While most records that draw some media comment are particularly notable, only the response to a Cleveland Browns one hit that level. On Friday, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic sent a tweet on the passing yardage Joe Flacco would need to pass Johnny Manziel for 31st in Browns’ history:
In case you were wondering, Joe Flacco needs 72 yards to pass Johnny Manziel for 31st on the Browns' all-time passing list.
— Jason Lloyd (@ByJasonLloyd) December 29, 2023
In and of itself, that’s more of a note than anything, especially with Flacco not even doing this yet (although, barring injury, he almost certainly will in Cleveland’s regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals Jan. 7). But what got this noticed was Manziel’s Twitter/X reaction:
Some records were meant to be broken https://t.co/8XWzPKC9b9
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) December 29, 2023
That’s a pretty good reaction from Manziel. And it led to a lot of praise for him:
Johnny Manziel celebrated Joe Flacco’s red-hot Browns run with a perfect post https://t.co/F4DuQioXzf
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 30, 2023
Glad to see you came out the other side with your sense of humor intact. Wishing you nothing but the best in 2024 and beyond.
— Andrew Ungvari (@DrewUnga) December 30, 2023
Mad respect for this tweet. I hope you’re rooting for us!
— Mikey (@Cuzfromthebordr) December 29, 2023
Anyone who doesn’t respect Johnny Football is a hater.
— Eric McCoy (@RealEricMcCoy) December 30, 2023
For the record, Manziel put up 1,675 passing yards for the Browns across 14 games (eight starts) from 2014-15. In that span, he posted a 57.0 percent completion mark, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Flacco has posted 1,616 passing yards for Cleveland in five games (all starts) this season with a 60.3 percent completion mark and 13 touchdowns against eight interceptions, and he has the Browns in remarkable shape for a potential playoff run.
Manziel’s Cleveland career (and career overall) got a lot of discussion this year thanks to the Untold installment focusing on him. It’s interesting to see him back in the news again with a comment on Flacco’s success with the Browns.
[Johnny Manziel on Twitter]
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.