Tony Grossi, ESPN Cleveland 8y

Browns QB Cody Kessler holds head high in 30-24 loss to Dolphins

Editor's note: Tony Grossi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN 850 WKNR.

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida

Instant takeaways from Cleveland Browns' 30-24 loss in overtime to the Miami Dolphins ...

1. Near miss: The Browns remained winless after a 30-24 overtime loss to the Dolphins, but they left the field with immense respect for rookie quarterback Cody Kessler. Making his first NFL start under trying circumstances, Kessler helped make up an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game in regulation. The Dolphins finally prevailed when Jay Ajayi scored from 11 yards out with 8:26 left in overtime. The play was set up on a Ryan Tannehill pass of 32 yards to Jarvis Landry when the Browns blitzed and lost coverage. Kessler survived a shaky start and left his first NFL start with head held high. Kessler displayed all the qualities that made him attractive to coach Hue Jackson. Once he settled down, he was poised, unflappable, protected the ball decently, had good pocket presence, and was accurate with short throws. Kessler also displayed perseverance and helped close a two-score Miami lead in the second half and tie the game at 24-24 on two possessions in the fourth quarter. Kessler made completions of 25 yards to Terrelle Pryor and 28 to Ricardo Louis. Pryor scored the touchdown on a 3-yard run from the Wildcat formation as Kessler was removed by the officials to check for a concussion. He came back and executed a perfect fade pass to tight end Gary Barnidge for the 2-point conversion. Kessler and Pryor hooked up for a 40-yard gain on a crossing route to set up the tying field goal.

2. Heebie jeebies: Kessler had to shake off the jitters on his first series. On his first snap from center, the Browns were flagged for burning the play clock after confusion reigned during some excessive formation shifting. Two plays later, Kessler lost the snap from center John Greco and fell on the loose ball. On the next play, Kessler held the ball and was strip-sacked by end Carmeron Wake. Dolphins end Jason Jones recovered the fumble at the 39-yard line.

3. Pryor did it all: It didn’t take long for Terrelle Pryor to be used as a Wildcat quarterback. He lined up on the second play of the second series and gained 15 yards on a read option run. Pryor wound up playing Wildcat for six snaps in the first quarter. He was 1 for 2 passing for 26 yards to Gary Barnidge. He also had minus-1 on another read option, and handed off twice for gains of 14 yards by Duke Johnson and 14 by Isaiah Crowell. In the first half alone, Pryor also had four catches for 62 yards. And he played deep safety on Miami’s last offensive play of the half to defend a Hail Mary pass that never arrived. In the second half, Pryor lined up in the Wildcat four times, had an incompletion and ran three times (one negated by penalty). Pryor scored on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter. Pryor finished with 200 total yards -- 144 receiving on 8 catches -- and added 35 on 3 of 5 passing.

4. Take that: That turnover was especially costly because it negated a satisfying interception by Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor at the Dolphins’ 33-yard line on the second play of the game. Taylor, a former Miami second-round draft choice, was given away to the Browns in exchange for seventh-round draft positions in April. It was his first game against his former team. Taylor took the high road during the week and declined to say anything disparaging about the Dolphins for giving up on him after two years.

5. Parkey era begins: New kicker Cody Parkey just arrived Friday evening after the Patrick Murray injury and got in a few kicks on Saturday before the Browns departed for Miami. He had a busier day than anyone could have expected. Parkey missed a field goal from 41 yards, made from 46 and 48 yards, and then boinked a miss off the left upright from 42 yards on the Browns’ opening drive of the second half. But Parkey was clutch with a 38-yard field goal to tie the game at 24-24 with 3:14 left. Parkey wasn’t done yet. With :08 left in regulation he had a chance to be a hero, but he pulled a 46-yard field try wide left.

6. Who ‘dat?: Parkey wasn’t the only unknown player to have a big impact in this wild game. Cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun had an interception returned for a touchdown in his first NFL game -- the first Browns player in history to do that. Also, reserve linebacker Corey Lemonier made what should have been the defensive play of the game when he strip-sacked Ryan Tannehill and recovered the fumble at the Dolphins’ 27 with :08 in regulation. That’s when Parkey missed the chance to avoid overtime.

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