BLUE 1,026 Posted September 19, 2015 By SCOTT GARBARINI STATS Writer (AP) -- Marcus Mariota began his NFL career by outshining a fellow Heisman Trophy winner. He will get a chance to do the same to another. While Mariota aims to replicate a dazzling and record-setting debut, Johnny Manziel has an opportunity for redemption when the Cleveland Browns host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. With Josh McCown going through the league's protocol after sustaining a concussion in a 31-10 season-opening loss to the New York Jets, Manziel received most of the work with the first-team offense during the week. The Browns announced Manziel will make his third career start before Friday's practice was opened to the media. "Josh is injured, so I'm the next guy up," said Manziel, who will face a Tennessee defense under the direction of Hall of Fame coordinator Dick LeBeau. "My role here is to go out and play well and try to lead us to a win. I'm not looking at anything past this game, anything past the next week. It's really, go into this game, do my best and from there on we'll see what happens." Manziel's second pass after replacing McCown in the second quarter went for a 54-yard touchdown to Travis Benjamin, but he had three turnovers thereafter while finishing 13 for 24 for 182 yards. The Browns had five giveaways in all, including a fumble by McCown at the goal line that caused his injury. Manziel has already faced his share of adversity during the controversial quarterback's brief NFL tenure. He struggled mightily in two December starts as a rookie, ended last season on injured reserve with a strained hamstring and spent 2 1/2 months of the offseason at a rehab facility for a reported alcohol problem. Mariota, on the other hand, had as smooth an NFL intro as possible. The reigning Heisman recipient became the first rookie to throw four touchdown passes in a half and produced a perfect passer rating in leading a 42-14 road rout of Tampa Bay that halted a 10-game skid the Titans ended last season on. The No. 2 overall pick completed 13 of 16 throws for 209 yards and tied Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton's record for TD passes in a first game. Mariota also became the first player since at least 1933 to record a perfect passer rating in his debut. "That kid is going to be special," said wide receiver Kendall Wright, who caught a 52-yard touchdown pass and finished with 101 yards on four receptions. "I told him at one point in the game that he might break a rookie record. I don't know if he did, but it seemed like he threw like eight touchdown passes." A Tennessee defense that ranked among the league's worst in nearly every major category during last year's 2-14 season also impressed. The Titans sacked Bucs rookie Jameis Winston four times and forced three turnovers, including Cody Sensabaugh's first-quarter interception return for a touchdown. Cleveland still has some areas to clean up on the defensive side after yielding 154 rushing yards and allowing the Jets to convert 7 of 13 third downs. Additionally, the Browns were penalized 12 times for 109 yards en route to an 11th straight season-opening loss. "We can't get no worse," cornerback Tramon Williams said. "Five turnovers, you're going to lose 100 out of 100 games. Every time we made plays, we got penalties. It was just bad football." The Titans ran the ball effectively last week behind the tandem of Bishop Sankey (74 yards, 1 TD) and ex-Brown Terrance West, traded to Tennessee a week prior to the opener. Tight end Delanie Walker, who caught one of Mariota's TD passes, is hopeful to play after exiting last week with an injured right hand. Tennessee can record its first win streak since ending 2013 on a two-game run and avenge a painful 29-28 home loss to the Browns in Week 5 of last season. Brian Hoyer threw three touchdown passes - two to Benjamin in the final seven minutes - as Cleveland scored 26 unanswered points. "I don't think that's even really going to be something that we talk about," Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "It could have been any team that we took a big lead and didn't finish. I don't think that it has anything to do with the fact that it was Cleveland. "You certainly have to do a better job of finishing it, but (last week) we did a good job of finishing that game, so hopefully we'll build off of that." Source: Hosted.Stats.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch 874 Posted September 19, 2015 Round trip ticket on the Mariota train. 24 13 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted September 19, 2015 Mariota doesn't even need to play well (not saying he won't). Johnny Manziel is starting for Cleveland and that is all you need to know. Titans - 24 Browns 13 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BwareDWare94 723 Posted September 19, 2015 13 to 12, Tits Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted September 20, 2015 Browns declared QB Josh McCown, CB Justin Gilbert, RB Bob Turbin, S Ibraheim Campbell, LB Scott Solomon, TE E.J. Bibbs, and DL Xavier Cooper inactive for Week 2 against the Titans. Johnny Manziel is starting in place of McCown (concussion). The Browns will start Barkevious Mingo in place of injured Solomon (ankle). Titans declared TE Delanie Walker, QB Charlie Whitehurst, RB Antonio Andrews, CB Jason McCourty, CB Cody Riggs, G Quinton Spain, and NT Sammie Lee Hill inactive for Week 2 at Cleveland. Anthony Fasano and Chase Coffman will share tight end duties in Walker's absence, which deals a blow to Marcus Mariota's Week 2 fantasy outlook. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) we did a lot of things wrong yesterday and as always it's tough if not impossible to pin the loss on one thing, I also fully acknowledge that bad calls happen in every game and tend to even out, however this needs to be pointed out: https://instagram.com/p/75gKfBw8P-/ that's from the last TD, which was a third and six play, I was too focused on being pissed at Orakpo for overrunning on the blitz and giving Manziel the avenue to escape and didn't notice this, but that's a pretty damn blatant hold that kept Griffin from covering Manziel's escape, not sure if he would have gotten to Manziel, but he at least would have forced a more hurried pass or a throw-away (FTR, I'm betting we get the sack without that hold) if that hold gets called the Browns would have a third and 16 from about their own 35, instead they get the game sealing touchdown again, I don't blame the loss on that missed call, the Browns certainly could have converted a third and six and even if they didn't there's no guarantee we'd have found the endzone, but that was a very blatant missed call on a critical play late in the game Edited September 21, 2015 by oochymp Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
