I know things are bad for the Cleveland Browns, a team I admittedly care little for, when I’m moved to make my second “In defense of Johnny Manziel” article in the space of a couple of hours.
In actuality, I began to write that article at half-time, when the Browns were down 20-0 and collectively resembling a deer caught in the headlights of a Mack truck. The game ultimately ended 30-0.
Johnny Manziel’s first NFL start was a total disaster. #CINvsCLE WATCH: http://t.co/uhwKefXLbw pic.twitter.com/6CghhEvL82
— FOX Sports NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 14, 2014
I knew then that there was no way back for the Browns, just as I knew that everyone and their brother would be trying to pin this terrible, humiliating, and awesomely hilarious (I’m not a Browns fan, so yeah, I laughed) spectacle on rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Things are truly terrible for Cleveland, who likely just watched their 2014 playoff hopes go up in flames, courtesy of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fans are going to be looking for someone to blame, and the anti-Johnny Football brigade is going to be getting to dance the “I told you he wasn’t all that” dance.
Well, everyone can save it because even if Johnny Manziel is willing to be the fall guy for that terrible spectacle, he doesn’t deserve it.
Nope, I am going to place the blame for the less-than-triumphant close to the Browns season squarely on one man’s shoulders: Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine .
Watch Head Coach Mike Pettine address the media prior to today’s practice. [Watch] http://t.co/dbZzU5YgNn pic.twitter.com/WG3nzJQs1u
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 11, 2014
Almost allowed myself to be caught up in the anticipation of Johnny Football debuting for the Cleveland Browns. At the same time, I anticipated a sack-heavy game.
However, there was something about actually seeing him come onto the field as the starting quarterback that broke the sadistic spell that I was under and actually say aloud, “The Cleveland Browns just made quite possibly the biggest mistake in their franchise history.”
And given the many, many, MANY mistakes the Browns have made in their franchise history, that says quite a lot.
Johnny Manziel “didn’t play well,” but will start next week http://t.co/wZn3zzLLJR pic.twitter.com/29zFqoS5UJ
— SI Wire (@SI_Wire) December 14, 2014
It wasn’t a mistake necessarily to make Johnny Manziel a first round NFL Draft pick for the Cleveland Browns.
It gave the town a much-needed morale boost and guaranteed that Johnny would get a foot into the NFL, where he could potentially learn and grow and become a truly amazing quarterback.
(Yes, I typed that with a straight face and how dare anyone assume otherwise…)
So far, so good.
Even allowing Johnny Manziel to improve under the watchful eye of starting quarterback Brian Hoyer was a good idea.
But then the Cleveland Browns had to go and be the Cleveland Browns.
FINAL: @Bengals 30 – @Browns 0 #CINvsCLE pic.twitter.com/XhYY4wJN1f
— FOX Sports NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 14, 2014
Let’s imagine for a minute that you are the head coach of a football team. Professional, college, high school, doesn’t matter.
Please raise your hand if you would wait until THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME OF YOUR ENTIRE SEASON to start the inexperienced rookie quarterback against a defense praying to the dark gods of old for the chance to rip him a new one and ruin your entire existence.
Yeah, I wouldn’t either.
I would have planted Johnny “Football” Manziel’s rump on that bench until you could tell from a distinct butt-shaped dent exactly where he sat every single game of the season.
And then we would have talked about easing him into the starting position next season.
That’s the key phrase: Ease in .
And that is, of course, AFTER I’m sure that the offense is up to the task of protecting him.
No one said that being the head coach for the Cleveland Browns was easy, as consistent failure is something of a legacy—one that’s going to be hard as heck to turn around.
But this ? This is not at all how you do it.
FINAL SCORE #LetsRoar #CINvsCLE Bengals first shutout since 2008 at the Browns. pic.twitter.com/AVr2z7IQYA
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 14, 2014
Not by shattering the confidence of a potential future starter before he could ever get started. Not by turning your entire team into an even bigger laughing stock than it previously was.
And definitely NOT by trying to pretend that this is anyone else’s fault but WHOEVER thought that this was the time and place to entertain the Johnny Manziel hype machine.
You don’t do that at the expense of your franchise and its season.
Make no mistake, the Cleveland Browns’ season is over .
Manziel will have a share in it as part of the losing Cleveland Browns team.
But anyone wanting to gift him the lion’s share of the blame? They’re kidding themselves.
[Image Credit: cleveland.com ]