Just when you think the Cleveland Browns had turned a corner, and things were looking up in that part of Ohio, a cruel blow could derail their season. Brian Hoyer was the long-time back-up quarterback to Tom Brady in New England, before he finally made his first NFL start last season for a beleaguered Arizona Cardinals side. Now with the Browns having replaced 2012 first rounder Brandon Weeden as the starter, he had them winning, and playing well. Two consecutive wins over the Vikings and Bengals had seen Rob Chudzinski's side climb from basement dwellers who had seemingly given up on the season already following the Trent Richardson trade, to a team who could threaten in the AFC North at 2-2. However on Thursday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills, Hoyer took off on a innocuous quarterback scramble but his leg buckled underneath him and he left the game and did not return. The result? A torn ACL that ends his 2013 campaign, and maybe the Browns with it. The most unfortunate part? Hoyer is a lifelong Browns fan and hails from the state of Ohio. His career has taken a cruel turn. Cleveland went on to win that game 37-24, at one stage putting up 20 unanswered points. The hosts were unquestionably aided by a stout defense that slowed down Doug Marrone's fast paced offense, and then forced a pick-six with T.J Ward returning Jeff Tuel's interception to the house to clinch the game late in the fourth quarter. That was after Buffalo lost their own quarterback - EJ Manuel - to a LCL sprain. He is done for 4-6 weeks. Normally a team who has just won three on the bounce, and have improved to 3-2 in the process would be looking up. After all, the Browns have endured some horrendous luck in recent years and have not made the post-season since 2002. In fact, they are above .500 for the first time through five games since 2001, when a certain Butch Davis was the Head coach. Hoyer had won his first two games as the Browns starter, becoming the first man to do so since Mark Rypien did in 1994. It is difficult to emphasise how big a blow losing Hoyer might be. Hoyer was a legitimate down the field passer. Tight end Jordan Cameron had developed into a key weapon and wide out Josh Gordon had become a bigger factor than he was last season under previous coach Pat Shurmur. Enter Weeden. Unfortunate himself, he is now presented with an opportunity to serve a reminder to the Browns front office that he is still here. A sprained thumb opened up the opportunity for Hoyer. Now the former Baseball player has a chance to step up in his absence, and unusually for a second-year player will turn 30 later this month. Weeden does possess a big arm of his own, but his inconsistent quarterback play, added to the fact that this regime did not select him, has led many to question whether his short stint with the team may be coming to an end. The question now remains. Will Hoyer also get a chance one he has rehabbed the injury to start again? The worse case scenario for the Browns is that they will be picking in the top 10 of next May's draft. The organisation has room to manoeuvre and the flexibility to trade up if they wish as they currently possess two first-round picks following the Richardson trade to the Colts. Who is to say they won't take a liking to one of the quarterback prospects in the 2014 draft? Teddy Bridgewater from Louisville is widely expected to be the first signal caller taken next year. The major positive for the Browns is that they fought hard in Hoyer's absence on Thursday night. Weeden, to his credit, came in and after a few ineffective drives made some tough throws on third down to sustain offensive momentum. His strike to Greg Little was soon followed by an inch perfect 37-yard touchdown pass to Gordon in the second half. As mentioned earlier, Ray Horton's defense is particularly strong. Joe Haden, the fourth year cornerback single handedly kept Bengals star wideout AJ Green quiet the week prior, and the defensive front led by nose tackle Phil Taylor consistently put pressure on Manuel and then Tuel. Special teams brought huge production as well with Travis Benjamin returning Shawn Powell's punt 79-yards for the touchdown, following a 57-yard return earlier in the game that set up good field position. The second year weapon out of the University of Miami set a franchise record for most punt return yards in a game with 179! Arguably the key to Cleveland's hopes moving forward is the production of Weeden. Unpredictable at best, he needs to protect the football, and may have more on his plate due to the Browns stuttering run game which continues to struggle. The AFC North is wide open through the first quarter of the season. Pre-season divisional favourites the Cincinnati Bengals are 2-2 at present