Browns crown Kizer
Rookie QB should be opening-day starter.
DeShone Kizer would BEREA — pretty much have to fall flat on his face in Tampa Bay on Saturday night to lose the starting job, Hue Jackson acknowledged.
Instead of putting the quarterback competition to bed Wednesday as he planned, Jackson tucked it in for a nap by naming Kizer the starter for Saturday night’s third preseason game against the Bucs — with a likely chance to start against the Steelers in the Sept. 10 opener.
“Well, it’s in the bed,” Jackson joked. “It’s definitely in the
bed with me, so I’m very close to putting it to bed. But a lot of things can happen over the next several weeks. You never know. But I feel good about the covers
that are on top of me right now.” Although he left himself an out, Jackson admitted that Kizer would have to flame out not to earn the nod for the opener.
“That’s a pretty good statement,” he said. “In my mind, this young man is going to go and play extremely well, and my job is to help him do that. There’s nothing in my mind that says he’s not going to do well. I expect him to do well. Our organization expects him to do well and his teammates expect him to do well.”
Jackson acknowledged that rookies are rarely ever really 100 percent ready to start the season, “but he has been knocking down everything I’ve put before him.
He keeps passing every test, and there’s still another one to pass. I mean, here we come this Saturday night against a good defensive football team in Tampa on the road in the heat. “There’s a lot of different elements he’s going to have to deal with. So here’s another opportunity.”
Jackson said he’s known for a couple of weeks that Kizer, the No. 52 overall pick out of Notre
Dame, was his man, and it was evident in the reps he received in camp.
“You watch things unfold as you go through games and you see things that in my mind gives us a chance on offense to do some dynamic things,” said Jackson. “He’s demonstrated that he’s ready so let’s give him a chance to see if he can do it.”
In practice and games, Kizer has shown he can stretch the field with his big arm, but can also throw the short and intermediate passes. He’s also run the read option and operated out of the pistol. The Browns haven’t even scratched the surface of what they can do with Kizer on the field, and will give him more to do as he shows he can handle it.
“I’ll be the first to tell you guys, if I don’t think DeShone can handle it, or can do it, then he won’t,” said Jackson. “Let’s just be honest. We’re not playing a regular season game this Saturday.
“I also owe it to myself and to this player and the players here to make sure that if a guy’s talented enough to do it, that you give him an opportunity to do that too.”
Jackson confirmed that Brock Osweiler will rest Saturday in Tampa, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. What would the Browns have to gain by playing an experienced veteran in the fourth quarter against the Bucs’ backups? Instead, Jackson will let Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan finish out the game.
“I want to play the young guys and I’ve told (Osweiler) that,” said Jackson.
He stressed Osweiler hasn’t been given any indication that he’s not wanted, although sources say the club’s stance has never changed. They’ve always been open to trading him, and have at times actively tried to deal him.
“No one has said, ‘Brock, you might not play here, or you wouldn’t be the quarterback here,’” said Jackson. “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen at Pittsburgh yet because I haven’t said for sure this is our Day One starter. It’s trending in that direction, but I’ve never said that.
“Brock’s a member of our football team, will be a member of our football team and has done some good things.”
Both Kizer and Jackson know that the rookie has to win over veterans such as left tackle Joe Thomas who favor experienced QBs.
“Joe knows what we’re trying to do,” said Jackson. “We’re trying to win, and that’s all Joe Thomas wants. He wants the best guy out there that can help him win.”