After benching Brian Hoyer for rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel in the team’s loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, it appears that the Cleveland Browns may very well look to start Manziel for the remainder of the season.
While no official announcement has been made, it sure does look like head coach Mike Pettine is headed in that direction, as he indicated following the tough loss on Sunday (via NFL.com).
It’s not like we’re just going to go back to Brian,” Pettine said. “This has been a cumulative thing where discussions about a change at quarterback have been more and more lively. We’ll evaluate both quarterbacks and have a decision soon.
When Pettine ultimately makes that decision, whether earlier in the week or closer to Week 14, the attention will start to turn to what Manziel can bring to the table and whether he can lead Cleveland to a rare playoff spot.
Here are five reasons Manziel can accomplish that goal.
1. Brian Hoyer Isn’t That Good, Browns Are Still 7-5
It’s still amazing to this one scribe that the Browns sit at 7-5 with Hoyer under center for the first 12 games of the season. He’s simply not that good of a starting quarterback in the NFL. We could list two reasons why: the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals (both cut him earlier in his career), but that would be too easy and simple minded.
Instead, let’s look at the statistics here for a second.
Hoyer has thrown one touchdown or less in 10 of his 12 starts. In the two games that Hoyer has thrown multiple touchdowns, he has three total interceptions. He’s also put up zero touchdown passes four times this season. For comparison’s sake, Oakland Raiders rookie Derek Carr has also “accomplished” that feat four times. And now over the course of his last four games, Hoyer has thrown one touchdown compared to six interceptions. These are not numbers that are indicative of a quarterback that is upping the level of play of his offense. It’s that simple. Despite this, the Browns sit at 7-5 on the season.
2. Johnny Manziel is More Dynamic
With an elite-level playmaker like Josh Gordon on the outside, Manziel’s ability to both run and pass could be huge for the Browns’ offensive success moving forward. This forces the opposition to defend against the read option, which could force a safety into the box and leave Gordon in man coverage outside.
More than that, Manziel’s run-pass combination helps the likes of Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West in the running game. We have seen some of the best run offenses in the NFL over the past few years, San Francisco and Seattle in particular, have a ton of success with mobile quarterbacks forcing defenses to plan against the run. That will leave a ton of running lanes for both Crowell and West should Manziel get the nod.
3. Offense Opens Up With Manziel Under Center
To play off the previous point for a second here. Manziel also possesses the capability to get the ball down the field when he has open windows to throw through. Those open windows will be created by forcing the defense to account for him on the ground. With the likes of Gordon, Taylor Gabriel and Andrew Hawkins, that could lead to some huge plays down the field for the Browns moving forward should Manziel get the nod.
4. The Browns Have a Good Team
Cleveland wouldn’t be 7-5 on the season if it weren’t a good football team. That’s only magnified by the limitations that it has had at the quarterback position with Brian Hoyer under center. The team has two receivers in Taylor Gabriel and Andrew Hawkins that have combined for over 1,200 yards. Its offense also has two rookie running backs in the form of the aforementioned Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West who have combined for over 1,000 total yards and 11 touchdowns through 12 games. They have been able to do this with a physically limited quarterback. This doesn’t even take into account the return of Josh Gordon, who has racked up 15 receptions for nearly 200 yards in two games.
Defensively, the Browns rank in the top 10 against the pass and are yielding a 74.1 rating to opposing quarterbacks. The play of Joe Haden and new addition Donte Whitner are two primary reasons for their success against the pass. And while Cleveland’s defense has racked up only 22 sacks, its offense has allowed a ridiculously low 18 sacks itself.
With above average quarterback play and an ability to move the ball on a consistent basis through the air, Cleveland should be able to earn a trip to the postseason. All the other parts are in place here.
5. He’s Freaking Johnny Football
Make no mistake about it, Johnny Manziel’s best chance to succeed long term might be to sit for the remainder of the year and enter 2015 as the team’s starting quarterback. But when you spend a first-round pick on this position and the veteran is not performing up to average standards, you simply need to make the move.
Sure there are going to be growing pains should Pettine make the decision to go with Manziel for the final four games of the year. Sure he’s going to make some rookie mistakes. This has happened with every rookie quarterback since the advent of time. What Manziel does bring to the table is a certain level of cockiness that we don’t see from Hoyer. A mentality that the opposing defense isn’t as good as him, and that he will show that throughout the game. Whether it’s pushing the ball down the field to Cleveland’s talented group of pass catchers or tucking the ball and running, Manziel is simply more dynamic than his veteran counterpart. And in reality, that’s what the Browns need in order to get over the hump and earn a playoff spot.
Photo: USA Today
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