The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Browns getting better, but still have a long way to go
The good new is, the newlook Browns and rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer showed some promise in the 2017 season opener against Pittsburgh.
The bad news is, those flashes of promise notwithstanding, these Browns ended up doing what the old-look Browns did in 32 of 37 previous games against the Steelers since Cleveland’s NFL franchise was restored vis expansion in 1999.
That, of course, would be lose to the team from western Pennsylvania which once upon a time had a rather fierce rivalry with the Browns.
Final score: Steelers 21, Browns 18
The Steelers now have prevailed in five straight games against Cleveland and nine of the last 10.
What’s in the (QB) numbers?
When he walked onto the field for the game’s opening series, Kizer wrote his name into the troubling but inescapable history of the expansion-era Browns. The 21-year-old Toledo native and University of Notre Dame product became the 27th Browns quarterback to start a game since 1999 and the 15th to start the season opener. He did not join Jeff Garcia as the only one of those quarterbacks to steer the Browns to victory in Week 1.
On Sept. 12, 2004, Garcia got off on the right foot with a 20-3 win over the team formerly known as the Browns, the Baltimore Ravens.
Kizer was solid enough in his debut, completing 20 of 30 pass attempts for 222 yards. He scored his first NFL rushing touchdown, threw his first TD pass and had a passer rating of 85.7.
He had some inevitable rookie moments, especially on an ill-advised throw into quintuple coverage early in the fourth quarter that produced a Steelers interception.
For its part, the Steelers’ defense introduced Kizer to the rigors of the NFL regular-season with seven. Kizer said some of the sacks were on him and others were unavoidable.
Good distribution
Kizer completed passes to nine receivers. Secondyear wide receiver Corey Coleman led the way with team-high totals of five catches and 53 yards. He got his fourth TD career pass late in the fourth quarter when pulled in a 2-yard pass from Kizer in heavy traffic over the middle.
Hue Jackson’s view
Nothing that the Browns’ second-year head coach saw of his quarterback in his NFL regular-season debut gave him
reason to second-guess the decision to bypass four veterans and entrust the starting job to a rookie.
“The guy gave us a chance,” Jackson said. “He put the team in position to make something special happen.”
What Brown did to the Browns
Whatever the plan devised by Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to contain Antonio Brown, it didn’t work. The Steelers’ Pro Bowl wide receiver was about as close to perfect as you’ll see in a Week 1 game. He was targeted 11 times by Steelers veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, hauled in each of those passes and gained a game-high 182 yards.
One-man James gang
Pittsburgh tight end Jesse James was tough in the red zone, pulling in TD passes from Roethlisberger of four yards just before halftime and two yards in the third quarter. The third-year pro out of Penn State finished with six receptions for 41 yards.
Nose to nose
Browns middle linebacker Joe Schobert said he and his teammates on defense enjoyed “smacking it out” with the Steelers, a team with a well-deserved reputation for physicality between the lines.
Schobert and company limited the Steelers to 35 net rushing yards on 17 carries and one first down on the ground.
“On defense, we had them with their backs against the wall for a lot of the game. We obviously couldn’t pull it out in the end, but I think we showed everybody in the world how competitive we’ll be this year.”
The Browns’ defense gave up two touchdowns. The other Pittsburgh score came courtesy of special teams on the game’s opening possession. Linebacker Tyler Matakevich blocked an attempted punt by the Browns’ Britton Colquitt deep in Cleveland territory. Pittsburgh’s Anthony Chickillo recovered the ball in the end zone.
Shouts out to Lue
Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue obviously stuck around town after the formal introductions on Sept. 7 of newly acquired Cavs Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Ante Zizic. The crowd camera captured Lue in the seats at First Energy Stadium, taking in the game on the sunny, late-summer afternoon. As soon as Lue’s image showed up on the giant video screens atop each end zone seating area, cheers went up from the capacity crowd. Lue acknowledged the reception and waved.
Reach Glasier at DGlasier@News-Herald. com. On Twitter: @NHGlasier