http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/sports/football/nfl.html 2014-12-10 02:59:31 Browns Decide It’s Time to Call Johnny Manziel Their Starter Coach Mike Pettine replaced Brian Hoyer on Tuesday and said that the rookie Manziel would start Sunday against the Bengals. === Johnny Manziel, Cleveland’s rookie quarterback, will make his first N.F.L. start Sunday against Cincinnati, replacing Brian Hoyer as the Browns try to pump life into their sagging playoff hopes. Manziel’s scheduled start against the After moving up in May’s draft to select Manziel and waiting seven months as he learned and watched from the sideline, the Browns are setting one of college football’s most captivating players loose with three games left in the regular season. Browns Pettine said in a statement that the switch is was not about Hoyer or Manziel, but about the Browns. “We are trying to get the offense to perform at a higher level,” he said. “Johnny has worked very hard to earn this opportunity, and it will be very important for every member of the offense to elevate their play for us to obtain our desired result.” Manziel’s debut start will come in Cleveland’s final home game, against a Bengals team that Hoyer beat on Nov. 6. Manziel will try to show the Browns he can be the franchise quarterback they have sought for two decades. He is their 21st starting quarterback since 1999. “I’ve tried to spend my entire season learning what it takes to become a pro, and it’s been great to watch Brian because he knows what it takes,” Manziel said. “I’ve prepared every week to be ready to help the team however possible, and my focus has been on improving every day.” Pettine considered the switch a week ago but stuck with Hoyer, who has gone 10-6 as the starter. Manziel won the Heisman Trophy at Texas A&M;, where his ability to improvise made him a star and earned him the nickname Johnny Football. Lewis, the Bengals’ coach, called the 6-foot quarterback a midget during a radio show on Monday night and later issued an apology. He released a statement on Tuesday saying he realizes that his comment “was offensive to people of short stature and to their families and friends. It was thoughtless on my part to use the word I did, and not excusable, and I greatly regret it.” Lewis said he has read about the issue on the Little People of America website. TITANS LOSE CORNERBACK Wreh-Wilson dislocated his left shoulder Sunday in a 36-7 loss to the Giants. A former third-round draft pick from Connecticut, he had started 11 games. FALCONS EXPECT JONES TO PLAY Jones set a Falcons record with 259 yards receiving in a 43-37 loss to the Packers. He did not return after leaving the game in the fourth quarter with the injury. Smith said that Jones and safety William Moore, who hurt his foot, were sore on Tuesday. Jones and Moore could miss practice time this week. Smith said he hopes “both of these guys will be ready to go” on Sunday. 3 IN A.F.C. CAN CLINCH New England (10-3) hosts Miami (7-6) and will win the A.F.C. East with a victory. The Patriots can earn an A.F.C. first-round playoff bye if they win while Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati lose, or win and while the Colts, the Steelers and the Broncos lose. Denver wins the A.F.C. West title if it beats San Diego. Indianapolis would win the A.F.C. South by beating Houston on Sunday. The Broncos would get a first-round playoff bye with a win and losses by the Colts and the Steelers, or by the Colts and the Bengals — provided Denver has a strength-of-schedule tiebreaker over Pittsburgh. Denver can also get at least a wild card with a loss and combinations of defeats by other teams.