When Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel escaped a rush, rolled to open space and bombed an improvised touchdown across his body for a game-clinching pass in Sunday's 28-14 win, Browns head coach Mike Pettine heard a silent surrender on his coaching headset.
"Certainly wasn't the way the play was designed," Pettine said, via Cleveland.com. "I think Flip (offensive coordinator John DeFilippo) had the best line of the day on the headset after he rolled out of it, ended up throwing backwards across the field, scored the touchdown. He just says real calmly while everybody was cheering, he said, 'Coaching is overrated.'
"They did a nice job, brought pressure. We didn't pick it up. Johnny did a nice job getting out of it and finding Travis and making a play."
Pettine might have been happier about Manziel's first touchdown, another bomb to Travis Benjamin that was thrown on a near-pinpoint five-step drop from under center, but at this point, he has to be thrilled that he finished 1-1 over these first two games. Manziel was exactly what they needed against the Titans, though he might not be what they need moving forward.
Pettine wouldn't play the hypothetical game of naming a starter for next week's game against the Raiders in Cleveland, but assuming Josh McCown clears concussion protocol in time, he knows there are two very clear choices ahead of him.
Manziel can instantly make something out of nothing, and it seems that as the weeks wear on, he's learning to adapt his playing style to the NFL. McCown will run the offense as designed, but with a lack of defined playmakers outside of Benjamin, is that the correct route for Cleveland to go?
Like DeFilippo said: 'Coaching is overrated.'