Against all the odds and the expectations of essentially every analyst that had anything to say about the matter, Saint Ignatius alumnus Brian Hoyer ’04 has led your Cleveland Browns to a HUGE comeback victory, 31-27, over the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. All of the talk surrounding this game and the Browns was negative going into today, and expectations were extremely low, especially for QB Hoyer and the offense. In wake of the Trent Richardson trade, it seemed that nobody had any confidence in the Browns winning this one- even the Plain Dealer staff picked unanimously against the Browns.
However, Hoyer and the Browns went about their business anyway and refused to give up hope. They were rewarded for this attitude, as the Browns found themselves leading 24-17 at the half. Those 24 points included two touchdown passes from Hoyer, a 47-yarder to dynamic WR Josh Gordon in his first game back from suspension, and a 19-yarder to playmaking TE Jordan Cameron. Overall in the first half, Hoyer was 14 of 23 for 174 yards, two TDs, and one interception. Social media was exploding throughout the first half, as people were absolutely stunned by Hoyer’s poised and confident play. In the second half, though, Hoyer and the offense struggled, as the Vikings dialed up the pass rush and forced turnovers, including two more interceptions from Hoyer. QB Christian Ponder and the Vikings offense were able to move the ball more effectively in the second half as well, and took the lead with 10:47 to go in the 4th on the strength of a 30-yard field goal by All-Pro kicker Blair Walsh. At that point, the Browns’ chances of getting the upset victory looked very grim, as the offense had a very hard time getting anything going.
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…seeing an Ignatius graduate lead the hometown Browns to a victory isn’t half-bad.
[/pullquote]The running game was basically nonexistent, putting more pressure on Hoyer and the wide receivers to put points on the board; in turn, the Vikings were able to focus almost exclusively on defending the pass and rushing Hoyer with all kinds of blitzes. Nevertheless, the defense kept the Browns in the game, forcing the Vikings to punt on their two possessions following the field goal. Then, with 3:21 left on the clock, Hoyer, poised as ever, led an improbable drive down the field. Completions to Cameron and Gordon got the Browns to the 7-yard line, and on 3rd and goal, Hoyer floated a beautiful throw over the Vikings defender to Cameron to give the Browns a 31-27 lead with 51 seconds remaining in the ballgame. Ponder and Minnesota were stifled once more by the Browns defense on the last drive of the game, with DT Desmond Bryant sacking Ponder to end it and clinch the Browns’ first win of the season. Hoyer finished the miraculous day 30-54 for 321 passing yards, 3 TDs, and 3 INTs.
Though the Browns clearly still have flaws that need to be addressed, and though it’s unlikely that this win will spark a playoff run, seeing an Ignatius graduate lead the hometown Browns to a victory isn’t half-bad. There could be more where that came from, as well- Coach Rob Chudzinski made a point of saying in the past week that Brandon Weeden’s starting job was by no means assured. There was speculation that, if Hoyer played well in his start, he could very well take the starting gig from Weeden. I think it’s safe to say that at the very least, Brian has given Coach Chud and his staff reason to at least consider naming him starter for good after his performance today. It’s important to remember that the last time Chud was on the Browns’ coaching staff (2007-2008 as offensive coordinator), then-starting QB Charlie Frye was replaced early in the 2007 season by Derek Anderson, who would go on to lead the Browns to 10 wins and have himself a Pro Bowl season. It’s very feasible, especially after such a remarkable performance, to think that Brian Hoyer could very well have just convinced Coach Chud to make the same move that the coaching staff made then.
Regardless of what happens, though, Hoyer has made his mark on the Browns and on the fan base to be sure. It’s not every day you get to see the Browns win in such thrilling fashion (or win AT ALL), and to see a former Wildcat lead them to this thrilling victory makes it that much more special. This win, and Hoyer’s huge part in it, is the talk of the town and a headline all across the country.
Not a bad day to be a Browns fan at Wildcat High, huh?
