Johnny Manziel's most effective throw of the night was the middle finger in the direction of the Washington Redskins sideline.
The Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback took an earful from Redskins players when he was forced out of bounds in the third quarter. As Manziel jogged away, he responded by casually flipping the bird with his right hand.
"I get words exchanged with me throughout the entirety of the game every game, week after week," Manziel said. "Should have been smarter, it was a Monday Night Football game ... just need to be smarter about that."
Browns coach Mike Pettine said the gesture didn't set well with him.
"I was informed of it after the game and it's disappointing," Pettine said during the postgame news conference. "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 compsure, so it's something that we'll obviously address."
The rookie's defenders might see the move as another sign of moxie, that Manziel won't take any guff from opponents.
After months of concerns about Manziel's maturity and off-field behavior, though, the Browns' brass and the league are likely to view the action in a different light.
UPDATE: Manziel is subject to a potential fine from the NFL of $11,025 for unsportsmanlike conduct, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. A league source is saying that a fine is possible, Rapoport adds.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" recaps all of the action from the second week of the preseason.
