2016 Cleveland Browns season: Difference between revisions

2016 Cleveland Browns season
2016 Cleveland Browns season
Owner	Jimmy Haslam
General manager	Sashi Brown
Head coach	Hue Jackson
Home field	FirstEnergy Stadium
Local radio	WKNR · WKRK-FM · WNCX
Results
Record	1–15
Division place	4th AFC North
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Joe Thomas, OT
	← 2015; Browns seasons; 2017 →;

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Latest revision as of 23:20, 16 December 2024

The 2016 season was the Cleveland Browns' 64th in the National Football League (NFL), their 68th overall, and their first under head coach Hue Jackson and de facto general manager Sashi Brown. The Browns failed to improve upon their 3–13 record from their previous season, finishing 1–15, their worst record in franchise history at the time. The Browns failed to make the playoffs for a franchise-record 14th straight season and ninth straight season with a losing record.

Despite the team's performance, offensive tackle Joe Thomas became the fifth player in league history to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first 10 seasons.^{[citation needed]}

Offseason

Front office changes

On January 3, just hours after the Browns' final game of the 2015 season, the team fired general manager Ray Farmer, who had been the general manager the past two seasons.^[2] Team owner Jimmy Haslam also announced that the team's general counsel Sashi Brown would become the team's vice president of football operations.^[3]

On January 5, the Browns hired former New York Mets executive Paul DePodesta to be their chief strategy officer. DePodesta brought over 20 years of experience in the Major League Baseball front offices, but had never held an executive position in the NFL before this.^[4]

On March 4, the Browns announced the resignation of team president Alec Scheiner, effective March 31.^[5]

Coaching changes

On January 3, the Browns fired head coach Mike Pettine. In two seasons with the Browns, Pettine had a record of 10–22, but went just 4–19 after a 6–3 start to the 2014 season.^[2]

On January 13, the Browns hired former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson as head coach. Jackson was the Bengals' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons and was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2011, in which they posted an 8–8 record.^[6]

Roster changes

Free agents

Pos	Player	Tag	2016 Team	Signed
SS	Johnson Bademosi	UFA	Detroit Lions	March 10^[7]
WR	Travis Benjamin	UFA	San Diego Chargers	March 9^[8]
ILB	Tank Carder	UFA	Cleveland Browns	March 7^[9]
K	Travis Coons	ERFA	Cleveland Browns	April 4^[10]
QB	Pat Devlin	RFA
FS	Tashaun Gipson	UFA	Jacksonville Jaguars	March 9^[11]
WR	Darius Jennings	ERFA	Cleveland Browns	April 6^[12]
OLB	Cam Johnson	ERFA	Cleveland Browns
FS	Don Jones	UFA	Cleveland Browns	March 17^[13]
C	Alex Mack	UFA	Atlanta Falcons	March 9^[14]
DE	Jamie Meder	ERFA	Cleveland Browns	March 7^[9]
T	Darrian Miller	ERFA
RB	Raheem Mostert	ERFA	Cleveland Browns	March 7^[9]
G	Austin Pasztor	RFA	Cleveland Browns	April 4^[15]
WR	Terrelle Pryor	UFA	Cleveland Browns	March 17^[13]
LB	Craig Robertson	UFA	New Orleans Saints	March 22^[16]
T	Mitchell Schwartz	UFA	Kansas City Chiefs	March 9^[17]
ILB	Scott Solomon	RFA

Releases

Pos	Player	Released	2016 Team	Signed
WR	Dwayne Bowe	March 16^[18]
LB	Karlos Dansby	March 16^[19]	Cincinnati Bengals	March 29^[20]
QB	Johnny Manziel	March 11^[21]
SS	Donte Whitner	April 2^[22]	Washington Redskins	October 5
WR	Brian Hartline	May 23

Signings

Pos	Player	2015 Team	Signed
G	Alvin Bailey	Seattle Seahawks	March 11^[23]
LB	Demario Davis	New York Jets	March 16^[24]
QB	Robert Griffin III	Washington Redskins	March 24^[25]
S	Rahim Moore	Houston Texans	March 16^[26]
LB	Justin Tuggle	Houston Texans	March 11^[23]

