Brian Hoyer Confident He Can Lead The Browns To The Playoffs

Even though Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer was benched in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss against the Buffalo Bills, he still feels he can lead the team to a playoff spot over second-stringer Johnny Manziel.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Brian Hoyer was taken out of Sunday’s game after throwing two interceptions and less than 200 yards. Manziel took over and scored the Browns’ lone touchdown, but his performance for the rest of the game wasn’t spectacular.

When asked what led to replacing Brian Hoyer with Johnny Manziel, head coach Mike Pettine told the Plain Dealer that he wanted to try something new.

“We needed a spark,” he said. “We had been listless for a good amount of time.”

Now the Browns have to decide whether they should start Hoyer or Manziel for the upcoming game against the Indianapolis Colts. A decision will be made by Wednesday, and Manziel feels prepared if he is chosen.

“If that is the case and my name is called, then I’ll definitely be ready,” he said.

But during a separate interview with the Plain Dealer, Brian Hoyer noted that he feels he should be the starter.

“(I do) because we’re here. We’re 7-5,” Hoyer said. “This just doesn’t happen by luck. It was hard-earned, and we’ve worked to get where we’re at.”

Brian Hoyer also brought up how the Browns’ rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, lost their games, which makes for a three-way tie in the AFC North. But all three teams are behind the leader, the 8-3-1 Cincinnati Bengals, who the Browns beat earlier this year, and will play again after playing the Colts.

“With those other teams losing yesterday, we have four more games,” Hoyer mentioned. “Two of them are division games.”

Brian Hoyer added that bringing the team to 7-5 has not been an easy task, but he feels like he can continue leading the team if he is chosen.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, and I think I’ve proven that I’ve gotten us to this point,” he said. “I feel like I can carry us through the next four games. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be ready to go.”

The decision to start either Hoyer or Manziel lies in the hands of Pettine. Hoyer noted that he is ready for whatever is decided.

“We still have a chance to attain all of our goals,” he said. “It’s still there in front of us. That decision’s not up to me though, and I’ll be ready. I’m going to go about it as business as usual and see where it goes.”

Brian Hoyer added that there were no hard feelings between him and the coach, when he was pulled from the game against the Bills.

“For me, I can only worry about what I can control,” Hoyer said. “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.”

Should Brian Hoyer be the starter, or should it be Johnny Manziel?

[Featured image via Cleveland Browns website — Inline image credited to Erik Drost via Flickr]