ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Johnny Manziel gave the Browns a much-needed spark in their 26-10 loss to the Bills, and coach Mike Pettine is strongly considering benching Brian Hoyer and turning the team over to his rookie quarterback.

In his post-game press conference, Pettine said, "we're going to watch the tape, make an evaluation and we'll have more on Wednesday as far as what we're going to do.''

But he went way further in a postgame interview with ESPN's Sal Paolantonio.

"The door is definitely open for a change at the quarterback position,'' Pettine said. "It's not like we're just going to go back to Brian. This has been a cumulative thing, where discussions about a change at quarterback have been more and more lively. We'll evaluate both quarterbacks and have a decision soon."



The Browns benched Hoyer after his second interception of the game, a pass intended for Taylor Gabriel thrown into a sea of Bills jerseys. Pettine -- whose club slipped to 7-5 in the tight AFC North race -- had seen enough. He walked over to Manziel and told him to get loose. Meanwhile, the Bills converted the pick into a field goal for a 20-3 edge with 12:01 left in the game.



Then it was Manziel's turn. He injected new life into the sluggish, points-starved offense, marching the offense 80 yards in eight plays. On the last play, he dove into the end zone for a 10-yard TD that cut the Browns' deficit to 20-10 with 8:47 remaining. Along the way, he completed 4-of-5 attempts for 54 yards, including passes of 12 yards to Miles Austin, 18 yards to Josh Gordon and 24 yards to Jim Dray over the middle to the 12.

As for Pettine contemplating the switch, Hoyer said, "I just keep pressing on. I'm not the one that makes the decision. I think you guys know from before, I'm not going to just hang my head and feel sorry for myself. We have four games left and you know whatever Coach (Pettine) decides to do I'll be here to support this team. I feel like this is my team and this is my job so we'll see what happens going forward.''

Is he confident he's the right guy to lead the team to the playoffs?

"Yeah, without a doubt,'' he said.

Hoyer mustered just three points in the first quarter on a 22-yard Billy Cundiff field goal. The kick came after his pass from the 4 glanced off Austin's left fingertip in the end zone.

"I was thinking I'd stick it in the back of the end zone and give him a chance to catch it,'' said Hoyer.

Hoyer also failed to get any points out of interceptions by Jim Leonhard in the end zone and Joe Haden, one that gave him the ball at the 30. After the Haden pick, Hoyer was drilled for an 8-yard sack on third down by Kyle Williams to blow up the drive. Pettine was miffed about that play too.



"You can't take a sack (there),'' said Pettine. "We were fringe field goal and that's why we have to find a way to either gain yards or at the very least not lose any. That's the frustrating thing when you're on the fringe. We just have to coach that better and make sure we know that we have to get the ball out."

Was the sack part of the reason for Hoyer's hook?

"I just think it was the circumstances of the game: that we were down and needed a spark,'' he said. "I can't really pin it on any one play. I think it was all part of it.''

For the second straight week, Hoyer had communication problems with receiver Josh Gordon, who caught seven passes for 75 yards. With 1:02 left in the half, Hoyer threw deep for Gordon, who failed to come back for the ball, and was picked off by Da'Norris Searcy. Haden bailed out Hoyer, blocking the Bills' 53-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

"When you throw an interception and you're thinking one thing and he is thinking another, you can't have that at this level,'' said Hoyer. "It's disappointing."The way I thought it was going to turn out wasn't what Josh ran."



The game blew up in the Browns' face when the Bills scored twice in the span of 10 seconds in the third quarter, first on a Kyle Orton TD pass with 8:04 left and then on a fumble recovery by Jerry Hughes after he stripped the ball from Terrance West. Pettine said the West fumble "changed the flow of the game'' and called it "inexcusable.''

He also lamented the fact the Browns squandered another stellar defensive effort, one in which the Browns got two picks, held Sammy Watkins to three catches for 11 yards and limited the Bills to only 2-of-15 on third down.



"I'm very disappointed for us to waste, for a good part of the game, a solid defensive effort. It was a bad feeling at halftime knowing that as well as we played and shut them out, we only had a field goal to show for it,'' said Pettine. "In this league you have to make the most of your opportunities when you get them and this is a defense here that you don't get that many opportunities.''



Which is why Johnny Football will most likely be the man when the curtain goes up again.





