Talk to any SEC coach who has had the displeasure of planning a game during Johnny Manziel and you basically get the same answer when you ask how to defend it.
Some coaches pause, while others sigh. But none fail to mention “do everything” and “contain”.
For a player who never took a college snap until the second weekend of the 2012 season, Manziel adopted a superhero persona, while playing the ultimate villain for defenses. If you give him room to run, he will drain your defense of his speed and agility. Give him too much time to cast and he’ll kill your spirits in the air.
Manziel may not have the best shape and his improvisations can drive his coaches crazy, but with the way he grew and the way he stood tall in the No. 1 team’s house of the country and has more than stolen the show, it’s hard not to want Manziel to lead your team.
And I love Mariota. He was fantastic with 2,164 passing yards and 516 rushing yards. He also torched defenses for 28 passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. I’d take him any day…but not for Johnny Football.
You see, Manziel plays in the SEC, where defense matters and quarterbacks are flattened by fierce defensive ends and linebackers. In 2012, Manziel wasn’t flattened, he flourished.
He is averaging 379.4 offensive yards per game (364 in SEC), is third in the SEC with 2,780 passing yards and leads the conference with 1,014 rushing yards. He’s also accounted for 33 total touchdowns and has just six interceptions. He may be 1-2 against top 10 defenses, but his one win speaks volumes about his growth.
In the three games since the LSU loss, he has averaged 378.3 yards of offense with nine total touchdowns to zero interceptions. But he saved his best for Alabama.
Manziel made the Tide defenders look stupid with the clumsy, elusive moves he put on guys. He carved up one of the best defenses in the country for 150 yards in the first quarter and three touchdowns.
While he may not have the best mechanics yet, he delivered two of the finest passes you’ll see when he slipped a ball between defenders to find Ryan Swope for 42 yards before throwing a perfect flag pass to Malcolm Kennedy for the final winning score.
He finished A&M’s 29-24 loss with 253 passing yards, two touchdowns and 92 rushing yards.
Manziel and Mariota are both great, but I see Manziel growing more and more each week, even as the coaches throw more at his plate.
If this is what Manziel is doing now, imagine what the future holds.
