Cleveland can put division on notice with win over Pittsburgh

It’s the Cleveland Browns’ fifth game of the season, and quarterback Brian Hoyer is in no immediate danger of being benched.

“I thought Johnny Football would be in there by now,” said Las Vegas handicapper Ken Thomson, who had plenty of company with that projection.

But the Browns have not been tempted to pull the trigger and go with rookie Johnny Manziel because of Hoyer’s surprisingly good start. Hoyer was solid in the season opener at Pittsburgh, and he gets another shot at the Steelers today.

Hoyer has passed for 1,007 yards and six touchdowns with only one interception for Cleveland, which is 2-2 straight up and 2-0-2 against the spread.

He led the Browns back from a 28-3 deficit in a 29-28 victory at Tennessee last week. In Week 1, Cleveland trailed Pittsburgh 27-3 in the first half before Hoyer directed a comeback in a 30-27 loss. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led the game-winning drive, which was no surprise. Roethlisberger is 18-1 against the Browns.

“I know I’m going against the grain. I know Roethlisberger’s track record,” said Thomson, a handicapper for Pregame.com and a national host on Yahoo! Sports Radio. “But I see something different from this Browns team.

“I see Hoyer stepping up when they’re coming from behind, and I didn’t think he had that in him. This is a monumental game for the Browns to let the AFC North know they are going to be a player. I think Cleveland wins by a touchdown.”

The Browns, 0-2 in the division, are 1-point home favorites.

The challenge facing the Cleveland defense is obvious. In the teams’ first meeting, Roethlisberger passed for 365 yards and the Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell rushed for 109 yards on 21 carries.

Thomson (SportsXradio.com) takes a look at the rest of today’s Week 6 schedule:

■ Denver (-9½) at N.Y. Jets: I couldn’t take the Jets, even coming off an embarrassing effort and going home. I don’t care who the quarterback is for this team. I’m not sold on Geno Smith or Michael Vick. The Jets had just 151 total yards in a 31-0 loss at San Diego, and Smith and Vick combined to complete 12 of 31 passes. They can’t match points with Peyton Manning and the Broncos, who are hitting their stride. I would only lay the points under 10.

■ Jacksonville at Tennessee (-4): Jake Locker is not expected to start at quarterback for the Titans because of a right thumb injury, so Charlie Whitehurst could make his third start of the season. The Jacksonville defense has 16 sacks, which is very impressive. But it’s hard for me to take the Jaguars. How will the Titans react off a loss like they took last week after blowing a 25-point lead? I don’t think Tennessee is a very good team. I have no opinion on the side or total.

■ Chicago at Atlanta (-3): This is a high total at 54½, but I like it over. Both defenses are banged up, and both offenses should be able to score. The Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan will score at will in the dome. I don’t know who’s going to win, but this game has got 34-31 written all over it.

■ Green Bay (-3) at Miami: I know a lot of sharps are on Miami. It’s hard for me to go against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his wideouts, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Green Bay is playing well offensively, putting up 42 and 38 points in the past two games. I don’t think the Dolphins are good enough to beat them. The heat is going to be in the 90s, and I could see both defenses dying in the heat, so I’ll take this over the total of 49.

■ Detroit at Minnesota (-2): It looks like the Lions could be without wide receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush because of ankle injuries. The Vikings do plan to start Teddy Bridgewater, and I like the rookie quarterback. I don’t want to back the Lions without Johnson in an outdoors game. The crowd will be rocking, and I expect Minnesota to win.

■ Carolina at Cincinnati (-6½): After everyone was giving them accolades for being so good, the Bengals were embarrassed last week in a prime-time game at New England. Even without wide receiver A.J. Green, who has been ruled out, quarterback Andy Dalton is good enough to get the job done. The line has dropped below 7, and I look for Cincinnati to win by at least a touchdown.

■ New England (-2½) at Buffalo: The Patriots had their backs against the wall and responded by whipping the Bengals 43-17. New England has dominated this series by winning 20 of the past 21 meetings. The Bills are doing it with mirrors. Buffalo stole the game last week at Detroit. Kyle Orton passed for 308 yards, and this will be his second game as a starter. Somehow, the Patriots will find a way. Tom Brady will use his weapons, and tight end Rob Gronkowski should have a big game. The Patriots know the AFC East is still theirs. At less than a field, I’ll go with New England.

■ Baltimore (-3½) at Tampa Bay: Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not consistent on the road. Flacco has seven touchdown passes this season but only one on the road. The Buccaneers played pretty well at New Orleans and they have been competitive in most games, even stealing a win at Pittsburgh. This game could go either way. My heart wants to take Tampa Bay, but I’m not going to do it.

■ San Diego (-7) at Oakland: All of the sharp money is going to be on the Raiders, who beat the Chargers last year in Oakland. Philip Rivers is on a roll for San Diego, passing for 1,443 yards and 12 touchdowns with two interceptions. The Chargers are 5-0 ATS. But there is something about this rivalry. Tony Sparano is stepping in as the Raiders’ new coach, and he’s trying to instill confidence in rookie quarterback Derek Carr. Oakland is 0-4 and off a bye. I know it’s insane, but I’m going to take the Raiders.

■ Dallas at Seattle (-8): The Cowboys have won four in a row, so credit to them. I thought this team would win six games all year, and it might still be an 8-8 team. The Seattle defense will shut down running back DeMarco Murray and quarterback Tony Romo. Although it’s a short week for the Seahawks, who won at Washington on Monday, I think they win this by 10 to 14 points. I’ll go with quarterback Russell Wilson’s playmaking and Marshawn Lynch’s running and lay the points on Seattle at home.

■ Washington at Arizona (-3½): Drew Stanton has been cleared to play after a concussion, but it’s not clear if he will start. The key is the way the Arizona defense flies to the ball at home. I like Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. When he has time to throw, he’s good. But I don’t think he’s going to have a lot of time. The Cardinals are going to win the game.

■ N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia (-3): I’m going to take Giants quarterback Eli Manning on the road. He is much more comfortable playing in a hostile environment on the road than he is at home. Rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham gives Manning another option in an improving offense. The Eagles continue to be inconsistent. This is a tough game, but I like the Giants to win it and will take the field goal.

COMPILED BY MATT YOUMANS