Unsolicited Observations: Johnny Manziel’s First Game In the Books, Cleveland Browns Lose Preseason Opener to Detroit Lions

Aug 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) huddles the offense during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny Manziel’s first game has come and gone, and the No. 22 overall pick played decent enough with the second-string to set up an intriguing contest against the Washington Redskins Aug. 18–especially if he starts opposite Robert Griffin III.

Preseason games makes for some ugly football, but that didn’t the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions preseason opener from being the epicenter of the NFL World Saturday night.

The Browns lost 13-12, and the Great Lakes Classic hardware belongs to Detroit, but quarterback play was the reason this game was such a hot ticket.

Brian Hoyer was decent in his preseason debut, but he left some plays on the field. Yes, some of his receivers let him down with three drops, but Hoyer did miss high on a couple of deep throws. The most obvious attempt was to Josh Gordon early in the first quarter.

Overall, Hoyer was 6-of-14 for 92 yards and showed good timing and accuracy. He played as you would expect an  NFL veteran to perform. His biggest play was a precise 22-yard pass to Josh Gordon, which drew praise from the King of Cleveland quarterbacks.

Hoyer didn’t do anything to lose the job, but he didn’t leave Manziel in the dust, either.