Johnny Manziel actually did that against the 49ers on Sunday, when he tried to run away from trouble from his own 7 by running straight into the end zone, where he was swallowed by SF defensive lineman Quinton Dial. Trouble was for the 49ers, Dial grazed Manziel’s facemask on the play, so the Browns got a first down instead of giving up a safety. And when he felt pressure, Manziel bought time the way only he can and scrambled to make throws or first downs.
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After throwing an interception late in the second quarter, Manziel sat on the bench on the sideline and repeatedly smacked himself in the head with a Surface tablet.
The 49ers were coming off an overtime win against the Chicago Bears but fell to 4-9. It’s those kinds of plays that impresses TE Gary Barnidge.
“There were holes for our backs to run through, and when they were there, they hit them, “Manziel said”.
While there are still concerns about Manziel’s behavior off the field, Pettine praised the 23-year-old’s work ethic and attitude inside Cleveland’s facility. Behind Crowell, Duke Johnson Jr. had 78 rushing yards on 13 carries. Sure, last season Manziel didn’t even look capable of shredding a high school team’s defense. Karlos Dansby leads the Browns with 89 tackles, Armonty Bryant has 5.5 sacks and Tramon Williams has nine pass deflections. They were the first two sacks of Orchard’s career. If the Niners get the first down, it changes the momentum of the game. “You want someone who is passionate about the game”.
Sunday was great for the team, great for the dozens of fans in attendance, but where do the Browns go from here? The way they played was something that has not happened since October. Giving up 481 yards to the Browns is just bad, and Cleveland ran for 230 yards total while holding the ball for nearly 38 minutes of game time.
Two plays before Crowell scored, the Browns dodged a bullet. Hartline fumbled at the 1 but recovered to preserve the drive.
“It’s hard for anybody outside to speak (on it)”, said coach Mike Pettine.
-RUNNING DEFENSE: B. The 49ers were without their best runner, Carlos Hyde, who on Saturday was put on injured reserve with a foot injury.
An issue that was not helped by the departing of offensive line coach Andy Moeller, the running game has been virtually nonexistent averaging less than 75 yards per game. 49ers outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks mentioned how the team might have played the Browns a little bit soft. The converted quarterback finished without a catch.
“I mean, you’re a professional football player, you play”, Tomsula said. In the receiving end, Tyler Lockette had 104 yards and two touchdowns in six receptions while Dough Baldwin added 82 ayrds and three touchdowns in six receptions. Six plays later, the Browns settled for Coons’ field goal.
The 49ers have an NFL-worst minus-127 scoring differential as they prepare for the arrival of the Cincinnati Bengals (10-3) on Sunday.
To start, the Browns won in convincing fashion, which is a stunner in itself. This answer is not yet known, and until it is, we can’t make any sort of claim that Cleveland has found its quarterback of the future.
The Browns advanced to the 49ers’ 44.
Secondly, it’s still way too early to deem Manziel as trustworthy, especially off the field.
The question is, will the Browns let Johnny cut it loose as well?
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Not surprisingly, when the Browns stopped the run, it enabled them to rush the passer.
