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Cleveland Browns work to reduce penalties as preseason continues

After being flagged 20 times in their first two preseason games, the Cleveland Browns work to reduce penalties over the final two weeks of the exhibition season.
Credit: Ken Blaze
Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson yells at wide receiver Jeff Janis (13) after a penalty during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND -- From taking points off of the scoreboard to giving automatic first downs that made a first-half field goal attempt a closer and allowed the Buffalo Bills to exhaust the clock late in the game, the Cleveland Browns struggled with penalties throughout their 19-17 loss at FirstEnergy Stadium Friday night.

All told, the Browns committed seven penalties for 70 yards in the loss, which was on the heels of a 13-penalty performance for 141 lost yards in the Week 1 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“The penalty issue, just like I talked to the team about, that is something we have to get solved, one as a staff and with our players,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said.

“It is the discipline part of doing things the right way. We have to get that part of it squared away. All in all, I think it is going to be some good tape to evaluate our team on and find a way to get better over the next couple of weeks. That is our charge, and I am sure we will do that.”

The penalties started early in the second quarter, as wide receiver Antonio Callaway had an eight-yard reception nullified because of an offensive pass interference violation called against fellow pass catcher Jarvis Landry.

On the same drive, tight end David Njoku lost a six-yard reception when wide receiver Rashard Higgins was flagged for offensive pass interference.

“We have to do a better job of blocking on the edge with our receivers,” Jackson said. “They called them. I will watch them on tape. At the same time, when you are throwing those quick screens like that, our guys have to understand the timing of it all when you are blocking.”

Credit: Matt Florjancic, WKYC Digital Sports
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield celebrates a completion during a drill on the final day of practice in front of fans at training camp in Berea.

Later in the game, an offensive pass interference penalty took a touchdown off of the scoreboard, and instead of retaking the lead, the Browns settled for a field goal and drew within three points of the Bills with 2:16 to play in the third quarter.

Two plays before the field goal, it appeared the Browns would attempt the go-ahead point-after-touchdown when rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Derrick Willies, but tight end Devon Cajuste was flagged for offensive pass interference.

Cajuste’s penalty cost the Browns the six points and 10 yards on top of it, which backed up the offense to Buffalo’s 12-yard line. Subsequently, Mayfield’s next attempt to Willies fell incomplete short of the goal line and brought on kicker Ross Martin for the field goal try.

Credit: Ken Blaze
Cleveland Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

“The whole theme of the game -- offense, defense and special teams -- is that you can’t shoot yourself in the foot,” Mayfield said. “We put ourselves in a great position to win that game. We got down there pretty close, and then, had an offensive pass interference. Even when Tyrod (Taylor) was in too, just a couple penalties here and there that we have to eliminate, but when we were playing consistent and penalty-free, it showed.”

Taylor added, “The last drive that I was in, penalties kind of hurt us. We were in the scoring zone. That is two weeks in a row that we have had penalties that have taken us out of the scoring zone. That is something that we have to clean up.”

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