Cleveland Browns second year quarterback Johnny Manziel might not have finished the season the way he would’ve liked or the entire season for that matter. But his coaches, including Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, still very much believe in his ability to be the long-term starting quarterback for the Browns.
For the season, Manziel completed 129-of-223 (57.8%) of his passes for 1,500 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Manziel also rushed for 230 yards, while being sacked 19 times for a loss of 141 yards. Manziel also fumbled six times, three of which he lost.
Browns Offensive Coordinator John DiFilippo Still Thinks Johnny Manziel Could Be Franchise Quarterback
“I think that he has shown the progress that he can do it,” offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said in his final press conference of the season last week. “At the same time, Johnny obviously didn’t have his best game against Kansas City. He knows that. We all know that, especially throwing the football in tough conditions, tough conditions that I think would have affected any quarterback.
“There is alot of room for improvement. If he takes the same approach to this off season as he did this past off season and we see the improvements and he takes that next step, I think there is a good chance that it will come to fruition.
“I think we have seen enough of what Johnny can do. I think we have seen the good, and sometimes, the not so good. To me, from where he was from a year ago, I think there was a lot more good than not good. To me, that is progress. I think he has bought in.”
Manziel’s season was cut short last Wednesday when he was placed into the NFL concussion protocol after he reported symptoms following last Sunday’s 17-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
He accounted for 244 yards of total offense, including 136 yards coming through the air on 13-of-32 passing and another 108 yards rushing on 11 carries in the Browns loss. The 108 yards rushing by Manziel on just 11 attempts, was the Browns single-game record for a quarterback.
“The two main hits that I saw him take were the one where we ran the movement play where we had No. 55 (Dee Ford) coming off the edge and he got hit pretty good on that one, and then, the one on our sideline where I thought he just fell on the football,” DeFilippo said. “I can’t pinpoint when he got the concussion. I will be honest with you. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Johnny except through text because he is in the protocol.
“Those are the two hits that I pinpoint that are the possibility for the concussion, but like I said, I don’t know that. I am guessing. Johnny did a nice job when he was on the move of getting down and sliding and that is something we talked to him all year about, and he is going to have to continue to do that.”
Although DeFilippo believes Manziel has the potential to be a long-term answer at quarterback, there is a caveat to that. Manziel has to find a way to stay away from social media and off-the-field headlines for partying when he is out of the Browns training facility without any meetings or mandatory workout sessions to attend.
“It is tremendously important, not only for on the field, but I think your teammates need to see you doing the right thing as well,” DeFilippo said. “That is part of the position. It is a lifestyle. I have talked about that a bunch. Playing quarterback in this league is a lifestyle. You need to eat, sleep and breathe football. We have made strides in that department. I don’t want to say we are there all the way, but I think we could all agree in this room that we have made strides in that department with the young man and he will continue to get better.”
Browns cornerback Joe Hayden added, “I really, really, really want the best for him. With the off-the-field stuff, you have to be able to know who you are, what your situation is and a lot of the times, Johnny is not doing anything to bad, but when you are a quarterback, it is unfair how you get treated sometimes. Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees,, these quarterbacks are held to a different standard.
“Even when it means that you might not be able to do what you want to do sometimes, it might not be fair the way you are treated, even when you think you are doing normal things that everyone is doing, but you are held to a different standard. I love Johnny, but he has to realize that he is not everyone else.”
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