NASHVILLE, Tenn.: Rookie quarterback Cody Kessler became emotional after he had an admirable performance Sunday in the Browns’ 28-26 loss to the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.
His brother Dylan, 17, experienced a health scare Oct. 5 because of an accelerated heartbeat and had to be hospitalized. His great-grandmother, June Laramore, 92, died Oct. 8.
With all of it weighing on Kessler, his outing against the Titans was especially impressive.
“My brother, he’s doing better,” Kessler said. “He has a heart condition, and he has been through a lot in his life. He had a heart condition last week and it scared me, it frightened me. But they got on top of it in time, and he’s doing better.
“I lost my grandmother earlier this week who was like another mom to me. This was the first game she didn’t get to see me play, which was tough. It’s stuff you can’t control, and you just have to move on.”
Kessler completed 26-of-41 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. His passer rating was 105.3. His 336 passing yards are second most by a rookie in Browns history, trailing only Brandon Weeden’s 364-yard game in 2012.
After the Browns fell behind by 15 points with 6:43 left in the fourth quarter, Kessler willed them to a late rally before they fell short.
“He gave us a chance to win, to be in the game,” coach Hue Jackson said.
The effort evoked memories of Jackson saying “trust me” when the franchise drafted Kessler in the third round out of the University of Southern California.
“When Coach Jackson said ‘trust me,’ the kid is a baller, period,” wide receiver Terrelle Pryor said. “He has the heart of a lion. He just doesn’t stop until he gets done what he wants done. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to pull off the victory.”
In his fourth consecutive start, Kessler thrived despite concern and sadness enveloping him.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on with his family and you’d never know. It’s the heart and the passion that he has. It’s unbelievable,” said Pryor, who caught nine passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns. “All he wants to do is win. The kid is a winner, period.
“Just because we’re losing, doesn’t mean we’re losers. There’s a lot of guys on this team fighting. ... It starts with the quarterback play, and he did a phenomenal job fighting.”
Kessler also performed at a high level despite not being 100 percent healthy. He suffered a painful injury to his chest and a rib injury in a loss last week to the New England Patriots.
“Cody’s super tough,” wide receiver Andrew Hawkins said. “His personality, the way he plays, is made for Cleveland.
Kessler absorbed several big blows from the Titans. They finished with 11 quarterback hits, including six sacks. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jurrell Casey had three quarterback hits and a sack, and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau improved to 28-3 against rookie QBs since 1995.
“My brother, you know, he’s fighting through what he’s fighting through. So unless they force me to stay out like they did last week, I’m not coming out,” Kessler said. “It was tough and it was a little painful, but at the same time, you want to do it for the guys as well. My brother is at home watching, and I’m out here with these guys who have been playing in the NFL for a long time and have taken much worse hits than I did.”
Kessler’s toughness inspired his teammates.
“He’s a warrior,” Pryor said. “That’s what pushes us all no matter what. When the game’s going wrong, I took a little hit as well and didn’t feel good, but it makes you keep pushing.
“He was getting creamed, and he got up and kept fighting. The kid has unbelievable heart, and I’m a big fan of his and I’ll do anything to protect him and make a play for him.”
As the Browns packed their bags, Kessler thanked teammates for not giving up on him.
“We just want to be able to finish,” he said, “and you can’t question the heart of this team.”