Deuce comes up aces: Manziel deals promising hand

Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel scrambles looking for an open receiver during Sunday's game against the Niners.

(Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Travis Benjamin ran the width of the field Sunday afternoon, his left arm waving above his head like a man frantically hailing a cab down East 9th Street.

A few seconds earlier, the Browns receiver had been sprinting up the left side against Niners cornerback Kenneth Acker and preparing to break on a post pattern. But as defensive lineman Arik Armstead collapsed the pocket, Benjamin spotted Johnny Manziel starting to scramble.

The wideout went from following a precise route to returning to fifth-grade recess. With his quarterback rolling to the right, Benjamin abandoned his pattern and ran parallel along the Niners' 40-yard line -- his arm held high -- to put himself in Manziel's field of vision.

The quarterback threw the ball off his right foot, firing a rope to Benjamin just inside the right boundary for a 25-yard gain. The big gain helped set up a second-quarter field goal in the Browns' 24-10 win at FirstEnergy Stadium and extended the offense's penchant for clicking on scramble plays.

"I don't want to say it's fun, but it gives you opportunities when the original play breaks down," Benjamin said. "When that happens I just want to find some open space and get in Johnny's sight line."

The Browns (3-10) are infamous for turmoil and breakdowns. In these chaotic instances, though, it's actually working to their benefit.

Cleveland is among the NFL's better teams at completing scramble drills in which quarterbacks run from compromised pockets and throw to receivers who have altered their original routes.

Manziel and his troupe of pass catchers get their next chance to make it up as they go along against the rugged Seahawks, who boast one of the league's top improv acts in quarterback Russell Wilson and receiver Doug Baldwin.

"Russell and Baldwin have great chemistry," Browns cornerback Tramon Williams said. "But he's developing chemistry with all his guys.

"He's a small quarterback like Johnny who knows when to scramble. He knows how to make throws on the run and he's one of the best in the game at it."

Browns receiver Travis Benjamin starts this play at the top of the formation. He will run the width of the field as the play breaks down.

'Coaching is overrated'

In recent seasons, the Seahawks, Steelers and Packers have been among the league's best when offensive plays appear to be at their worst. How many times have Browns' fans witnessed Ben Roethlisberger shake off a blitzing safety, roll to his right and unleash a 40-yard thunderbolt to a streaking Antonio Brown?

It's the Browns, however, who have excelled in scramble drills this season, according to the analytics website ProFootballFocus.com. Injured Josh McCown leads the NFL with a 111.8 passer rating, completing 10 of 21 attempts for 193 yards and two touchdowns in such situations.

Manziel, who built his reputation at Texas A&M on these plays, sits 14th with a 76.0 rating. He's converted 11 of 28 passes for 317 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.

The Browns are getting Manziel to throw more from the pocket, but they don't want to deny him one of his best attributes. His most memorable moment occurred in the dying minutes of the Browns' 28-14 win over the Titans in which he scrambled left and hit Benjamin on a 50-yard TD strike.

As fans celebrated the quintessential backyard play, Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo jokingly told coach Mike Pettine over the headset: "Coaching is overrated."

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) and receiver Doug Baldwin (89) are extremely good on scramble drills. The Browns must be wary of the duo on Sunday.

"I would like to take credit for that, but I am afraid I can't," DeFilippo said Thursday laughing at the memory of the Sept. 20 touchdown. "Johnny and those guys, they do a great job of impromptu when they are outside the pocket."

Tight end Gary Barnidge and Benjamin rank second and fourth respectively in PFF's formula for receivers in scramble drills. Each has been targeted eight times and grabbed one touchdown.

The Browns' top pass catchers are a study in contrast. Benjamin uses his speed to arrive in open areas, while Barnidge relies on his internal GPS to find soft areas in a defense. It's as if opponents don't even see the Browns' tight end.

As Manziel grows comfortable in the offense, Barnidge believes the second-year quarterback will gain even more confidence as plays break down.

"He can make so many things happen with his legs," Barnidge said. "He is able to continue plays from four to six (to) seven seconds. That is tough for a defense to cover anyone that long."

While Manziel, Wilson and the Packers' Aaron Rodgers possess good mobility, arguably the best scramble-drill quarterback is the plodding, but oxe-strong Roethlisberger. The Steelers perennially rank among the NFL's most lethal offenses when their quarterback extends a play.

"Any receiver that's played for Ben Roethlisberger," Pettine said when asked who are the most successful wideouts in mayhem mode. "They practice it; you can tell that a lot of their routes as they break down (it's), 'OK, now the play is starting.'"

Travis Benjamin makes a 25-yard catch on a throw from a scrambling Johnny Manziel. Benjamin ran the width of the field to get in his quarterback's field of vision.

Guidelines for disorder

NFL offenses dedicate countless hours each week to precision. From running crisp routes to knowing when to deliver a pass, everything revolves around timing.

At least until an edge rusher collapses the pocket -- and with it the offensive coordinator's well-designed play. Suddenly, it becomes street ball. Run for the mailbox. Break in front of the parked car.

"It's nothing you can really practice," said Benjamin, who's caught four passes for 151 yards on scramble-drill plays, per PFF research. "It's just playing ball and not quitting on a play. It's just finishing, getting in the quarterback's vision."

Although disorganized by nature, scramble plays do involve some order.

Barnidge said receivers must have their heads on swivels to make sure they don't run to the same open areas. Pettine offered a few other general guidelines:

--- Receivers running comeback routes should continue toward the line of scrimmage as a play breaks down.

--- Receivers running deeper routes should cut across the field in the direction of the scrambling quarterback.

--- Receivers running out-breaking routes should turn up field and go deep as they near the boundary.

Coaching points aside, many big plays are fueled by intuition and athleticism. Rodgers, an 11-year pro, has thrown for 738 yards and six touchdowns when disorder reigns. Wilson has completed 25 of 54 passes for 585 yards and a 78.1 rating. He and Baldwin form a dangerous duo.

"These two guys are really instinctive, natural football players, and they get the game and it makes sense to them," Carroll said in a conference call. "When a play breaks down and it becomes a scramble situation, there is a lot of stuff to evaluate. Guys who have a good sense and good savvy really have a chance to make the most of those opportunities. Russell is great at it and so is Doug.

"Plus, it takes a receiver that is willing to give great effort. They run a whole play and then it starts all over again, and then they have to run another play as the scramble begins."

The Browns preach structure to Manziel and remind him to resist high-risk plays like the interception he threw in the middle of the field while running toward the left sideline against the Niners.

It's also important for him to remember passers can make highlights, but not a living outside the pocket on Sundays. Manziel is showing growth in this area.

Quarterback play is not the reason the Browns find themselves eliminated from another playoff race. They throw the fifth fewest interceptions (eight), and rank 11th in passing yards per game (256) and 15th in quarterback rating (90.9).

At least part of the success stems from the ability to create big plays from potential big trouble. Manziel and Benjamin seem to flourish in the environment.

"Trav and Johnny have the same mindset," Williams said. "Travis has always had that speed to get behind the defense and Johnny's mindset is 'I can get you the ball down the field.' I think that's how they have developed that chemistry. If the play breaks down they are looking to hit the big shot."