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Johnny Manziel defends his weekend, doesn't expect NFL discipline and doesn't want to be benched

updated November 11, 2015 at 7:06 PM
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Berea, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel once again defended his right to party, revealed he doesn't expect to be disciplined by the NFL and admits being benched for Sunday's game in Pitttsburgh in favor of Josh McCown would be hard.

He also acknowledged that it's tough to throw over 6-7 guys when you're only 5' 11-1/2'', which is why he rolls out so much.

Fresh off a long weekend at Texas A&M, where he served as an honorary captain for the Aggies loss to Auburn, Manziel insisted that folks are getting the wrong impression of photos of him out and about in College Station.

"I've changed and adapted my lifestyle incredibly since last year,'' said Manziel, who spent 10 weeks in an addiction treatment facility in the offseason. "We did get some time off this week. For me, my personal life is my personal life. At the same time, I got a chance and an incredible opportunity to go back to a place that myself and a ton of other teammates at Texas A&M helped build and, with the help of donors and the success that we had in all of those years, built an incredible stadium.

"It was probably one of the nicest things I've ever seen and I got to go back to a place that, they had so much love for me there and got to see so many old teammates and old coaches and just watch a game in that stadium with family and friends. Luck of the draw for me that it worked out that way and being able to go back home. I think it was an awesome time for me and I was really excited to be back in Aggieland."

He was aware that the photos of him enjoying the college social scene Instagram and Twitter while the coaches pondered whether or not to start him Sunday in Pittsburgh raised eyebrows. Manziel took all the first-team reps Wednesday while Josh McCown mostly rested his sore ribs. At this point, McCown's probably got only about a 50-50 chance of playing.

"I think there's going to continue to always be a cloud over my head from everything that's happened in the past,'' said Manziel, who lived it up from coast to coast last year before checking himself into rehab. "That's not going to go away. I'm sure any time anybody sees me in any type of aspect or any type of situation the way that anything would've been before, they're just going to say, 'oh, he's back to doing the same thing over and over again.' I'm smart enough to have learned a lot over my past year and a half of my life, that's for sure."

As for photos which were reminiscent of his wilder days, he said, "I probably took 2,000 pictures this weekend and just those are the ones that happened to be blasted out onto social media. Took a lot of pictures with a lot of people and I think I made a lot of people happy, so I can't really control who does what with those and what people say about them."

He said the Browns didn't mention his weekend activities. The players and coaches had three days off after Thursay night's 31-10 loss to the Bengals.

"No,'' he said. "I came back and talked to the coaching staff just as always, looking forward to the next week. Getting ready to play Pittsburgh.''

He said he hasn't heard from the NFL yet about whether or not he'll be disciplined for his Oct. 12th roadway incident with his girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, but doesn't think he will be. Manziel met with NFL investigator Lisa Friel at the Browns facility two weeks ago and the matter is still under review. The NFL is investigating whether or not Manziel committed domestic violence or otherwise violated its personal conduct policy.

"It's just kind of out of my control at this point,'' he said. "So it's not anything that I expect. But like I said, I haven't heard anything on that front.''

Manziel, who might get his third start of the season Sunday against the 5-4 Steelers, admitted it will be hard to take a seat again if he has to. Coach Mike Pettine has said McCown will start if he's healthy, but the veteran didn't sound overly optimistic Wednesday after practice.

"I think it's tough,'' said Manziel. "I was telling Flip (offensive coordinator John DeFilippo) and everybody, as the game went on, I felt things starting to slow down more and more and seeing guys here and there. Not every game is going to be perfect in that aspect. Like I said, I've only played four starts. At the same time, I feel like I'm getting more comfortable, so it's going to be hard knowing that I feel like I'm getting better and learning a lot being out there and then having to go back. We don't know if that's been decided yet, or what the case may be, so we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Manziel acknowledged that it's tough for him to see from the pocket because of his height. In Cincinnati, the Bengals hemmed him in in the second half, and he struggled against the taller ends.

"Well, Michael Johnson's 6-7 and Carlos Dunlap's 6-8, so I'm like 5-11 ½, I guess,'' he said. "(But) I have a lot of confidence in my ability. I'm continuing to gain confidence playing in this system and playing in this offense. It takes a lot of time getting used to seeing these coverages, knowing where people are going to be and exploiting that. I'm not going to be able to sit there like some of these taller quarterbacks in the league and just be able to see everything happen as it plays on.

