Johnny Manziel won the battle of young quarterbacks on Sunday, leading the Cleveland Browns to a 28-14 victory over Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans.
Here's what you need to know:
- The difference in the game was speedy Browns receiver Travis Benjamin, who hauled in touchdowns of 60 and 50 yards from Manziel and added a 76-yard punt return score of his own. Outside of those two big plays, Manziel was 6 of 13 for 62 yards and a pair of fumbles while failing to move the chains. As NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning, Manziel will resume backup duties once Josh McCown is cleared from his concussion.
- If Mariota's debut was nearly perfect, his second game was a learning experience. After taking advantage of the Buccaneers' soft-zone scheme last week, Mariota couldn't solve the Browns' man-to-man system with bump-and-run coverage and little separation for Titans receivers. He got little help from his offensive line, taking seven sacks, fumbling four times and getting hit more than a dozen times. Although Mariota showed toughness in bouncing back for a couple of second-half touchdown drives, Cleveland's defense exposed major ball-security issues, questionable decision making and the Titans' need for more surrounding talent.
- Veteran tight end Anthony Fasano hauled in five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, but Mariota missed Delanie Walker's speed and athleticism down the seam. Dexter McCluster was the lone playmaker for much of the afternoon, finding gaps in the Browns' defense for a career-high 98 rushing yards on 10 carries. Terrance West didn't do himself any favors, losing a fumble for the second consecutive game.
- Dorial Green-Beckham flashed his tantalizing potential on a 13-yard jumpball touchdown to bring Tennessee to within one score in the fourth quarter, but also showed why he's stuck behind pedestrian veteran Harry Douglas on the depth chart. When the rookie replaced Kendall Wright for one play in the first quarter, Douglas had to tell him where to line up. He then crossed up Mariota with his route running. Wright re-entered after missing one play with an apparent left ankle injury.
