Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine acknowledged Wednesday that he knows quarterback Johnny Manziel is frustrated by his lack of playing time, but has not yet addressed the issue with the first-round pick, according to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.
Mike Pettine knows Johnny Manziel is frustrated
Mike Pettine can “sense” Johnny Manziel’s frustration as the backup quarterback behind Brian Hoyer.
Jason Miller
Pettine added that he understands why Manziel, a competitor who is accustomed to producing on the field, would be disappointed in his role as the backup behind Brian Hoyer. He can sense Manziel's frustration, noting that he's been "quiet" around the facility.
When asked to expand on his feelings about Manziel’s demeanor, Pettine responded:
“I just think you feel it. I’d be shocked -- maybe I’m imposing it on him -- but you feel it because you know what kind of competitor he is. Here’s a guy that’s gone from the past how many falls being out there making plays to standing there and having to watch. The competitor that he is is one of the biggest reasons we brought him here. So if he didn’t feel that way, I’d be shocked.”
Manziel has been on the field for just four plays and thrown one pass during his rookie campaign. The coaches have praised his work ethic in practice and his performance with the scout team, but admittedly cannot really grade his ability to engineer an NFL offense until he gets significant snaps on Sundays. Manziel has also downplayed his place on the depth chart, saying last week that he didn’t want to create any controversy.
“I think there’s been enough drama around me and my life for a couple of years now. So for me, I know whenever camp was over and we got into the roles of who was going to play what role, Brian was named the starter and I was named the backup, and now I need to play my role of the backup and that’s that.”
Hoyer has quieted the critics and kept Johnny Football on the sidelines with his mostly steady play this season. He has led the Browns to a 4-3 record and has really played only one horrible game, completing just 16 of 41 passes for 215 yards in a 24-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7. Hoyer has proven to be a capable quarterback for Cleveland, ranking 18th and 19th (out of 33 qualified quarterbacks) in passer rating and Total QBR, respectively. The big wrinkle in the situation is that Hoyer will be a free agent after this season, and the team must make a decision whether to re-sign him or hand the reins over to Manziel next year.
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