Browns coach ‘comfortable’ starting Brian Hoyer over Johnny Manziel

Give Cleveland Browns Coach Mike Pettine credit, he’s sticking with veteran Brian Hoyer as his starting quarterback and not succumbing to the frenzy to give rookie Johnny Manziel the job.

Pettine, who is in his first year at the Cleveland helm, announced Thursday that Hoyer would again start when the Browns play the Washington Redskins on Monday night in their second preseason game.

Hoyer, who began last year third on the depth chart, went 3-0 as a starter before a right knee injury sidelined him for the season. Manziel, though, will get his chances to play with the first-team offense, as he’s been doing in practice.

“I think it’s a little overblown as to who the starter is going to be,” Pettine told reporters. “The key component, as I’ve stated earlier this week, is that we are going to balance the reps.”

For now, Pettine and his coaching staff appear satisfied with Hoyer as their starter. Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who had a subpar sophomore season, is a secondary story line at this point.

“It’s just something right now where we are comfortable with Brian going out there to start the game,” Pettine said. “We will play it a little by ear as it goes on. We haven’t truly decided as far as the rotation but the goal is ... that they both have the same amount of repetitions and hopefully they both get a good amount of work.”

Manziel completed seven of 11 passes for 63 yards and rushed six times for 27 yards in a 13-12 loss to the Detroit Lions last week. Hoyer completed six of 14 passes for 92 yards. Neither quarterback threw for a touchdown or had a pass intercepted. Hoyer led the team to two field goals and Manziel to one.