Griffin, Pryor Leave Fans Wanting More, But Cleveland Browns Still Need Lots Of Work

Robert Griffin III and Terrelle Pryor had the Browns lone gem on a night that was rough for the offense, but the Griffin, Pryor combo has left fans wanting more.

The Browns lost their preseason opener to the Green Bay Packers, 17-11 in what was a mostly forgettable night for an offense that managed just 40 plays.

Still, it was good to see some real football again. But it was also clear that the Browns need a lot of work.

Robert Griffin III’s first drive looked unstoppable, until he got picked off at the goal line trying to throw a pass to Gary Barnidge.

The highlight of the drive–and really the play of the game–was a 49-yard bomb to Terrelle Pryor. After that, it was all downhill for the Brownies.

I was enthusiastic about Pryor during his success in scrimmages, but to see him do it an actual game!? Pryor needed this, and so did his defenders among the fan base.

Pryor was questionable entering Friday’s game with a sore calf, and it’s huge he was able to tough it out and get on the field. He needs real-game experience, because there’s simply just nothing like it.

He did injury his hand blocking later on in the game, but X-Rays were negative.

• Back to Griffin.  He was 4 of 8 for 67 yards with 49 coming on that first pass to Pryor. You could say Barnidge should’ve cut on the interception, but ultimately, RG3 is the one who threw the pass.

Regardless, the night should be viewed as a positive one for Griffin, who did stay in the pocket in the face of pressure. He also took some hits and he didn’t resort to bad habits.

• Cody Kessler threw the Browns’ only touchdown, and he looked like a seasoned veteran doing it, connecting with fellow rookie Rashard Higgins on a back-shoulder fade.

But then he went full-blown rookie by failing to distinguish the back of the end zone.

Kessler was confused, as he explained to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabbot.

He then got sacked for another safety, capping the night off in true Browns fashion.

A lot of us say preseason games don’t matter, but they do. Especially for rookies like Kessler. Better for this to happen in August than when games actually start to count.

• Parma native Jamie Meder is outplaying 2015 first-round pick Danny Shelton. Meder, who played his college ball at Ashland, recorded a safety early on in the game.

• What’s not to like about rookie Carl Nassib. The 6-foot-7 edge rusher stopped Green Bay on successive plays.

He looked athletic and showed us that he’s not going to give up on plays, as he comes out of nowhere to track down the Green Bay ball carrier on this particular play.

• Emmanuel Ogbah came up with a sack and the pursuit on the play was awesome to watch.

The offense is supposed to be ahead of the defense at this point, but if Nassib and Ogbah can quickly adapt to the NFL and be a consistent pass rushing force, that could change very quickly.