Monday Read Option, Week 12: Brian Hoyer and the Meaning of Clutch
By Jason Lisk
Brian Hoyer was clutch on Sunday, leading the Browns down the field in the final minute, trailing by 1, to set up the game-winning field goal to move Cleveland to 7-4 on the year. Even teammate Joe Haden said it emphatically after the game–“Brian Hoyer is clutch. Period.”
I’m going to use a different punctuation, though. What, exactly, is clutch?
Brian Hoyer was decidedly not clutch on Sunday, until that final drive. With just under 5 minutes left and the Browns having a first and goal, and a two point lead, Hoyer faded way back and threw a bad pass toward Josh Gordon. It was intercepted. Then, on the next possession, he threw another interception, that set Atlanta up for a late clutch 53-yard field goal by Matt Bryant, and the lead. (Or is it not clutch, because only one team can grab the clutchness?)
Hoyer was critical of himself, and summed it up thusly after the game:
"“It’s a crazy game. You get to have the worst day of your life, and finish it off and win. Yeah, I’m happy that we won, but I’m so disappointed in myself. That’s not how I play, I don’t throw dumb interceptions, and that just pisses me off that that’s what happened.”"
That’s not how most quarterbacks play in that situation. Do you know how many quarterbacks before Brian Hoyer have thrown two interceptions, in the last five minutes of the same game, while playing with a one-score lead?
In fact, a QB throwing a late interception with a one-score lead has only happened one other time all year (Drew Brees getting intercepted by Glover Quin of Detroit on third down). It only happened three times, total, last year that a QB threw an interception that late with a one-score lead. Three times the year before that, and only once in 2011. The only other quarterback to throw two interceptions in that situation in the same season (but not the same game) was former Brown Charlie Frye.
So was he clutch or not? Hoyer had no control over Atlanta not picking up one more first down to basically kick a field goal with no time left (or leave the Browns with none of the timeouts they needed on that final drive). He could not control Mike Smith using his own timeout after getting to the Cleveland 35, which eventually allowed the Browns to have more time. And he certainly had no control over whether Billy Cundiff would make the field goal. In the final five minutes, Hoyer basically cost his team a chance to extend the lead, then set Atlanta up to take it. If the Browns score to go up 9, is anyone talking clutch?
Brian Hoyer, by the way, has a passer rating of 52.8 this year in the last five minutes of close games, 14th out of the 15 passers to have at least 20 passes in that span.
As Hoyer said, it’s a crazy game. You can be as “un-clutch” as possible, and then get one last opportunity. Are you clutch? Maybe. Until next time. Then we start all over again.
THE NFC TIGHTENS UP HEADING TO A CRUCIAL TURKEY DAY
Seattle won at home against Arizona, in a game that they largely controlled, and got stopped for field goals early. San Francisco survived an uninspiring game against Washington at home. Add in wins for Dallas, Philadelphia, and Green Bay, and Detroit’s not-unexpected loss at New England, and the playoff chase, non-NFC South train wreck edition, looks like this, with 7 teams within 2 games, for 5 spots:
- Arizona (9-2) (West Leader)
- Green Bay (8-3) (North Leader)
- Philadelphia (8-3) (East Leader)
- Dallas (8-3)
- Seattle (7-4)
- Detroit (7-4)
- San Francisco (7-4)
Five of those seven teams will play on Thursday, in a NFC Playoff showcase. The sixth team, Chicago, is the only other team (outside the NFC South automatic home game winner) that even has an outside puncher’s chance at 5-6, and they can get back into it with a road win against the Lions.
MIKE SMITH, FROM FIRST TO FIRED?
Atlanta lost another game in tragic fashion, and Mike Smith’s seat is getting warm in Atlanta. You might remember that he was also part of the sham-mockery that we exported to England a few weeks ago. On Sunday, he called a timeout, once the Falcons got to the 35, because if he didn’t, Cleveland might have (and then not been able to run that final play).
He admitted to the mistake. He could be fired before the year out, which could allow an interim coach to actually reach a playoff game. The Falcons are now 4-7, and just one win at New Orleans from still being in the driver’s seat in the South, where the teams are rubbing and racing toward 6-10.