Cleveland Browns: 5 Browns whose stock is down after Titans debacle

3. Denzel Ward

In game that turned into a full-blown dumpster fire, it’s tough to single out candidates individually. That said, this was a clunker for Denzel Ward.

The former Buckeye battled concussions a season ago, but still put together a great enough season for pundits to scream out “Shut down corner.”

Ward was not that in Week 1, surrendering a 47-yard touchdown reception to rookie A.J. Brown on the Titans’ first possession of the game. Ward also contributed to the Browns dirty laundry, getting called for two defensive holding penalties. One of these was declined the Browns also committed roughing the passer on the same play, but none the less, Ward was flagged.

On both of these drives, the Titans scored touchdowns.

Hopefully, we’ll look back at this game during the Bye Week as one giant asterisk. The Browns didn’t regularly play their starters in the prison, and that includes Ward.

Let’s hope this clunker of an opener serves as the preseason for the Browns starters and the embarrassment lifts them toward greater things in Week 2.