Bell Tolls: Johnny Football not fooling anybody following latest incident

Jarrett Bell | USA TODAY Sports

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“It was embarrassing but not serious.”

Johnny Manziel went on Twitter Friday night in an attempt at damage control, as news spread that the high-profile Cleveland Browns quarterback has another off-the-field incident on his record.

Chalk up that effort as another incomplete pass for Johnny Football.

Not serious?

Who is Manziel trying to fool? Maybe he’s fooled himself into believing that his episode in Avon, Ohio, on Monday — stemming from an argument with his girlfriend — wasn’t a big deal.

But we know better.

Fortunately, no one was hurt after Manziel, according to a witness, dangerously passed on the shoulder at high speed on a stretch of I-80. And his girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, is seemingly willing to forgive and protect after engaging in some form of a physical contact with Manziel, according to the police report.

They weren’t arrested, either, after police, according to their report, determined that Manizel — who spent 10 weeks in rehab during the offseason — had consumed alcohol earlier on Monday but wasn’t intoxicated while driving erratically and arguing with his girlfriend in public.

Shoot, the police made that determination without even administering a breathalyzer, which makes me wonder whether Manziel caught a break from the cops because he was a celebrity or had stumbled upon a real-life version of Barney Fife.

No breath test? Some people would be met with excessive force by merely encountering police.

And just think, police were called twice, by two witnesses from different vantage — one from the highway and another from a neighborhood.

Yet the former Heisman Trophy winner tweets that it was not serious.

It’s very serious.

And it’s a case to test the legitimacy of the NFL’s new personal conduct policy, with the components including investigations that are run independent of the course that, say, bumbling or biased police may or may not pursue. Add the possibility of domestic violence to this case — which lacks a Ray Rice video, and may seem less of a threat without a woman wearing bruises — and the credibility of the experts the NFL enlisted since last year to deal with this hot-button issue may swing in the balance.

If Manziel, given his history, doesn’t view it as a serious matter, then it’s further proof that he needs a reality check in addition to whatever clinical support may be in order to help him deal with his issues.

Another passage from Manziel’s Twitter feed: “I know I would stop and check if I saw a couple arguing on the road.”

Really? Like always? In what part of town?

More Manziel: “It probably looked more serious than it was.”

It looks like someone is in denial.

The Browns put out a statement on Friday from GM Ray Farmer, acknowledging that they were aware of the incident. Farmer said he’d have no further comment.

Then again, with Manziel tapping away on Twitter, what could they say?

That Manziel acknowledged, according to police, he consumed alcohol is the super-sized red flag. Manziel has never publicly said what led him to enter rehab, but it's fair to question whether drinking alcohol months later (if not sooner) is part of the program.

That the Browns will have tough decisions regarding his future with the team is a given. Even if they believe Manziel is on the right path — and for weeks since he got out of rehab, the reports have been glowing about his maturity and focus — there’s another episode to provide the Browns with a reality check.

How can they trust Manziel for the long haul?

Maybe with a long haul of no incidents. But banking on that would be foolish.

Of course, this is so much bigger than football. It’s about Manziel as a person.

He may not see it, but he still needs some help — and presumably the NFL’s program will make a difference, with counseling support even more important than getting suspended.

Perhaps Manziel — who had incidents while at Texas A&M that added risk to Cleveland’s decision to invest a first-round pick in him — can put it all together.

But that won’t happen until he realizes that there’s a big problem. If the problem is alcohol, it’s the type of problem that prevents you from having another drink.

Manziel may have indeed bought into that idea while in rehab.

But, no doubt, there’s still work to do.

Other items of interest as Week 6 rolls on …

GALLERY: Ranking Week 6 games

Who’s hot: Andy Dalton. Maybe the ultimate barometer for how much the Bengals quarterback has raised his game will come in the playoffs. But in heading to Buffalo averaging 300 passing yards per game to spark an undefeated team, Dalton is surely building momentum. Coming back from a 17-point deficit to beat Seattle was undoubtedly a confidence boost, but it was also reflective of a trend. Dalton’s has sizzled in two-minute situations and he’s the straw stirring a versatile offense that has consistently moved the chains with the lowest three-and-out rate in the league. If he keeps it up, this just might be the season that the Bengals win a playoff game.

Pressure’s on: Russell Wilson’s bodyguards. If the Seahawks can hand Carolina its first loss of the season (Cam Newton is 0-4 vs. Seattle), the defending NFC champs would be 3-3 … just like last season. But Seattle will be hard-pressed to make another Super Bowl run if Wilson continues to get pummeled behind a rebuilt offensive line. The Seahawks have allowed an NFL-high 22 sacks, one reason why coordinator Darrell Bevell’s mention of trust resonates. It works both ways. Wilson may need to trust that his blocking will hold up, but his bodyguards must also demonstrate that they’ll keep him safe. It takes time for an O-line to develop cohesion, and in this case underscoring O-line guru Tom Cable’s challenge, there’s also a learning curve for two converted D-tackles starting on the unit. With Marshawn Lynch poised to return, a week after rookie Thomas Rawls sparkled, a physical, dominant running game is still the foundation for effective O-line performance.

