BEREA, Ohio — Mike Pettine is facing the biggest decision in his first year as head coach of the Cleveland Browns: Should he start Brian Hoyer or Johnny Manziel at quarterback against the Colts on Sunday?.

Hoyer started the first 12 games, but with 12:01 to play in the fourth quarter of what turned into a 26-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Pettine lifted Hoyer in favor of Manziel. Manziel led an eight-play 80-yard touchdown drive to cut the lead to 20-10 with 8:47 left. Manziel finished it with a 10-yard touchdown run.

“I’m not leaning one way or the other, but there’s a lot to consider,” Pettine said on Monday. “I know that after watching the tape that everybody on offense needs to play better; you can’t just pin it on the quarterback when the offense isn’t as efficient as it should be. The truth of the matter is in order for the quarterback to play well, they all need to play well around him.

“We set the reset button every week. I’ve said it a million times, “Who gives us the best chance to win this weekend? Period. For us involving the playoffs, we have to win and that’s the bottom line. It’s not like anything beyond that would influence the decision. It’s ‘Who gives us the best chance to win this weekend?’ It’s that simple.”

The Browns didn’t win more than five games in any of the past six seasons, but under Hoyer they are 7-5, including the loss to the Bills. They lost two of the last three and Hoyer has thrown one touchdown pass and six interceptions in that span. He was picked off twice by Bills safety Da’Norris Searcy.

“You don’t get to 7-5 in the NFL just lucking into it,” Hoyer said Monday. “It’s been a lot of hard work, and I think I’ve proven that I’ve gotten us to this point. I feel like I can carry us through the next four games. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be ready to go.”

Hoyer completed 18 of 30 passes for 192 yards vs. the Bills. He was sacked twice and threw two interceptions. His passer rating was 51.0.

Manziel’s last previous appearance was Sept. 21 against the Ravens, and that was just to hand off once and catch a pass that was negated by a penalty. Against the Bills, he completed five of eight passes for 63 yards in his touchdown drive against the Bills.

“That’s obviously up to coach Pettine and some higher people than me in this organization,” Manziel said. “But if my name is called, I’ll definitely be ready.”

If other players are taking sides in the quarterback debate, they are not making it obvious.

“I don’t really care who’s back there,” Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas said. “I just want to win, so whether it’s Johnny or Brian, it doesn’t matter. I know each guy has his own skillset that he does really well and if it’s going to be Johnny, I hope he leads us to a lot of victories. I can’t pretend to know anything about quarterback play so it’s better if I don’t evaluate the decision.”

Notes: Wide receiver Miles Austin is in a Buffalo area hospital for treatment on kidney injury. … Tight end Gary Barnidge suffered a rib injury that could be “serious,” according to Pettine.

REPORT CARD VS. BILLS

–PASSING OFFENSE: C- — Brian Hoyer was benched after throwing two interceptions. He was part of an offense that came up with just one field goal in two red zone trips in the first half. Hoyer and wide receiver Josh Gordon are having communication issues. A pass intended for Gordon was intercepted when Gordon ran a go route and Hoyer threw to a spot expecting Gordon to cut inside. Hoyer threw five interceptions over the last two games and four were intended for Gordon.

–RUNNING OFFENSE: D — The Bills scored two touchdowns in 10 seconds in the third quarter to turn a 3-0 deficit into a 14-3 lead. They got their first touchdown on a pass by Kyle Orton. Browns running back Terrance West fumbled on the first play after the kickoff. Bills end Jerry Hughes picked up the ball and ran 18 yards for a touchdown and an 11-point lead. Head coach Mike Pettine called the fumble “inexcusable.” Isaiah Crowell had difficulty keeping his footing on the artificial turf in Ralph Wilson Stadium. He managed only 29 yards on 17 carries.

–PASSING DEFENSE: B — The Bills scored 26 points but only one touchdown was charged to the defense. Joe Haden held Sammy Watkins to 11 yards on three catches. Haden and safety Jim Leonhard each had an interception. Tight coverage held Kyle Orton to 17 completions on 31 attempts for 190 yards.

–RUNNING DEFENSE: B — The longest run against the Browns all day was eight yards. The Bills rushed 30 times for 106 yards. The game was the second without Karlos Dansby (knee injury), but the Browns stayed in their gaps and did not miss tackles as they did earlier in the season.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: C — The highlight of the day for special teams was Haden blocking a field goal try, but that play was offset by Billy Cundiff missing a 37-yard field goal try in the first half. The Browns are still looking for a punt or kick return to spark the offense. They returned three punts Sunday for a total of 19 yards.

–COACHING: B — The grade is high for a loss because Mike Pettine made a statement in the fourth quarter by replacing Brian Hoyer with rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel. Now he has to decide whether the switch is permanent. Defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil’s unit is having success despite injuries to key players such as Dansby, safety Tashaun Gipson, end Phil Taylor and defensive tackle John Hughes. All four players have knee injuries.