Manziel was 5-of-14 for 49 yards before completing his final two passes. He was also sacked three times. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
LANDOVER, Md.— Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine came into Monday’s game planning to announce his quarterback for the regular season opener in the next couple of days.
However, neither highly touted rookie Johnny Manziel nor holdover Brian Hoyer played very well against the Washington Redskins Monday night, leaving the Browns in a quandary.
Neither Manziel, who became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012, nor sixth-year journeyman Hoyer had distinguished himself in Cleveland’s 13-12 loss to Detroit in its Aug. 9 preseason opener either.
On Monday, Hoyer finished 2-for-6 for 16 yards. Manziel, who got equal time against Washington’s starting defense before playing the entire third quarter, was 7-for-16 for 65 yards, the last eight yards coming on a toss to running back Dion Lewis for a touchdown that closed the Browns’ deficit to 14-10 with 13:33 remaining.
That 16-play, 68-yard drive consumed 8:15 and might have been huge for the rookie, who posted a 76.3 passer rating on the night.
Manziel was 5-of-14 for 49 yards before completing his final two passes. He was also sacked three times. Hoyer went down once while posting a 42.2 passer rating.
The Browns took a 17-14 lead when veteran safety Jim Leonard intercepted Redskins third-string quarterback Colt McCoy’s first pass and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown with 12:19 to go.
Pettine, a defensive specialist, will surely rely heavily on offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in making the choice between the headier, less talented Hoyer or Manziel, who has a bigger upside but much less of a handle on the offense.
Although he might not even start for a team that went 4-12 last season, Manziel is already one of the NFL’s most scrutinized players because of his extraordinary athletic gifts and his well-publicized love for nightlife. In the first two-plus months after the Browns drafted the former Texas A&M star, Manziel’s jersey was the league’s top seller.
Hoyer’s first two series Monday were ugly. He did not seem to be ready for the first snap and was sacked for a 6-yard loss. Tight end Jordan Cameron dropped Hoyer’s pass on the next play before a draw preceded a punt. When the Browns got the ball back, Ben Tate ran twice before receiver Andrew Hawkins couldn’t hold Hoyer’s low throw.
Manziel didn’t start any better when he took over for Cleveland’s third series. After Tate gained five yards, Manziel threw behind running back Isaiah Crowell on second down before he was dropped by Kerrigan to force a punt.
Manziel’s second series, which began at the Washington 1-yard line, was better. He hit tight end MarQueis Gray with a screen for 17 yards and neatly fit in a 12-yard completion to Hawkins while on the run. However, Manziel’s next three plays were a one-yard loss, another Cameron drop and an ugly throw behind receiver Josh Gordon.
Hoyer then took over again to get some work against Washington’s backups. Fortunately, the Browns had the ball at the Redskins’ 15 after a 43-yard interception return because Hoyer and Co. managed just three yards before Billy Cundiff kicked a 29-yard field goal to give Cleveland a 3-0 lead with 4:58 remaining in the first half.
When Hoyer finally completed a pass after six incompletions, Gray fumbled and the Redskins recovered.
