The Cleveland Browns have decided not to start Johnny Manziel over Brian Hoyer in Week 14 against the Indianapolis Colts despite the way Hoyer played last week against the Bills, as Hoyer was benched in the game for Manziel after some very ineffective play and now head coach Mike Pettine is ready to move forward, while fantasy football owners should look at starting Terrance West and Josh Gordon.
According to ESPN.com, Pettine said that Hoyer gives the team the best chance to win this week and since they are in the middle of a playoff race, he felt it was right to stick with the veteran. This will be the 13th straight start for Hoyer and comes as the Browns are 7-5 on the season and still alive in the AFC playoff race and the AFC north division race as well. The team has Manziel as the QB of the future and some major questions about Hoyer for next season, but right now they are looking to just win on Sunday.
The Browns have lost two of the past three games and now they have a tough matchup with the Colts and Andrew Luck on Sunday. The team had won three straight before losing to the Texans and after pulling out the win against the Falcons, they lost to the Bills. Over those two games Hoyer had zero TDs and five picks and that is one reason why Manziel got some playing time. Manziel could get put in again if Hoyer struggles, but Pettine feels that this is the best course of action.
Isaiah Crowell comes into the week banged up and that makes Terrance West a better fantasy option for owners. This season Crowell has been solid with 475 yards and he could be limited on Sunday. The return of josh Gordon has been big and that could help Hoyer, as he had over 100 yards in his first gamer back and led the league in receiving yards last season. Gordon is an electric talent and he has the chance to be a major factor for the Browns on Sunday.
This season Hoyer has 3064 yards and 11 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and he has been completing just 56 percent of his passes this year. Manziel came in and threw for 63 yards on five passes and he also rushed for a touchdown to score the first TD of his career. Manziel is the future here, but Hoyer is heading into free agency and this could be the last chance for him to show why he should be the long term option. The Browns will have to decide after the season whether or not they want to keep Hoyer.
Hoyer has played well this season and has the Browns in playoff position, but over the past few weeks he has not been good and he has not been able to take care of the ball. Hoyer has thrown five interceptions and zero touchdowns in the last two games. According to Pro Football Talk, it's likely that Manziel will get playing time if Hoyer struggles, as he is more of a long term option for the team with Hoyer heading into free agency.
