After opening the preseason with two strong performances on offense, the Cleveland Browns tumbled to Earth in a 27-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Quarterback Brandon Weeden was at the center of a messy display, squeezing out a 59.6 passer rating while leading the team to one lonely field goal in seven drives. Browns fans can't be blamed for wondering if the positive start was a mirage, but Weeden warned against an overreaction.
"I don't think there's any reason to push the panic button like a lot of people want to," Weeden said Monday, per The Plain Dealer. "But we've got to learn from it and we've got to get better."
Weeden remains a mystery. He's unquestionably a better fit for Norv Turner's vertical passing game than Pat Shurmur's plodding West Coast attack of one season ago. But against the Colts, the Browns appeared to revert to their old ways and actually used Weeden differently than they did in wins over the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions.
If we've learned anything about Weeden this summer, it's that he's made for the shotgun. I went back and checked the film and, by my count, Weeden lined up in the shotgun 79 percent of the time against the Rams and Lions. That dipped to 60 percent against the Colts, and gone was the aggressive approach, as the Browns took fewer shots downfield.
That had a lot to do with the Colts putting on a defensive clinic, forcing -- at one stretch -- three consecutive three-and-outs.
"I've watched the tape four times, and all four times their coverage was really, really good," Weeden said.
Playing in the AFC North, the Browns face a schedule littered with "really, really good" defenses, so the kinks need to be worked out immediately, or the panic button will be pressed with good reason.
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