Johnny Manziel on Browns: ‘Our faith is being tested’

Thrust back onto the field in short notice after Josh McCown suffered a laundry list of injuries and ailments, it couldn’t be stressed enough how badly Manziel needed to prove his worth and ensure the Browns had no choice but to stick with him for the rest of this already-lost season.

Cincinnati put the first points on the board when Dalton looked down the middle and found Eifert, who leapt then caught the pass amid single coverage from Browns free safety Tashaun Gipson, with the tight end then falling into the end zone. The defense did their part with three sacks and forced over 150 less yards in the game than what the Bengals’ offense gained.

There was a lot to like about the way the Cincinnati Bengals played in primetime against the Cleveland Browns.

“In the second half, it was eerily familiar”, he said.

There just isn’t much left for the Browns to play for anymore this year.

He can’t look any worse than he did sober in the second half. But Cleveland is far removed from the playoff picture at this stage, which means as a franchise, it’s time to figure out where the next step is. “We had a few momentum coming in to the half, so we really needed that”.

The Browns do not play again until they face the Steelers in Pittsburgh on November 15. That’s the type of performance the Browns would love to see from the signal-caller on a consistent basis.

“It’s also a function of how well we play around him”, Pettine added. “I can’t control how many balls I get thrown or anything like that, but I can put myself in the best position”.

As important as the offense is, the defense is just as vital to the Bengals’ 8-0 record.

It’s time for the country to start taking the Cincinnati Bengals seriously. Manziel and the Cleveland offense played well for a half before unraveling thereafter.

-WR Andrew Hawkins (concussion) missed his second straight game.

Manziel had an effective first half, throwing for a touchdown and 128 yards. He will have difficulty being a success if he is consistently prohibited from leaving the pocket.

Last night, against the Cleveland Browns, Eifert finished the game with five grabs for 53 yards and three scores. In the second half, though, they attempted only one planned carry and that resulted in a four-yard loss by Isaiah Crowell. But the Browns need to use the next seven games to determine whether Manziel is their quarterback or not. Rookie Duke Johnson netted zero yards on three carries.

The high-scoring effort started with tight end Tyler Eifert.

“He’s so good and has such a great feel for getting open”, said Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton.

Dalton was 21 of 27 for 234 yards. The Browns have now yielded 18 touchdown passes in nine games.

For a half Thursday, Johnny Manziel got the kind of redemption he’d been seeking against the Bengals ever since his first career start against them late last season didn’t go as planned.

Sanu’s touchdown was excellent, but the lead runner was Giovani Bernard, who made 13 attempts for 72 yards.

The clinching touchdown came early in the fourth quarter when receiver Mohamed Sanu scored on a 25-yard reverse with Dalton among the lead blockers, making the score 24-10. Thursday’s game served as a test for both teams, but the Bengals were able to walk away the victor.