Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy didn’t hold back following a 34-10 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Jeudy had three catches for 48 yards in the loss. But he could have added a big chunk to that number in the fourth quarter but dropped it. He took accountability for the mistake in an expletive-laden postgame rant.
“That (expletive) got me hot. I gotta make that damn play, bro. It’s a big time play, I got to catch that (expletive). I catch them (expletive) every day in practice. That would have been a big play,” Jeudy said. “I have to make those (expletive) plays.”
Playing in an offense that has struggled to generate explosive plays, those rare moments become critical for the Browns to stay competitive. The unit is averaging just 13.3 points per game, and the passing attack has been largely ineffective with Joe Flacco under center.
“The one with Jeudy, it’s one of those things. I would’ve liked to get it out a little bit earlier, but I think Aidan (Hutchinson) was able to get a little bit of hand on the ball so it took a little bit longer,” Flacco said. “And then it’s just one of those things that when you’re playing in these tough games, sometimes you don’t make those plays.”
Jeudy is coming off his first Pro Bowl season, where he caught 90 passes for 1,229 yards and four touchdowns. Through four games this season he’s caught 13 passes for 182 yards.
Browns QB Joe Flacco Takes Blame for Ugly Interception
Flacco threw two interceptions against the Lions. The first came on a miscommunication with wide receiver Cedric Tillman. Flacco lobbed a ball up along the sideline but no Browns were in the area. Lions defensive back Kerby Joseph easily picked it off.
Many pointed the finger at Tillman for running the wrong route. But Flacco took the blame after the loss.
“The first pick was on me, and anytime you get a chance to give this team a little bit of momentum and they play from the lead, that makes them that much better,” Flacco said. “That’s part of the reason why they’re a good football team. So when you turn the ball over like that and you give them a good position and you don’t really allow our defense to pin their ears back and do their thing, then you’re going to struggle as a whole.”
Flacco’s second interception came when Jeudy fell on his route. Jeudy appeared to petition for a flag on the play but it never came. D.J. Reed snagged the pass and returned it inside the Browns‘ 5-yard line. In all, the Lions flipped three Cleveland turnovers into 17 points.
Browns Not ‘Focused’ on Making Change at Quarterback
After falling to 1-3, the calls are growing hard to ignore for the Browns to replace Flacco with Dillon Gabriel. After the loss to the Lions, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said that’s not where the team’s “focus” is.
“Obviously, when we struggle like we did on offense, I understand the question. But that’s not our focus,” Stefanski said.
Rather than placing the blame on Flacco, Stefanski held the offense as a whole accountable for improvement.
“It’s never going to be about one person. It’s just not,” Stefanski said. “We’re not doing a good enough job. I’ll put myself in there as well. We have to be better.”
The Browns head to London next week to take on the Minnesota Vikings.
Browns WR Jerry Jeudy Erupts in Heated Postgame Rant After Blowout Loss