Manziel helps Browns beat 49ers, snap streak

Things worked out on the field, though: Manziel had his way with the 49ers defense, going 21-for-31 for 270 yards and a touchdown pass. The Browns won, 24-10, the team’s first win since October 11.

“We have been struggling getting wins lately, and I think that is a huge aspect to get that win and finally get on the right side of the board”, Barnidge said. That gets our guys going. Seeing as the San Francisco was 4-8 entering a road game, I do not understand how you can play anybody soft. As one colleague pointed out, the last one didn’t go so well.

All three victories have been against struggling teams.

But it is also just as likely that the defense we’ve seen all season – rather than the one that took apart the 49ers – will reappear and Sunday was just one game.

The plan going forward is to let Manziel start the remaining games.

The Manziel trade rumors have been flying for some time now to the point where credible sources like ESPN’s Adam Schefter are reporting that teams like the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco could be ready to make a move for the quarterback in the coming offseason.

The Browns would like to force the Seahawks, and then the Kansas City Chiefs (Dec. 27) and Pittsburgh Steelers (Jan. 3), to defend the same way.

Manziel looked to Hartline often Sunday, targeting him 10 times before the injury. “Now we’ve got to get back on the horse and continue to get better”. Yesterday he finished the game with one catch.

Boone exited Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns in the third quarter after outside linebacker Paul Kruger rolled into Boone’s leg as he attempted to tackle 49ers running back Shaun Draughn.

-Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor played against the 49ers but was not targeted.

Browns tight end Gary Barnidge said Manziel’s teammates “are going to be behind him no matter what”.

Injury update: Running back Thomas Rawls broke his left ankle and will miss the rest of the season. But instead of running out of bounds or throwing the ball away, Manziel forced a pass over the middle that was intercepted by Niners safety Jaquiski Tartt, who returned it 25 yards.

-PASSING DEFENSE: A minus.

On the day after an especially ugly loss – in which the sad-sack Browns utterly dominated the 49ers – head coach Jim Tomsula insisted his team didn’t take Cleveland lightly. Fitzpatrick has a negative PFF grade from a clean pocket and has completed only 63.6 percent of his passes, with a lower yards-per-attempt figure and a slightly higher passer rating (93.7). He is now the first player in National Football League history to record 50 or more catches and 600 or more receiving yards in each of his first 13 seasons. Cleveland rushed for 230 yards, the most by the Browns since 2010.

To Manziel’s credit, his six touchdown passes in seven games this season are only three behind Minnesota’s Teddy Bridgewater, who has started 13 games. Don’t let the final numbers fool you: The 49ers offense was invisible until the meaningless touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. The key for the Browns was getting ahead early and forcing the 49ers to play from behind.

Defensively, the Browns stopped the run for the first time all season.

-SPECIAL TEAMS: D. Cracks are beginning to show in the Browns normally solid special teams units. Punt coverage faltered on Sunday, when the Browns allowed Bruce Ellington to escape on a 36-yard return.

“The mistake before the half (the interception) is well documented”, coach Mike Pettine said.