CHART: Johnny Manziel Looks More Like An NFL Quarterback This Season

Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy thanks to his exciting all-around ability as a quarterback. But as Johnny Football prepares for what is expected to be a jump to the NFL next year, Manziel is being more selective about running and has become a much better throwing quarterback (cont. below)...

So far this season, Manziel has thrown 3.6 fewer passes per game, but he is averaging 20.8 more yards per game. At the same time, he is running with the ball 4.3 times fewer per game, a drop of 27.8%.

Where we see the biggest improvement in Manziel is getting the ball downfield, something he will need for the NFL.

Last year Manziel posted an 8.8 Adjusted Yards per Attempt (AY/A) which is yards per attempt adjusted for interceptions thrown. This year, Manziel is up to 10.6 AY/A even though he has more interceptions this year (5) than he had at the same point in 2012 (3).

Manziel is expected to be a first-round pick and his running will be an asset in the NFL. But at the same time, coaches at the next level want running quarterbacks to be selective about how often they run. So far this season, Manziel is showing he can do just that.