Based on Browns Quarterback Brian Hoyer’s on-field performance, he’s proving that LeBron isn’t the only important player to return to Cleveland.
There aren’t many teams in the professional sports world more deserving of a little hope than the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland gained the ultimate weapon on the basketball court by re-signing LeBron James, and now it seems the city just needs a new quarterback. And it looks like they’ve found one.
Going into last Sunday’s Browns game, Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an 18-1 record against the Browns since being drafted by the Steelers in 2004.
The Browns have been on a roller coaster ride trying to find a starting quarterback for their team. Going up against Roethlisberger, Hoyer attempted to do what only one other man could in the past 10 years: beat the Steelers. Hoyer was 18-30 on pass attempts, gaining 222 yards and a touchdown. However, the most important stat for Hoyer was that he finished the game without giving up any interceptions. He played a clean game, managed it well, and came out on top with a convincing 31-10 victory.
There was so much speculation when the Browns drafted Texas A&M superstar Johnny Manziel, with hopes that he could quarterback the team to the Promised Land. But it turns out that Hoyer had other plans. After winning four straight games for the Browns last year, Hoyer tore his ACL, sending Browns fans into another quarterback-less oblivion.
Hoyer recovered over the offseason, and came into training camp with a fresh mind and a determination to take back the number one quarterback spot on the Browns roster. Starting Hoyer over Manziel was the right choice. Hoyer has more experience in the league, and he’s played behind people like Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. By being the primary starter, there’s a lot he can teach Manziel by just playing in front of him.
Manziel is a gunslinger; he makes things happen with his feet, and he creates plays when there are none. But the NFL is a totally different animal than college football. You can’t just run away from a defender in the NFL the way you can in college, because in the professional league, everyone is the fastest, biggest and best player — they’re the top football players in the world. Manziel needs to acquire the calm demeanor that veterans like Hoyer can bring to the table.
What the Browns are doing right now is great. Hoyer is 29 years young, has a lot of good football left in him and can win the game when the Browns need it. It makes all of the sense in the world to allow Manziel to sit back, relax and learn while Hoyer leads the team as far as it can go.
Right now, this team has a lot of talent, and could be a serious threat if not taken seriously. Hoyer is going to have to continue to prove that he can lead this team, and that he’s on the right track. As for those -2 rushing yards on Sunday, I wouldn’t worry about that, that’s supposed to be Manziel’s thing, right?
Adam Wondrely is a senior studying creative writing and journalism. Do you see Brian Hoyer as the long term solution for the Browns? Email him at aw922910@ohio.edu.
