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| If football falls through, at least Manziel has his SAG card. |
A year of Cleveland professional football is never
complete until the third-string quarterback suits up for the final game. That enticing
possibility hangs over the Browns this Sunday against Baltimore , a day that will likely end in
defeat and yet another losing season for the lakefront bunch.
This off-season is already shaping
up to be fun for pain-loving S&M types, as much talk will likely revolve
around the man under center, whether it's Johnny Manziel, a veteran not named
Hoyer, or blue-sky aspirations to trade two first-round picks for Heisman
Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.
Spending a first-round pick on
Manziel means he gets first dibs, no matter how bad he looked over a double
fistful of snaps. Unfortunately, this franchise's recent history of damnable
luck struck again when the diminutive rookie scrambled his way to injury
against Carolina .
All the Browns have to go on now is a sample size of 34 passing attempts for
175 yards, one rushing touchdown and still no clue if the undersized Drake
confidant can handle the speed and complex defenses of the NFL. Manziel's made maybe
five solid, NFL-worthy plays, three of those coming against a sagging Bills
defense late in a game.
After the Panthers loss, Manziel
talked about being "hungry
to work" during what will be the team's 16th consecutive crucial
off-season. Proof of that attitude will be a tamping down of his so-called rockstar persona, even if that
means keeping his mom at home for 2:30 a.m. dinners. Sleep with the playbook, organize
throwing sessions with receivers, stay off of inflatable rubber pool toys, and
leave the money sign to Drakkar-drenched club-hoppers
douche-ing it up on Instagram.
I'd also advocate for Cleveland 's burgeoning
t-shirt industry to cease all production of JF apparel until such time as
Manziel can sustain a passer rating of 90 or higher over a pre-determined
amount of games.
A public-facing personality
overhaul will at least erase the target on Manziel's back and eliminate the media
distractions, albeit largely self-created,
that heightened expectations regarding his performance. Though it's
possible, even likely, that Manziel will disappear into the ozone like so many
Browns' QBs before him, this year's humbling experience should be a
lesson he takes to heart.