CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver Antonio Callaway has had an inconsistent first season in the NFL, but that has not shaken the coaching staff’s confidence in the talented and speedy pass catcher.
In fact, despite the inconsistencies, the Browns are confident Callaway will be an integral part of the offense over the final four weeks of the 2018 regular season.
“He is a young guy that did not play any football last year,” offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens said in his weekly press conference. “I think Antonio has tremendous upside. He is continuing to work every day on focusing on what he has to do, and I think that he is doing a better job of doing that.
“I think that is the sign of a young player. At the end of the day, you look out on the field at any given moment and we have four or five rookies playing on the offensive side of the ball. That is part of growing.”
In last week’s 29-13 loss to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium, Callaway had a 76-yard touchdown catch negated by a holding call against left tackle Greg Robinson, but the Browns went back to him two plays later, and he moved the ball to Houston’s six-yard line thanks to a 71-yard catch. However, at the end of the play, Callaway was stripped of the football and the Texans recovered.
Dejected as he ran to the sideline, Callaway’s teammates did what they could to lift his spirits, especially knowing the game was still in the balance and his breakaway speed that led to 84 yards on three catches.
“He is continuing to grow,” wide receiver Jarvis Landry said. “He is continuing to find himself. We are starting to get him to talk a little bit more (laughter).
“After the game, the simple thing I told him is ‘You are putting it on tape that you can make the big plays, that you can catch the ball in traffic and still use your speed to score. Teams will see that. They will recognize that and you will just start getting open more and more.’ I think that the door is definitely about to open up for his career.”
One point with Callaway that the Browns are looking to build on is his improved competition for contested passes, which has led to him making more plays despite heavy traffic, both over the middle of the field and down the sideline.
The coaching staff has seen a renewed focus from Callaway and expect that to continue over the last month of the regular season.
“I think Antonio is doing a great job of just staying focused,” Kitchens said. “We try to preach that every play is a new play. If something bad happens on a previous play, you play the next play. I think those guys demonstrated that very much in this last game.
“It goes the same with good plays. We go from a 78-yard touchdown, I think it was, so it is a good play, and then, it ends up being a penalty, so it is a bad play. Then, we go back to make another good play. That is the perfect example of what we are trying to get done here.”
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