Key matchup: Larry Fitzgerald vs. William Gay. Fitzgerald returns to Pittsburgh, where he starred on the college level, and it seems like the 12th-year vet has discovered a fountain of youth. The Cardinals’ star leads the NFL with six TD receptions — four more than he had all of last season. Inside the numbers (35 catches, 490 yards) and the return of a healthy Carson Palmer, Arizona coach Bruce Arians (he, too, returning to old stomping grounds) has created impact with his liberal use of Fitzgerald in the slot. The Steelers, pressed to rebuild the secondary this season, will likely shift Gay inside against Fitzgerald, with safeties Mike Mitchell and Will Allen in support. Interestingly, Pittsburgh has found little use for Brandon Boykin, the slot corner obtained from Philadelphia in a summer trade. Then again, maybe there’s a surprise looming.

Rookie watch: Shane Ray. With DeMarcus Ware sitting out at Cleveland because of back issues, the Broncos will get an extended look at an edge rusher of the future. Ray, once projected as a top-10 pick, saw his stock tumble until Denver snapped him up at 23rd overall. But playing behind Ware and Von Miller, he has to wait his turn. The past two games he played roughly a third of the defensive snaps and notched sacks in back-to-back games. On Sunday, it will be interesting to see how he measures up against Joe Thomas, arguably the NFL’s best left tackle.

Next man up: Marcus Cannon. When Greg Hardy wreaked havoc during the first half last Sunday, Bill Belichick and Co. adjusted by providing left tackle Nate Solder with tight end blocking help to protect Tom Brady’s blind side. Now Solder is done for the year with a torn biceps, forcing more adjustments. Inserting Cannon would be the easiest move on paper, with the first test at Indianapolis. But Belichick may have other ideas, like starting Cannon at right tackle and flopping Sebastian Vollmer to the blind-side role — as was the case in 2009 when Matt Light was sidelined for five games. Sometimes using two moves to address one issue is more trouble than its worth. But when protection for the face of the franchise is at stake, the bottom line is making the right moves. Regardless, Cannon, a fifth-year pro, is in the mix.

Stomach for an upset: Dolphins at Titans. The Titans are 2½-point favorites while in the midst of an NFL rarity — a four-game home stand, with a bye week attached. It’s also unusual that a team fielding the NFL’s top-ranked pass defense would blow double-digit, second-half leads in back-to-back losses. Now comes a mystery opponent in Miami, which is coming off a bye and maybe with a new energy under interim coach Dan Campbell, who stepped in for the deposed Joe Philbin. Perhaps a new identity for the Dolphins will include a rushing attack, as they have leaned entirely too much on Ryan Tannehill, who is completing just 56.7% of his throws.

If the playoffs were today: The Vikings (2-2) would be in, as the sixth seed. That’s because, besides the four division leaders and Atlanta (5-1), no other NFC team has a winning record. Minnesota can get back over .500 by handling Kansas City, which would likely be directly related to Adrian Peterson. As expected, Peterson has come back to power the rushing attack, averaging an NFL-best 93 yards per game. But the passing offense armed by Teddy Bridgewater has been sorry, ranked last in the NFL.

Say what? Sammy Watkins turned up the heat in telling the Buffalo News he isn't happy with the amount of touches he has been getting in the Bills offense. He’s probably right. GM Doug Whaley traded up to draft Watkins fourth overall out of Clemson. But in the process of venting, Watkins dissed Rex Ryan — the new coach who inherited the big-play wideout and has indeed talked up (imagine that from Ryan) the need to feature Watkins. As if the uncertainty surrounding quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s knee injury, LeSean McCoy’s quest to come back quickly from another hamstring injury and rookie back Karlos Williams concussion issues aren’t enough for the Bills offense to deal with, there’s this fresh dose of me-first.

Did you notice? The Texans head into Jacksonville with an NFL-worst minus-8 turnover margin, and a defense that has collected just two takeaways. Sure, Houston has a problem at quarterback (Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett or none of the above?), but the big-play drought for the defense has been stunning. Last season, the Texans led the NFL with 34 takeaways.

Stat’s the fact: Last weekend, Aaron Rodgers finally had his streak of consecutive passes at home without an interception snapped at 587. But the Packers carry another impressive streak into Lambeau Field for Sunday’s tilt against the Chargers: Green Bay’s defense has recorded a sack in 41 consecutive games, the longest current streak in the NFL.

Fantasy vs. Reality: Uh-oh. Ryan Mathews on the injury list. The Eagles running back, No. 2 in the rotation behind DeMarco Murray (and No. 2 back behind Frank Gore on Marion Motley Crew, in the 20-team Super League), was listed as limited in Friday’s practice with a groin injury. It’s uncertain how the surprising injury revelation will affect Mathews’ availability for the NFC East showdown against the Giants, but history provides caution. In five seasons with the Chargers, Mathews missed 20 out of 80 regular-season games due to assorted injuries. Philadelphia offers hope of a new pattern, bolstered by Chip Kelly’s sports science program. Then again, it’s football. Injuries happen.