LANDOVER, Md. -- The highlight of the night for the ' starting offense Monday, the night on which their quarterback competition was supposed to be culminating, was a field goal. On a drive that featured no completions. On a drive that started from the ' 15-yard line. On a drive that advanced four yards. Pity , because on the day he wanted to choose the quarterback who will start Talanoa Hufanga Jersey the season for him in the most highly anticipated competition in the NFL this season, this is his choice: bad or worse. "It probably couldn't have been any worse," , the presumptive leader, said of his own performance. "It's embarra sing." You can slot Hoyer and into whichever description you like, but the end result was the same in : unsightly. Cleveland's offense had no rhythm, no succe s, no hope with either of them. They both threw poor pa ses, receivers dropped some of the catchable ones, and both QBs were sacked when the protection broke down. Hoyer went three-and-out on his first two drives and his first completion did not come until his fourth drive, the ' sixth, with 2:17 remaining in the first half, and fittingly it was fumbled by fourth-string tight end . For Manziel, the occasional flash of promise -- he completed a 17-yarder to Gray on a rollout to his right out of the end zone -- was followed later by an ugly incompletion when the rookie quarterback, under pre sure, threw off his back foot, a fundamental no-no.Another no-no: In the third quarter, cameras captured as he jogged away from it. Manziel said he is constantly taunted by opposing players and fans; teammate supported this claim, saying the quarterback was hearing "the worst things you can imagine." Pettine, who was told about the gesture after the game, and he would addre s it with Manziel. Haden, with a smile, said he probably wouldn't have made the gesture."I mean, I don't think it's a positive," Manziel said when he was asked if he thought he did a bad thing in making the gesture.Then again, there wasn't much positive about anything from the ' offense. Pettine's frustration with the entire evening was obvious. He conducted most of his pre s conference with his hands on his hips, like an exasperated father dealing with children who won't do what he wants. Pettine also said all options are still on the table -- including the po sibility that he will not choose a starter this week, to give Manziel and Hoyer another game to prove themselves. The competition, which the began with the hopes that one of the quarterbacks would seize the job, has devolved to the point that Pettine was asked if it was conceivable that neither Manziel nor Hoyer would be the starter. "It's not a choice," Pettine replied. "Somebody has to be ready for the opener." Well, maybe.Perhaps the only person happy about the ' quarterbacking plight was Washington linebacker . after sacked the rookie to end his first drive. Orakpo shouldn't be too excited. didn't look so great for large stretches of the night, either, sliding awkwardly at one point, coming up slightly limping at another, taking at least three unnece sary hits on one scramble and staring down a receiver just before throwing an interception.Battista: What it means to be QB2Backup quarterback: It's a thankle s job, but someone has to do it. Judy Battista explores what it's like to be forever standing by. Hoyer, the limited-experience veteran who last year sparked Cleveland before suffering a knee injury, entered the game leading the competition and perhaps he left it that way, too. Manziel certainly did nothing here to seize the job. But neither of them did anything to disprove the old adage about quarterbacks that Pettine scoffed at last weekend: If you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterback. To whit: Hoyer finished the night 2 of 6 for 16 yards and a pa ser rating of 42.4. Manziel, who played into the fourth quarter, was 7 of 16 for 65 yards and a touchdown and one rush for minus-1 yard. The touchdown came against Washington's backup defense early in the fourth quarter on .Pettine had planned to name the starter this week, so that his choice could get all the practice work with the starting unit and the bulk of the playing time in the third preseason game. That plan might fall apart now, which is too bad because the offense clearly needs time together. The game started for the ominously. Hoyer was sacked on the first snap when Kerrigan, one of the league's best pa s rushers, was untouched. On the second snap, left tackle committed a false start. Through the first 16 drives of the preseason with Hoyer or Manziel under center, the team has scored just one touchdown."We need to score touchdowns," Pettine said.Both quarterbacks denied that they are pre sing because the competition is looming over them, although Manziel conceded that he did not feel decisive at the start of the game, even though he recognized what he was seeing from the defense. The question Pettine must weigh now is whether the competition is actually preventing the quarterbacks from playing their best and the shuffling is throwing off the timing of the entire unit, or if he needs much more information to make what now appears will be, at best, a fingers-cro sed projection about how either Hoyer or Manziel will perform when the in Pittsburgh.Pettine had been anxious to make the decision and move forward with his first season at the helm. But perhaps no more anxious than many of his players, who can look ahead to a decision that will mean an end to the questions about a quarterback competition that has gone awry."That would be amazing," Haden said.So would someone actually winning it.Follow Judy Battista on Twitter . Drake Jackson Jersey