As Notre Dame gears up for the 2017 season with a new starting quarterback, former Irish player Deshone Kizer is set to make his NFL debut as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback. Kizer has been chosen for the role after starting their third preseason game, as reported by Cleveland.com. He secured the position over Brock Osweiler and former USC quarterback Cody Kessler.
Kizer’s success against Kessler is not new, as he outperformed him in 2015 when USC visited Notre Dame. That October evening, Notre Dame triumphed 41-31, paving the way for a 10-win season. This latest achievement is particularly remarkable, especially since many expected Kizer to spend his rookie season as a backup after being drafted in the second round in April.
Cleveland.com also noted that Kessler might fall behind Kevin Hogan on the Browns’ quarterback roster, suggesting he could be at risk of being cut when the team reduces its roster to 53 players before the season opener.
Kizer also outperformed Brock Osweiler; however, those who watched Osweiler’s performance in the 2016 season likely didn’t see it as a serious competition. The only circumstance that could have favored Osweiler over Kizer would have been if Kizer hadn’t demonstrated his readiness. He proved himself during the three preseason games.
In his NFL debut two weeks ago, Kizer impressed by throwing for 184 yards on 11 of 18 passes against the New Orleans Saints’ backups. The following week, he completed 8 of 13 passes for 74 yards and rushed for 35 yards on five attempts, scoring a touchdown against the New York Giants.
In last night’s game, Kizer faced a starting defense for the first time, resulting in a less impressive performance as he completed only 6 of 18 passes for 93 yards with his first preseason interception. His struggles were compounded by a fumble from Duke Johnson at the 10-yard line and a drop from Kenny Britt at the 5-yard line.
Being named the starter presents a mixed scenario for Kizer. On one hand, it offers some validation after his drop in the draft. On the other, he becomes the 27th starting quarterback for the Browns since 1999, and he doesn’t have much talent surrounding him after the team lost Terrelle Pryor in free agency and replaced him with the aging Kenny Britt. Therefore, a year spent developing as a backup might have been more beneficial for Kizer’s long-term growth.
Ultimately, Deshone Kizer won’t have that luxury.
