Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Manziel hurls four picks in CFL debut
MONTREAL » Johnny Manziel threw an interception — and made a tackle — on his second play in the Canadian Football League. It didn’t get much better after that, with four of his six first-half series ending in interceptions.
Seeing regular-season action for first time since December 2015 with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, Manziel fizzled in a hurry in the Montreal Alouettes’ 50-11 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday night.
After completing a pass for a 5-yard loss on his first play, Manziel threw an interception on the second — with the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner bringing down linebacker Larry Dean.
On Manziel’s second series, with Montreal down 14-0 to his former Hamilton teammates, he handed off twice before the Tiger-Cats blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.
The former Texas A&M star had another pass intercepted on his third series, with the blame going to running back Tyrell Sutton for mishandling and deflecting the ball to defender Jumal Rolle.
Manziel led Montreal to a field goal on his fourth drive, then threw his third interception early in the second quarter — Rolle’s second of the night.
The fourth interception came with 2:22 left in the half at end with the Tiger-Cats up 38-3.
Manziel played three series in the third quarter — all ending in punts — before giving way to back up Vernon Adams in the fourth.
Manziel began the season with Hamilton, but couldn’t get on the field behind starter Jeremiah Masoli and was traded to Montreal two ago weeks ago
The Alouettes are 1-6 and have won just once in 18 games going back a year.
Masoli was 17 of 26 for 300 yards and two touchdowns for the Tiger-Cats (3-4). SANTA CLARA » There’s growing concern about Joshua Garnett’s knee injury, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday, after the guard missed the last five practices of training camp.
“Josh said that he doesn’t feel right, so that’s always worrisome when a player says he doesn’t feel right,” said Shanahan. “And I know Josh is getting a few second opinions. So waiting until our doctors talk to other people and see what conclusion they come to.”
Garnett began camp in a heated competition to start at right guard after missing all of 2017 following surgery on the same right knee last August. The team said Garnett banged knees with a teammate July 28 and he was expected to return this week.
Part of the concern is the uncertainty surrounding the injury, BEREA, OHIO » Baker Mayfield had some typical rookie ups and downs. Tyrod Taylor was his steady self.
Mayfield threw his first interception in training camp while Taylor had a pair of touchdown passes to Jarvis Landry, who made a spectacular, one-handed grab on the second one, as the Browns held their annual intra-squad scrimmage Friday in front of Cleveland fans desperate to see if a team that went 0-16 last season has improved.
“There was some good, some bad,” coach Hue Jackson said of his team’s overall performance.
Same could be said of his quarterbacks.
The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Mayfield has been impressive so far during his first NFL camp. Although he’s expected to spend the season as Taylor’s backup, Mayfield has shown why the Browns believe he can lead them in the future.
The Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma took the field first and immediately led Cleveland’s second-team offense on a TD drive. He completed a 30-yard pass to C.J. Board and a 29-yarder to Devon Cajuste to set up rookie Nick Chubb’s 1-yard score.
But later, while going against the Browns’ defensive starters, Mayfield botched a handoff and was picked off by linebacker Jamie Collins, who hauled in a ball tipped at the line by defensive tackle Jamie Meder.
Mayfield also struggled toward the end of the hour-long scrimmage during a simulated goal-line situation, taking two sacks while waiting for receivers to get open.