense it is something that is going to happen.
That is probably the best answer you can give when recapping his debut performance. But if preseason is a time to improve your game, then why even bother to take off? To the coaching staff, why even call a read option?
Johnny Football’s legs will be there, whether it is the first week of preseason or the middle of the season – that is a part of the lure of Manziel. But to become a better NFL quarterback he will have to work, tirelessly, on his throwing game.
This game, despite the ever growing emergence of the ‘dual-threat’ athlete behind center, is a game won by the team with a quarterback who is able to stay in the pocket and throw the ball.
Russell Wilson won the Super Bowl last year but despite his ability to use his legs; he only used running the ball as a last resort. Wilson ran the ball 96-times last year, an average of only six rushes per game, Manziel reached that in a little over a quarter.
In fact during playoff time, Wilson was only credited with 11-rushes in the three games his team played – and didn’t even average over 4-yards per rush.
I’m not saying that Manziel isn’t going to be a good quarterback, it was his first preseason game and he didn’t even get a chance to play with the first stringers. He will get his opportunity to do so next Monday night against the Washington Redskins.
What I am saying is that there is a difference in being an elite ‘playmaker’ and ‘quarterback’, especially in the NFL. What played out Saturday night against the Detroit Lions wasn’t that of a quarterback, but a playmaker.
As the preseason moves on, how quickly Manziel can go from one to another will be crucial in not only his future but the future of the Browns.
Color me skeptical with a good sense of optimism after hearing his postgame press conference.
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