
Another week, another loss.
The Cleveland Browns (0-14) will go winless at FirstEnergy Stadium for the second time since 1999 as they got blown out by the Baltimore Ravens (8-6) 27-10.
Joe Flacco threw for 288 yards and a touchdown and also ran a touchdown in as he improved his record to 17-2 against the Cleveland Browns.
Mike Wallace and Ben Watson led the receiving attack against a banged up Cleveland secondary. Wallace had six catches for 89 yards and Watson had another big game against his former team with 4 catches for 74 yards including a 33 yard catch that resulted in a touchdown.
Defensively, they held Cleveland to 266 yards of total offense and created four turnovers including a strip sack which they recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.
Baltimore currently sits on the outside of the playoff race despite having the same record as the current 6th seed Buffalo. Indianapolis and Cincinnati remain as their final opponents while Buffalo has to play New England and Miami.
As for the Browns, who are now 1-29 under head coach Hue Jackson and 4-47 since Thanksgiving 2014, it was another disastrous day on the offensive side of the ball.
DeShone Kizer looked terrible and isn’t making a strong case for the organization to even let him come back next season. Turning the ball over three times and having no awareness of his surroundings in the pocket.
He finished the game 20 of 37 for 146 yards, two interceptions and a fumble. His 19 interceptions thrown lead the NFL and his 28 total turnovers are the most by a Browns quarterback since Tim Couch had 30 turnovers in the 2001 season.
The Browns were leading 7-3 when Isaiah Crowell busted off a 59 yard run, his longest of the season. After that, the offense ran the ball four more times between Duke Johnson and Crowell. While the stats will tell you the Browns ran the ball 19 times for 130 yards, you take away that long run by Crowell the team ran it 18 times for 71 yards.
Johnson did get the lone touchdown for Cleveland and finished the game with 12 offensive touches (7 carries, 5 catches) for 63 yards from scrimmage (23 rushing, 40 receiving). He also became the first running back since Herschel Walker (1986-1988) to record at least 500 receiving yards in their first three NFL seasons.
Josh Gordon led the way for the Browns in the receiving category with five catches for 47 yards. You could tell during the game there’s some frustration by Gordon because of the timing and accuracy of Kizer’s throws to him.
I hope Gordon knows that general manager John Dorsey is watching everyone including Gordon and I don’t think he’d have a problem cutting ties with the troubled yet talented player during the offseason.
Hue Jackson had to ask questions about the Cincinnati rumors as well as the current Browns product post game
Jackson also said and tell me if you heard this before, “I have to watch the tape” on DeShone Kizer and stated he may make a change at quarterback in the final two games but also said he wants to see Kizer on the field.
At this point I don’t think it matters because A) Hue Jackson isn’t going to be the coach after this season and B) DeShone Kizer won’t be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns after this season.
The Browns will travel to Soldier Field on Christmas Eve to play the Chicago Bears (4-10).
All eyes will be on Northeast Ohio product and Bears starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky as he’s playing against his hometown team and I’m sure there’s some people out there who still wish the Browns took him instead of Myles Garrett with the first overall pick in last April’s NFL Draft.
Last year the Browns won on Christmas Eve but I don’t think Santa Claus is going to give the Browns another Christmas miracle for 2017.