2016 Draft Class

2016 Cleveland Browns Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	15	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
2	32	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma State
3	65	Carl Nassib	DE	Penn State
	76	Shon Coleman	T	Auburn
	93	Cody Kessler	QB	USC
4	99	Joe Schobert	OLB	Wisconsin
	114	Ricardo Louis	WR	Auburn
	129	Derrick Kindred	FS	TCU
	138^	Seth DeValve	TE	Princeton
5	154	Jordan Payton	WR	UCLA
	168	Spencer Drango	T	Baylor
	172^	Rashard Higgins	WR	Colorado State
	173^	Trey Caldwell	CB	Louisiana–Monroe
7	250	Scooby Wright III	ILB	Arizona

Notes

The Browns traded their original 1st round selection (No. 2) to the Philadelphia Eagles for the Eagles' 1st (8), 3rd (77), and 4th (100) round selections, as well as the Eagles' 1st round selection in 2017 and 2nd round selection in 2018.

The Browns would then trade the No. 8 and its 6th round (176) selection to the Tennessee Titans for their 1st (15) and 3rd (76) round selections and a 2nd round selection in 2017.

The Browns traded their 3rd (No. 77) and 5th (141) round selections to the Carolina Panthers for their 3rd (93), 4th (129), and 5th (168) round selections.
The Browns traded their 4th round selection (No. 100) to the Oakland Raiders for their 4th (114) and 5th (154) round selections.
The Browns traded their 7th round selection (No. 223) to the Miami Dolphins for their 7th round selection (250) and CB Jamar Taylor.
^As the result of a negative differential of free agent signings and departures that the Browns experienced during the 2015 free agency period, the team received three compensatory selections for the 2016 draft:^[27] selection 138 in the fourth round, and selections 172 and 173 in the fifth round. Free agent transactions that occurred after May 12, 2015, did not impact the team's formula for determining compensatory selections for the 2016 draft.^[28]

Josh Gordon's reinstatement and rehab

On April 1, wide receiver Josh Gordon applied for reinstatement following an indefinite suspension by the NFL due to repeated violations of the league's substance abuse policy, causing him to miss the entire 2015 season. On April 11, it was revealed that Gordon had failed another drug test, and on April 12, the league announced that Gordon's appeal had been denied. He was eligible to reapply on August 1.

On July 25, the NFL announced that Gordon would be reinstated on a conditional basis, and can stay with the team during a four-game ban to begin the season.

Staff

**2016 Cleveland Browns staff**
	Front office Owners – Jimmy and Dee Haslam Chief strategy officer – Paul DePodesta Executive vice president of football operations – Sashi Brown Vice president, player personnel – Andrew Berry Vice president, player personnel – Ken Kovash Vice president, football operations – Phil Dangerfield Director of football administration – Chris Cooper Director of research & strategy – Kevin Meers Director of player personnel – Chisolm Opara Director of college scouting – Bobby Vega Director of pro scouting – Dan Saganey Director of scouting – Mike Cetta Assistant director of scouting – Glenn Cook Special advisor – Jim Brown Head coaches Head coach – Hue Jackson Offensive coaches Associate head coach-offense – Pep Hamilton Run game coordinator/running backs – Kirby Wilson Senior offensive assistant/wide receivers – Al Saunders Tight ends – Greg Seamon Offensive line – Hal Hunter Assistant offensive line – Mark Hutson Offensive quality control/assistant running backs – Rock Cartwright Offensive quality control/assistant wide receivers – Bob Saunders			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Ray Horton Defensive line – Robert Nunn Assistant defensive line – Ken Delgado Outside linebackers – Ryan Slowik Inside linebackers – Johnny Holland Defensive backs – Louie Cioffi Assistant defensive backs – Cannon Matthews Defensive quality control – Eric Sanders Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Chris Tabor Special teams assistant – Shawn Mennenga Special teams quality control – Stan Watson Strength and conditioning Director, high performance – Adam Beard Strength and conditioning coordinator – Evan Marcus Strength and conditioning coordinator – Jason Veltkamp Assistant strength/skill development – Joe Kim Assistant strength and conditioning – Derik Keyes Assistant strength and conditioning – Art Tolhurst Sports scientist – Jamey Mroz Strength and conditioning intern – Ian Jones

