The 2017 season was supposed to be a turning point for the Cleveland Browns.
The butt of jokes as long as anyone on the NFL's youngest team can remember, the Browns seemed to take major strides in both the 2017 draft and free agency. The defense made key additions and cut some dead weight. Cleveland brought in wide receiver Kenny Britt - who topped 1,000 yards last season with the then-lowly Los Angeles Rams - to join a healthy Corey Coleman, and bolstered the offensive line to help support the potentially elite running back tandem of Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson Jr.
It certainly seemed like the time was right to make rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer the final starter behind offensive tackle Joe Thomas.
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Instead, the Browns have been outscored 107-63 in their 0-4 start. It isn't Kizer's fault, it's not allowing him to learn, and it's not giving the Browns' coaching staff an accurate read on his future potential.
On the heels of their worst game of the season - a 31-7 loss to previously winless rivals the Cincinnati Bengals - the Browns need to be prepared to hand the No. 1 gig to Cody Kessler in hopes of getting Kizer ready for 2018 and beyond. Here's why they should go back to their 2016 starter if the rookie struggles again Sunday against the New York Jets.
2017 season will do more harm than good
Allowing Kizer to carry on in this fashion can only harm his confidence and development. He's completing just 51.4 percent of his passes for an average of 5.38 yards per attempt, while throwing eight interceptions to three touchdowns.
Significant early deficits have left Kizer playing catch-up for most of the season, forcing too many risky passes downfield while he lacks the proper personnel to complete his big-play attempts.
Roster changes haven't created proper rookie environment
Coleman's already succumbed to another injury, while veteran Britt has failed to earn the trust of the rookie-signal caller. His unreliable play has resulted in just eight receptions on 23 targets. Practice squad fill-ins Rashard Higgins and Jordan Leslie have suddenly popped up only to disappear just as quickly.
The defense, which has allowed the eighth-most passing yards in the league and more passing touchdowns than all but two teams, is creating negative game scripts for the offense. That's negating the rushing attack - only four teams have racked up fewer rushing attempts than the Browns, and they're 26th in team rushing yards. Again, this is forcing Kizer to take more risks.
Safe style makes Kessler the perfect teacher
Should the Browns be unable to show signs of improvement and challenge for their first victory of the season in a seemingly winnable home game against the Jets, it'll be time to send Kizer to the bench to prepare for his sophomore season.
Kizer won the starting job out of training camp as the quarterback on the roster most likely to give the Browns the chance to compete this season. With the team already on the verge of falling out of contention, though, it's time to get back to the safer option.
A third-round pick in the 2016 draft, Kessler played parts of nine games and threw six touchdowns to a reasonable two interceptions. He completed 65.6 percent of his 195 pass attempts at an average of 7.08 yards. Those are all major improvements over Kizer's current rates.
While Kessler's timid, mediocre play may not help the Browns win many games, he can show Kizer the benefits of playing it safe when the flow of the game allows.
Since they've already determined he isn't the long-term answer at quarterback, the Browns can allow Kessler to lead them to another top pick in 2018, all while preserving the confidence of their high-profile rookie.
