Photo Credit: USATSI
He is supposed to be the savior of football in Cleveland, however, Johnny Manziel left fans uneasy about his future as their quarterback. Fans were not the only one to notice the rookie’s struggles against the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football as the team has officially announced Brian Hoyer will lead the offense this season.
Manziel struggled during the game only completing seven of his sixteen attempted passes for 65 yards. However, his performance will only be remembered for his gesture towards the Redskins sideline. During a moment of obvious frustration, the former Texas A&M star gave the sidelines the middle finger and of course it was caught on camera. Sorry, Johnny that is not going to win you many friends in the NFL.
Browns head coach Mike Pettine was not too pleased with Manziel’s lack of composure, “It did not sit well. I was informed of it after the game and it’s disappointing. Because what we talk about is being poised and being focused — that you have to be able to maintain your poise.”
The starting job was not lost on flip of the finger, however. Manziel did not look ready to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in just two weeks and why rush him out there? Cleveland has not had a good quarterback in so many years why not take the time to mold Manziel while he matures as a player and a person. Brian Hoyer deserves a chance to lead this team for a full season, his season was cut short last year when he tore his ACL. During his three years as a starter last season, Hoyer threw for 615 yards and five touchdowns. While they may not be Peyton Manning’s stats, they are certainly a good starting point to see if he can build on that.
However, will Hoyer ever really get a fair shot? Will he constantly be looking over his shoulder when he throws an incomplete pass? How will he perform when fans and analysts are calling for Johnny Manziel? Only time will tell, but we’ll be watching!
