Why Johnny Manziel won’t win the Cleveland Browns starting QB job

He has looked better this preseason and he’s more talented than the current starter Josh McCown, so the logical assumption would be that Johnny Manziel should be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. There are just a few problems that this assumption ignores, which will keep Manziel on the bench.

Manziel won’t win the starting job until he can execute all of offensive coordinator John DeFilippo’s basic plays against first-team defenses that are game planning to stop him. A few good plays against backups simply aren’t enough. It might be enough for the media to overreact, but it’s not enough to win games when it matters.

Part of the reason the Browns signed McCown was they know he can execute the basic plays in DeFilippo’s offense. The two have worked together before, so there’s already a mutual trust between the two.

McCown has major warts, but he’s a far more predictable and consistent player than Manziel right now. Good teams should always seek to reduce variance and manage risk. Until the Browns discover what kind of team they are during the regular season, McCown will continue to start.

If the Browns get off to a slow start with McCown under center, things could change. Manziel’s willingness to freelance could become a path to winning games as long as he can also execute the basics. Only later will they find out how he will do when defenses scheme to keep him in the pocket.

Thursday night, Manziel still struggled with the basics despite making a couple nice plays.

Here’s a 2nd-and-3 in the fourth quarter than Manziel has to convert. It’s a short drop with five-on-five blocking up front, which means he must get the ball out quickly.

Manziel 2

Manziel has two receivers open at the top of the screen for a first down. If he gets it out quickly, the ball will arrive before defenders off the screen can make a play. Any hesitation will result in an incomplete pass or worse.

Manziel 2

To his credit, Manziel doesn’t try to force the ball after he hesitates and he knows he has a running back leaking out to the right. Problem is, his first step is to his into pressure and there is a linebacker in coverage. The pass falls predictably incomplete.

Near the end of the game, DeFilippo called a play just to pick up the necessary yardage for a first down. Manziel had his primary read wide open for the first down, a huge passing lane and great protection.

Manziel

Manziel has to make this play if the Browns are going to entrust him with the starting job. Instead of making the throw, Manziel scrambles to his right. In case you missed it above, here’s the still image.

Manziel

Manziel nearly finds a receiver anyway, but the result of these types of plays is entirely unpredictable. That’s good if you are a bad team, but good teams want to limit the number of times their quarterback has to freelance.

Even if Manziel ends up being one of the best at freelancing in the league, he’ll never be a starting caliber quarterback if he opts to do it instead of making a basic plays.  The Browns will never trust him and even if he gets his shot, the results are unlikely to be favorable.

DeFilippo has been through all of this before, as Terrelle Pryor’s quarterback coach with the Oakland Raiders in 2013. The Raiders already knew their team wasn’t very good, so when Matt Flynn struggled throwing basic passes, the Raiders made the change for Week 1.

Pryor never fully grasped the basic plays, but his freelancing ability proved value until defenses schemed to keep him in the pocket. The Raiders ended up turning to Matt McGloin later in the season as Pryor struggled. The Raiders finished with just a few wins and the Browns are trying to avoid such scenario.

The Browns have a more talented team and McCown is superior to Flynn. There’s no reason to incorporate chaos into the situation until the Browns find out if they can still win games with the more controlled and predictable play of McCown.

About Christopher Hansen

My path into sports media started with the founding of raidersblog.com while working concurrently in the financial sector. I covered the AFC West and the NFL as a lead writer for Bleacher Report for three years and have been featured on CNN and other major outlets. I received my journalism degree from Abilene Christian University and I'm a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. I enjoy spending time with my awesome family, home projects, craft beer, the outdoors and technology.

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