The race for the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback position between Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer heats up, as a new rumor claiming that Manziel has taken the spot for the season opener emerges.
The rumor, reported by Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer on Sunday, stated Manziel will be starting after his progress in the team's preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday. During that match, he made 7-11 attempts for 63 yards and 27 additional yards on the ground, according to The Latin Post.
However, the report was denied by coach Mike Pettine, who said in an interview with ESPN that right now, the team's top option is still Hoyer.
"We put Brian out there with the ones, and that was for a reason," Pettine said. "Because he was ahead, because of his edge in experience and the lead he had with the playbook. And he's done nothing to have that taken away from him."
While the Browns lost to the Lions 13-12, Pettine said both of their quarterbacks had "solid" performances, USA Today reported. He also said that Manziel has improved dramatically since June, and that despite having season-ending knee surgery last October, Hoyer is still as good as he was before.
The goal for the Browns is to name the starting quarterback before they play the St. Louis Rams during their third preseason game on Aug. 23rd.
"It's not 1,000 percent etched in stone. But I would like it (decided) before then," Pettine said in a conference call Sunday. "The reviews of him (Manziel) in the pocket have been positive, that he has a good sense of the pocket; that he feels the rush without looking at it. A lot of quarterbacks have an issue with that. They're more looking at the rush than feeling it."
Pettine said there is currently no definition choice for the starting position, and that both Manziel and Hoyer deserve it, The Latin Post reported.
"If there was a clear-cut favorite at this point, it would probably mean that one of them wasn't playing very well," he said. "It's a good problem to have, having two guys that we think are both capable of being NFL starters."
The Browns' second preseason game will be against the Washington Redskins on Aug. 18th.
