DETROIT // Johnny Manziel took off up the middle, slipping between a couple of defensive linemen and racing through the open field. Then, perhaps most importantly, he finished the 16-yard run with a smooth, feet-first slide across the turf at Ford Field.
“The times I did take off, I felt like I got out of bounds, slid and tried to protect myself in the best way that I could,” Manziel said. “I feel fine.”
Manziel showed off some of his footwork, and Cleveland’s celebrated rookie question looked sharp with his arm, too, in his pre-season debut, although the Browns lost to the Detroit Lions 13-12 on Saturday night.
Manziel entered the game as a back-up in the middle of the second quarter. He did not take his team to the end zone, but he looked poised while directing the offence.
One of the biggest questions facing Manziel is how much he can afford to run with the ball. He was quick to scramble Saturday, but he never looked reckless or out of control.
“It was a good start,” he said. “You have to start somewhere and set a foundation. I got my feet wet, got my first pre-season game under my belt.”
Manziel completed 7-of-11 passes for 63 yards and ran for 27 yards on six carries.
Brian Hoyer, the starting quarterback, went 6-of-14 for 92 yards. Coach Mike Pettine said he has not decided who will start Cleveland’s next pre-season game.
“They both did some things more suited to their skill set,” Pettine said. “I think Brian was high on a couple throws. I think he would want those back, and he threw a couple other nice balls in there. Then I thought Johnny did some nice things from the pocket, and when he got out, he created a little bit as well.”
There was a buzz surrounding this preseason game because of Manziel’s debut, and the former Heisman Trophy winner took the field with 7:32 remaining in the first half, drawing a few cheers but also plenty of boos from the Detroit crowd.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford led the Lions to a field goal on his only drive. Star receiver Calvin Johnson did not play.
