BEREA, Ohio – As we know, things change quickly in the NFL. Just ask folks who bought Johnny Manziel jerseys as Christmas presents for loved ones. They seemed like perfect gift ideas two weeks ago, and come next fall they could still have plenty of value.

Right now ... Well, hold onto those receipts.

There's lots of anger, angst and frustration with the Browns' quarterback situation. Around Cleveland we have a word for that condition: December. At this time of year, fans typically are ready to hang the franchise's decision makers right alongside the stockings and tinsel.

It says here, however, they made the right call on playing Manziel when they did. As bad as it looks it could have been much worse had they opted to start Manziel over Brian Hoyer in September or waited until next season to anoint No. 2 as their quarterback.

Want to second-guess the decision to draft the much-hyped rookie? By all means. In late October, I speculated on how the Browns might have been better served using their two first rounders on the choices made by the Raiders (Khalil Mack, Derek Carr). But let's not draw concrete conclusions about Manziel based on six-plus quarters as a starter in which he produced three points and seven first downs before suffering a hamstring injury. The offense was tacking south before the 30-0 takedown by the Bengals on Dec. 14.

The Browns (7-8) owed it to themselves to get an evaluation of Manziel and that's what the last three games were intended to be. Although they were still in the playoff hunt, their chances were mortally wounded in the 25-24 loss to the Colts.

Coach Mike Pettine and GM Ray Farmer should be forever grateful to Hoyer for winning seven games and not allowing the season to plunge into chaos in September.

Imagine for a moment if Hoyer doesn't rally the Browns in the second half of the season opener in Pittsburgh. Picture a 45-10 pasting and the pressure applied to play Manziel. You don't think Johnny looks ready now?

The Browns desperately need stability, and if they're sitting 3-12 heading into Baltimore we're talking about a potential regime change for a third straight year. (I know some are agitating for it, but Pettine has done a nice job steering this club through a difficult season where expectations were understandably raised with a 6-3 start.) The coach continues to hold players accountable, as evidenced by another benching of Terrance West and the decision to reduce Justin Gilbert's snaps due to poor preparation.

Let's flash forward now. Imagine had the Browns stuck with Hoyer, let him walk after the season and believed Manziel was their guy going into 2015. Picture that 30-0 loss to the Bengals as a season opener next year. Envision seven first downs in the first six quarters of a new year.

Yowza.

Maybe with a full off-season and a better understanding of what it takes to be a pro quarterback Manziel will show marked improvement. You can't give up on him after two games. Same for Gilbert, who has the physical ability, but needs to elevate his compete and maturity levels.

But Manziel's struggles are illuminating and emboldening his legion of critics. He's literally finding it difficult to outrun his mechanical flaws and lack of size. The foot speed he flashed at Texas A&M has been neutralized and perhaps compounded by his indecision. Regardless, he's completed 18 of 35 passes for 175 yards with two picks and no TDs. His 3.2 yards per carry on nine attempts is borderline Richardsonian.

Again, deep breaths, people. It's a small sample size. The Browns, though, need to act in the off-season. Whether it's drafting a quarterback – as Carr proves it doesn't have to be a first rounder – or signing a free agent or trading for a veteran the Browns can't go into 2015 relying solely on Manziel.

As painful as the last two games were, they supplied valuable intel and opened some eyes for the organization. The Browns have made their share of mistakes since May, but playing Manziel when they did wasn't one of them.