Johnny Manziel did not do much in the Cleveland Browns' first preseason game, but he did enough to make people believe he was the team's next starting quarterback. Cleveland lost their first preseason game to the Detroit Lions with modest stats across the board, but many believe that the rookie quarterback officially has the starting job in the bag. While he may have the fan-favorite vote, the coaching staff is still downplaying the idea that Manziel will be under center Week 1.
Manziel and Brian Hoyer were almost identical on Saturday night. Manziel went 7 of 11 for 63 yards while also rushing for 27 yards on six carries. Hoyer went 6 of 14 for 92 yards with no rushing. Clearly, the rookie and the veteran have very different skill sets. Manziel showed off fancy footwork while Hoyer looked poised in the pocket, demonstrating the mentality of a seasoned vet. Head coach Mike Pettine notes that both quarterbacks did a solid job in the game and no decision had been made as to who would be starting next week.
"They both did some things more suited to their skill set," Pettine said, via ESPN.com. "I think Brian was high on a couple throws. I think he would want those back, and he threw a couple other nice balls in there. Then I thought Johnny did some nice things from the pocket, and when he got out, he created a little bit as well."
Reports were quick to come out saying Manziel would start in the second preseason game against the Washington Redskins. The two teams face off in the first Monday Night Football game as the media is sure to eat up the Manziel vs. Robert Griffin III storyline, but Pettine is not giving into the idea that Manziel will be starting right away. He stressed that Hoyer is still in the lead for the starting job, but Manziel has certainly improved a lot.
"We put Brian out there with the ones, and that was for a reason," Pettine said. "Because he was ahead, because of his edge in experience and the lead he had with the playbook. And he's done nothing to have that taken away from him. "But Johnny has made some improvement, a lot of improvement. He's come in, and the things where he was behind in the spring, I think he's got a pretty firm grasp on. As we said before, it was him versus the playbook, and he's handling it well. He's really gone from one extreme to the other, and I think he's handled it well. Brian on the other hand has been solid."
There are plenty of position battles taking place for the Browns. As wide receiver Josh Gordon prepares to be suspended for possibly eight games, the challenge to replace him is heated. The first preseason game did not do much to determine anything. Gordon played and had two catches for 32 yards. Charles Johnson looked strong with three catches for 30 yards while Andrew Hawkins and Miles Austin each recorded a catch as well.
