Cleveland Browns lose in Cincinnati, fall to 0-11 in 2017
The Cleveland Browns put up a good fight, but couldn’t do enough to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in a loss that drops the Browns to 0-11 in 2017.
The Cleveland Browns outgained the Cincinnati Bengals and didn’t turn the ball over, but still managed to lose by the score of 30-16.
That drops your Cleveland Browns to 0-11. Ouch.
DeShone Kizer had arguably his best game of the season, throwing for 268 yards without an interception, adding 39 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
Isaiah Crowell also had himself a nice day, rushing for 95 yards on 16 carries.
But all the production was not enough, as Browns fans saw the familiar sight of the team settling for field goals instead of finishing off drives with touchdowns.
A key play came at the end of the first half, when the Browns had the ball at the Bengals’ 3-yard line with five seconds left. Hue Jackson opted for a field goal, which cut the deficit to 16-6, but it was another example of how frustrating this season has been.
Why not go for a touchdown in that situation? Your team is 0-10 and a field goal won’t do much to change the momentum of the game. Add in the questionable penalty on Jabrill Peppers late in the game and nothing seems to go right for the Browns.
It is telling when Kizer plays his best game and the team still loses by 14 points. This Browns team may not be talented enough to pick up a single win this season, and that is truly scary to think about. It is the second year of a rebuild, and things have seemingly regressed since the foundation was blown up at the start of 2016.
The Browns get Josh Gordon back next Sunday in Los Angeles, but I’m not sure he can make the ultimate difference. I think he is a tremendous talent, but he will be rusty after so much time away from football.
Positives from this game include the play of Kizer, Crowell, and Myles Garrett, who exists only to give Browns fans a reason to tune in every Sunday. He picked up another sack to add to his nice rookie season.
Next: Browns will reportedly activate Josh Gordon on Monday
I really don’t know if this team can win a game this season. I come in every Sunday with a sense of optimism if the team can play a clean game, but the Browns did that and still lost by 14 points. I hate to be a downer, but it is hard to focus on the positives when the team is sitting at 0-11