Cleveland Browns: Surprises and disappointments at quarter mark of 2018

Disappointment: Tyrod Taylor

The Cleveland Browns made the decision to trade a third-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for Taylor to be their bridge quarterback in 2018. Through four games in the season, it became apparent that Taylor was not the best option as the Browns starting quarterback.

Before being pulled from the Browns’ Week 3 game due to a concussion and a back injury, Taylor struggled mightily with his accuracy. In three games, Taylor completed only 48.8 percent of his passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions.

When the Browns traded for Taylor, the expectation was that he would control the ball and not make any risky throws. His accuracy would help in slowly moving the ball down the field. His ability to run the ball would also keep defenses honest in how they would line up.

But Taylor was never able to move the ball down the field for the Browns offense. He did not make any risky decisions, but he could not even accurately complete his check down throws. His best asset was his legs, but he seemed more keen on running the ball instead of throwing it. Taylor rushed the ball 16 times for 125 yards and a touchdown.

At the quarter mark of the season, it is fair to say that the Taylor experiment failed miserably. The two games that the Browns did not win with Taylor under center were both winnable. Many can assume that if Cleveland had a different quarterback under center, they would have won the first two games of the season.