The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Buccaneers down Browns 13-12
Takeaways from the Browns’ 13-12 loss to the Buccaneers in the third preseason game in Tampa, Fla., on Aug. 23:
For months, Coach Freddie Kitchens has said the defensive line will be the strongest unit on the Browns. The defense made him look like a prophet when the first team was on the field against the Buccaneers in the third preseason game.
After the Bucs made one first down, Olivier Vernon rushed from left end and Myles Garrett from right end, just as defensive coordinator Steve Wilks drew it up. Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston had nowhere to run and was sacked by Vernon for a five-yard loss. One play later, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson threw Winston backward into the waiting arms of Chris Smith for a nine-yard sack.
Garrett’s night ended quickly, but the pass rush continued to excel.
Pressure from the line forced Winston into linebacker Christian Kirksey for a five-yard sack with 37 seconds left in the first quarter. Vernon moved inside after the snap the next time Tampa had the ball and sacked Winston for 10 yards.
The secondary gets credit for coverage sacks on at least three of the six times the Browns dumped Winston in the first half.
dumped Winston in the first half.
Kitchens won’t be happy about some missed tackles when Tampa Bay ran the ball, but the Bucs netted only 19 yards on 10 carries going against mostly the Browns starting defense in the first half.
• As much as the defense sparkled, the offense looked like a group that needs another three or four weeks of training camp. It would be inaccurate to call it the starting offense, because wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry did not play. Neither did starting tight end David Njoku nor starting running back Nick Chubb.
Starting quarterback
Baker Mayfield played the entire first half, just as he hoped he would. But he did not get the result he expected.
The starting offensive line did play in front of Mayfield. Mayfield will have to be Houdini if what happened in Tampa is a portent of things to come. Mayfield was sacked only once, but pressure forced some errant throws.
Mayfield completed 10 of 26 passes for 72 yards with one interception. He did not get much help from receivers Derrick Willies and Jaelen Strong when his passes were on target.
“Offensively, we’re not making any plays,” Kitchens told Jon Doss at halftime during the telecast on WEWS. “The balls are there to be made, and we’re not making any, so
that’s what usually happens when you can’t protect and you don’t make any plays.”
Kitchens kept the starting offensive line in the game in the third quarter when Drew Stanton took over at quarterback.
Mayfield and the starters won’t play in the final preseason game. Kitchens and Mayfield seem unconcerned the starting offense has not been on the field together for a single play in the preseason. We’ll find out in a little more than two weeks if that confidence is well-founded.
• Rookie kicker Austin Seibert kicked field goals of 54, 36, 30 and 35 yards to account for all the Browns’ scoring. Veteran punter Britton Colquitt was the holder each time. Seibert hit all four kicks with authority.
Seibert has been shaky in practice. The pressure was on him in the game in Tampa because Greg Joseph is expected to kick in the preseason finale against Detroit on Aug. 29. Seibert made a strong claim to the job in the biggest night of his young career.
• Jamie Gillan was equally impressive, launching six punts for a 47.8-yard average. Kitchens wanted Gillan to punt the ball high to create better hang time, and Gillan did that. He even made the tackle after his fifth punt.
The winner of the punting job could come down to who wins the holding job. Gillan is expected to hold for Joseph next week.
Schudel can be reached at JSchudel@News-Herald. com; @jsproinsider on Twitter.