Manziel: Undone by second-guessing
— -- BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel called his ugly debut as an NFL starter an "absolutely" humbling experience, and his midweek preparation habits for Sunday's game at Carolina seem to validate those words.
ESPN spotted Manziel's car arriving at the Browns' facility at around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. The team's first QB positional meeting was at 8:40 a.m.
As former starter Brian Hoyer struggled in recent weeks and Manziel's role in the offense intensified, the rookie's whereabouts became a focus, including what time he arrived to the stadium for 1 p.m. games (around 10:50 a.m., similar to many teammates and coaches and before the team's 11 a.m. deadline) and whether he attended Cleveland Cavaliers games before practice days, which other teammates do.
Manziel is approaching this week with a matter-of-fact tone.
"Play better. Plain and simple," said Manziel, who completed 10 of 18 passes for 80 yards with two interceptions against Cincinnati. "This position here is about results and about getting the job done."
The offense stalled Sunday behind Manziel, who completed the first shutout for a first-time starter since Tennessee's Rusty Smith in 2010.
Manziel said Sunday was his worst performance at any level of football, but the locker room is supporting him. Right guard John Greco said the team is "150 percent" behind Manziel and would've played just as hard for Manziel or Hoyer because that's their job.
Coach Mike Pettine said it's "unfair" to predict Manziel's trajectory over one game, but the quarterback can help it by improving against Carolina, which at 5-8-1 still has a chance to win the NFC South. With a 7-7 record in a loaded AFC, the Browns' playoff chances are slim.
Manziel said he's working to correct his indecisiveness. He has good arm strength but didn't always show it to the Bengals' defense because of a few second-guesses in the pocket.
"When you see something, your eyes see it, trust it," Manziel said. "When you trust it, go out and let it fly. When it came down to Sunday, I second-guessed myself a couple of times."
