Browns Blues: No Place To Go But Up

0-16: Browns Go Winless After 28-24 Loss to Steelers

CLEVELAND, OH -- Now that 0-16 is here, it doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. The Browns’ season slipped through their hands like the pass that slipped through Corey Coleman’s in the red zone, but it’s not like they were blown out by the Steelers, 28-24. They played, well, tough. They had a good chance of winning the game until Coleman’s gaffe.

Granted, it was the Steelers’ second string offense – without Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell and Big Ben, but the young Browns had something to play for, and to a man, they played like it. The special teams, a weakness all season, gave up a kickoff return to break the 21-21 tie in the third quarter. It was a game breaker.

Still, the Browns, with gutsy rookie quarterback Deshone Kizer at the helm, were driving for the winning score with the clock winding down when Coleman failed to catch Kizer’s fourth down pass. Game over.

>>> 0-16: Browns Go Winless After 28-24 Loss to Steelers

Kizer was 16-30 for 314 yards (his most of the year), two touchdowns but threw a costly interception. In the end, he played like a rookie on a bad team, but he also showed he has enough raw talent to play in the NFL.

The fact that the Browns will probably be drafting a quarterback with their top pick should not be a condemnation of Kizer’s season performance. With no receivers with any significant NFL experience, Kizer had to overcome a lack of firepower with sheer determination. (Josh Gordon’s talent added to the receiver corps proved to be huge.) His youth showed at times, but he’s only going to get better. I’d keep him in the 2018 quarterback competition.

Hue Jackson, for some reason, is not going to be fired for going 1-31. Jimmy Haslam feels he’s still the coach to lead the Browns to their first Super Bowl. “The primary job of an NFL head coach is to provide leadership,” Haslam said after the game, “and I think he’s provided great leadership.”

With the first and fourth picks in the draft, there’s hope for next season.

Still, a parade is planned for noon Saturday at First Energy Stadium.

Photo By Keith Srakocic/Associated Press