Cleveland Browns reverse course, turn back to DeShone Kizer as QB1

Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson has turned back to DeShone Kizer as the starting quarterback. Will it stick this time?

The Kevin Hogan era is over. If you blinked, you might have missed it.

Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson announced on Wednesday that rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer is back as the team’s starting quarterback as the Browns begin preparations for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.

Kizer was benched at halftime of the Week 5 game against the New York Jets and sat last Sunday as Hogan was given the starting nod against the Houston Texans.

Apparently that little timeout was enough for Kizer to fix what ailed him and for Jackson to be comfortable in turning the team back over to Kizer, Jackson told clevelandbrowns.com:

"“I think when you see some of the things that have happened to you in games and you can see it happening with somebody else that hurts your football team, you understand … the turnovers are putting the team at risk. When there is a chance, an opportunity to score points and here comes a turnover coming the other way, when sometimes the accuracy — you miss a ball, you throw it a little high or a little low or whatever all those things are — that it stops drives, and it doesn’t give your offensive football team the best opportunity to have success.”"

If nothing else, Kizer had an opportunity to experience the game against the Texans in a similar way to Browns fans — spending three hours on a Sunday afternoon seeing things they wish they could unsee later that evening.

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Making his first NFL start, Hogan threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, went three-of-14 on third down, and led the Browns to just 247 yards and 10 points.

For his efforts, and because of sore ribs, Hogan will spend the upcoming game as the third-string quarterback, with Cody Kessler taking over the backup duties.

Standing on the sidelines and watching Hogan miss receivers, throw bad interceptions and struggle to put points on the board must have been like looking in a mirror for Kizer, who has not been very good so far this season.

Kizer said the six quarters off the field was a growing experience, according to clevelandbrowns.com:

"“You have to have a better attitude. You have to do more. That’s what this game is. It’s doing more. For me, my personal process I think has been good, I am going to stick to it and I’m going to stay on the path that I’m on. Now, it’s just attacking it with a new energy, a new mindset and allowing myself to get out there and perform better.”"

It is fair to question just what Jackson was thinking when he benched Kizer and turned to Hogan. Kizer was playing poorly, and more it was on him than his supporters want to admit, but if he needs a timeout to realize that turning the ball over is bad, then that raises some additional questions about his longterm viability as the answer to the Browns quarterback issues.

Next: DPD Podcast: Reviewing the Week 6 defeat

And for those Hogan fans out there who are lamenting his demotion, or the Kessler fans advocating for him to get a chance, with the way the Browns cycle through quarterbacks it is likely this is not the last change to come this season.

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