Final roster

**2016 Cleveland Browns roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 10 Robert Griffin III 8 Kevin Hogan 6 Cody Kessler 13 Josh McCown Running backs (RB) 25 George Atkinson III 34 Isaiah Crowell 35 Darius Jackson 29 Duke Johnson 40 Danny Vitale FB Wide receivers (WR) 15 Mario Alford 19 Corey Coleman 16 Andrew Hawkins 81 Rashard Higgins 80 Ricardo Louis 11 Terrelle Pryor Tight ends (TE) 82 Gary Barnidge 87 Seth DeValve 86 Randall Telfer		Offensive linemen (OL) 78 Alvin Bailey G 72 Shon Coleman T 66 Spencer Drango G 74 Cameron Erving C 61 Anthony Fabiano C 60 Gabe Ikard C 67 Austin Pasztor T 73 Joe Thomas T Defensive linemen (DL) 96 Xavier Cooper DE 98 Jamie Meder DE 94 Carl Nassib DE 99 Stephen Paea DE 71 Danny Shelton NT 97 Gabe Wright NT		Linebackers (LB) 54 Dominique Alexander ILB 59 Tank Carder ILB 51 Jamie Collins OLB 56 Demario Davis ILB 91 Tyrone Holmes OLB 57 Cam Johnson OLB 58 Christian Kirksey ILB 90 Emmanuel Ogbah OLB 53 Joe Schobert OLB Defensive backs (DB) 20 Briean Boddy-Calhoun CB 26 Marcus Burley CB 31 Trey Caldwell CB 24 Ibraheim Campbell SS 23 Joe Haden CB 41 Tracy Howard FS 39 Ed Reynolds FS 21 Jamar Taylor CB 22 Tramon Williams Special teams 4 Britton Colquitt P 47 Charley Hughlett LS 3 Cody Parkey K		Practice squad 83 Josh Boyce WR 52 James Burgess OLB 93 Trevon Coley NT 36 Justin Currie SS 37 Trae Elston FS 89 Connor Hamlett TE 28 Darius Hillary CB 49 J. P. Holtz TE 17 Jordan Leslie WR 79 Zach Sterup T Reserve 75 Joel Bitonio G (IR) 92 Desmond Bryant DE (NF-Inj.) 12 Josh Gordon WR (Susp.) 77 John Greco G (IR) 85 Rannell Hall WR (IR) 30 Derrick Kindred SS (NF-Inj.) 70 Nile Lawrence-Stample NT (IR) 43 Rajion Neal RB (IR) 44 Nate Orchard OLB (IR) 83 Dennis Parks WR (IR) 84 Jordan Payton WR (Susp.) 33 Jordan Poyer FS (IR) 62 Austin Reiter C (IR) 28 Glenn Winston RB (IR) 97 Dylan Wynn DE (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 15 reserve, 10 practice squad

Preseason

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 12	at Green Bay Packers	L 11–17	0–1	Lambeau Field	Recap
2	August 18	Atlanta Falcons	L 13–24	0–2	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
3	August 26	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 13–30	0–3	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
4	September 1	Chicago Bears	L 7–21	0–4	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 11	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 10–29	0–1	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
2	September 18	Baltimore Ravens	L 20–25	0–2	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
3	September 25	at Miami Dolphins	L 24–30 (OT)	0–3	Hard Rock Stadium	Recap
4	October 2	at Washington Redskins	L 20–31	0–4	FedExField	Recap
5	October 9	New England Patriots	L 13–33	0–5	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
6	October 16	at Tennessee Titans	L 26–28	0–6	Nissan Stadium	Recap
7	October 23	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 17–31	0–7	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
8	October 30	New York Jets	L 28–31	0–8	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
9	November 6	Dallas Cowboys	L 10–35	0–9	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
10	November 10	at Baltimore Ravens	L 7–28	0–10	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
11	November 20	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 9–24	0–11	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
12	November 27	New York Giants	L 13–27	0–12	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
13	Bye
14	December 11	Cincinnati Bengals	L 10–23	0–13	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
15	December 18	at Buffalo Bills	L 13–33	0–14	New Era Field	Recap
16	December 24	San Diego Chargers	W 20–17	1–14	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
17	January 1	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 24–27 (OT)	1–15	Heinz Field	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week One: Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	7	3	0	10
Eagles	7	6	9	7	29

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Date: September 11
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 69,596
Referee: Walt Anderson
TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

PHI – Jordan Matthews 19-yard pass from Carson Wentz (Caleb Sturgis kick), 9:50. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:10.

