The first career start for Cleveland Browns quarterback Kevin Hogan did not go as planned.
Hogan finished with a 38.1 QBR rating and three interceptions, as the Browns were blown out by the Houston Texans 33-17. The score was not indicative of the performance, either. Cleveland had an interception returned for a touchdown when the game was out of hand and a late garbage-time touchdown pass.
Hogan missed a lot of his receivers and looked very shaky from the get-go. The running game did look better, though, as the Browns ran for a season-high 134 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. It was an impressive performance and should be a boost of confidence going forward.
Aside from the late-game pick-six, the pass defense was a key reason for the loss. Texans rookie signal caller Deshaun Watson threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns, as he looked very comfortable running the offense. He was able to move around in the pocket and find his receivers downfield despite pressure from the Browns defense.
The one bright side for Cleveland was Myles Garrett. He still played a limited amount of snaps, since he is still dealing with his sore ankle, but he recorded another sack, bringing his season-total to three sacks in two games. The run defense only allowed 3.7 yards per carry, stuffing Texans running back Lamar Miller for most of the afternoon.
After the game, head coach Hue Jackson said he was going to look at the film and then decide on his starting quarterback for Week 7. There is a very good chance that rookie DeShone Kizer will be back in control of the offense next week.
The Browns will host the Tennessee Titans next week in their last game in Cleveland until Nov. 19.