Brian Hoyer Still the Best Option for Cleveland Browns

By Ryan Disdier | Sep 24, 2014

It’s been three weeks of the 2014 NFL season, and so far Johnny Manziel’s playing time has been limited to say the least. The former Heisman trophy winner has a lone pass attempt and a reception that was negated by a penalty. Not exactly the types of plays that would embody Manziel’s bombastic personality.

When rookie Browns head coach Mike Pettine decided to start Brian Hoyer over Manziel, you could almost hear the sighs surfacing from Cleveland fans. Manziel was viewed by many as the knight in shining armor that would lead the Browns into the playoffs. He has the personality, the swagger and the connections (LeBron James, Drake) that help endear him to fans. Unfortunately, starting Manziel is not that simple.

While both quarterbacks underwhelmed for the most part during the preseason, Mike Pettine’s choice to go with Hoyer was the safe, smart option. With all the hype surrounding the rookie out of Texas A&M, it seems like some of Cleveland’s faithful are forgetting that Hoyer is a good, reliable quarterback.

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After playing behind Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger, Hoyer finally got his chance last year due to the dreadful play from Brandon Weeden. Hoyer won all of his three starts last year before a torn ACL prematurely ended his season. This year, Hoyer has yet to throw an interception, per NFL.com. Furthermore, Hoyer has the league’s 10th best passer rating with a quarterback rating of 97.5.

Sure, he’s no Peyton Manning, but he is the best option for the Cleveland Browns at this juncture of the season.

Hoyer has done everything he can with the talent at his disposal. With Ben Tate injured and Josh Gordon suspended, Hoyer has maid due with Terrence West, Miles Austin and Andrew Hawkins. He has made good decisions with the ball, and has proven his tenacity. After being down 27-3 at halftime against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hoyer helped lead the Browns to 27 points an a thrilling comeback.

Head coach Mike Pettine spoke with Cleveland.com about his quarterback. “He’s played well,” Pettine said. “He hasn’t graded out 100 percent and he’s his own toughest critic, too. … I just think (quarterback coach Dowell Loggains and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan) have done a good job not just with the quarterback but the entire offense of playing to our strengths.”

If anything, Hoyer starting is giving Manziel a chance to further adjust himself to the NFL. Getting a better grasp on the playbook, polishing his mechanics and proving he’s a team player with no maturity issues are all things Manziel is likely doing.

Now, if Hoyer was faltering in the offense it would be a completely different story. If that were the case, fans would be clamoring for Johnny Football and it’s likely we would see a movement similar to Denver’s ‘Play Tebow’ crusade back in 2011. However, that’s simply not the case. Hoyer is playing well in Cleveland’s offense, and it seems like he has the respect and trust of the locker room.

It’s incredibly hard to justify benching a player that has kept the Browns in every game and has yet to throw an interception. Despite that, sooner or later Brian Hoyer’s comebacks won’t be good enough for the Cleveland fan base. Sooner or later Hoyer needs to start putting wins together in order to create separation from Manziel.

Hoyer has led the Browns to a 1-2 record going into their bye week, and it seems as if something radical will have to happen for Johnny Football to see any significant time under center.

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