PITTSBURGH -- For the Cleveland Browns, it was as bad as the 30-9 final score indicated.
For Johnny Manziel, it was life.
Manziel was far more prepared and poised for Sunday's game against the Steelers than he has been at any time in his one-plus seasons in Cleveland. He did everything he was criticized for not doing in the previous week's loss to Cincinnati.
He stood in the pocket and made throws. He took what was there. He did not scramble too early or too often. And when plays from the pocket were not there, Manziel was able to occasionally avoid the rush and make a play.
Manziel finished with 372 yards passing and one touchdown -- with another dropped at the goal line. His rating: 95.8.
This was the kind of game that Manziel can build on, the kind of game the Browns can use to gain confidence in him.
As for the team ... the 2-8 record is earned.
What were they thinking? Nothing summed up this Browns loss more than one late third-quarter possession that leaked into the fourth quarter. Manziel had thrown the Browns down the field, then escaped a near-sack and scampered to the 1-foot line for a first-and-goal. On first down with Pittsburgh leading 24-3, Isaiah Crowell scored, but a holding penalty on Cam Erving negated the TD. That play started the football follies. The Browns followed the hold with an illegal formation, a sack, two short completions and a fourth-down interception as Manziel tried to make something happen on a last-gasp play. It wouldn’t have mattered even had the pass not been intercepted because the Browns were flagged for holding on the play. A first-and-goal from inside the 1-yard line turned into an embarrassing possession in an embarrassing loss.
One reason to be concerned: There were so many reasons in this game, especially defensively. That side of the ball again was overwhelmed and contributed to its own issues. The Browns' secondary was flagged four times for interference penalties; all gave the Steelers gains of at least 29 yards. In total, the interference penalties gave Pittsburgh 141 yards -- on top of the 379 from Ben Roethlisberger.
Streak of emptiness: The Browns lost their 12th game in a row at Heinz Field. They have not won in Pittsburgh since 2003.
On the sideline: The Browns started the game with an inactive list of people expected to be major contributors to the team all season. Cornerback Justin Gilbert, the eighth overall pick of the 2014 draft, was a healthy scratch. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, he of the much-publicized lucrative contract, was also inactive. Cornerback Joe Haden and safety Donte Whitner were out with concussions. And quarterback Josh McCown was sidelined with a rib injury. That’s the core of a team watching instead of playing.
Ouch: Defensive tackle Randy Starks left the game in the first half with a knee injury and did not return. Wide receiver Andrew Hawkins left in the fourth quarter with a concussion; he had missed the previous game with a concussion.
What’s next: The Browns have their bye week before returning for a Monday night game against Baltimore.
