Connor Shaw recap: Browns preseason opener

“This one is a tough pill to swallow”, he wrote.

In the Browns’ first preseason game, the controversial Johnny Manziel went 7-of-11 for 42 yards (a QB rating of 71.0) and ran for a touchdown on Thursday night in Cleveland. Early on in the seasons, things might look bad for the two as the youngsters get acclimated against the likes of Cameron Wake and other premier rushers, but their development throughout the season will end in a much improved unit. Paul had his ankle dislocated and fractured and he had to be aircasted and carted off the field. A disappointment continues to be Rob Housler, whose advertised athleticism and playmaking ability was not on display during this one.

Gruden said he liked the way Griffin moved the ball and extended plays while noting room for improvement. “We’ll have to figure it out”. Its going to take time with Manziel. Some solid showings in preseason would definitely go a long way. But this was a night that left them encouraged. The effectiveness of the line will depend heavily on the duo of rookie Brandon Scherff and second year tackle Morgan Moses.

“What we did not do a good enough job here [last year], not almost a good enough job, is holding [Manziel] accountable, even when he wasn’t the guy”, Pettine told Sports Illustrated’s Jenny Vrentas on Tuesday.

The team has articulated its toughness goal with great clarity in recent weeks. Could you not have seen that middle finger go up as he jogged to sidelines and inferred that the kid was ill-prepared to quarterback an NFL team? “The next morning, you’re going to be sore”. It was fun. I had a great time. There is what Cleveland hopes is a solid, secure veteran working with a talented young guy who may finally be focused on making it in the NFL. “Sixteen regular season games are tough”, Gruden said after the game.

Quarterback play has been a joke in Cleveland-we all know that. “They compete”. With that touchdown, McCown’s work was finished for the day. As a private quarterbacks coach, O’Connell trained Manziel leading up to last year’s draft.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and it’s my intention to work very hard to regain everyone’s trust and respect”. The consistency isn’t there yet. Every little thing you do from a friend standpoint and a football standpoint.

Renner answered with a 1-yard touchdown run with 2 seconds left to give Baltimore the win. All three have dealt with hamstring injuries during camp, with Johnson out the last 10 days and Pryor a week.

Washington should have dominated the first half. Justin Gilbert started at corner and immediately got picked on by Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.

In addition, Cleveland does not leave many choices on offense At this point, who is running out to buy a Johnny Manziel or Brian Hartline jersey?

Because … nothing protects players from catastrophic preseason injuries better than adding more meaning to the games and applying more pressure for the coaches and players’ decisions? And Andre Roberts led all receivers with four receptions for 71 yards. No easy games. The players will have to stick to a limited game plan. If they’re successful, it will aid a defense that should be the team’s strength. But we’re praying for them and we’re feeling for them. How the injuries influence this all-out mentality is worth monitoring as the preseason advances.