Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel hands off to running back Terrance West during practice at the NFL football team's facility in Berea, Ohio Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014.Mark Duncan/The Associated Press
Count Browns coach Mike Pettine among those curious to see how rookie Johnny Manziel handles his first NFL start.
"I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't excited to see him play," Pettine said Wednesday, a day after promoting the rookie sensation over slumping starter Brian Hoyer. "I've seen him in practice."
With the Browns' playoff hopes fading fast and Hoyer in a four-week funk, the team has turned to Manziel, the super-hyped first-round draft pick who garnered his Johnny Football nickname with electrifying plays at Texas A&M.
Pettine said the switch was necessary because of Hoyer's struggles and the possibility Manziel can provide a spark. Manziel has already shown he's embracing his new role. He was at the team's facility on Tuesday to get a head start on this week's home game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Last week, when the Browns were considering benching Hoyer, Manziel attended a Cavaliers game, leading some observers to criticize the 22-year-old's work ethic.
Manziel, who is the Browns' 21st starting quarterback since 1999, skipped the chance to see LeBron James and the Cavs play on Tuesday night.
"I know a lot of people were looking for him at the Cavs game," Pettine joked. "He was here."
Pettine believes Manziel, who has only been on the field for 18 plays this season, has already earned the respect of his teammates.
"They see how he's practiced throughout the year, and I thought he ramped it up a little bit more last week," Pettine said. "They'll see him in a different light. Even being in the walkthrough this morning, you could just see the presence in the huddle and the command and how he was calling things. I'm sure it'll show and the guys around him will respect it."
Pettine said it was "very hard" to tell Hoyer, the hometown kid who got the Browns into playoff contention, that he lost his starting job. Pettine said there was little choice but to go with Manziel because Hoyer's "body of work was trending the wrong direction."
Pettine said there will be some adjustments to Cleveland's offence to help Manziel, who replaced Hoyer in the fourth quarter two weeks ago and led the Browns on a touchdown drive.
As for Manziel's knack for improvisation and ability to beat a defence with his arm or legs, Pettine said it's important that Johnny Football doesn't deviate too far from the play call.
"You've got to find some common ground there," he said. "It's going to be more in the structure of our offence. But if a guy has a unique skillset, you want to be able to utilize that. Every drop back can't turn into a punt return. You won't want to turn into street ball.'