Red Right 88

If not Brian Hoyer, then who?

It has been an interesting 12 months for Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer.

At this time last year, Hoyer was working hard (a trait that is apparently a foreign concept to some quarterbacks on the roster) to rehabilitate from an injury to his ACL that stalled his 2013 season after just three starts.

As the calendar pages turned during 2014, Hoyer’s NFL future took more twists and turns than the famed Nürburgring in Germany.

The NFL Draft brought Johnny Manziel to town, with many mistakenly believing the Browns had to start the rookie from Texas A&M from day one.

Head coach Mike Pettine had other ideas, though, and named Hoyer the starter late in the preseason. Hoyer would reward his coach’s faith by leading the Browns to the top of the AFC North after 11 games. His play brought with it talk of a contract extension and the belief that the Browns had finally solved their quarterback quandary.

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When just as important as if Browns switch quarterbacks

What a difference a few days can make.

This time last week the Cleveland Browns were high on everyone’s radar after a convincing beating of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the debate was on about how quickly the team should sign starting quarterback Brian Hoyer to a new contract.

Fast forward one week, and one horrible performance by the team and Hoyer against the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars and the narrative has changed dramatically.

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What if Brian Hoyer had never been injured?

The Cleveland Browns are currently preparing to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third game of what could be a season-defining five-game stretch.

But while the team’s focus in on the Jaguars, there is a potential franchise-altering decision looming on the horizon: namely, what to do with quarterback Brian Hoyer?

Hoyer will be a free agent after this season and both the Browns and Hoyer’s representatives are trying to figure out just what Hoyer’s value is to the team.

The subject came up this week after a story from Jason Cole at Bleacher Report came out stating that Hoyer would not resign with the Browns as long as fellow quarterback Johnny Manziel remains on the roster.

Hoyer wasted little time in debunking the story.

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The legend of Brian Hoyer continues to grow

The Cleveland Browns were back at it again on Sunday in Tennessee, turning the improbable into the probable in beating the Titans in what has quickly turned into the most entertaining and unexpected season since 2007.

And with the victory, the legend of Brian Hoyer continues to grow.

There is plenty of love to go around after the Browns pulled off what was not only the biggest comeback in franchise history (surpassing a 1966 win against the New York Giants), but also the biggest road comeback in NFL history.

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Brian Hoyer blowing up national media’s storyline

Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer not only blew up the Pittsburgh Steeler defense in the second half of Sunday’s night, he also blew a big hole in the national media’s narrative on the Browns quarterback situation.

With the national media pining away for Johnny Manziel – CBS showed him almost as much on Sunday as the actual game – Hoyer refused to play along in leading the Browns to 24 second-half points and almost pulling off the franchise’s biggest comeback since 1966. (Funny, we don’t remember seeing many shots of Brandon Weeden on Sunday night while Tony Romo was crapping the bed against San Francisco.)

Hoyer’s performance has started to slowly turn the tide, with both USA Today and  Don Banks at Sports Illustrated acknowledging that Hoyer’s performance only solidified his hold on the starting job.

The best part is where Hoyer was among a group of veterans that challenged the team at halftime to get its act together.

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