Manziel Mania takes a big hit

What a difference a week makes.

Seven days ago, Cleveland Browns fans were on the edges of their seats in anticipation of Johnny Manziel’s first NFL start.

No one knew exactly what to expect. Sure, Manziel was an undersized quarterback by NFL standards and his game didn’t fit the league’s prototype at the position. And he’d been on the field for just 17 snaps going into last Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

But most Browns fans — despite 15 years of evidence to suggest otherwise — are always convinced the franchise is just about to get it right. And they’re usually disappointed.

It didn’t take long to see why Browns coach Mike Pettine waited so long to give Manziel an extended look when it mattered. The rookie was indecisive, shaky and seemed to lack the intangibles we take for granted in reliable NFL quarterbacks during an embarrassing 30-0 loss to the Bengals.

The Browns didn’t just lose. They were never in it. Cleveland managed just five first downs — two by penalty — and didn’t crack 100 yards until Manziel threw a 9-yard screen pass on the game’s final play.

Do you think the Browns knew they were stuck at 98 yards and called that play specifically to avoid the ignominy of failing to gain 100 yards of offense? Maybe so, but that last play did nothing to change the unmitigated disaster that preceded it.

But it wasn’t just Johnny Football who didn’t show up ready to play. This is what coaches like to refer to as a Total Team Effort, only they prefer to use that term from the other side of a 30-0 score.

But that’s not the way things work in Cleveland.

Even before Manziel stepped onto the field, the defense set the tone on the Bengals’ seven-minute touchdown drive to start the game. The Browns didn’t tackle, at least not until Jeremy Hill was deep into the secondary, and that theme continued for most of the next three hours.

Last Sunday, playoff talk swirled in Cleveland. What a difference a week makes.

The Browns, who dominated the Bengals 24-3 on Nov. 6 in Cincinnati, have lost four of five since peaking at 6-3. Brian Hoyer was the toast of the town then. Now he’s on his way out of town and there Manziel’s status isn’t secure, either.

Playoffs? Browns fans now just want to score and maybe win a game.

These last two games are about finding out if Manziel is a viable NFL quarterback. And even then, three games may not be enough of a sample.

Let’s assume Manziel and the Browns, by extension, play better today and next week than they did a week ago. The organization still has some difficult decisions to make.

The expectations may have changed in the last week, but the Browns and their fans are once again approaching the end of a season with uncertainty about what’s next.

That’s something that never seems to change with this team, no matter who is running the offense.

Write Vindicator Sports Editor Ed Puskas at epuskas@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @EdPuskas_Vindy.