"There's going to be times where I'm not going to be able to see something and I'm going to have to make a faith throw, knowing that, hey, it's Cover-3 and this guy's here and this guy went there with where this person is. So as I continue to watch film, continue to play in these games, there's going to be times where I'm going to not be able to see everything like everyone else and it's clear as day. I think I'm getting better at it, but I'm nowhere near perfect, that's for sure.''

Manziel, who was criticized by Pettine at halftime for throwing on the run too much, defended his ability to throw from the pocket.

"Not every play was made outside the pocket,'' he said. "There's a time and a place for me to get out. I don't think that is a bad thing, me getting out of the pocket and running around. I don't think anybody wants to take that away from me, but there are times where I could definitely stay in there a little longer and that's just a fact of the way I play and the way I have to continue to try and adapt."

He admitted that he reverts back to scrambling when the going gets tough.

"That's the way I've played a lot of my life, so I'm sure that when things do tend to break down, that's what I kind of fall back on to,'' he said. "At the same time, you can take that with the check-downs and continue to move the ball and take a little bit here and give a little bit there. I think that's the name of the game and what I'm searching for and what I'm trying to do."

If McCown's ribs don't heal in a hurry, he'll have another crack at it Sunday in Pittsburgh.


Edited by mac (11/12/15 08:52 AM)

I'll add a third...

3) He can get himself on game film, study that, see what he has done and how he can improve, (with the help of his position coach and OC), and then go back out there and try to be better next time. Do that enough times, while getting all the practice reps, and I can see a QB improving quickly.

"There's going to be times where I'm not going to be able to see something and I'm going to have to make a faith throw ...

If he doesn't know all of his flaws right now, he is not listening. Seeing more film of something that's already on film and he's been told about over and over again isn't doing him any good. These are basic things that he is doing every play. He knows that.

I'll say it one more time

You can't fix footwork or throwing motion on the field.

It has to be instinct before you get on the field. What you can do is practice and reinforce bad footwork and bad mechanics though.

I don't know if this is the case, but what should be happening is while the first team is practicing, your QB coach should be pulling Johnny aside doing drills. Practicing 3,5, and 7 step drops and practicing throwing mechanics. It should be all he is thinking about right now until it becomes instinct. It's going to take thousands of reps. He shouldn't have to be thinking about gameplans and personnel groupings until he has the basics down first.

The answer to someone not mastering the basics is not to suddenly throw more on his shoulders and expect it to help him.

Is "faith throw" a term anyone else has ever heard? I know I haven't. (It kind of sounds like a Hail Mary, except to a checkdown, lol.) Seriously though, if Manziel is finding himself in situations where he has to make throws to where he thinks a receiver will be and also thinks a defender will not be ... that's a concern to me, especially with our small receivers. This isn't A&M where he just had to throw it up in Mike Evans' general vicinity.

What I'm concerned about is that if you don't start Johnny you don't know what you have going into next year.

Is "faith throw" a term anyone else has ever heard? I know I haven't. (It kind of sounds like a Hail Mary, except to a checkdown, lol.) Seriously though, if Manziel is finding himself in situations where he has to make throws to where he thinks a receiver will be and also thinks a defender will not be ... that's a concern to me, especially with our small receivers. This isn't A&M where he just had to throw it up in Mike Evans' general vicinity.

Is "faith throw" a term anyone else has ever heard? I know I haven't. (It kind of sounds like a Hail Mary, except to a checkdown, lol.) Seriously though, if Manziel is finding himself in situations where he has to make throws to where he thinks a receiver will be and also thinks a defender will not be ... that's a concern to me, especially with our small receivers. This isn't A&M where he just had to throw it up in Mike Evans' general vicinity.

btw...on the previous page I gave the link to watch and/or read the Presser in its entirety.

1. From my recollection what Manziel said about the pocket. Is at some point he will not be able to see the WR that well and would have to "TRUST" the route if his read is correct and it comes time to throw.

2. Brees who has some similar problems relies on his "THROWING LANES" with the routes.

3. Also vision can be improved dramatically if he drops back like he should - even from Shotgun - get a deeper drop and see the entire field...as the edge rush comes he would have to hitch up into the pocket protection. But if he just stands there after receiving the Shotgun Snap...and then hitch up he is too close to the OL...btw this is done by McCown who has the prototype height. How many passes does he get blocked and tipped? I remember DA doing that as well and had quite a few blocked.

Most of the GOOD QBs use primarily the available passing lanes and the timing of the routes with those lanes.

jmho

To me its a none factor that will be made official probably late tomorrow.

jmho[/color]

The first thing I'd like to point out is that making the letters big does not make your point any more valid. It's like talking louder in an argument. It doesn't make you more right, it only makes you louder.

