Heisman trophy winner, first round draft pick, and starting quarterback of an NFL team, yet Johnny Manziel only has six games left to prove to the Browns organization that he is a long term solution. With Mike Pettine likely to be fired following the conclusion of the season, Manziel could be left behind by a new coaching regime. Cleveland will have a high draft pick and the chance to pick a highly rated quarterback such as Paxton Lynch or Jared Goff. So unless Manziel shows something impressive over the final six games, expect there to be uncertainty in the off-season at the QB position.
What should we expect from Manziel performance wise for the rest of the season though?
One negative that you should look for Manziel to correct over the last six games of the season is his tendency to miss high. This screen is killed before it had a chance because of the awful throw delivered by Manziel. This could also cost him later in the season with interceptions on overthrows or leading his receivers into dangerous hits.
Something positive though is Manziel has been improving as a pocket passer going through his reads and not scrambling too fast. This play demonstrates Manziel going through almost all of his reads and standing tall in the pocket. Manziel goes to his third read on the play and delivers a pass that nearly goes for a touchdown after the run after catch.
Take for example this play from his rookie season where he has ample time in the pocket. Manziel stays on his first read way too long though and then panics when he doesn’t get open. In the NFL Manziel has learned that he will be forced to throw within the pocket and not run out of the pocket and make plays. This play shows how much Manziel has improved this year compared to last.
Here’s another play where Manziel doesn’t panic that his first read isn’t there. Instead he goes through his first and second read until finding the open man for the first down. This play shows his growth as a quarterback and player who no longer relies on his feet.
Occasionally he will revert back to his old bad habits like throwing off his back foot into a crowd. This is a recipe for disaster as throwing off your back foot significantly decreases throw power and accuracy. Expect this to catch up to him and picks to follow unless he suddenly starts playing better football.
When given time in the pocket and good protection though, trust Manziel to stand in the pocket and deliver a good pass if there’s an open man. The problem with the Brown’s offense though is outside of Travis Benjamin and Gary Barnridge, they have no reliable playmakers at all. This play shows how Manziel can throw pinpoint passes to open men but his team lets him down again.
One of Manziel’s best traits though is his ability to throw on the run and he has only improved upon it since entering the NFL. With a porous offensive line this year he has had to scramble to buy time for himself. Instead of reverting back to old Manziel ways and just running downfield, he keeps his eyes up and finds the open man. This is a great example of his accuracy when scrambling and his ability to keep his eyes downfield for an open man.
During these last 6 games for Manziel look for him to continue improving and ridding himself of his bad habits. What is important is his growth here, not stats or wins because the Browns offense is putrid and difficult for Manziel to work with. This is a decisive act of Manziel's career that will be huge for his future in Cleveland.
