Cleveland Browns vs. St. Louis Rams: Film room session
Johnny Manziel misses a wide open touchdown opportunity
On the Browns final offensive drive of the game, Johnny Manziel entered at quarterback for an injured Josh McCown. The Browns trailed by 18 points with just over two minutes to play when Manziel entered. The game was out of reach and it was garbage time, but there are important things to point out when it comes to Manziel’s development.
Source: NFL Game Pass
Working from the shotgun the Browns have trips right with a single receiver on the left. Once Manziel gets to his third step in his drop back, he receives slight pressure form the left side. The Rams bring pressure on the edge but none up the middle.
Source: NFL Game Pass
Manziel feels the pressure and needed to slide up in the pocket and continue working through his progressions. Instead, Manziel feels the pressure and takes off running on the play for a minimal gain. If Manziel was calm in the pocket and simply moved up in the pocket, he had Brian Hartline running wide open for a touchdown on the left sideline.
Source: NFL Game Pass
The Rams defense was playing a zone coverage and the secondary had a miscommunication on the play. The lone receiver on the left sideline, Hartline, ran a streak route. Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins was in zone coverage and thought he has over-the-top help from the single safety. The single safety helped on the trips side of the field, leaving Hartline wide open for a touchdown, but as soon as Manziel felt the pressure he took off scrambling.
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This shows that Manziel still has a long way to go in his development as a quarterback. In this situation, Manziel must step up in the pocket instead of instantly scrambling. He must recognize the single safety look and know he has Hartline in one-on-one coverage on the edge. Manziel must see the field and realize he has an easy throw and catch with Hartline for a touchdown. (Of course, regardless of the outcome the play, it would have been called back for a holding penalty on Joel Bitonio.)
Being forced into action late in the game, Manziel did a decent job of making the simple throws the defense was giving him. However, Manziel needs to show vast improvement in reading defenses and working through his progressions to become a permanent NFL starting quarterback. This play is just one example of how Manziel is still inconsistent and has a lot of room to grow as a quarterback.
Next: Todd Gurley finds the end zone