National Football League

The time has come for Manziel, Browns

Published Dec. 10, 2014 6:14 p.m. ET

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BEREA, Ohio - Ready or not, here comes rookie Johnny Manziel into the starting lineup for the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns are banking on "ready."

Citing an offense gone stale and "lack of production" from the game's most important position over the last four weeks, Browns coach Mike Pettine has benched Brian Hoyer in favor of Manziel for Sunday's game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns last chance to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Providing energy shouldn't be an issue for Manziel. As for the rest, we'll find out Sunday.

"You sit here and you have a lot of time to think about it obviously over the course of the year, getting a chance to play," Manziel said. "I felt like I was out there (in practice Wednesday) with a lot more confidence. I felt like last time I stepped on the field I tried to show that a little bit and get these guys to trust me and rally around me a little bit even though I'm the young guy here on the offense.

"At the same time, these guys, I need each and every one of them this week. It's not a one-man deal. It's not one person is going to miraculously make everything better."

The 7-6 Browns haven't scored in the red zone and haven't scored enough points, period, in recent weeks. The move to the mobile Manziel should give the Browns a jolt and challenge the already struggling Bengals defense in ways Hoyer couldn't. In making the move, the Browns are banking on Manziel being up to the challenge of commanding the huddle and the playbook and playing four quarters for the first time as a pro.

"He's going to get the full week as the starter. He'll definitely be prepared," Pettine said. "We tell our guys that aren't starting to prepare as a starter, but that's difficult. It's a lot easier to say than it is to do. It's human nature. They're not truly going to prepare (when they aren't starting)."

Manziel made two cameos in September, then played two series in Buffalo on Nov. 30 when Hoyer was pulled for ineffectiveness. In between he got regular backup reps -- usually not many -- and also ran the scout team. This week, he gets a crash course and a much larger chunk of the repetitions in three practices.

"It's not like training camp practice when we're going to be out there practicing for three hours," Pettine said. "At this time of year it's all about being fresh. We're trying to balance it, walk that line this week with the offense where they have to get reps as a new unit, but at the same time, we still want our guys to be fresh for the game."

Manziel, who's as much an off-field celebrity as he is a football star, said he's been in the facility working with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan since Monday night when Pettine told him he'd be starting. He even joked "there was no Cavs game this week" after he was spotted in the front row watching friend and business associate LeBron James last week on the night before Pettine announced Hoyer would start.

There's no joking, though, about what's at stake for the Browns -- in the short and long-term -- and Manziel as the team makes this switch. And Manziel knows his readiness will be evident when Sunday's game kicks off.

"It's up to me how I feel the next day going into the plays and calling the huddles," Manziel said. "I need to stay on top of this and make sure that there's no second guessing anything. At the same time, going out there (in practice), I think my teammates on offense did a great job of helping me with every little thing that I wouldn't necessarily get because I haven't had the reps throughout the season.

"They're constantly helping me, constantly reminding me, so we're trying to work as a unit because that's what we have to do. It's not about one person. We're trying to go out and have a unit have success on Sunday and every single person on the offense wants that."

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