CLEVELAND -- Here’s how Johnny Manziel fared in the first half against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday:
By the numbers: Manziel completed 13 of 20 passes for 162 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Most importantly he went into the locker room with the Browns leading 10-3 and holding a 2-1 edge in time of possession. Rating: 69.8 — though the rating was hurt by a missed TD pass opportunity when Brian Hartline fumbled at the 1.
Best throws: Manziel looked good in twice finding Gary Barnidge for good gains. Early in the first quarter he found Barnidge crossing to the sideline for a 23-yard completion. Manziel stood in the pocket to deliver that pass. Later, Manziel escaped the pocked, signaled Barnidge to head down the sideline and hit him on the run for 30 yards. Two good plays by the Browns quarterback.
Almost throws: Manziel would have had a first-quarter touchdown as he hit Hartline on a slant from the 11. Hartline was about to score, but had the ball stripped at the 1. He was able to recover, which set up a TD run by Isaiah Crowell. In the second quarter, Manziel opened a drive with a nice deep throw to Travis Benjamin. Benjamin was open and could have had some good yards after the catch, but he did not hang onto the ball.
Worst throw: Manziel made a silly throw late in the first half, as he rolled left to the sideline, stopped and tried to throw across the field to the hashmarks. The pass was easily intercepted by Jaquiski Tartt. It was simply a poor decision.
The good: Manziel picked up where he left off with his 372-yard game in Pittsburgh. He looked comfortable in the pocket and in the huddle and seemed confident moving the ball. A blocked field goal and a Glenn Winston fumble short-circuited drives or the Browns could have had more points. The late-half decision to throw across the field was not a good one, but overall Manziel did some good things.
The concern: Manziel would have been sacked for a safety had the 49ers not been called for a face mask penalty. Without the penalty, Manziel would have been sacked twice in three plays.
Overall: Focusing on the rating isn’t fair. Manziel completed 65 percent and made throws on the run and in the pocket as the Browns had the ball for more than 20 minutes of the first half. He missed a couple third-down throws, but made some others. He played pretty well -- and no doubt will admit the interception was not a smart play.
