In the newest segment from 12ozsportsradio.com, I give to you my #ManzielMonday Recap, Week 1 Edition.
The Number: If you were expecting Manziel to wear any other number than #2, you were mistaken. He, of course, wore the number that made him famous at Texas A&M.
The Attendance: The attendance in Memphis rose to 13,758 which is their greatest attendance as a franchise. The Johnny Express must have rallied the Memphis faithful to come out to the Liberty Bowl. Not high in numbers, but Memphis fans are a rowdy bunch and can get loud.
The Manziel Stats: 3/5 passing, 60% completion pct., 48 yards passing. 2 carries, 20 yards, 10.0 ypc, long of 13 yards on his first ever play as a member of the Express.
The Mouth: CBS why would you think to give the grittiest trash talker of all quarterbacks a mic during his first game? Anyway, that video exploded on Twitter and is going to do nothing but boost ratings for Express Football and the AAF like no tomorrow.
The Fans: Memphis fans what are you doing booing Brandon Silvers when the kid just played the game of his life? I loved how Johnny made it clear after the game that it was Brandon’s moment and he was just living in it.
The Coach: I really liked the angle of coach Mike Singletary on Johnny coming to Memphis. He straight up said I am not going to baby him. I think Singeltary is what Johnny Manziel needs. Similar to Mike Pettine, but indifferent in their own ways, Singletary has been thru hell and back with his QBs this year, you have to feel he wants Johnny to succeed and get to that next level.
The Summary: Is Johnny Manziel all the way back? We will find out over the next few weeks. Based on the end of the game, Johnny looked to be having the time of his life even though he wasn’t QB1. He will be a large attendance booster in Memphis regardless if he starts or not. I expect next Saturday afternoon’s game in Memphis to be at a higher attendance even than last Sunday night. I think his stats will improve with more reps. Manziel is a player the more reps you give he’s going to “get better” and not just say it as Christian Hackenberg said frequently after losing. He is off to a better start than his time in the CFL, so it’s only forward progress from here for Johnny.
