Johnny Manziel like Drew Brees or Russell Wilson?

Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is neither Drew Brees nor is he Russell Wilson. Not even close as of November 2015.

Brees has been a National Football League mainstay for over a decade. He guided the New Orleans Saints to the first and only Super Bowl championship in the history of the franchise. Wilson, meanwhile, has merely been one of the most successful quarterbacks in all of the NFL over the past couple of years. He would, if not for one misguided offensive play-call, be a back-to-back reigning Super Bowl champion QB.

The only thing Manziel has in common with Brees and Wilson right now is that they are three of the shorter QBs in the NFL.

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Neither Brees nor Wilson are having banner seasons in 2015. That is somewhat understandable as it pertains to Brees. The New Orleans starter who already has a spot reserved for him in the Hall of Fame will turn 37-years-old in January. It is not crazy to suggest that we could be seeing Brees play his last games over the next couple of months.

The same cannot be said for Wilson. Wilson will turn just 27-years-old before the end of November, and yet there have been signs this year that he has taken steps in the wrong direction as a NFL QB. Scott Davis of Business Insider pointed out Wilson’s woes following his lackluster performance in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday:

"While Seattle has plenty of concerns, Wilson’s regression this season is alarming. Wilson is on pace for a career high in passing yards, and his completion percentage is up, but his numbers have fallen in plenty of other places. His touchdown percentage is 3.8%, down from 4.4% last year. His yards per completion are down slightly, his passer rating and QB rating are down, while his interception and sack percentages are up considerably."

Davis was hardly the first person to point out this fall that Wilson has, at points, been a liability for the Seahawks during games. Steven Ruiz of USA Today expertly broke down some Wilson game film late in October. “Wilson’s anxiousness to get out of the pocket,” as explained by Ruiz, was keeping the Seattle QB from making what could have been big plays for his offense.

Sound familiar, Manziel fans?

Wilson, per ESPN Staff Writer Terry Blount, realized back in his college days that he would have to make tweaks to his game to succeed in the NFL. Brees, the Seattle QB explained, served as the ideal idol.

"“But I really started following (Brees) a lot and studying him my junior year of college, and also my senior year of college. When I went to Wisconsin [senior year], I had tons and tons of film on him. I just watched every throw, pretty much that he had thrown in the NFL. I studied his footwork, studied what he does, and obviously, everybody compares our height.”"

Brees is neither the QB nor the athlete of old. Father Time is undefeated and untied, after all, and Brees will not be able to break that trend. Brees’ footwork that has allowed him to excel in the NFL has not vanished, something that has been pointed out by analysts during the 2015 season.

In being named the starting QB by Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine earlier this week, Manziel obtained more than just six opportunities to audition for the Browns. Manziel will also, so long as he remains healthy, pick up 24 additional quarters-worth of learning material that could be useful in helping him grow as a NFL QB.

Manziel had an up-and-down evening when the Browns were away to the Cincinnati Bengals for a Thursday Night Football showdown earlier in November. While Manziel was solid in the first two quarters, he was more antsy and too quick to leave the pocket during the second half. Manziel thus missed opportunities to connect with targets down the field. That game film is similar, in nature, to what Ruiz saw from Wilson earlier this year.

Manziel was a more-improved product versus the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday. He hung in the pocket. He absorbed multiple hits, six sacks and a brutal face mask. Manziel completed over 70 percent of his attempts, and he threw for 372 yards. Manziel also, when necessary, used his legs and his athleticism to keep plays alive and also to gain yardage.

Manziel was not Brees-esque in Pittsburgh, but it’s a start.

Next: Manziel Deserves to Start

It is nothing short of ridiculous for anybody to suggest that Manziel should not leave the pocket from time to time. Doing so not only allows him to make highlight-reel scrambles as he did against the Steelers in the third quarter of that game. It also creates opportunities where Manziel can, so long as he keeps his eyes down the field, beat defenses with his arm.

The key for Manziel succeeding in the NFL could be finding that happy medium that is part-Johnny Football, part-Brees and part-Wilson. Locating that version of himself will mean Manziel spending additional time studying film. Teammates and coaches have praised Manziel’s dedication to the cause over the past several months. As much as a positive as that is, Manziel still has much to learn from sessions that do not occur on a field.