CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Scribbles in my notebook after the Cleveland Browns lost, 30-16, to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday:

1. Games like this are why there is reason to think DeShone Kizer can eventually grow into a decent NFL quarterback. I said EVENTUALLY and GROW, which means not this season for the 21-year-old rookie. He was 18-of-31 passing for 263 yards, zero interceptions. He also didn't fumble.

2. This came after Kizer's four turnovers (2 interceptions, 2 fumbles) in a 19-7 loss to Jacksonville in his previous game. Kizer has taken some major hits this season. He missed a series Sunday to be tested for a concussion. He was cleared and came back to play reasonably well. A few weeks ago, he was knocked out of game with sore ribs, but then came back.

3. Profootballfocus reported Kizer was 7-of-11 passing when throwing the ball at least 10 yards. He also suffered a major drop by Corey Coleman in the end zone. He is still trying to figure out how to score a TD from the red zone. His best play is to run the ball across the goal line himself. He did that from 3 yards out Sunday, the Browns only TD.

4. The Browns have nine rushing touchdowns. Five belong to Kizer. He has rushed for 262 yards, 4.9 per carry. He is starting to take a lot of hard hits. He's not sliding or running out of bounds. That's how quarterbacks are injured.

5. The Bengals entered the day with the NFL's worst running attack, averaging 68 yards per game. The Browns ranked No. 6 vs. the run. So what happened? The Bengals ran over the Browns, rushing for 152 yards. They averaged 5.1 yards per carry. This is a setback for coordinator Gregg Williams, who has worked hard to have his team stop the run.

6. Coach Hue Jackson with the understatement of the day on his team's poor run defense: "We've done a good job stopping the run most of the season. Today was a good day for them, not for us."

7. The big question is ... why? The Browns were without defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (broken leg), defensive lineman Jamie Meder (ankle injury) and linebacker Jamie Collins (knee surgery). But the Bengals have been awful against any defense when running the ball. Injuries are not the main reason for the problems.

8. The Browns do a terrible job covering tight ends near the goal line. Tyler Kroft caught a 1-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton. The Bengals tight end caught two TD passes from Dalton in the Bengals 31-7 victory early in the season. He has five TD catches on the season, three against the Browns.

9. This was a day when the defense let the team down. Linebacker Joe Schobert dropped a possible interception in the Cincinnati end zone. Briean Boddy-Calhoun dropped an interception that could have helped change the game. The defense didn't force any turnovers. Dalton was sacked only once. It was by Myles Garrett.

10. The Browns didn't commit any turnovers. The Bengals had TD drives of 75-74-60 yards. Dalton picked them apart with his passing and the Browns defense was lax against the run. In my game column, I discussed all the destructive penalties and other mental mistakes that made the situation even worse.

11. On Friday, Williams mentioned how the Browns played the Bengals earlier in the season -- and this was their first rematch with a team in 2017. He hoped that would make things better. It didn't, at least not for his defense.

12. Kenny Britt made a tremendous running catch of a high and hard Kizer pass. He turned it into a 38-yard gain, his longest of the season. He also caught a 14-yard pass. He snared both passes thrown to him. He looked engaged. Why doesn't this happen more often for the veteran? He has only 16 catches this season.

13. Accurate but probably not true: It was about the Alabama-Auburn game. That's what Hue Jackson said he discussed with Cincinnati backup quarterback A.J. McCarron and Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on the field before the game. McCarron is a former Alabama quarterback. I'm sure they talked about the game. But it's hard to believe the near-trade of McCarron to the Browns wasn't at least joked about with those three.

14. Rookie Zane Gonzalez kicked three field goals, but missed a 43-yarder in the first quarter. He is now 11-of-16 on field goals. If most of the misses were from long distance, it would be more understandable. But he has missed from 52-48-43-39-35. Most good kickers are close to automatic inside 45 yards.

15. The Browns ran the ball 31 times for 169 yards, their second-best rushing game of the season. They had 201 yards on the ground in the 38-24 loss to Detroit on November 12. So in two of the last three games, they have committed to running the ball and running it well. Those also have been Kizer's best two games. It's not a coincidence.