Second quarter

PHI – Caleb Sturgis 22-yard field goal, 12:30. Eagles 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 2:14.
CLE – Isaiah Crowell 2-yard run (Patrick Murray kick), 9:11. Eagles 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:19.
PHI – Caleb Sturgis 38-yard field goal, 0:27. Eagles 13–7. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 3:16.

Third quarter

CLE – Patrick Murray 35-yard field goal, 13:57. Eagles 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:03.
PHI – Cameron Erving fumble out of bounds in end zone for a safety, 10:49. Eagles 15–10.
PHI – Nelson Agholor 35-yard pass from Carson Wentz (Caleb Sturgis kick), 6:17. Eagles 22–10. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:32.

Fourth quarter

PHI – Ryan Mathews 1-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 1:12. Eagles 29–10. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:24.

Top passers

CLE – Robert Griffin III – 12/26, 190 yards, INT
PHI – Carson Wentz – 22/37, 278 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 12 rushes, 62 yards, TD
PHI – Ryan Mathews – 22 rushes, 77 yards, TD

Top receivers

CLE – Corey Coleman – 2 receptions, 69 yards
PHI – Jordan Matthews – 7 receptions, 114 yards, TD

The Browns opened their 2016 regular season with a road game against the Philadelphia Eagles and rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, whom the Browns had passed up in the 2016 draft. The Eagles won 29–10 and with the loss, the Browns started the season 0–1. This would be their 12th straight regular season opening loss.

Week 2: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week Two: Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Ravens	2	10	7	6	25
Browns	20	0	0	0	20

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: September 18
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 67,431
Referee: John Hussey
TV announcers (CBS): Carter Blackburn and Chris Simms
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

CLE – Corey Coleman 31-yard pass from Josh McCown (Patrick Murray kick), 9:45. Browns 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:15.
CLE – Isaiah Crowell 85-yard run (Patrick Murray kick), 6:47. Browns 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 85 yards, 0:11.
CLE – Corey Coleman 11-yard pass from Josh McCown, 4:34. Browns 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 1:25.
BAL – Tavon Young defensive two-point conversion, 4:34. Browns 20–2.

Second quarter

BAL – Mike Wallace 7-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 1:15. Browns 20–9. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:59.
BAL – Justin Tucker 52-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 20–12. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 0:42.

Third quarter

BAL – Mike Wallace 17-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 12:17. Browns 20–19. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:43.

Fourth quarter

BAL – Justin Tucker 49-yard field goal, 11:19. Ravens 22–20. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:35.
BAL – Justin Tucker 41-yard field goal, 2:53. Ravens 25–20. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 5:08.

Top passers

BAL – Joe Flacco – 24/45, 302 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
CLE – Josh McCown – 20/33, 260 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

BAL – Terrance West – 11 rushes, 42 yards
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 18 rushes, 133 yards, TD

Top receivers

BAL – Dennis Pitta – 9 receptions, 102 yards
CLE – Corey Coleman – 5 receptions, 104 yards, 2 TD

The Browns scored on their first three drives and led 20–2 early in the first quarter. The 18-point lead at the end of the first quarter was the Browns' largest lead after the 1st quarter since 1960. However, the Browns' offense stalled the rest of the game. The Ravens would score the final 23 points of the game to win 25–20. The Browns had a chance to score a go-ahead touchdown on a drive with less than a minute to play, but things went wrong after a controversial taunting penalty was called on Pryor following his catch at the Ravens' 10-yard line with under 30 seconds to play. McCown would throw an interception on the next play to seal the loss.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 0–2.

Week 3: at Miami Dolphins

Week Three: Cleveland Browns at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Browns	0	13	0	11	0	24
Dolphins	7	3	7	7	6	30

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Date: September 25
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), partly cloudy
Referee: Clete Blakeman
TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

MIA – DeVante Parker 26-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 10:16. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:37.

Second quarter

CLE – Cody Parkey 46-yard field goal, 13:32. Dolphins 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 5:03.
CLE – Briean Boddy-Calhoun 27-yard interception return (Cody Parkey kick), 6:47. Browns 10–7.
MIA – Andrew Franks 37-yard field goal, 1:57. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:50.
CLE – Cody Parkey 48-yard field goal, 0:42. Browns 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 1:15.

Third quarter

MIA – Jarvis Landry 42-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 5:17. Dolphins 17–13. Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 2:10.

