1. RG3 takes a pounding, gets concussed
Much has been made of Robert Griffin III's "best quarterback in the NFL" comments. Even if Griffin wants to turn into one of the league's best, he might not get the chance -- at least not with this version of the Redskins' offensive line. On Thursday, Griffin didn't show much against the Lions because, for most of the night, Griffin was on his back.
Eventually, Griffin left the game with a concussion.
Three of Griffin's first five dropbacks resulted in either a sack or a knockdown. On the night, Griffin was hit six times and was sacked three times.
The Lions' first sack that kick-started the beating occurred because Redskins first-round pick Brandon Scherff failed to hold his ground, getting shoved so far into the backfield that he was the first player to bump into Griffin. During the play, Scherff stood nearly upright and his poor leverage was easily exploited. Keep in mind that Scherff played left tackle last year in college at Iowa and that he's now being asked to play as a guard.
Scherff was hardly the only player on the line to struggle. On the Redskins' third drive of the night, Griffin was pummeled from behind, as left tackle Willie Smith didn't even notice the Lions' defensive end flying past him until it was too late. Griffin got rid of the football in time, but took a devastating shot in the process.
Considering Griffin isn't a natural pocket passer and factoring in his injury history, the Redskins offensive line is going to play a key role in his development. If Griffin continues to take hits, it could negatively impact his eye level and footwork.
What happened on Thursday night might have already done just that.
2. The Browns need to start Johnny Football
Johnny Manziel didn't see the field until the second half, but by that point, it had already been a good night for the second-year, second-string quarterback. Josh McCown, the Browns' starter, took all the snaps in the first half. While McCown completed 7-of-10 passes, two of his three incompletions were picked off by the Bills. McCown also only managed to average 5.7 yards per pass. As a team, the Browns only scored three points in the opening half.
In the second half, Manziel entered, but the game continued to bore -- that is until Manziel activated Johnny Football mode midway through the fourth quarter. It started with a scramble, as Manziel escaped the pocket to his left. Then, he let it fly. Despite the awkward throwing motion required of him, Manziel connected with Darius Jennings on a deep crossing pattern for a 37-yard pickup.
Two plays later, Manziel finished off the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Shane Wynn.
Notice how Manziel steps up in the pocket and is presented with an opportunity to run. Instead, he keeps his eyes up field and locates Wynn in the end zone. Oh, and by the way, the touchdown wrapped up an 11-play, 96-yard drive.
Manziel would finish his day with 118 passing yards, 19 rushing yards and a passing touchdown, along with a 94.2 quarterback rating.
At this point, the Browns know what they have in McCown. It's not much. The Browns don't know what they have in Manziel, but they should find out.
3. Tyrod Taylor outplays EJ Manuel
With Matt Cassel out of the picture on Thursday night, the spotlight turned to Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel, who are both competing with Cassel for the starting job in Buffalo. Taylor took snaps during the first half while Manuel played the entire second half.
The night belonged to Taylor, who used Thursday night to demonstrate just how much his versatility could be worth on Sundays this fall.
On the Bills' opening drive, Taylor's offensive line provided stellar protection and he was able to burn a Browns defense that was without eight of their defensive backs, including Joe Haden and Justin Gilbert. During that first series, Taylor excelled on third down, completing a deep comeback on the left sideline for 13 yards, a crossing pattern over the middle of the field on 3rd-and-8 and then a well-timed hitch on 3rd-and-4. Taylor also showed off his athleticism after the Browns covered up a screen. Instead of throwing the ball away, Taylor scampered for a 10-yard gain.
The drive would eventually end with a missed field goal after Taylor took an unnecessary sack on third down, but the flashes were there. Taylor looked like he had the goods to potentially start for the Bills.
In the second quarter, the Bills marched right down the field again, this time converting on a field goal. During the drive, offensive coordinator Greg Roman utilized the read option, which he used so well with Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco. It worked with Taylor too. Taylor picked up 21 yards on the play.
It's worth noting that Taylor looked impressive despite being without wide receivers Sammy Watkins, Percy Harvin, and Robert Woods.
When it was EJ Manuel's turn to make his mark, he failed to do so. Manuel would wind up tossing the game-winning touchdown pass and two-point conversion with less than two minutes remaining in the game, but it also came after he carelessly fumbled in the red zone. Manuel wasn't bad on Thursday and he didn't do anything to hurt his chances of starting, but he also didn't do much to prove that he's ready to turn the corner.
On the other hand, Taylor proved that he could be ready to take the next step.