Johnny Be Good! Browns Finally Win

It couldn’t have been the 2-10 Browns team that was just recently blown out by 34 last week versus the Cincinnati Bengals.

San Francisco’s defense gave up 230 yards rushing to the Browns (3-10), who came in averaging an NFL-low 73.9 yards per game but opened massive holes in the 49ers’ front. What a wild and actually entertaining change of course for a Browns season that was heading directly toward the No. 1 pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.

“I recall a couple of deep balls when Johnny was scrambling around”, safety Eric Reid said.

San Francisco’s Phil Dawson answered with a 44-yarder and got some claps from the crowd. Hartline had eight catches for 107 yards before getting hurt. The Browns might of scored 40 points had it not been for all their mistakes and injuries. “I’ve got to do a better job”. They committed themselves to the run game early. This was his first game back since leaving after 2012.

Making his first start since throwing for a career-high 372 yards on November 15 at Pittsburgh, Manziel was sharp in the first half with the exception of one bone-headed play. It was definitely a sight for sore eyes to watch this successful run game.

The 49ers could create nothing on offense, stop nothing on defense, and handed the Browns every opportunity imaginable.

The MMQB’s Peter King echoed La Canfora’s words, but Kingwas a little more critical of Manziel’s bye-week adventures that led to his two-game benching.

Pass offense: An appalling performance all around, starting with nine sacks that matched a franchise record. Gabbert simply did not have enough time to throw down the left sideline to his receiver who ran a wheel route. But, don’t forget the secondary that blanketed the San Francisco receivers for most the day. As one colleague pointed out, the last one didn’t go so well.

In his first start since being benched for two games because of off-the-field issues, Manziel showed off his mobility and the playmaking knack that made him “Johnny Football”, the Heisman Trophy victor at Texas A&M.

On Sunday, that’s exactly what the young Browns quarterback did. “It’s fun to be in a game where you can call everything in your playbook, not just pass after pass, which is no fun for anybody”. Manziel was decisive and accurate all game long, throwing for 270 yards and a touchdown. The Browns were given an automatic first down, and Isaiah Crowell scored his second touchdown of the contest two plays later, effectively ending the contest at 24-3. Dawson spent 14 seasons with the Browns, is their career leader in field goals (305) and ranks third in games played (215). They played a good football game and won the football game.

The second-year QB signed a $100 bill for a fan before the game and then had a signature win, albeit one against a 49ers team that failed to block, tackle or do much else very well.

Things will not get any easy for the Browns and Manziel when they travel to take on the Seahawks or in match-ups against the Chiefs or Steelers to close out the year but the reality is winning against good teams has to happen sooner or later. But, let’s enjoy this win and celebrate Victory Monday!