Mike Pettine May Have Cost Browns' Playoff Shot by Starting Brian Hoyer

After the Cleveland Browns’ heartbreaking 25-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, the frustration level in the locker room was palpable.

The defense had made big play after big play, but it was once again let down by an anemic offense. The Browns did not know it yet, but this game may have been lost by head coach Mike Pettine all the way back on Wednesday.

“We’re supposed to come out with a win after four turnovers and two defensive touchdowns, so it’s really unacceptable, and that’s the way we feel,” safety Donte Whitner told the media following the loss.

It is unacceptable, and for the first time this season, the majority of the blame can be placed on the shoulders of just one man: quarterback Brian Hoyer.

Hoyer was 14-of-34 passing for 140 yards and two interceptions in a game that probably will end up knocking the Browns out of the playoff hunt. His quarterback rating of 31.7 wasn’t good enough to win the game.

We have seen this story before, but this time it is different. This time, there are no excuses for Hoyer. He had his favorite target in tight end Jordan Cameron back on the field for the first time in over a month. He has had three weeks to build chemistry with arguably the best receiver in the game in Josh Gordon.

Hoyer's defense played its best game of the season despite not having its starting nose tackle, middle linebacker or free safety. The kick return game finally came to life as Travis Benjamin returned five kickoffs for 99 yards and four punts for 65 yards.

Kicker Billy Cundiff did miss a chip-shot field goal, but that kick should have never been the difference in the game anyway. Hoyer himself left 21 points on the field. This game should have been a blowout.

On the Browns' third possession of the game, Hoyer had the offense driving and threw a terrible interception in the end zone. He tried to force a ball into traffic in the middle of the field, which is a huge no-no. That is seven points.

He also missed two wide-open receivers who were running free for touchdowns. One was in the second quarter to Taylor Gabriel, and the other was in the third quarter to Gordon. Both receivers would have walked in for scores if the balls were not overthrown. That is 14 more points.

Realistically, however, this is not Hoyer’s fault. He can only do what he can do and be who he can be. That is a mediocre quarterback who is better suited as a backup than a long-term starter. Teams have figured him out, and the stats are there to prove it. Per ESPN's Jeremy Lundblad:

"

Brian Hoyer becomes 1st QB in Browns history with 3 straight games of 0 TD passes & 2+ INT

— Jeremy Lundblad (@JLundbladESPN) December 7, 2014"

When your name sits alone atop the heaping pile of garbage that is the Browns’ quarterback history, then you know you have had a bad run. No, this is not Hoyer’s fault. This one falls on Pettine.

When he made the decision to start Hoyer on Wednesday, he essentially sabotaged his team’s chances of victory and making the playoffs.

For all the great things the first-year head coach has done—and there are certainly plenty—this was the worst decision he has made. He started a struggling quarterback who had thrown nine interceptions in his last eight games while passing for just five touchdowns.

This is not to say that Johnny Manziel would have played a perfect game on Sunday. In fact, it is likely that he, too, would have made some mistakes. But could it really have been any worse than what Hoyer did?

At the very least, Manziel could create plays when things are not going as planned. That is what Manziel does. That is more than Hoyer has done since the bye week.

Pettine let his offense be led by a guy who has the worst completion percentage of any starting quarterback in the NFL when the team needed a win most.

The Browns had to defeat the Colts on Sunday to stay alive in the playoff race. Now they need to sweep their final three games to find a way in—a task that seems highly unlikely coming off of their first two-game losing streak of the season.

Pettine again let his team down by not making the change to Manziel despite the offense being unable to do anything in the second half of the game. It managed just three first downs, had four three-and-out possessions and scored just three points.

This team was good enough for the postseason. The Browns defense especially was, which has been playoff-caliber this year. The D entered the week ranked ninth in the league in opponents’ scoring per game and fifth in the NFL in takeaways.

For the most part, the coaching has been good enough to make the playoffs as well. Pettine has worked magic and had this roster playing well above its head, including Hoyer.

He has made them believe they can beat any team, and he accomplished surprising victories at home against New Orleans and on the road against Cincinnati. Yet he let himself and his team down this week. The magic ran out.

“No. It’s an opportunity we…it’s a kick in the gut,” Pettine said after the game when asked if the team's playoff hopes have been dashed. “It’s an opportunity that we let go. We know our margin for error is now zero, that we’ve got to win our last three or we’re done.”

You’re right, Mike, it was a kick in the gut. Unfortunately for your team, you may have helped slide the shoe on the foot that delivered the blow.

All quotes and observations were acquired firsthand unless otherwise noted.