Report: Cleveland likely to turn to Johnny Manziel in Week 15

Only a small number of people within the Cleveland Browns organization have a good read on Johnny Manziel's readiness to start, his practice habits, and his viability as an NFL passer. And an even smaller number of people within the organization actually have a say regarding the team's Week 15 starter.

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But you certainly don't need to be a team or league insider to know that Sunday's quarterback, Brian Hoyer, was kind of a mess. He was brutally inaccurate against the Colts, going 14-for-31 with just 140 passing yards, zero TDs and two picks. Hoyer has thrown one touchdown pass and eight interceptions over his past four games, losing three times.

If Cleveland won't turn to Manziel now, with the quality of the team's quarterback play at a ruinous level, then it's tough to imagine it happening this season.

According to at least one national reporter, the Browns are in fact prepared to make a switch:

Good to know, because some of us were relying on a Josh Gordon playoff bump.

Cleveland has a tricky matchup in Week 15, with the Cincinnati Bengals on deck. (Or at least it looked like a tricky matchup before Big Ben and Big Bell destroyed Cincy.) Manziel won't rank as a top-15 starter on my board this week; the Bengals have allowed a league-low 14 TD passes to this point in the season. Cleveland will surely lean on its ground game, as the team has done all year; the Browns currently rank fourth in the NFL in total carries and 21st in pass attempts.

But there's a well-documented and much-anticipated rushing dimension to Manziel's game, which obviously appeals to the fantasy community. And when he throws, he'll have guys like Gordon and Jordan Cameron at his disposal. Manziel is (again) worth a speculative add in deeper leagues (12 or more teams), particularly if you've been playing a QB platoon. He'd get Carolina in Week 16, and the Panthers have been friendly for much of the year, allowing the tenth most fantasy points to QBs.

Here's hoping this week's Manziel hype isn't merely another fire-drill.

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