Brock Osweiler has started both preseason games. Whether he or DeShone Kizer will start the third one -- and, most importantly, the first one that counts -- will be unveiled soon. As in tomorrow.
“I will watch the tape,” Jackson told reporters after Monday night’s game. “There were some things that I felt on the sidelines just being out there watching the game, calling the plays and watching how things happen. Like I told you guys, I hope by Wednesday of this upcoming week we will have a decision of where we are headed, and I think that is what we have to do. . . .
“I kind of want to put this thing to bed by Wednesday. I kind of want to say, ‘Here is where we are going’ because I think this upcoming game, we will play a little longer with the first group because I think it is important to do so and have as many guys that are going to play in the opener playing because this is the dress rehearsal game. I would like to put this thing to bed and just move forward in that direction, and whatever decision we make, we make. We want to make the best one for the Browns.”
Will it be a difficult choice, Coach?
“We will see,” he said with a laugh. “I need to watch the tape and honestly answer that question, but I have an idea in my mind based on what I felt and what I saw from our football team. We will just kind of go from there.”
Jackson provided some clues, but not many, about where he’s heading.
“Brock did some things early, but obviously, the tipped ball,” Jackson said of Osweiler’s interception. “Again, you are getting holding calls and all of the sudden you are playing behind the sticks all of the time. That is not good. We are kind of mixing and matching the offensive line a little bit right now so that is tough. DeShone, there were some things he did really well and there are some things he has to keep improving on. To answer it all, I want to watch the tape before I give you an honest assessment of both those guys.”
Jackson later added that he “saw improvement in a lot of things” from Kizer, before adding that there are “some good things” that Osweiler and Cody Kessler did. (It’s probably isn’t a great sign that Osweiler got lumped in with Kessler.) Jackson also added that none of Kizer’s scrambles were planned runs, and that he needs to learn how to protect himself by sliding.
Despite the day of drama, it sounds like Hue needs to study the tape for confirmation purposes only.
“I think I have seen enough,” Jackson said. “For me, I have seen enough. I have done this long enough in my career and know what it looks like and what it feels like and what it should be. I feel pretty good about it. We will travel in that direction. If I feel like after watching the tape we need to wait a little longer, we will wait a little longer. I just feel like we are at the point where we can move forward and feel good about it.”
Some say the Browns should just go with Kizer. Others think Kizer needs to be kept on the bench for a bit, especially with the Pittsburgh and Baltimore defenses on the docket to start the season. Given the team’s erratic (to say the least) history at the position, the sooner Kizer gets the job we all know he’ll eventually assume, the better.