Johnny Manziel's middle-finger salute to the Washington Redskins' bench in the third quarter of the Cleveland Browns exhibition game on the road will likely a draw a league fine and questions about the rookie's maturity.
Manziel's obscene gesture after an incomplete pass and trash talk from the Redskins bench was caught by ESPN cameras in front of a nationally-televised audience.
"I get words exchanged with me throughout the entirety of the game every game, week after week," Manziel said in a postgame press conference trying to explain his action,
according to NFL.com. "Should have been smarter? It was a 'Monday Night Football' game ... just need to be smarter about that."
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Manziel's comment was one that Browns' coach Mike Pettine agreed with.
"I was informed of it after the game and it's disappointing," Pettine told NFL.com after the game. "That's what we talk about, is being poised and being focused. You have to be able to maintain your poise. All football players, especially the quarterback, we have to keep our composure, so it's something that we'll obviously address."
While the league has not fined Manziel yet, NFL.com said he could be fined $11,025 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The gesture overshadowed Manziel's throwing his first NFL touchdown, which was also the Browns first touchdown of the preseason, with an eight-yard scoring toss to running back Dion Lewis to start the fourth quarter,
according to NBC Sports.
Part of Manziel's frustration likely came from the Redskins rude reception, sacking the prized rookie three times in the first quarter, noted the Cleveland
Plain Dealer. Washington defender Brian Orakpo mocked the quarterback by making a money hand sign Manziel was known for in college after Redskin Ryan Kerrigan sacked him, according to the newspaper.
Manziel told the Plain Dealer after the game that he didn't notice.
"I was really tuned in and more upset at myself about the first play on that drive not letting that ball fly to (tight end Jordan Cameron) as he was coming under," Manziel told the newspaper. "I kind of hesitated, and when you hesitate things close up."
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