The statistics suggest Johnny Manziel regressed Sunday when the Browns lost 30-13 to the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field, but coach Mike Pettine saw progress from the young quarterback as he continued to audition for the future.
Manziel’s previous two starts were among the best performances of his NFL career. His encounter with the Seahawks’ second-ranked defense didn’t receive rave reviews from most outsiders, though the Browns (3-11) left the Pacific Northwest encouraged about the 22nd overall pick in last year’s draft. He’s 2-5 as an NFL starter, including 2-3 this season.
Here are the numbers from Manziel’s past three starts:
• Sunday: 19-of-32 passing (59.4 percent), 161 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 69.9 rating, two carries for 17 yards, three sacks and one fumble.
• 24-10 win at home over the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 13: 21-of-31 passing (67.7 percent), 270 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 92.1 rating, seven carries for 15 yards and two sacks.
• 30-9 loss on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 15: 33-of-45 passing (73.3 percent), 372 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 95.8 rating, three carries for 17 yards, six sacks and one lost fumble.
It’s safe to say the Seahawks (9-5) presented the toughest test Manziel has faced.
“You just look at the environment and dealing with all the circumstances, the crowd noise, where our circumstances going into the game as a team, playing against a team that’s hot, that’s known for their defense and feeds off the home crowd, I thought he handled it very well,” Pettine said Monday during a conference call. “There wasn’t any point in the game where I felt like he was unnerved or flinched or lost his poise, however you want to say it.
“Overall, Johnny did a lot of positive things. I’m sure there’s some plays that he would want to have back, as most quarterbacks would, but overall, a lot of positives, a lot to learn from. The reason that he did the good things that he did, they’re a result of his preparation. He doesn’t coast through the week and all of a sudden, just show up and play. That’s a product of how well he’s preparing.”
All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas was one of Manziel’s harshest critics last year because the former Heisman Trophy winner allowed his hard-partying lifestyle to interfere with his football preparation. Although Manziel was benched for two games last month because he partied during a bye-week break and later lied to the Browns, Thomas insists his polarizing teammate has done much more homework this season than last.
“[My opinion of Manziel] changed kind of at the beginning of the season here when he showed that dedication and commitment that he didn’t have last year,” Thomas said Monday. “So I think what we’re seeing out in the field is sort of the fruits of the hard work that he’s been putting in and the dedication that we’ve seen with him in the film room and in meetings. I think it’s just natural when you spend that extra effort, you’re going to see those results on the field, and that’s what we’re seeing from Johnny.
“I think he understood that his rookie year was so abysmal and the level of commitment he showed in his rookie year was insufficient for an NFL quarterback. You don’t get many opportunities in the NFL. They’ll give you a couple second chances if you’re really talented, like he is, but after a certain point, people will just give up on you and your career is over. I think he understood how important it was to show his commitment and desire to make the sacrifice to be an NFL quarterback, and I think the reason he’s playing well right now is because of that sacrifice and that commitment that he’s made all year.”
Manziel provided a sample of good play when he orchestrated a 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive on the game’s opening series. He capped the march with a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gary Barnidge.
“He’s doing a good job showing leadership and taking command in the huddle,” Barnidge said Monday. “You can see that each game he’s out there, you can see he’s continuing to grow.
“I think all the guys, they have confidence in him. We back him and we’re looking forward to these last two games with him.”
Manziel went 6-of-8 passing for 60 yards during the first possession, meaning he threw for just 101 yards after the hot start.
Pettine, though, defended Manziel’s production beyond the touchdown drive.
“We had some balls dropped and we had some protection breakdowns,” Pettine said. “That’s a good front. We lose [starting right guard] John Greco [to a knee injury] the first series. That’s a difficult circumstance for us to deal with.
“Quarterback play’s going to be a function of a lot of things, and there are a lot of things that are outside of his control. So the things that he could control, we thought he was solid with. Could he have done some better things? Absolutely, but I’m not going to sit here and put that just 100 yards after the first drive [on him]. I’m not going to hang that on him.”
The Browns dropped five passes, according to ProFootballFocus.com.
Asked what Manziel could have done better, Pettine pointed to the interception he threw in garbage time. Cornerback Marcus Burley picked off the pass with 2:06 left.
“He had a couple other places to go with the ball and ended up forcing it down the field, and he knew it as soon as he came off the field,” Pettine said. “There weren’t a lot of glaring things.”
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns.