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Hoyer's story gets better and better

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  • CLEVELAND -- What should be one of the NFL's best stories is back to life.


    Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer now has started five games, finished four, won three and led the Browns twice on game-winning drives in the final minute.


    In one of his other starts he hurt his knee five minutes into the game, in another he secured a win with a long drive, and in another he led the team back from a 24-point deficit to nearly steal an improbable win in Pittsburgh.


    That kind of production has all the earmarks of a winning quarterback, a guy who does his job when it matters most. That it's a guy who grew up in Cleveland and was released by three teams makes the tale even better.


    On Sunday, Hoyer guided the Browns on a winning drive by beating the New Orleans Saints 26-24. Cleveland started from its 4-yard line with 2:40 left and ended at the Saints' 11 -- setting up Billy Cundiff's winning field goal with three seconds left.


    On the drive, Hoyer completed two third-down throws to Miles Austin, a fourth-down throw to Gary Barnidge and a 28-yard throw to a wide-open Andrew Hawkins to set up the field goal.


    Hoyer completed four of his last five passes and won a game when the Browns did not have Ben Tate and Jordan Cameron because of injury and Josh Gordon because of suspension.


    "I think a lot of people would have told us that we shouldn't show up in this game," Hoyer said.


    He can thank a lot of players for the win: Karlos Dansby, whose sack of Drew Brees on New Orleans' last offensive play took the Saints out of field goal range and kept the deficit at one. Tashaun Gipson, who intercepted a Brees pass in the first half and returned it for a touchdown. Austin, who shrugged off a third-down drop to catch a touchdown pass in the first half.


    "So [often] in this business you get caught up in results," Hoyer said. "And if you can just focus on the process and on each play one at a time and figure what you have to do to win that play ... "


    The winning play started with Hoyer throwing on third-and-1 to Austin, whose snag at the two-minute mark got things going. Three plays later, Austin converted another third down. Hoyer's next big throw was fourth-and-6 with 38 seconds left, a pass over the middle to Barnidge for 10 yards and a first down that gave the team life.


    "Probably his best throw of the day," coach Mike Pettine said.


    "It just opened up," Barnidge said. "I was one-on-one with the safety. I just broke in, and Hoyer made a great throw."


    Hoyer said he didn't like the coverage as he lined up, so he reminded himself to read the play to the finish. He did, and waited for Barnidge.


    "It was actually the same play last week that I tried to force it," he said of a play he decided where to throw before the snap against Pittsburgh.


    A pass on the sideline to a sliding Austin put the ball a the Saints' 39 -- and the officials stumbled their way to the right ruling, with Austin out of bounds and 15 seconds left.


    The Saints blitzed everyone, and Hoyer's quick slant to Austin was knocked down. Hoyer called that fortunate, because on the next play New Orleans again went with an all-out blitz and left the secondary in man coverage.


    Corey White and Keenan Lewis both went to Austin. Nobody covered Hawkins, who was wide-open at the 15.


    "I think it was a dropped coverage," Hawkins said.


    Hoyer said he almost threw a punt just to make sure the ball got there.


    "We were surprised they all-out blitzed us two plays in a row," Hoyer said.


    That's defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, though. The blitz and blown coverage wound up costing the Saints, as Hoyer's calm was too much for the frenzy Ryan tried to create.


    Hoyer has now lived through the frenzy of the drafting of Johnny Manziel and the preseason frenzy of who would play. Once named the starter, Hoyer shrugged off the pressure of the celebrated draftee lurking behind him, settled in, came within a whisper of winning in Pittsburgh and then beat New Orleans.


    Not too bad for the hometown guy who graduated from high school the same year the Browns last won a home opener.

  • Good for you Brian...

    ... now get back to work.

    "When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196

  • ........ and keep getting better each week.

  • Wow I was worried in this game and Brian came through. This guy is clutch. It us what it is. He makes plays when he needs to. He'll never be Brady or Brees, but I'll take a win over a big beautiful stat line.

    Early man walked away as modern man took control. Their minds weren't all the same and to conquer was their goal. So He built his great empires and he slaughtered his own kind, and he died a confused man and killed himself in his own mind...

  • Hoyer is proving to be what his supporters knew he'd be - a solid game manager. Nice game-winning drive starting from his own five today. Last week he probably leads the team to a win if the coaches' play calling on the last drive wasn't so awful. No picks so far this season. Browns in both games to the finish. Looking good.

    The defense needs to get more pressure on the QB as good things happen when they do (Kruger sack, Gipson pick, drive-killing sack putting the Saints out of field goal range).

    Offensive line looked good in their run-blocking efforts. Good vision by both backs. Ground and pound sounds terrific.

  • Reminds me of another Brian that used to play for us.

  • I was thinkin that, too, Brian Sipe, "cool hand luke"

    we actually have two of them now, one waiting in the wings...

  • So Brian Hoyer is now 4-1 officially as a starter for the Browns, a pretty heady .800 winning percentage.

    But the amazing thing is that still trails Otto Graham's percentage 81% in his 71 NFL starts and an even better percentage when you include the AAFC ... what a team that was!

    Zombo

    The GrogT 1 Reply

  • Imagine if he had Gordon and Cameron.

    Brian has a quick, accurate release and can read a defense well.

    This is Brian Hoyers team.

    brnfan16B 1 Reply
  • Z Zombo

    So Brian Hoyer is now 4-1 officially as a starter for the Browns, a pretty heady .800 winning percentage.

    But the amazing thing is that still trails Otto Graham's percentage 81% in his 71 NFL starts and an even better percentage when you include the AAFC ... what a team that was!

    Zombo

    Zombo said:

    So Brian Hoyer is now 4-1 officially as a starter for the Browns, a pretty heady .800 winning percentage.

    But the amazing thing is that still trails Otto Graham's percentage 81% in his 71 NFL starts and an even better percentage when you include the AAFC ... what a team that was!

    Zombo

    Otto Graham...

    Going back a few, eh?

    LOL

    Tour2maT The GipperT 2 Replies
  • The GrogT The Grog

    Zombo said:

    So Brian Hoyer is now 4-1 officially as a starter for the Browns, a pretty heady .800 winning percentage.

    But the amazing thing is that still trails Otto Graham's percentage 81% in his 71 NFL starts and an even better percentage when you include the AAFC ... what a team that was!

    Zombo

    Otto Graham...

    Going back a few, eh?

    LOL

    @the-grog said:

    Otto Graham... Going back a few, eh? LOL

    A few... but not quite to "B.C." 😎

    ... gonna hate myself in the morning for that one...

    "When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196
  • The GrogT The Grog

    Zombo said:

    So Brian Hoyer is now 4-1 officially as a starter for the Browns, a pretty heady .800 winning percentage.

    But the amazing thing is that still trails Otto Graham's percentage 81% in his 71 NFL starts and an even better percentage when you include the AAFC ... what a team that was!

    Zombo

    Otto Graham...

    Going back a few, eh?

    LOL

    @the-grog said:

    Otto Graham...

    Going back a few, eh?

    LOL

    It is no less relevent to go back to OG than it is to say go back to Favre.

  • say what you will, but I have seen each week Hoyer get slower and slower at making the quick release throws.

    👍
  • SojuS Soju

    say what you will, but I have seen each week Hoyer get slower and slower at making the quick release throws.

    @soju said:

    say what you will, but I have seen each week Hoyer get slower and slower at making the quick release throws.

    Attagirl...

    "When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196
    👍

  • Debbie Downer! Haha

  • WalterWhiteW WalterWhite

    Imagine if he had Gordon and Cameron.

    Brian has a quick, accurate release and can read a defense well.

    This is Brian Hoyers team.

    @walterwhite said:

    Imagine if he had Gordon and Cameron.

    Brian has a quick, accurate release and can read a defense well.

    This is Brian Hoyers team.

    You are right on the money, This is Hoyers team, and if he get all his weapons back who knows what he can do. Johnny, just sit and learn...

  • Hoyer looked great!

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