Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer had his NFL wake-up call in a major way Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Thanks in large part to some big mistakes by him, the Browns were beaten by the score of 24-10, and it really wasn’t as close as that score would indicate.
On Monday, Kizer bemoaned his Week 2 performance.
#Browns Kizer: "it was one of my worst performances in any sport ever"
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 18, 2017
All told, Kizer finished having completed less than half his passes (15-of-31) for 182 yards with three interceptions and one lost fumble. His four turnovers directly led to just seven points, which shows just how much more of a lopsided loss it could have been.
For a while in the second quarter, Kizer had to exit the game with a migraine headache. He would later return but never was able to get into any kind of positive groove.
Thankfully he said the migraine had subsided by Monday. It wasn’t a first-time thing, as Kizer deals with them every once in a while and says “it’s his worst fear to have it happen during a game.”
Despite his poor play Sunday, Kizer isn’t going to be benched. Head coach Hue Jackson said Monday that Kizer is the team’s starting quarterback. Period. That echoes what he said before the season began when he told reporters he would be sticking with the rookie through good and bad times alike this year.
That’s the smart approach. The Browns aren’t good enough to make the playoffs. So they absolutely need to find out if Kizer is going to be the future at the quarterback position, or if they need to look elsewhere as they continue rebuilding the roster from the ground up.