Browns: Two Games In, Two Quarterbacks Down, and Carson Wentz

Give Kessler A Chance

The Browns don’t have the best history with young quarterbacks. If you’re like most fans, you can vividly recall the big hits Tim Couch, Charlie Frye, Brady Quinn, and Colt McCoy would take.

You remember seeing the young men scrambling for their lives, getting sacked multiple times, or forcing passes into coverage to avoid those hits and throwing interceptions. You might also remember the simplified offenses: Run, run, pass, and punt.

While the coaches meant well, the lack of offensive creativity often stifled their learning. They learned to fear the rush, shy away from trusting their instincts, and often settled for short intermediate throws.

So come Sunday, a new regime will have a young quarterback taking the field once again. That means the Miami Dolphins will be lining as many as eight defenders in the “box,” looking to shut down the Browns rushing game. In addition, forcing young Kessler to throw the ball. The challenge for the new coaching staff will be how will they help Kessler succeed?

Well, for starters, they need to avoid the run, run, pass mentality. While Cleveland will be conservative with Kessler to simplify the offense, they shouldn’t be predictable. The coaches need to go outside the box.

They should find ways to open the field with running back Duke Johnson‘s versatility, the speed of wideouts Coleman and Pryor, and the threat of tight end Gary Barnidge. Perhaps that means some screen passes, some quick hitch routes, and of course a few go routes downfield to keep the defense honest.

The key of course will be if Kessler gets the time to make those plays. With Greco filling in at center for Erving, the offensive line is patchwork at best. That’s why quick developing plays will be the key to Kessler getting the ball out of his hands before the Dolphins pass rush can get to him.

It’s also the key to keeping Kessler healthy. The Browns can ill-afford to lose another quarterback to injury so early in the season. They signed journeyman quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, but he will have less than a week with the team. If he has to enter the game for any reason, the already long season will only get longer.

Cleveland is already seen as the worst team in the NFL by many analysts, and running through quarterbacks doesn’t help that perception. Neither does the success of Wentz, the quarterback the Browns didn’t consider worthy of the second overall pick. His early play might already be turning Browns fans against analytics and the new regime.