Monday, November 20, 2017

Fumbling away an opportunity-Jaguars beat Browns 19-7

The Cleveland Browns defense played very well against the Jacksonville Jaguars and helped to keep them in a game that they really had no business being in.
The offense on the other hand botched almost every chance that they had to score and two fumbles by DeShone Kizer with under two minutes left in the game ended any hope as the Jaguars finished off the Browns 19-7 in blustery Cleveland.
Kizer hit Duke Johnson in the second quarter on a 27-yard catch and run for the only Cleveland score.
The now 0-10 Browns travel to Cincinnati next Sunday for a rematch from a week four blasting at the hands of the Bengals 31-7.

Brownie Bits

1) DeShone Kizer didn't play very well.
Two interceptions and the two aforementioned fumbles on hits from Jacksonville pass rushers on the day and three of the four turnovers in the final nine minutes.
Kizer's throw to Corey Coleman was nowhere near him and it wasn't difficult for A.J. Bouye to make the interception.
This was a winnable game because.

2) Jacksonville for a team that is now 7-3 did next to nothing on offense to impress me.
The Jaguars have a defense that is very impressive, but the offense led by Blake Bortles, who is more like a veteran DeShone Kizer than a playoff level quarterback was generally shut down and their receivers are far from playoff level.
The defense may take this bunch to the playoffs and it might have to win it for them once they get there.

3) Leonard Fournette did rush for 111 yards for Jacksonville, but it took 28 carries to get that total.
Other than a 29 yard run, the Browns run defense controlled the Jaguar rookie back, who is the only top-notch weapon Jacksonville has.

4) The Browns defense is somewhat overrated by fans, mainly because compared to the offense it looks great, but credit is due as for the improved run defense.
It's tough to run the ball against the Browns, at least compared to the pass defense anyway/

5) And there's Jabrill Peppers, who dropped a punt in Browns territory and failed to fall on a fumble that could have kept the game within three points (Jacksonville kicked a field goal to move the lead to six points).
Jacksonville turned the ball over after Peppers fumbled, but the Browns pick of him late in round one looks worse and worse by the week.
The question is will the next staff be able to rebuild him to get any type of use out of him.

6)  Contrast Peppers to that of Budda Baker, who the Cardinals picked as their safety early in round two.
Baker made his first start yesterday against Houston and notched these numbers: Eleven SOLO tackles,1 sack, a forced fumble and a batted down pass.
Cleveland has those "electric" ball skills of Jabrill Peppers....

7) Corey Coleman returned from his broken hand and caught six passes (a career high) for 80 yards.
Coleman didn't drop any passes either, which in Cleveland makes him a number one receiver.

8) Emmanuel Ogbah was having a big game, having knocked down two passes and was involved in some pressures on Blake Bortles before leaving the game with an injured foot.
The foot turned out to be broken and Ogbah will miss the rest of the season.

9) Two Jaguars dominated in this game on defense but the one that hurt the most was defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.
Ngakoue finished with two and a half sacks on the day with several other pressures on DeShone Kizer and forced two Browns fumbles including the game-winner that Telvin Smith (interception and a fumble recovery) fell on in the end zone to end the game at 19-7.
Ngakoue was a third-round pick in 2016 out of Maryland that could have been a Brown, but four picks before the Browns took another player at the same position-Carl Nassib.
Analytics.

10) Cleveland's leading rusher? DeShone Kizer with 20 yards.
In a bad weather game, the Browns top rusher was their quarterback with twenty yards.
Talk about not giving yourself a chance to win..

11) Always when these two teams hook up with two of ugliest uniforms in the games.
I hate that two tone helmet that the Jaguars use and both teams with the jersey styles that are so busy that bees stay away from them.

Remaining games in the race to a victory with opponents record
At Cincinnati 4-6
At L.A. Chargers 4-6
Green Bay 5-5
Baltimore 5-5
At Chicago 3-7
At Pittsburgh 8-2







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