The Browns faced the Lions in the GLC and the first quarter was certain to be the most interesting as Brandon Weeden and company would take most of their reps before departing. Here’s how it went.
Brandon Weeden had a mixed first drive. He threw the ball to the ground a couple times and eventually fumbled the ball away. Not before he threw a pass to Mohamed Massaquoi for a reception and what is presumed to be a concussion. Massaquoi retreated to the locker room very quickly and would not return. The shot didn’t even appear to be that big as he collided with the shoulder of a Detroit defensive back.
Weeden also made a very nice long reception down the left sideline to Travis Benjamin who got past his man for the ball over the top for 34 yards. It was clearly the offensive highlight of the first half.
Josh Gordon had a rough go of it for the first two drives. Both times he ran weak routes that had Brandon Weeden throwing to a guy who wasn’t where he was supposed to be. If the cornerback had been able to handle it, the pass on the second drive surely should have been an interception and possibly even a pick six.
Mitchell Schwartz also played very much like a rookie. He was beaten badly a couple times in the first two drives, but it isn’t totally unexpected. You can only imagine how wide his eyes must have been seeing the likes of Ndamukong Suh coming his way.
On defense, old man Sheldon Brown jumped a floating pass over the middle as the Browns put some pressure in Matthew Stafford’s face. Brown returned the interception to set up the Browns’ second drive. Before that the Browns were gashed a bit in the running game as Maiava and Ben Taylor seemed to over pursue their lanes.
Weeden finished off the first quarter with an interception when he threw outside Greg Little and into traffic. Dwight Bentley was there to grab it and return it another ten yards deep in Browns’ territory. That resulted in a Detroit rushing touchdown and the Lions took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter with the starters mostly retiring for the evening.
Overall, not a shocking showing from a young Browns team, but certainly not anything that will give Browns fans confidence right off the bat.
–
Photo: WFNY
