DeShone Kizer turned the ball over four times in his team’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, but it sounds like Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson is done benching the rookie for poor performances.
Following the game, Jackson told reporters Kizer will remain Cleveland’s starting quarterback in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jackson also made it seem like the job is Kizer’s for the rest of the year.
“Where we are right now, I need to continue to see him,” Jackson said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Let’s let him play. Let’s let him play this thing out. As long as he’s healthy, let’s keep putting him out there. I want to walk away from this season knowing exactly what DeShone Kizer is top to bottom. He deserves that. I know this is all tough for him. Week in and week out, it’s the consistency he has to keep chasing. He just has to keep working at it.”
The Browns played the Jaguars surprisingly close. Jacksonville scored a touchdown after Kizer fumbled deep in Cleveland territory late in the fourth quarter, which made the final score a lot more one-sided than the game was. Despite Kizer’s two interceptions and two fumbles, Jackson said he was happy with the way the rookie competed.
“After the first interception … it takes heart to keep coming back in there and throw a huge touchdown to Duke (Johnson) a drive after that,” the coach added. “That’s what it is. He’ll will only get better if he’ll keep taking that mindset and playing.
“The guy did not blink at the end, and he was getting knocked around pretty good at the end. That’s something to build on for him.”
Jackson made one of the dumbest mistakes you will see all season last week, so he’s in no place to be pointing fingers. With the Browns winless and looking like a lock for the top overall pick in next year’s draft, you have to wonder how much of a future Kizer has with the team.
