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Johnny Manziel Can’t Win For Some

By Zac Wassink

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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning would not be in the National Football League had he been drafted in this decade.

To understand that take, you have to think back to the landscape of the pro football world back in 2004. Manning had earned himself plenty of detractors following a public refusal to play for the San Diego Chargers that resulted in the quarterback being traded to the Giants. He was inserted into the starting lineup even though Kurt Warner was playing well, and Manning experienced serious setbacks in the early days of his career. Manning famously had a 0.0 rating and was benched in his fourth start, a disastrous outing against the Baltimore Ravens.

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Social media was not then what it is today. There was no Twitter where fans and those rooting for Manning to fail could publicly come together to critique his play. Neither Instagram nor Tumblr were homes for videos of the many mistakes made by the Giants quarterback or for the memes that were launched whenever he would make a “Manning face” after an interception. Manning’s struggles were well-documented by local media and they made for intriguing sports talk radio, but he was never fully buried as a flop at the national level leading up to January 2008.

Second-year pro Johnny Manziel of the Cleveland Browns does not have that luxury. Manziel became a college football sensation at a time when such athletes were going to be chronicled by reporters and observers on websites such as Twitter, and he very much so embraced that reality during his years at Texas A&M. Manziel was Johnny Football on and off of the field, documenting his journeys and run-ins with fellow celebrities via social media seemingly on a weekly basis. Followers couldn’t get enough of all things Manziel.

As with any similar individual, the fame and recognition that surrounded Manziel was accompanied with real hate. People glared with every “money sign” made by Manziel. Critics giggled with glee when he struggled against LSU, while at the same time ignoring his heroic performance in leading A&M back from behind against Duke in one of the best bowl game performances you will ever see by any college quarterback. Even those running the Browns turned Manziel into a second-class citizen in training camp and practices, almost as if having such a presence was a burden.

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Some within the local Cleveland media followed suit. Beat reporters lauded veteran journeyman Brian Hoyer even when he was wildly inaccurate during games. Individuals who supposedly root for the Browns to succeed scoffed when Manziel and the Cleveland offense flopped against the Cincinnati Bengals. Some even took joy in learning that Manziel voluntarily entered a rehabilitation facility this past winter, reportedly to deal with alcohol addiction. A quarterback who has played seven quarters of meaningful football has been labeled a bust, because welcome to 2015.

The events of the past 24 hours have been fascinating to follow from a distance. Manziel had a rough start to training camp on Thursday, one that was lowlighted by four plays that were downright horrendous. He threw a ball that should have been intercepted, he had two passes knocked down at the line of scrimmage, and he put a pass behind a wide receiver. It was maybe Manziel’s worst training camp sequence of his brief NFL career, and the overreactions that it bred were as hilarious as they were expected.

The headlines that followed Thursday’s events in Berea said it all. “Manziel Struggles.” “Manziel Flounders.” “Manziel Has Series To Forget.” “Manziel No Better Than 2014.” It didn’t matter that a quarterback in his second ever NFL training camp was in the midst of his first day of working in a new offensive scheme alongside a new offensive coordinator and different offensive coaches. Buried in stories were those spot-on long-balls delivered by Manziel, including one that was dropped by Vince Mayle.

A funny thing then happened on Friday during the Browns’ second official practice of the summer. Manziel hit on his first pass. He connected on his second and third throws. And on his seventh. And his eighth. He read through his progressions. He exited the pocket only when necessary. Manziel unofficially connected on 10 of 11 passes, by all indications out-performing Josh McCown and the other two quarterbacks that are in the camp of the Browns at the end of July.

Yet, the Internet did not explode with tales of Manziel’s banner day. Beat reporters posted a stat or two, while others pointed out that Manziel and the Browns were merely playing “flag football” in practice. Local radio personalities wondered aloud if Manziel would even be worthy of being second on the depth chart of the Browns by the time September arrives. Even after a near perfect day, Manziel simply could not win for whatever reasons in the eyes of some who have already determined that the 22-year old will never be anything in the NFL.

It is a myth had by some that the figurative light turned on for Eli Manning after the then-undefeated New England Patriots defeated the Giants at the end of the 2007 NFL regular season. What actually occurred is that the Giants built a tremendous offensive line, the team had a three-headed attack in the backfield, and the club also acquired lengthy wide receiver Plaxico Burress who bailed Manning out time and time again and who served as a safety blanket for a quarterback who had been skittish at times throughout his first four years in the league.

That version of Manning would have been crushed by fans and by members of the media in the 2015 pro football world filled with people who believe that every young quarterback should be Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck right out of the gates. We have chosen to forget that Steve Young didn’t really begin to get things right until he turned 30-years old. That Brett Favre was professionally and personally a mess with the Atlanta Falcons has been lost to history as if it never happened.

Those of us who do not possess superpowers and cannot see into the future can’t say for sure if Manziel will ever prove to be a starting NFL quarterback. Analysts, beat reporters and even fans who have already written him off as a failure should be made to admit that they have some personal bias against the Heisman Trophy winner. It’s OK if you don’t like Johnny Manziel. You have that right. You can absolutely believe that Manziel is going to be a dud with the Browns before quietly being booted out of the league and the public spotlight.

All would do well to allow Manziel to actually fail. Who knows? Maybe he will win you over; if you’re open to that possibility.

Next: All Eyes On Manziel

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