Johnny Manziel Alone Can’t Save The Cleveland Browns

Neither Johnny Manziel nor any other quarterback would, on his own, be able to carry the offense of the Cleveland Browns. Take a look at how Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts fared at the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the 2015 National Football League regular season if you don’t understand that take.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: Where Do Browns Safeties Rank Among NFL’s Best?

The plans organized by Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine heading into summer training camp sessions and August preseason games were as follows: His offense would be built on a heavy running game that would make life easy for veteran quarterback Josh McCown, and the Cleveland defense, one that was supposedly stronger up front and in the secondary than it was last December, would be elite and capable of keeping the Browns in games even against stellar offensive attacks.

More from Cleveland Browns

It took less than four quarters of the team’s regular season opener against the New York Jets for those plans to implode in the worst way.

Manziel will be the talk of the town on local sports talk radio and on sports television segments that air on ESPN throughout the week. Those who are overly optimistic about what they saw from the second-year quarterback on Sunday will clamor for Manziel to be named the starter regardless of the state of McCown. So-called Cleveland fans at the opposite end of the spectrum who have personal agendas will unfairly and incorrectly bury Manziel and even name him as the main reason that the Browns were blown out 31-10 by the Jets at MetLife Stadium.

All would do well to remember that Manziel was not supposed to see the field this early into the season. It is not on Manziel that McCown decided to end a lengthy offensive drive that ate up game clock and that put the Browns into the red zone by summoning the spirit of John Elway and helicopter-ing toward the goal line, a decision that resulted in a fumble and a touchback, and one that turned McCown into a spectator after he was diagnosed with a concussion. McCown will have to go through concussion protocol before his status for Week 2 will be determined.

Manziel was also routinely hung out to dry by teammates on both sides of the field. The Browns committed 12 — TWELVE — penalties for a total of 109 yards lost. Two of those errors in judgment eliminated lengthy and impressive first down runs completed by Manziel. Manziel was the leading rusher for the Browns, finishing the game with 35 yards on five carries. Running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson combined for a total of 42 yards on 19 carries, good for roughly 2.2 yards per run.

And how about that vaunted defense of the Browns? All-Pro cornerback Joe Haden was picked apart by New York quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The Browns surrendered over 150 yards on the ground to New York ball-carriers. Rookie defensive tackle Danny Shelton, a bright spot for the Browns during the preseason, was an invisible man in his first start. Safety Tashaun Gipson had an interception literally ripped from his arms by Marshall, a play that signaled a shift in momentum and one that led to the Jets finding the end zone.

Manziel, officially made available for this game late in the midweek after dealing with soreness in his elbow, was a mixed bag during the final three quarters of the play. The former Johnny Football kept his eyes down the field on a third-and-19 play and launched a deep pass that connected with Travis Benjamin for a 54-yard touchdown that put the Browns ahead and that nearly broke social media websites. Manziel was a trending topic worldwide on Twitter, and the Cleveland sideline was buzzing with excitement.

Those looking for signs that Manziel is a better player than he was when he flopped against the Cincinnati Bengals and Carolina Panthers in 2014 have reasons for hope. Manziel went through progressions as should any pro quarterback. He was poised and comfortable, sometimes too comfortable (more on that later), in the pocket. He was, by the fourth quarter, the only play-maker capable of doing anything of merit on the offense of the Browns, high praise for Manziel but also worrisome about the rest of the Cleveland depth chart.

Detractors actively rooting for Manziel to fail were given their share of ammunition. Most visible was that Manziel far too often lacked the “mental clock” quarterbacks must have in the pocket, and he paid for it by taking hits and fumbling the ball away on two occasions. One of those turnovers occurred after a penalty eliminated a first down jaunt completed by Manziel and after center Alex Mack accidentally crept into the path on Manziel on the subsequent play, leading to the quarterback having the ball stripped from him.

The interception thrown by Manziel in the third quarter will hopefully serve as a free lesson for the 22-year old. Manziel attempted a back-shoulder sideline pass toward Brian Hartline, but he missed the mark and had the ball picked off by Marcus Williams. A couple of Manziel’s passes in the fourth quarter seemed to lack zip, which may have been a result of elbow pain or because he did not have adequate reps during the week. Manziel finished the afternoon having completed 13 of 24 pass attempts for 182 yards, a touchdown, an interception and a pair of fumbles.

Debates on whether or not Manziel should be named the starting quarterback moving forward have already begun among Cleveland fans, and they may not mean anything if McCown is not medically cleared over the next six days. The harsh truth is that it won’t matter if it is Manziel, McCown, Tom Brady or Joe Montana in his prime lining up under center if what occurred in the Meadowlands on Sunday becomes a trend for Browns. No quarterback opens up lanes for his running backs. No quarterback stops opposition rushing attacks or shuts down No. 1 wide receivers.

Manziel or no Manziel, the Browns as a whole looked like arguably the worst team in the NFL.

Next: Crowell Not a No. 1 Running Back

More from NFL Spin Zone