The Cleveland Browns are exercising a lot of faith in rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel who will make his first start against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. In need of a major spark to help secure the playoffs, Manziel is getting the nod of Brian Hoyer despite the veteran quarterback getting the Browns to where they are in the season. While head coach Mike Pettine and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have voiced total confidence in Manziel, a few of the offensive stars are uncertain about what the quarterback will bring to the field.
Pettine told the media that he had no reservations naming Manziel the starting quarterback, saying that he was anxious to see what the rookie could do. Offensive touchdowns have been few and far between with Hoyer struggling the past five weeks. Manziel was the only one responsible for their lone 80-yard scoring effort. Shanahan told the media that the Browns can expect good things with Manziel who has been putting in the overtime all week.
"He's been locked in," Shanahan said, via Cleveland.com. "I can tell he's been excited with this opportunity. You could tell right away just him coming in on Monday and Tuesday working and having that sense of urgency and knowing he's going. I think he's improved throughout the week. He's one of the more exciting football players in college football history. That's why he got a Heisman and was close to getting two."
One person not totally on the Manziel bandwagon just yet is wide receiver Josh Gordon who notes that his familiarity with Hoyer makes him nervous to pair up with the rookie. However, the media speculated that Gordon was not playing as hard against the Colts in order to get the rookie into the game.
"It was definitely a change of pace for me," Gordon said, via ESPN.com. "There's no reason why I would even think or do something like that. It's like trying to throw a game on purpose. Nobody wants to do that, if you like a guy or don't like a guy. I love Brian. He's been here since I first got here just about. He was my quarterback last year. He's a competitor. Nothing wrong with him. I've never even played with Johnny. That's crazy to think that."
With Manziel under center, Gordon is going to have to play a big game. Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell are also expected to be big parts in the Browns offense to help stabilize the offense for the rookie. However, everyone seems excited to see what Manziel is going to offer up.
"You don't want him to just sit there and be a robot," Shanahan said. "You want him to do what's made him successful and that's make plays, also. I keep saying it, but there's a fine line between both. That's something he's got to figure out, and I've got to help him work on. I hope he can be able to use both types of his game."
