KIZER TO START AT CHICAGO AS BROWNS SEEK FIRST VICTORY
Jackson wants to see improvement from rookie QB.
Rookie quarCLEVELAND — te r back DeShone Kizer received an early Christmas gift from Browns coach Hue Jackson the starting nod
— in Chicago on Christmas Eve against Bears counterpart and No. 2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky.
After Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Ravens, Jackson said it was fair to question whether or not Kizer will “ever get it” and admitted he considered benching him for the Bears game.
“Yeah, it’s still DeShone,” Jackson said Monday. “What I said yesterday, I wanted to make sure I push back on that. What I said (Sunday) was I wanted to take a peek at the tape to determine where he is and make sure I had a chance to talk to him to see where his head was and make sure he’s ready to go.
“If he wasn’t up to the challenge, then if I needed to make a change, then I would. I think he’s up to the chal- lenge. He has some improv- ing to do. He has some work to do this week to continue to get better, but he’s going to start at quarterback for us.”
Jackson said he considered benching Kizer after seeing how hard he took the loss and the fact he turned the ball over three more times.
After the game, Kizer looked emotionally beat up again, the way he did last week before when he threw an interception in overtime en route to a 27-21 loss to the Packers.
After that game, Kizer sat at his locker for more than 10 minutes with his head in his heads.
He was later consoled by new GM John Dorsey.
“I just think it was hard,” Jackson said. “That was the last home game in front of fans, family and friends. That was a tough one. That was one that I think everybody concentrated on, wanted to get and it didn’t happen that way so everybody was disap- pointed. It wasn’t just him.
“Just seeing him after the game, it is something that he wanted to help his team- mates accomplish, and he wasn’t able to do it.”
Jackson was challenged on why he’d start Kizer in Chicago when he’s been “atrocious.” He’s thrown only nine touchdowns against 19 interceptions and his rating has dipped to a league-low 59.4.
He also completing only 53.9 percent of his attempts, and is last in most key cate- gories, including fourth-quar- ter passing.
He’s accounted for 25 of the Browns’ 36 giveaways, including eight in the red zone on six interceptions and two fumbles.
“This is a decision that’s best for our football team at this time,” said Jackson.
“DeShone’s psyche, as you guys are saying, if I felt like he was not ready to play, I’m not going to stick a young man back out there if he is not going to be ready and prepared.”
He noted that Kizer is often up one week and down the next, as evidenced by his 71 percent completion percentage and 99.4 rating against the Packers.
“We’ve seen a pendulum swing like this with DeShone,” Jackson said. “This week it did not go so well. Hopefully, that cycle holds true and this week he comes back, gets himself ready and he goes out there and plays his tail off.
“That’s the way I see it and I still think with him playing with his teammates that he gives us the best opportunity to get us a victory.”
Kizer might have a chance to win this game because the Bears (4-10) are strug- gling behind Trubisky, the Mentor native.
Trubisky has gone 3-7 with seven TDs and seven inter- ceptions for a 77.8 rating. But the Browns are 61/2-point underdogs.
The major d iffere nce between the rookies is that Trubisky has earned two ratings in the 100s and two in the 90s in his 10 starts, while Kizer has topped 90 only once in 13 starts.
What’s more, he’s thrown 19 interceptions to Trubisky’s seven, although he’s throw- ing downfield more.
So how can Jackson help Kizer cut down on the turnovers, especially in t he clutch?
“It’s interesting,” said Jack- son. “When I look at them, so many have come from the scoring zone.
“For the most part, I’ve tried to do a better job of managing that . ... I’ll continue to manage as much of it as I can. The other part is he has to find the small wins for himself. He has to do a bet- ter job of taking care of the ball, and of understanding the situation as it happens.”
Kizer, who admitted sit- ting down for a few games this season may have been beneficial, was prepared for whatever decision Jack- son made.
“When you play the per- formance that I had, I’m sure you have to go back and reevaluate the quarterback position,” he said after the game.
Despite the gut-wrenching losses that are obviously taking a toll on the 21-year-old, he wants to see it through.
“Absolutely,” he said. “These are all trials and tribulations that will lead to my success in the future.”