Amidst heavy speculation that Johnny Manziel is poised to unseat Brian Hoyer as the starting quarterback in Cleveland, the struggling veteran had a message to send about his ability to lead the team. "You don't get to 7-5 in the NFL by lucking into it," Hoyer told Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer.
Brian Hoyer preparing as Browns’ starter
Perturbed by rumors that Johnny Manziel will supplant him as the starting quarterback, Hoyer reminded media members that the 7-5 record he’s led the Browns to “doesn’t happen by luck.”
Hoyer, who has quarterbacked the Browns to within a game and a half of the division lead through 13 weeks, reminded media members on Monday that he's now 10-5 as the starter dating back to last season. He's also the only Browns quarterback since their return to Cleveland to post a winning record as a starter. Still, Hoyer said that being benched for Manziel in the fourth quarter on Sunday in a loss to the Buffalo Bills "doesn't waver my confidence any one bit."
“This just doesn’t happen by luck,” Hoyer said of the Browns’ record. “It was hard-earned, and we’ve worked to get where we’re at. We’re still in it. With those other teams losing yesterday, we have four more games. Two of them are division games.”
Manziel made the most of his first significant playing time, capping his first drive with a rushing touchdown and reigniting the quarterback controversy in Cleveland. Hoyer was yanked after throwing his second pick of the game, and he now has one touchdown, six picks and a 50.8 completion percentage over his last three games.
Head coach Mike Pettine said Monday morning that “the door is definitely open for a change at the quarterback position,” and suggested the team would make a decision on Wednesday.
Hoyer, who said he's preparing as if he'll be the starter this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, said Pettine's comments didn't bother him.
“No, it’s (Pettine’s) job and he can choose to do what he wants to do,” Hoyer said. “For me, I can only worry about what I can control. Until he decides what he wants to do, like I said, I’m going about it as I’m the starter. I’m studying my tape on Indy, and I would do the same if I wasn’t. That’s just the way I’ve always prepared. For me, nothing’s changed. I go about my business the way I handle it every week, and that’s his right. He’s the head coach. He gets to make those decisions.”
With four weeks left in the season, the Browns remain in the playoff hunt. They are currently in a three-way tie for second place in the AFC North, slightly more than a game back of the 8-3-1 Cincinnati Bengals for the top spot in the division.
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