Johnny Manziel much improved as Alouettes fall late to Redblacks

Johnny Manziel’s Canadian Football League debut was one to forget but his second act was worth the watch.

Montreal may have lost the matchup with the Ottawa Redblacks, as its offense went dry in the fourth quarter, but Manziel finally got his feet under himself north of the border.

The fleet-footed quarterback, now wearing Alouette colours following his trade from Hamilton, rushed for 18 yards to the edge of the Redblacks goal line midway through the third quarter in Ottawa, where the ball was fumbled after a heavy hit but recovered by Kristian Matte for Montreal to take a 17-11 lead.

Manziel’s finished the game 16-for-26 for 168 yards, no touchdowns and perhaps most importantly, zero interceptions. The former NFL first-round pick threw four interceptions during his first competitive taste of the CFL last weekend.

Ottawa took control in the final frame to run out 24-17 winners, as Montreal struggled to get stops against the home side’s physical running game.

However, with an extra week’s work under his belt and a much improved line in front of him, Manziel is beginning to show flashes of brilliance that may make his Canadian adventure successful after all.