Browns QB Hoyer says he's a starter

BEREA, Ohio -- Brian Hoyer does not believe he should lose his job as the Cleveland Browns' quarterback.

"We're 7-5," Hoyer said Monday, one day after he was replaced in the fourth quarter by Johnny Manziel in a 26-10 loss to Buffalo. "That just doesn't happen by luck. It was hard-earned and we've worked to get where we're at. And we're still in it.

"With those other teams [Pittsburgh and Baltimore] losing yesterday, we have four more games; two of them are division games. You don't get to 7-5 in the NFL just by lucking into it."

Hoyer said he also feels he's established himself as an NFL starter.

"We're 7-5 here," he said. "We won three games last year when I started; 10-5 as a starting quarterback, that's not bad."

Manziel did not address the media on Monday, but he did receive some support from friend LeBron James.

"I know he's ready to go," James said when asked about Manziel. "I talk to him weekly. He's ready to go. But he's still learning. He's a rookie, he's still learning. If Coach [Mike Pettine] is ready for him, to give him the nod, he'll be ready to go, but he's going to have some bumps and bruises just like any other rookie quarterback would have, any other player in the NFL or in professional sports. But I'm one of his biggest supporters. I mean, he's part of the family, so of course I want him out there. But that's for the coach to decide. I thought he played well in the two possessions he had yesterday."

Hoyer said nobody had discussed what would happen Sunday against Indianapolis with him yet. After the Bills game, Pettine said the decision would be discussed, but the door was open for a change.

On Monday, he reiterated that stance.

"I'm not ready to make a decision on that at this point," Pettine said. "Not leaning one way or the other, but there's a lot to consider."

Pettine said the change was made on Sunday to spark the team and that the entire offense was playing poorly. Though the coach was not ready to name a starter, he did say the team doesn't plan on playing both Hoyer and Manziel.

"We believe that competition is a cornerstone of what we do," Pettine said. "I said earlier in the year that quarterback would not be an exception, except that we'd be much more patient there. We do look at the body of work. But I think given the play recently at that position that it's time to discuss it."

Hoyer was pulled with 12:01 left, after he had thrown two interceptions and the Browns had scored three points. Hoyer said on the first interception he expected Josh Gordon to cross in front of a safety and threw it that way, but Gordon took the route deep.

"Even Josh came up to me and said, 'That was my fault,'" Hoyer said.

The second interception Hoyer said was a bad throw. In three games, Hoyer has one touchdown pass and six interceptions. In the past two the numbers are no touchdowns and five interceptions.

He said he will prepare this week as if he's the starter.

"I'm studying my tape on Indy," Hoyer said. "And I would do the same if I wasn't. That's just the way I've always prepared."

Hoyer ranks 12th in the league with 3,105 yards, but his rating has dropped from the low 90s to 79.9, which is 27th. He is 33rd with a completion percentage of 56.2, and 10th with a yards per attempt of 7.74.

Hoyer points out that the Browns remain alive in the playoff chase.

"I think I've proven I've gotten us to this point and I feel like I can carry us through the next four games," Hoyer said. "There's no doubt in my mind that I'll be ready to go."

ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.