Browns coach Mike Pettine has said he?ll make a decision by Wednesday. He probably already has. After removing quarterback Brian Hoyer from Sunday?s game at Buffalo and inserting rookie Johnny Manziel, the die was cast. It?s Johnny Football time. It had appeared that Hoyer had done enough to keep the starting job for the rest of the season. But with a major dilemma looming if Hoyer had taken the team to the playoffs week before taking himself to free agency, making the decision to go with Manziel now helps the Browns avoid the potential mess later. Now that Manziel has gotten a chance to play, there?s no reason to put him back on the sidelines. The future quickly became now ater Hoyer threw five interceptions in two games, and the table is set for Manziel to finish what Hoyer started by taking the team to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. For Hoyer, who bet on himself by rebuffing a backup-quality contract offer in the offseason, it?s now likely if not inevitable that he?ll be looking for opportunities to start elsewhere in 2015. Absent a clear chance to play with another team, maybe he?ll return to the Browns as a backup.
Well now it's for real again: Manziel / Hoyer. I would expect that Manziel gets the ball to start this week. If the contract situation and the Manziel status wasn't there, I would think otherwise, but they "have to" know what Johnny gives them now, and Hoyer openend the door. As for Johnny's performance: well he was Johnny. I really think we saw what we will get: some spark, some really good stuff, and then some WTF moments, but he's a rookie and the WTFs come with the territory. Best case scenario: Manziel starts and we have a very good back up, who we aren't hesitant to plug in ( he has made 4 come back wins ). I'm OK with that but it makes a playoff run virtually impossible, and that is a shame. In the grand scheme of things it is the offensive line's demise that has lead us here, but that isn't going to get better, so Johnny makes a certain amount of sense in that he has better skills in escaping. The run game that was so powerful as the season began, has suffered the most, and subsequently the passing game gets squeezed, and here we are. Hoyer isn't the QB who can carry the team beyond the capability of the line's ability to keep him clean and open running lanes. Can Johnny? I certainly hope so. If Johnny gets too Jekyl & Hyde, then Hoyer comes in, but no longer the incumbent. Johnny will have his starts, and the difficult task of making a decision on Johnny with limited playing time starts too. I am dissappointed in Hoyer's response: this is my team, when clearly that is very much not the case. It can only polarize the team if he continues to make those kind of statements. He can believe that but there's no upside to making it public. There is an argument to be made for Hoyer getting back on the horse. The playoffs are "right there" and he is the guy with the experience, and the guy who brought them this far, but his most recent play, and pretty much since Mack went down, he has been pedestrian, even while winning games. Which way Pettine goes will tell us a lot about how big a set he has, or maybe how autonomous he is relative to the front office. I'm not convinced in either direction,mostly because I don't know what Johnny can/will do with the keys to the car. Does he race out of the gate and then crash, or learn and grow game to game? A week ago I had dreams of 10 wins, now ????? Go Browns !!
Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer is still hoping that he?ll remain Cleveland?s starter, despite getting benched on Sunday for Johnny Manziel. Although coach Mike Pettine has not yet made his decision, from all appearances Hoyer is about to lose his job to Johnny Football, the first-round pick who took Hoyer?s place on Sunday in the fourth quarter in Buffalo and promptly marched the Browns down the field for a touchdown. Hoyer says his body of work in Cleveland should be enough for him to keep the job. ?I don?t have any doubt in myself. I never have, throughout this entire process, going back to last year. I feel like we?re 7-5, we still have a chance to attain all of our goals. It?s still there in front of us,? Hoyer said. ?We won three games last year when I started. I mean, 10-5 as a starting quarterback is not bad.? Hoyer is right about that: 10-5 is not bad, especially in Cleveland, where the Browns haven?t had many winning records recently. But the reality is that when the veteran gets benched for the first-round rookie, as Hoyer was in Buffalo on Sunday, that?s rarely a short-term change. If Hoyer is going to win 10 more games as a starting quarterback, it probably won?t be in Cleveland.
Coach Mike Pettine said "we'll look at" getting No. 3 RB Glenn Winston more reps after Terrance West lost a critical fumble in the Week 13 loss to the Bills. "West lately has been very careless with the football," Pettine said. "Giving up the ball like that is inexcusable." Winston was claimed off waivers from the 49ers at final cuts. The UDFA out of Michigan State rushed for 113 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries in the preseason. Winston stands 6-foot, 220. Isaiah Crowell is locked in atop the depth chart with an arrow pointing up.
I've actually been waiting for Winston to get in the game. If he and Crow split carries in Indy, we could stand a chance. Indy has a terrible D, especially against the run. WORSE THAN OURS If we can control the ball, and not give up the big play in the passing game, I really think we have a chance. Our strengths line up nicely with their weaknesses. A lot of pressure on the DBs and the OLBs to make plays in this game.
for you stat guys . this pains me to see this as Hoyer pretty much went into a slump ay a very bad time of the season .
the only issue I have with it is West is a third round pick that Farmer traded up to get . his first draft class sans Bitonio is not shaping up very well here ..I know Irish there still rooks but damn show me something here !
