NIGHTMARISH DEBUT FOR MANZIEL
This time the agent was right.
Erik Burkhardt was concerned his client was getting thrown into the fire way too early.
The results suggest someone should have listened to Burkhardt.
Johnny Manziel, with four practices under his belt with the Alouettes, was handed the start against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, his former team. It was painful as the 50-11 final score might indicate.
Manziel’s night started with a completion, a short pitch to a crossing Benny Cunningham that got blown up by Adrian Tracy who dumped him for a five-yard loss.
It only got worse.
On the next play, Manziel lost middle linebacker Larry Dean who had lined up amongst the giants on the Hamilton defensive line. When Dean dropped back in coverage he was invisible to Manziel who was locked in on his receiver. Dean deftly stepped in front of the pass and the Ticats had a much-needed take-away. It wouldn’t be their last. Alex Green eventually turned that take-away into a touchdown and then after a two-and-out on Montreal’s next possession and a blocked punt by the Ticats that was returned for a touchdown, Manziel was right back on the field, this time down 21-0. Again it didn’t get any better. Manziel did finally help his team to a first down, avoiding a sack and getting the first down on an interference penalty against the Tabbies.
He appeared to have escaped more trouble on the next down, dodging defenders and then pushing a pass over a defender to a wide-open Tyrell Sutton. Unfortunately Sutton wasn’t expecting the ball and wound up tipping it right into the hands of Jumal Rolle for the second pick of the night.
In the first half alone, Manziel threw four picks, something he had never done in college or the NFL. You can hardly blame him for Sutton’s tipped ball, a pass Sutton should have caught, but Manziel has to take responsibility for the other three.
On the Dean pick, he just lost a defender and paid the price. Rolle had two of the four picks. The first was on that Sutton tip, but the second was on a thirddown gamble and Manziel clearly got greedy on that one.
With Sutton wide open and with plenty of space in front of him just over the line of scrimmage, Manziel opted to go for the home-run ball with a receiver in behind Rolle 30 yards downfield. But Manziel underthrew the pass for an easy second pick of the night by Rolle.
His fourth pick was right into the arms of Mike Daly as Manziel tried to force a pass with pressure coming at him right up the middle. Manziel tried to force one in and Daly barely had to adjust to pick that one off.
You can make the case that getting Manziel time now with the Alouettes only makes sense. He’s the future, if you believe head coach Mike Sherman, and the Alouettes haven’t been in a game except for the one win they somehow managed in Regina earlier this year.
Just don’t try to convince former quarterbacks in this league this was a good idea.
Two of them were members of the TSN halftime panel in Matt Dunigan and Henry Burris and while they didn’t come right out and say it, both seemed completely insulted with the idea that anyone would think it was a good idea to throw a guy into a game at the quarterback position with just four practices under his belt.
And it’s a tough stance to argue. The hype that has followed Johnny Football since his Texas A&M days just seems to go hand in hand with some very poor decisions.
The lone exception may have been in Hamilton where the Ticats stuck with the success they knew in Jeremiah Masoli and were rewarded for it.
Manziel finished the night 11-for-20 for 104 yards and those four picks. His longest completion was 31 yards to Eugene Lewis. Manziel was replaced by Vernon Adams Jr., the man he replaced as the starter, to start the fourth quarter.
If there was a positive for Manziel in an otherwise forgettable night, it was that he still clearly has the ability to be elusive and avoid tacklers.
Manziel didn’t move the chains with his legs, but he did extend plays and possessions with his scrambling ability.
Already down 21-0, Manziel looked dead to rights as Jason Neill came up the gut untouched. Manziel ducked out of the way and turned a sure sack and seven-yard loss into a first down as he found an open receiver.
Vegas got in on the act with the Manziel circus as well, setting lines on his individual performance with over/unders on completions, touchdowns, passing yards and rushing yards, tonameafew.
Anyone betting the under had a banner night with the exception of the interceptions department. The Bodog line for interceptions was 0.5 picks and Manziel was well over that number.
Bottom line, Manziel, even willingly, was put into a very tough situation. The results can’t be surprising to anyone who knows the first damn thing about the Canadian Football League and what it takes to play quarterback in this league or any other.