heading into Sunday's game against the 4-0 New England Patriots. The current Super Bowl champions the Baltimore Ravens have been inconsistent and likewise sit at 2-2, but Joe Flacco tossed a career high FIVE interceptions in their defeat last Sunday to the Bills. The Pittsburgh Steelers are 0-4 having been beaten by the Vikings at Wembley last Sunday, and while there is a long way to go it must feel good from a Browns perspective to be 2.5 games up on Steeler Nation. However, their schedule over the next few weeks is not favourable, with a home game against the 3-1 Detroit Lions, a trip to Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, followed by another road game against Andy Reid's 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs. At this time we can only speculate that Weeden will be given the starting job again for the rest of the season. That announcement has not come yet. Head coach Rob Chudzinski stated at his post match press conference that he will sit down with General Manager Michael Lombardi and CEO Joe Banner to discuss the team's next move. The only other quarterback on the roster is Jason Campbell, who spent last season as the back-up to Jay Cutler in Chicago. Naturally we would expect - now Hoyer has been moved to injured reserve - the organisation to bring in a third string passer. There has been much discussion following the game on Thursday about whether either the Bills - who lost Manuel for a least a month - or the Browns would bring in former Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman. It is not straightforward - even for a veteran - to come come in and learn an offense. Freeman was the long time starter at Raymond James Stadium having been drafted in 2009, but was benched following the Buccaneers 0-3 start. After a trade partner could not be found (with teams presumably unwilling to pick up his $8 million guaranteed money) he was cut. At 25 his best years are ahead of him, but alleged off the field issues may put teams off, particularly as he is after a long term deal. Don't expect the Browns to pursue him. Things were going brilliantly with Hoyer at the helm, yet it became crystal clear they were moving away from the Weeden era and that their long term starter is clearly still playing College football at the moment. The injury has essentially forced the Browns hand. Their season is not necessarily over. They have made a bold statement in the weeks following their decision to trade their other first rounder from 2012 in running back Trent Richardson. This team has fought hard, but that was with Hoyer under center. This somewhat underrated defensive unit will keep them in most games. But can Weeden get it done in his absence? For somebody who only got told he would dress Thursday night the day previously, he showed some positive flashes. This was against a Buffalo team in transition. With a thin backfield that consists of veteran Willis McGahee, second year pro Bobby Rainey and former seventh round pick Chris Ogbonnaya, running the ball consistently is a must if this Browns offense is to operate effectively. In a division that has been inconsistent thus far, don't rule out the Browns. They were gritty under the previous regime don't forget. Weeden might be yesterday's news. The new front office wants to pursue a different direction. For now, their season rests on the shoulders of the former Oklahoma State signal caller. The intriguing part lies ahead. The Browns have responded to adversity before, and are a team that is consistently written off. To have a winning record through the first five weeks is a great achievement, although the honeymoon period with Hoyer was cruelly cut short as he tried to slide to end the play and was hit by Kiko Alonso. Expect an announcement in the coming days regarding the quarterback position. FirstEnergy stadium was booing Weeden for a time the other night. They must now rally around him, and get used to the idea of seeing a lot more of him. He may now be playing with a chip on his shoulder. At 3-2, the Browns have an realistic shot of making the post-season, and around 50% of teams who begin the season with that record do. How they react to this setback will likely be the key to their chances. They have play-makers on both sides of the football. Under Hoyer they were averaging 24 points a game. Under Weeden only 8. An old saying goes that you can be as good as you want to be. Cleveland has played well the last few weeks. Hoyer's chance to prove he could be Cleveland's answer at quarterback, their franchise quarterback was robbed from him. His successor has a chance to show he can continue their upsurge in fortunes. Don't rule out Cleveland, but don't be surprised if this blow curtails their promising resurgence either.