Johnny Manziel’s first start for the Browns resulted in a 30-0 debacle against the Bengals. On Sunday, Baker Mayfield makes his first start for the Browns in Oakland, 10 days after coming off the bench and turning a 14-0 deficit into an unexpected win over the Jets.
And so on the occasion of Mayfield’s first start, ESPN produced a feature that has Manziel reading a letter to Mayfield. A letter that really didn’t say much of anything, and nothing that will help Mayfield prepare for what he’s trying to do with the Browns.
“Life’s experiences are the best teachers,” Manziel said in the feature. “Through all the good days you’ll encounter over your career there, you’ll undoubtedly face some tough ones as well. Though all the good and all the bad, stay close to your family and never stop being you.”
That was the most useful (or maybe least useless) excerpt from something that was more about forcing Manziel into the Mayfield narrative, something that the Browns definitely aren’t happy about. Manziel isn’t Mayfield and Mayfield isn’t Manziel. Manziel didn’t work hard. Manziel had very real challenges arising from substance abuse. Manziel seemed to be more about being a celebrity than winning football games.
And the Mayfield Browns aren’t the Manziel Browns. The Mayfield Browns are a different team. We saw it in Week Three, and the Raiders are going to see it up close later today.