I only added the 3rd thing because you can't limit the discussion to only the first 2 things that come to your mind and then and call those the definitive topics of the conversation. Doing that you can find yourself stuck in a rut thus preventing yourself from expanding your knowledge as you find yourself with a burning need to defend those only 2 things that came to your mind.

To say that "If he doesn't know all of his flaws by now, he is not listening', is then to say that every QB who has started for, say, three games, has nothing left to learn. He should have learned all his flaws and shortcomings before he ever stepped on the field.

Yet, all but the best of the elite have flaws even after playing for years. And even the best of the elite has their individual issues. They work on them every day.

Brady has always been a proud fixture in the pocket. He often doesn't even step up. But over the years, he's seen how Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson and Alex Smith and yes, Manning, move in the pocket and extend plays. Manning has worked especially hard at becoming more nimble, always trying to limit any deficiency. And his chief rival for the greatest quarterback of their era has noticed and been inspired to do the same, because, as Bill Belichick says, "The longer the play extends, then the more separation there is between that underneath level and the deep level."

This past spring, Brady decided he wanted that club in his bag. "I focused a lot this offseason on those mechanics to allow me to make a couple of those plays this year," he told me early Monday morning. ESPN

Does that mean that the 38 year old Tom Brady, the 4 Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, used this past off-season to improve on his mechanics?! Pffft, he shoulda learned that stuff before he ever stepped on the field.

I can't think that's the case at all. If it is, thend why practice at all after your first few games. You don't need it. You've already fixed your issues. Now it's up to the rest of the guys to catch up with you.

I'm a musician. Not like our dawg Clemy, I'm just a local guy who burned himself out on rock 'n roll and country bands. I've played in a ton of bands over the years. The way it works is you practice a bunch of songs, (some of that practice is alone and a lot of it is with the whole band), until you feel you're ready to do a gig.

But the first gigs go kinda shaky. It's one thing to practice in the garage or basement, a controlled, relaxed situation. It's a whole nudder thing to perform under the live situation when it really counts and the pressure is on.

When you're under the duress of playing for money, in front of the guy who's paying you, in front of people who came to see you where the chips are down and the pressure is on, you learn your best. You'll better retain what you've learned from that environment than when you're in a more relaxed situation where it isn't critical if you screw up a little bit.

In a pressure situation you learn where your mistakes are fast. You remember them because you don't want to make them again.

And I don't care how many times you say, "You can't fix footwork or throwing motion on the field", I say don't even get on a bicycle until you know how pedal it and use the brakes and how to steer and how to balance. You don't learn stuff like that by riding the bike. You learn that stuff before you ever get on the bike.

On a short week against the Bengals we knew we were gonna lose. I think Most just wanted to see a competitive game and we got that for a half then the team quit. Balls being dropped and defense collapse sealed it.

he has had plenty of time to prepare for the Steelers. This is a game that we should win. I think Pet is afraid that if Johnny does start and win, they wotn let him go back to McCown with a Johnny thats 2-1 as a starter.

This is a game in which he should start and he should play well. If he doesnt, then we start having concerns but I saw enough in Tenn to make me want to see more. I saw enough in Cinn for me to want to see more.

exactly. Last week everything was against him. I think this week, everything is there for him and he has to play very well.

I hope they do exactly that. This is a hurdle he must get past. I just hope we run much deeper routes this week and allow him to make plays deep. The kid is a great deep ball passer and it is easier to see down the field as well.

I expect the Steelers to play a very basic 3 man front and a lot of zone against Johnny. They will see if johnny will beat johnny.

It drives me nuts that Pettine is the one getting criticized for asking the obvious from his QB and poor Johnny is the victim again. Now it's Pettine's fault that Manziel can't make plays from the pocket. Reminds me of the Simpson's "I didn't do it" Bart episode

I'm confused by any team that would draft Manziel who clearly was NEVER a true, dyed in the wool, Pocket passer and try to turn him into one.

Johnnys value is in what he can do while running. we've seen it here. He rolls out, finds a guy, let's it fly and damned if he isn't pretty good at that.

The kid can scramble, why take that weapon away from him.

Who's that successful scrambling NFL QB again?

Who's that successful scrambling NFL QB again?

Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkington, Randall Cunningham

Browns OC DeFilippo: I don't want to take ability to escape pocket from Johnny Manziel, but if you're in pocket & guy is open, deliver it

Mary Kay Cabot @MaryKayCabot
#Browns OC Flip said Manziel's 2nd half struggles in Cincy "were a little bit more of a self-inflicted thing than a containment thing''

The better question is name one scrambling QB that couldn't throw from the pocket and was successful?

Oof.

Flip going in on Manziel.