How Many Games Did Johnny Manziel Win in the NFL?

By Jason Bolton March 25, 2024 04:50

The name Johnny Manziel is synonymous with winning during his college football career and crashing out in the NFL. From not watching any film during his rookie year to getting cut by the Cleveland Browns in this article we will explore who many games did Johnny Football actually win during his NFL Career?

Manziel's NFL Career Overview

Johnny Manziel was drafted in 2014 to the Cleveland Browns in the 1st Round which shocked majority of fans and scouts. During his career that spanned 2 years Manziel threw 14 interceptions and just 7 touchdowns only starting in 8 out of his total 14 games played.

Manziel's Win-Loss Record

Total Wins

So the question becomes how did he perform during those games? Well the verdict was that Manziel went a measly 2-6 during his career in the NFL leading him to be considered one of the biggest draft busts of all-time.

Breakdown by Season

In order to gain a better understanding of Manziel and how he ranks, here's a breakdown in which we see just where his record comes from season by season:

2014 Season:

Games Started: 2
Record: 0-2

2015 Season:

Games Started: 6
Record: 2-4 1

Analysis of Manziel's Wins

First NFL Win

Johnny Manziel 1st win in the NFL sparked joy to Cleveland Browns who historically have been a franchise that doesn't win that often. In true Johnny Football Fashion later that week Johnny was spotted partying with non other than the NBA Goat LeBron James. In his 1st win Manziel went 8 of 15 for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the Browns' win. Never taking himself too seriously was part of Johnny Manziel's fall even joking after a lack luster win he should be named Player of the Week.

Second and Final NFL Win

Manziel won his only other start in the NFL later that season, on December 13 vs. the San Francisco 49ers (23-10). While he looked good in this game it would unfortunately be the last time we see him win a game.

Why Manziel Can't Get Going

Johnny Manziel was unable to win in NFL for multiple reasons:

Inconsistent Playing Time: Only 8 starts in two seasons does not give you time to settle and get the rhythm required as a QB.

Off field struggles: At times the spotlight overshadowed Manziel's college football career due to his off-field antics and lifestyle which hindered on-the field performance/development in the NFL.

The Texas A&M air raid offense made transitioning to the more complex NFL-style offensive systems a difficult task, as is often the case for college quarterbacks.

Team Performance: The Cleveland Browns were a dumpster fire during Manziel's time there, and that makes it awfully hard for even an experienced QB to pull out of the muck.

Manziel's NFL Statistics

In order to make what Manziel's win-loss record a little more meaningful, here are his essential NFL stats in comparison—including nearly as many career interceptions (7) as touchdowns (8):

Games Played: 14
Games Started: 8
Passing Completions: 147
Passing Attempts: 258
Completion Percentage: 57.0%
Passing Yards: 1,675
Passing Touchdowns: 7
Interceptions: 7
Passer Rating: 74.4
Rushing Attempts: 46
Rushing Yards: 259
Rushing Touchdowns: 1 12

The End of Johnny Football

Johnny Manziel thus finished his NFL career having won a total of two games as an active starting QB, both in 2015. For the most part, his short and tumultuous career in the NFL involved playing periodically with outlandish behavior throughout multiple opportunities of starting. Manziel did exhibit some of the talent that allowed him to rocket into stardom in college football, but it just never translated fully at the pro level.

Manziel's tale is a cautionary one regarding what can happen when entering the league from college to NFL while also shedding light on how crucial it is for off-field antics and experience. While Manziel didn't pan out in the NFL, his college career and draft hype mean he will be remembered for a long time despite coming up short of his expected professional wins..