It’s halftime at FirstEnergy Stadium and the Cleveland Browns trail Baltimore after two quarters of play. What’s new? Bad playcalling combined with ridiculous turnovers have defined this season and it has defined the game this afternoon so far.
Let’s look at the three takeaways from the first half.
1. Another Poor Performance By Kizer- At this point, everyone should know the deal. DeShone Kizer puts together a good game that provides hope and then disintegrates all of the confidence and momentum he garnered by having three terrible games. Here we are again, as Kizer has been dreadful against the Ravens in the first half.
The rookie signal-caller has gone 10-of-16 for 68 yards and an interception. Kizer also rushed three times for 22 yards, not doing much in any facet of the game. What really hurts the offense is when Kizer feels the need to go deep when nothing is visibly there for him to connect with on a big play. Instead, a huge play occurs for the defense and the Browns are left scratching their heads in dismay. If Kizer wants to remain the starter for this team in 2018, he needs to play well these last three games. So far, he has been anything but that.
2. Strong Showings By The Run Defense- The one positive the Browns provide on a weekly basis is their ability to shut down the opposition’s run game. Today is no different, as the Browns have held the entire Baltimore rushing attack to only 40 rushing yards.
The first half was really summed about by the goal line stand by Cleveland, who held the Ravens in check for three straight plays from their own one-yard line. It was a true testament to how talented the front seven defenders are and how tough they can be. If the other side of the ball could just wake up, Cleveland could be winning this game.
3. Hue’s Head In Cincinnati- After the news broke that Cincinnati Head Coach Marvin Lewis is stepping down at the end of the season, one must wonder where Hue Jackson’s head is at. The biggest rumor circling around is that Jackson is the top guy to replace Lewis and could be running the ship in Cincinnati come 2018.
Is that affecting Jackson today? With only three games left, could he just be running through the motions to get the heck out of Cleveland? One must wonder as we continue to trek towards the end of the 2017 campaign.
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