Browns first-round pick Justin Gilbert to see reduced playing time
One Browns first-round draft pick didn't play at all Sunday. The other apparently is going to lose some of his playing time.
With Johnny Manziel never seeing the field while Browns starting quarterback Brian Hoyer played well enough to keep himself in the No. 1 spot, cornerback Justin Gilbert -- taken No. 8 overall -- struggled vs. the Steelers on Sunday, particularly with receiver Markus Wheaton.
Thus, Cleveland coach Mike Pettine said he's going to reduce Gilbert's playing time.
“Looking back on it, maybe he did play too many reps,” Pettine said, via the Akron Beacon Journal. “We’re not looking to bench him, but maybe scale back his reps this week.”
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger targeted Wheaton seven times on Sunday and completed six passes to him for 96 yards. Plus, this happened with about 15 seconds to play and the game tied 27-27 (via NFL Game Rewind).
As you can see, Gilbert -- who's laying on his stomach while Wheaton is running free in the middle of the field -- slipped while covering Wheaton, allowing the Steelers to complete a 20-yard pass that set up Shaun Suisham to kick a game-winning 41-yard field goal for Pittsburgh as time expired.
Sure, the slip could have happened to any cornerback, but it punctuated a rough NFL debut for Gilbert.
Gilbert played 59 of 71 defensive snaps for Cleveland, tied for sixth-most on the team that day. Pettine wonders if he was simply on the field too long.
“I think we need to do a better job as a staff of putting him in situations, and maybe getting him some help [in coverage from a safety],” Pettine said. “But there is no substitute for playing. He needs to transition. He needs to take what he does on the practice field and take it to the game because he’s practiced well. That’s part of the learning process, too.
“He’s got to be able to dial in, and we always talk to our players, ‘Fall back on your technique. You should hear your position coach’s voice in your head talking you through the play, especially pre-snap.’ That’s something we preach to all of our young guys that are maybe having some struggles.”
Browns linebacker Karlos Dansby had some advice for the anxious rookie.
“The man was nervous,” Dansby said. “He made some plays, he didn’t make some plays and that’s just how the game goes sometimes. As a rookie, you have to bounce back from those things. You’ve got to have thick skin and you’ve got to be water off a duck’s ass.”
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