Since returning to the National Football League in 1999, the Cleveland Browns have been looking for a spark to ignite their franchise. In 1999, the Browns used the first overall pick of the NFL Draft on quarterback Tim Couch, but he failed to live up to those expectations. Butch Davis was hired to be the Browns head coach in 2001 and by 2002 he led them to the postseason where they would blow a 17-point lead to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Game. Subsequently the Browns have not made the playoffs since then as they have been unable to get out of their own way. Since the Browns returned to the NFL, they have had 20 different starting quarterbacks, eight head coaches, seven general managers, and three separate ownership groups which is why they have become a laughing stock around the league. But all of that futility could be a thing of the past for the Browns.
Last spring the Browns used a first round pick on quarterback Johnny Manziel who was looked at as a savior for this organization. In 2012, Manziel won the Heisman Trophy while at Texas A&M and he has a knack for making things happen on the football field as he is a gunslinger. As soon as Manziel was drafted by the Browns the team had nearly 10,000 request for season tickets as he appeared to be the new face of the franchise. But that message was never delivered to Browns starting quarterback Brian Hoyer.
Brian Hoyer
The Browns are Hoyer’s fourth NFL team and now that he is the starting quarterback in Cleveland he refuses to relinquish the role. For three seasons Hoyer learned at the feet of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as his understudy where he learned what it would take for him to be a true pro. After brief stints with the Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, Hoyer joined the Browns last season. Hoyer was 3-0 as a starting quarterback in 2013 before an ACL injury prematurely ended his season. With a new general manager for 2014 in the form of Ray Farmer along with first year head coach Mike Pettine, Hoyer didn’t appear to be in the long term plans of the Browns being that they traded up in the first round to select Manziel. But the script has indeed changed in Cleveland.
This past summer Hoyer simply outworked Manziel in Browns training camp and thus he earned the starting quarterback position in Cleveland. Aside from Pettine’s approval, Hoyer’s teammates believe in him as he has won over the locker room with his work ethic and leadership.
Through five games this season the Browns are 3-2 and a victory this Sunday over the Jacksonville Jaguars would match their win total from 2013. With Hoyer leading the way this season the Browns could easily be 5-0 as their two losses were by a combined five points. The Browns losses came to the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens who both won on field goals as time expired.
Through five games this year Hoyer has thrown seven touchdowns to just one interception and he also has a flair for the dramatic. In their Week 1 loss to the Steelers, the Browns were trailing 27-3 at the half before Hoyer rallied them to tie the game. In Week 2, Hoyer led the Browns down the field to set up the game winning field goal by place kicker Billy Cundiff in the waning seconds of the game to knock off the New Orleans Saints. In Week 5, the Browns found themselves down 28-3 in the second quarter to the Tennessee Titans before Hoyer rallied them to a 29-28 victory. Yesterday Hoyer was only for 8-for-17 passing, but he threw for 217 yards along with a touchdown pass as the Browns were able to extract revenge on the Steelers with a 31-10 beat down in Cleveland as “Brian Football” and not “Johnny Football” has captivated Cleveland.
Johnny Manziel
Manziel may sell tickets, but Hoyer is winning football games and he has taken his city back from the youngster from Texas A&M. Hoyer grew up in the Cleveland area and he knows all about the Browns as he grew up watching them. Hoyer has given the Browns fans a quarterback that they can fully get behind for the first time since Bernie Kosar led Cleveland to three appearances in the AFC Championship Game in the 1980’s. Now, Hoyer has put the Browns in a bind. Manziel is the future, but Hoyer is too good to pass on right now and once the season is over the Browns will need to figure out if they are going to commit to Hoyer on a long-term deal. But would the Browns really consider trading Manziel?
In 2001, it was a young Brady that became the Patriots starting quarterback when he replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe. Brady would lead the Patriots to three Super Bowl Championships in four seasons and the rest is history. In 2004, the San Diego Chargers drafted quarterback Eli Manning with the first overall pick and they later traded him to the New York Giants for quarterback Philip Rivers. The Chargers did all of this even though they had Drew Brees on the roster. Brees led the Chargers to the playoffs in 2004, but once he was injured at the end of the 2005 season he was allowed to leave as a free agent and he would sign with the New Orleans Saints. But Hoyer’s situation is a little different as the Browns are hamstrung with him. However if Hoyer is able to lead the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, the decision will be an easy one as quarterbacks in the NFL are simply defined by wins and losses. Hoyer is a winner and in the words of Grammy-Award winning singer Mariah Carey, he is indeed making things happen on the shores of Lake Erie.
Source: Pro-football-reference.com
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