Browns Trail Lions 17-10 At Halftime; Three Takeaways From The First Half

The Cleveland Browns trail the Detroit Lions 17-10 at halftime after some puzzling plays and mistakes cost the Browns a chance at points. In the first half, we saw a Kenny Britt sighting and some troublesome plays at tight end. Below are the takeaways from the first half.

1. Britt Brings It To The House- Kenny Britt had been widely discussed as one of the worst signings the Browns have made since returning to Cleveland in 1999. Britt had not only failed to catch the football and make plays throughout the first eight games but also missed a few games due to injury. He had been seen as a bad leader for the younger guys, as he rarely had anything nice to say. While most of the above statements still ring true, it is also a fact that the Browns wide receiver finally accomplished something positive. Britt found the end zone in the first quarter after juking out a Detroit defender on the play. It was Britt’s first touchdown as a Cleveland Brown and appeared to be hinting at more production from Britt. Alas, he only had that one reception for a nineteen-yard touchdown and was held for zero catches following that. With Josh Gordon coming back within the next few weeks, it’s imperative that Britt gets going to save his position on the depth chart.
2. Defense Looks Rattled- Gregg Williams’ defense looked absolutely lost on the field, especially in the second quarter of play. The Cleveland defense allowed seventeen unanswered points and was torn up on the ground, allowing 89 first-half rushing yards. What really hindered the defense was the inability to get pressure on Matthew Stafford as time went on, giving the fleet-footed quarterback more time to scan the field and make a good read. In the second half, the Browns will need to bring the heat on Stafford and close up running lanes.
3. DeValve’s Down Half- Tight end Seth DeValve had first half he would love to forget. DeValve was caught a few times on penalties and halted the Browns’ offense more than once due to silly mental lapses. The biggest breakdown for DeValve came midway through the second quarter when the second-year pro lost the football while trying to earn a first down, allowing Nevin Lawson to scoop the pigskin and take it to the house. With Randall Telfer out for the rest of the game, DeValve will have to pick it up on his end.