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All Signs Point To Johnny Manziel Being Named Starter For Cleveland Browns

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By @Kramerica100

Getty Images

Getty Images

Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine said that he will announce who the starting quarterback will be this Wednesday. Pettine also said that he isn’t leaning one way or the other at this point. However, the timing of the decision favors the idea that Johnny Manziel will be taking the field this Sunday.

If the Browns wanted to stick with Brian Hoyer, then the best day to announce that would have been on Monday. Delaying it creates all kinds of speculation and it confirms the doubt they have in Hoyer. The longer the decision goes unmade, the more likely it will be Manziel who gets the nod.

The mid-week announcement also gives the Browns more time to look at what Hoyer has done this year, and that might lead to Manziel starting more than anything. The Browns’ winning record seems to have clouded many people’s idea of how effective Hoyer has been this season. He ranks 33rd out of the 34 eligible quarterbacks in completion percentage. If Geno Smith is completing more passes than your starting quarterback, then you don’t have a starting quarterback.

The Hoyer supporters point to his elevated play at the end of games. That sounds a lot like the people who said Tim Tebow should be an NFL quarterback. Winning in spite of your quarterback can only last so long until the inevitable regression sets in.

Despite Hoyer’s obvious struggles, it is still a big risk if they go with Manziel. There is no guarantee that he will be any better than what Hoyer has been, but there is at least a chance. No one expected the Browns to be in the playoff hunt this season, and Manziel could be the spark they need to put them over the top.

It worked once when the San Francisco 49ers decided to stick with Colin Kaepernick when Alex Smith came back from injury. That was a polarizing decision at the time, and the 49ers wouldn’t handle it any differently if they had a chance to do it over. A few years down the road, the Browns may be kicking themselves if they end up playing it safe with Hoyer.

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