Leaving on a Jets Plane:Browns lose 17-14

Photo Courtesy:Cleveland Plain Dealer

The home game against the New York Jets was there to be won for the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns outgained the Jets and generally outplayed them, but when opportunity called, the Browns were often unable to take advantage and in the end, it was the Jets leaving Cleveland with the 17-14 duke.

Kevin Hogan came off the bench to throw touchdown passes in the second half to David Njoku and Duke Johnson in relief of DeShone Kizer in the loss, while Myles Garrett made his long-awaited pro debut and sacked Jets quarterback Josh McCown twice.
The now 0-5 Browns travel to Houston next week for the waiting Texans and a motivated gentleman named DeShaun Watson.

Brownie Bits

1) Just an opinion, but I wouldn't have benched DeShone Kizer for the second half in favor of Kevin Hogan.
Not that Kizer played well (he didn't) and not that he deserved to play after some dumb mistakes (he didn't), but the main reason the Browns are suffering through a rookie quarterback's errors is the developmental process in order to see if he is "the guy".
Playing Kevin Hogan doesn't help that very much and what I fear is completing this season and not having those answers...

2) All of that said, DeShone Kizer's first-half play was much of the reason that the Browns lost this game.
Kizer's ill-advised audible to pitch to Isaiah Crowell resulted in a fumble and turnover and his interception to the Jets Marcus Maye at the Jets two was a poor choice to throw to Seth DeValve.
This wasn't a veteran player baiting Kizer either as Maye is also a rookie.
It was the type of play that you expect rookies to make because rookie quarterbacks make rookie mistakes and if you think they have a future-you suffer through them.

3) As for Kevin Hogan, he played well enough that under normal circumstances, I would have no issues with him starting next week in Houston.
Hogan has the "moxie" that some players lack-he scrambles around and just finds a way to make plays.
You know who Kevin Hogan reminds me of a little?
Doug Flutie, another smaller passer that just made plays, won games, and spent time in a lot of places and never really getting a full chance.
I'm not saying Hogan should be the quarterback now, I still think DeShone Kizer needs to play as part of the Browns vaunted "process", but Kevin Hogan might give the Browns their best chance to win a game.

4) Then there was rookie kicker Zane Gonzalez, who missed two field goals in a game lost by three.
I can excuse the first miss from 52 yards, but kickers are paid to drill field goals from 39 yards.
Miss too many of those and kickers get replaced-quickly.

5) And there's Hue Jackson, with more daffy decisions that make you wonder how he was an offensive coordinator, let alone a head coach.
Jackson uses timeouts like expendable energy and with a team like this in a close game, those used timeouts always are missed.
This week's questionable call comes early in the fourth quarter with a fourth and two at the Jets four with Jackson sending Zane Gonzalez on the field to tie the game.
Jackson calls timeout and then changes his mind to go for the first down.
Jackson then calls a mundane run up the middle with Isaiah Crowell, who fell short of the down marker, turning the ball over to the Jets.

6) A defense that played well most of the day then allowed Josh McCown and the Jets to go 98 yards down the field and score what proved to be the game-winning score on a McCown touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse.

7) Myles Garrett made his Cleveland debut with two first-half sacks.
Garrett was playing a limited amount of snaps but was visibly hobbled in the second half when he was forced to play when Carl Nassib was injured.
High ankle sprains take time to truly heal, so my hope is that Garrett isn't slowed by the aggravation of the injury for next weeks game in his native Texas.

8) Duke Johnson needs the ball more.
Johnson is the one dynamic player on this offense as he showed in the touchdown catch and run that gave the Browns a chance late in the game.
The 41 yard score saw Johnson break tackles and made other Jets miss and made Ramon Malpica wonder in our postgame show (Take a listen-it's on the Fightheads site) how the one playmaker on offense finishes the game with nine touches,
If Johnson is the one player that can make plays, it's time to allow the offense to flow through him.

9) David Njoku's one-handed grab for a score of a Kevin Hogan continued to show why the Browns may have a winner at the tight end position.
Njoku is starting to look like he's learning the position and doing some things that might make him a standout.

10) I just don't have any answers.
I wrote earlier about the QB dilemma (Hogan better now, Kizer had questions that need to be answered), but I'm just as puzzled about other questions.
At 1-20, can you afford to not think about Hue Jackson's status should this string of losses continue?
With five picks in the first two rounds, do you continue to feel good about Sashi Brown and his bunch making them?

Photo Courtesy:Cleveland Plain Dealer

Continuity is always something that has been lacking with this franchise and it is needed, but do you feel these are the right guys and do you waste more time and wasting assets?
I just don't know.
I've never been a supporter of Sashi Brown, Paul DePodesta etc because I didn't think their strengths are in player development and they haven't exceeded my expectations.
I did like the Hue Jackson hire, but watching him on 21 Sundays makes me wonder about that decision.
I just don't know, but I have 12 weeks  (11 games and the bye) to figure things out...

If I have time,I'll have coverage of the Indians 1-0 game three loss in New York.
If I don't,I'll likely have a combined post covering games three and four...