Teammates Taking notice of Johnny Manziel

Dec 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) throws a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

We all know the drama Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has put himself through. And in the process, he lost the trust of his teammates and those at the top of the organization. We can’t say he lost the trust of head coach Mike Pettine, who never trusted him or wanted him to begin with.

But in a win against the San Francisco 49ers Manziel seems to be winning some trust from those not named Pettine. On the day, he was 21-31 for 270 yards, a touchdown and an interception. In the process, Manziel spread the ball to six different targets and looked comfortable running the scheme.

The interception Manziel was bone-headed on a throw late, across his body, back toward the middle of the field. He broke several rules with that pass but it was more a result of trying to do too much than anything. But either way, his game Sunday was a building block and a big step in the right direction for a young quarterback.

Teammates like safety Donte Whitner and receiver Travis Benjamin are taking notice. They and the Bengals are getting a chance to watch a quarterback develop before their very eyes these days. And it sounds like Manziel they love what they are seeing from the young signal-caller and getting behind him.

Benjamin simply said, “That guy’s a baller.”

Whitner went in heavier, saying, “He’s becoming what a lot of people don’t want to see him become and that’s a true quarterback. He’s throwing the football from the pocket, but he can also break out of their and throw the football, so I want to continue to see Johnny continue to get better and better and I want to see him lead this offense and lead this football team. There are some people that are skeptical, some people that probably don’t want to see that, but I do.”

Manziel will see the Seattle Seahawks Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers to close the season. If he can finish strong against his schedule, he’ll get even more endorsements from the team. And that would put him in position to go into the offseason and the 2016 season as the Browns’ starting quarterback.