OK, so which is it, the line sucks or Terrance West is a disappointment? Crowell is the only thing making TWest look bad at this point. Yes, he is a 3rd round draft pick and he is also 24th in the league in YPC (qualifying with at least 100 carries), 27th in total rushing yards, tied for 16th in TDs...all with Ben Tate starting 6 of the 12 games played and having a 3 headed running game for the majority of the games... Yes, he lost a fumble last Sunday, the first of his career...Crow, whom we ALL praise has lost 2... He is the #3 rookie rusher of 2014 behind Jeremy Hill and Tre Mason who were drafted ahead of him along with Bishop Sankey, Carlos Hyde and Charles Sims... Jeremy Hill #14 in NFL, starting 5 games Tre Mason #21 starting 5 games Terrance West #27, starting 3 games AND YES, he is a rookie, he can be taught how to protect the ball, and the coaching staff is to blame here as Crow, as I already mentioned also has TWO fumbles lost... Both of the RBs will continue to grow and help this team become a top rushing team in the future with a healthy O-Line. 14,21, What more do you all want from him?
I was surprised by Pettine's reaction / over reaction to West's fumble. Yes it was a debilitationg blow in the game, and yes he needs to learn to keep the ball away from tacklers, but none the less it was his first fumble. I get the feeling that West isn't one of the staff's favorites (the benching earlier), and this seems to support that. The failure of our once powerful running game doesn't really rest on the backs at all, but the line play. The O line started the season as one of the league's best, and the loss of Mack made it only adequate, and only sometimes at that. I will admit also that "superior" QB play could have overcome that. We don't have it, or maybe we do but had the wrong guy out there. we'll see.
I was thinking much the same Irish. West is right where I figured he'd be at this point, #2 on the depth chart. I agree that teaching ball security is as much on the coaches as it is on the players to hang on to the ball. Basically the real disappointment is that his first fumble came at a crucial time/place during the game and gave the Bills a free 7 points. Remember AP has his ball security issues early in his career as well. It can be fixed. The real surprise is that Tate the guy brought in to be the top RB was cut mid season. I think that speaks as much to how well Farmer drafted for the RB position as anything. Bluez my friend, I understand your frustration, unfortunately for the Browns during the last umpteen years the Roster has lacked the veteran depth to allow the rookies to develop before being pressed into service. Therefore we've come to expect more from them sooner in their career. Slowly but surely we will get there. Keep in mind that most rookies don't immediately play at a High level in the NFL. aka Buster Skrine. I think that many of us were ready to lynch the guy because he just couldn't' match up to better WR's, and now I don't think any of us would trade him. Hang in there this season has truly been one heck of a Ride sure there have been enough speed bumps to frustrate most of us. We've been oh so close to returning to the dominant Browns of old and yet frustratingly far away at the same time. Let us all site back and enjoy the ride that has been the 2014 season. Keep the faith and hope that the Browns win the next 3-4 games and keep the dream of making the post season alive. *DRINK*
Cue Kenny Rogers: Bring in the Gambler! We have a team that has talent, but is wounded at the O line, and depleted in D, so "on paper" we cannot win enough games to make the playoffs. The X factor is Johnny Football. If we take the "it ain't broke so don't fix it, or business as usual, dance with the one who brung you" approach we will get "more of the same". We need to change the odds, take some chances: Gamble. Put Benjamin back for every punt return, we have to "go for it", and accept that it could backfire, but that we tried to "win". We need to gain some field position, not just avoid turnovers. We need a QB who will put it up and let the chips fall where they may. We have a good group of recievers, and we will have to ask them to make the catches, and defend the errant throws, to create big plays for us and minimize big plays for our opponents. Johnny adds the dimension of WTF for a D to deal with. He may end up turning it over, but he will certainly put added pressure on defenses to account for his containment. That in turn should help the running game, by creating that half second of uncertainty about whether he handed it off or still has it. I would expect him to be unconventional to our benefit and detriment at times, but always unpredictable to the D. Blitz. No more 3 man rushes. We have good coverage guys, so put the pressure on them to cover, and go after the QB. Our greatest strength is in the coverage guys, let them carry the load, and help make it work by hitting the QB, forcing throws early, and creating TO opportunities. Gamble. Onside kick at times no one is looking for it, fake punt, fake FG (God knows Cundif is a fake kicker), hard count them, do whatever you can to change the odds. The season lies ahead, and luck favors the bold. I'm all in. Let's Gamble.
Coach Mike Pettine said TE Gary Barnidge's rib injury is "much more serious than our other injuries." Barnidge took a helmet to the ribs during Sunday's loss at Buffalo. If Jordan Cameron (concussion) can't get cleared this week, the Browns will have to roll with Jim Dray and Ryan Taylor at tight end.
Miles Austin will spend another night in a Buffalo hospital with a kidney injury. Austin was hurt in Sunday's loss to the Bills and will stay a second night as a precaution. The 30-year-old has a 47-568-2 line this season and has played in every game.
a combination of both . West has been in the coaches dog house most of the season due to my understanding attitude issues . so yes to me that is a disappointment . the line has struggled since Mack went down . they get there asses handed to them in pass protection and cant create any running room . so yes once again that is a disappointment . at least is to me . I was hoping for a 500 season and I will at least get that so overall I am pretty much happy with how it has played out to date . just to be playing meaningful football this late in the season is refreshing . I could get used to this .
