Cleveland’s QB carousel baffling
Rookie Kizer hurt by winless Browns’ lack of a coherent plan
The carousel spun on for the Cleveland Browns as Hue Jackson benched quarterback DeShone Kizer yet again Sunday after the rookie threw a second interception in a 12-9 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. Jackson turned to Cody Kessler, who completed 10 of 19 passes for 121 yards but had no touchdowns and threw another interception. So the result was the same as it was with Kevin Hogan as a replacement.
Jackson had talked two weeks ago about wanting Kizer to take a step back and learn as a backup. Then when Hogan looked awful, he went back to Kizer as his starter, only to yank the second-round pick again. Now Jackson is waiting until Wednesday to announce who will get the call in the team’s next game Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings in London.
Jackson is desperate for his first win of the season, but this is a horrible way to develop a quarterback. He said he is not worried about Kizer’s confidence because the coach’s primary concern is the mind-set of the other 52 guys on the roster. Jackson also said he’s trying to send the message, “This is a performance-based business. If you turn the football over in the National Football League, you cannot play.”
But this is nothing short of the continuation of a disaster. Yes, Kizer’s stats are bad (three touchdowns, 11 interceptions), but his issues are indicative of a bigger problem for Cleveland: talent evaluation. That’s why the Browns have had 28 starting quarterbacks since 1999, and none of them has been a viable answer.
Cleveland also appears to be lacking a clear plan. When developing a young quarterback, a team has to ease pressure by providing a strong supporting cast (including maybe a veteran mentor) and tailor game plans to its passer’s skill set. The Browns have been stockpiling picks and taken 36 players in the last three drafts, but they don’t have much talent to show for the approach so far. And any team throwing a first-year quarterback to the wolves without proper preparation is in for a rude awakening.
Jackson said Kizer did some good things Sunday, but then he fell apart. The pressure of playing quarterback in the NFL is a “big task” and “you’ve got to work through it,” Jackson added Monday afternoon. But it’s hard to tell exactly what Jackson is equipping Kizer to do so.
DEFENSES SHOULDERING BURDEN, SPARKING WINS
The adage that defense wins championships has been one of the NFL’s most prevalent axioms. But during a wacky season plagued by poor quarterback play and anemic offenses, some teams have needed their defenses to put in overtime just to keep their hopes alive in the regular season.
On Sunday, the Titans, Chicago Bears and Vikings had no business winning based on their offensive production. But opportunistic defenses delivered victories.
Tennessee didn’t score an offensive touchdown all game but had three interceptions, which proved to be a significant advantage for the team as it strung together four field goals. That was familiar territory for the turnover-prone Browns, so maybe that showing should be taken with a grain of salt.
But the defensive showings of the Bears and Vikings were indeed legit.
That’s the only way to explain how Chicago won despite mustering just 153 yards on offense, converting only two of 11 third downs and producing just three points against a Carolina Panthers team that produced 293 yards and converted 40% of its third downs.
Chicago’s defense delivered in the statistical categories that truly mattered: takeaways (three — two returned for touchdowns), sacks (five) and red-zone efficiency (denying Carolina on both trips inside the 20).
Cam Newton looked superhuman, but he was uncomfortable in the pocket. He hesitated both on pulling the trigger on passes and picking his spots to run.
Bears rookie safety Eddie Jackson scored on a 75-yard fumble return and a 76-yard interception return to outscore his own offense 14-3.
This won’t happen every week. Other teams will respond better to adversity than the Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde Panthers. But against Carolina, the robust defensive backing helped Chicago deal with the growing pains of a first-year quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky, who has completed just 12 passes in the last two games combined ( both victories).
Minnesota found itself in a similar spot. Case Keenum, who has taken over for injured Sam Bradford and could be keeping the seat warm for Teddy Bridgewater, managed only 188 passing yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Outside of Latavius Murray’s third-quarter score, the Vikings didn’t produce another offensive touchdown. But their defense sacked Joe Flacco five times, held the Ravens to 64 rushing yards and denied the visitors on 10 of 16 thirddown attempts.
Sunday wasn’t a fluke for Minnesota, which has limited foes to a third-down success rate of 27.3% (second lowest in the NFL). Defense is the reason Minnesota has won three in a row and leads the NFC North at 5-2 despite instability at quarterback. In a few weeks, Mike Zimmer will have to decide between Keenum and Bridgewater. But some league observers believe that with a defense like this, Minnesota should still manage to maintain the upper hand in the division regardless of the quarterback.
SAINTS MARCHING IN?
Anybody claiming to have the NFC South figured out is lying. One week Newton looks like Superman, then next week he looks like he’s got Kryptonite strapped to him. The Atlanta Falcons admittedly still haven’t found an offensive identity. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are young and not ready to make a push. But what about the New Orleans Saints?
Some placed Sean Peyton on the hot seat after his team’s 0-2 start. But Sunday he guided his team to its fourth consecutive victory by topping the Green Bay Packers 26-17.
Yes, the Saints capitalized on Brett Hundley’s inexperience. But a balanced attack paved the way for success. Led by Mark Ingram’s 105 yards and a touchdown, the Saints gashed Green Bay for 161 rushing yards and two scores. That represented the third outing of at least 140 yards on the ground for the Saints. Meanwhile, Drew Brees recorded another 300-yard passing day.
The Saints are suddenly leading the division at 4-2, but there’s ample time and opportunity for any of the division’s other teams to catch up.
But despite their shaky start, Brees & Co. now look like the most stable group of the bunch.