AP

The good news is, Johnny Manziel had his best game yet in the Canadian Football League. The bad news is, Manziel’s Montreal Alouettes still lost 31-14.

Manziel is back as the Alouettes’ starter after losing his starting job as a result both of poor play and a concussion, and he did a few good things: He completed 18-of-25 passes for 212 yards, ran six times for 36 yards, and even gained 22 yards on a catch on a Philly Special-style trick play.

Unfortunately, Manziel also threw a fourth-quarter interception that ended any hopes the Alouettes had of a comeback.

“I felt really comfortable for a lot of the night, seeing the field, seeing coverages,” Manziel said. “Even though it’s a loss, from a personal standpoint of learning this game and being out on the field, there were some better things. Still a lot of work to be done, but I’m proud of the way our guys fought.”

Manziel will presumably remain the starter for the last-place Alouettes, and he has indicated that he’s committed to getting better for them both this year and next year, with a hoped-for return to the NFL in 2020. But he clearly has a long way to go.