1. Manziel flops in his first start as Browns continue December swoon
The Johnny Football era finally arrived, and as quickly as the excitement grew it may have crashed even sooner.
Johnny Manziel made his first NFL start Sunday against Cincinnati in an attempt to reverse the Browns’ fortunes. Brian Hoyer had thrown one touchdown compared to eight picks over the last month, which resulted in a 1-3 record and inevitably dropping out of the AFC playoff picture.
Well, here came Johnny, trying to help the Browns snap a nine-game losing streak in December and January games.
Manziel couldn’t put Cleveland on the scoreboard in this lopsided 30-0 affair. The rookie went 10-for-18 with 80 yards and a pair of interceptions, getting bested by Andy Dalton, who managed 117 yards and a pick.
After the loss, which dropped Cleveland to 7-7 and officially eliminated the team from AFC North contention, Browns coach Mike Pettine said Manziel “looked like a rookie, played like a rookie.“
