Brian Hoyer used the words “mad” and "irk me" when discussing the fact that Johnny Manziel ran three plays during Sunday’s Cleveland Browns win over New Orleans.

It’s important, though, to put those words in perspective.

In his postgame news conference, Hoyer was asked if he was at all annoyed that he came out for a few plays.

"No. I think [offensive coordinator] Kyle [Shanahan] ... we talked," Hoyer said, "and he said, ‘Look, there might be a few looks with Rob Ryan’s defense and the situation that we’re in I think we can use Johnny in there.'

"Like I told you guys before, as much as it might irk me to go off the field, if it’s going to help us win, then I’m all for it. As a competitor and a quarterback, when there’s only one of you on the field, it’s hard for you get taken off.

"But I think for me, I was mentally able to stay in it. I think a lot of guys might not be able to handle that. But I think because they were up front with me, Kyle was up front with me, and said, ‘Look, we may do it, we may not. If we need to use it, we might.’ I think that helped me. As mad as I was when he told me, I think it mentally helped me prepare for it.”

Players always say they want honesty from their coaches. Because Shanahan was honest, it seemed to temper the negative feelings. Had Shanahan not told Hoyer and just gone ahead with the move, it might have caused problems.

But it’s also important to remember that back in August, before anyone was named the starter, Hoyer was asked how he would feel if he was the starter and Manziel had a group of plays he would run in a game.

His answer then is the same as it is now: “If it helps us win, I’m all for it."

Against New Orleans, Hoyer found himself watching as Manziel ran three plays. The first happened with the Browns leading 16-10, the second with the Browns down 17-16.

Manziel ran all his plays out of the pistol, and he ran read-option on all -- with the third play-action off read-option. The first he handed off to Isaiah Crowell for a 3-yard gain, the second Crowell lost 3 yards, and the third Manziel scrambled and threw a floater to the sideline that Ray Agnew had but then had dislodged on a hit by Jairus Byrd.

Hoyer followed Manziel’s first appearance by completing a 22-yard pass on third-and-7 that was negated by a penalty. He followed Manziel’s second appearance by converting a third-and-13 and a third-and-4 to guide the Browns to a go-ahead touchdown.

"Obviously as a competitor, as a quarterback, you want to be out on the field," Hoyer said. "It was something that was discussed all week. We weren’t sure if we were going to need it or run it. I just told myself, because I knew at some point it might happen, just be ready to go back in and a lot of them were on third downs.

"And I think we completed both of them, so for me it was more I come off the field and I’m thinking, 'All right, if we get to third down, what coverage are they going to play? What play are we going to run?’ Just really try to focus on what I had to do and go back out and move the ball. Luckily it worked out."

Coach Mike Pettine said Hoyer should have been unhappy to go to the sideline.

"Knowing the competitor he is, he probably wasn’t real thrilled to have to come off the field," Pettine said. "That’s the nature of who he is, as he should be."

Hoyer is starting to show the same things he showed last season: preparation, the ability to complete an important drive when needed, the ability to read a defense and make a throw. He’s doing it without Josh Gordon and for the last six quarters without Jordan Cameron. Hoyer can play better, but clearly he can win.

On Sunday he showed two other sides of himself -- the human side and the professional side.