Cleveland Browns: 3 overreactions about the offense after Week 1
The Cleveland Browns left fans with plenty to talk about after the Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially when it comes to the offense.
The Cleveland Browns are preparing for this Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, but some fans may still be hung up on last Sunday’s loss. At least I am.
It would have been wishful thinking to expect the Browns to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and do it in a season opener, two things that never happen, but the team could have won the game if not for a few mistakes and/or a breakdown in blocking on the first punt of the season.
The Browns are going to be outmatched in most games this season, meaning the gameplan must be flawless and big mistakes can’t be made. That being said, there were some positives to take from the loss.
Right now, I want to look at three overreactions to Sunday’s game, all from the offense, both good and bad.
Hue hates the run game
Being the Browns apologist that I am, I understood why it was difficult to run the ball in 2016. The team was losing early and often, forcing more passes to be thrown.
But Sunday’s game against the Steelers was a fresh start for Hue Jackson and the Browns, yet the team only ran the ball 20 times with the running backs, while DeShone Kizer took off five times.
Isaiah Crowell only managed to get 33 yards on 17 carries, but it was once again a pass-happy offense, which is not ideal for a rookie quarterback in his NFL debut against one of the better teams in football.
This seems to signal another season of abandoning the run early, so let’s hope that changes this Sunday.
Britt is on thin ice
The Browns essentially replaced Terrelle Pryor with Kenny Britt, which had some fans worried while others bought into the signing because we are all apologists at heart.
Related: Britt one and done in Cleveland?
Britt was quiet in the preseason, but fans waited to see if he would respond in the regular season. HIs response? One catch for 13 yards with his most memorable moment being a key drop in the fourth quarter.
The drop was so bad it may cost Britt his starting job once Sammie Coates and Kasen Williams get acclimated to the offense, making Britt the next Dwayne Bowe in Cleveland.
Kizer looks like the guy
This may be the biggest overreaction of them all, but DeShone Kizer looked like a special player on Sunday. He made rookie mistakes such as holding onto the ball too long and throwing a bad interception, but he was making throws with accuracy and velocity that Browns fans haven’t seen in quite some time.
The zip he was putting on the ball was impressive while he seemed to forge a strong connection with Corey Coleman, who was brought here to be the number one guy.
Next: Discussing the Week 1 loss in the DPD Podcast
If Kizer learns from his mistakes early, there is no reason why he won’t be suiting up as the starter not only for the rest of 2017, but in 2018 as well.