Fourth quarter

MIA – Damien Williams 10-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 14:17. Dolphins 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:16.
CLE – Terrelle Pryor 3-yard run (Cody Kessler–Gary Barnidge pass), 10:12. Dolphins 24–21. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:05.
CLE – Cody Parkey 38-yard field goal, 3:14. Tied 24–24. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:03.

Overtime

MIA – Jay Ajayi 11-yard run, 8:26. Dolphins 30–24. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:13.

Top passers

CLE – Cody Kessler – 21/33, 244 yards
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 25/39, 319 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 15 rushes, 79 yards
MIA – Kenyan Drake – 9 rushes, 37 yards

Top receivers

CLE – Terrelle Pryor – 8 receptions, 144 yards
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 7 receptions, 120 yards, TD

Cody Kessler made his debut as the Browns' starting quarterback. The Browns led 13–10 at halftime. However, the Dolphins scored two consecutive touchdowns to go up 24–13 early in the fourth quarter. The Browns, sparked by Pryor, rallied to tie the game. The Dolphins attempted a game-winning drive in the final minute of regulation. However, Dolphins QB, Ryan Tannehill, fumbled the ball, and the Browns secured possession. The Browns had a chance to win it at the end of regulation. However, recently signed Browns kicker, Cody Parkey, missed the 46-yard field goal, sending the game to overtime. It was his third miss of the day. Both teams traded punts on their opening possession in overtime. On their second possession, the Dolphins, who got the ball around midfield to start the drive, reached the endzone after a few plays and won the game.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 0–3.

Week 4: at Washington Redskins

Week Four: Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	17	3	0	20
Redskins	14	3	0	14	31

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Date: October 2
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 76,249
Referee: Jeff Triplette
TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

WAS – Jordan Reed 8-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dustin Hopkins kick), 7:40. Redskins 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:20.
WAS – Jordan Reed 9-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dustin Hopkins kick), 0:27. Redskins 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:14.

Second quarter

CLE – Isaiah Crowell 2-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 9:33. Redskins 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 5:54.
CLE – Terrelle Pryor 9-yard pass from Cody Kessler (Cody Parkey kick), 7:55. Tied 14–14. Drive: 3 plays, 12 yards, 1:25.
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 49-yard field goal, 2:29. Redskins 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 5:26.
CLE – Cody Parkey 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 2:29.

Third quarter

CLE – Cody Parkey 45-yard field goal, 9:25. Browns 20–17. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 5:35.

Fourth quarter

WAS – Chris Thompson 5-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dustin Hopkins kick), 10:39. Redskins 24–20' Drive: 10 plays, 91 yards, 5:28
WAS – Matt Jones 1-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 4:25. Redskins 31–20. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 2:03.

Top passers

CLE – Cody Kessler – 28/40, 223 yards, TD, INT
WAS – Kirk Cousins – 21/27, 183 yards, 3 TD, INT

Top rushers

CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 15 rushes, 112 yards, TD
WAS – Matt Jones – 22 rushes, 117 yards, TD

Top receivers

CLE – Gary Barnidge – 7 receptions, 57 yards
WAS – Jordan Reed – 9 receptions, 73 yards, 2 TD

The Browns came to Washington for a matchup against the Redskins. The Browns had a 20–17 lead going into the fourth quarter but the offense once again stalled with a Josh Norman interception and two touchdowns by the Redskins' offense would win the game for the Redskins.

With the loss, the Browns started their season 0–4 for the first time since 2012. Wins by the Jaguars, Bears, and Saints would make the Browns the only team in the NFL without a victory through Week 4.

Week 5: vs. New England Patriots

Week Five: New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	16	7	7	3	33
Browns	7	0	0	6	13

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: October 9
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 67,431
Referee: Bill Vinovich
TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

NE – LeGarrette Blount 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:28. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:13.
CLE – Andrew Hawkins 11-yard pass from Cody Kessler (Cody Parkey kick), 6:09. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:19.
NE – Martellus Bennett 7-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 2:06. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:03.
NE – Cody Kessler fumble out of bounds in end zone for a safety, 1:20. Patriots 16–7.

Second quarter

NE – Martellus Bennett 5 -yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:10. Patriots 23–7. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:10.

Third quarter

NE – Martellus Bennett 37-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stpehen Gostkowski kick), 12:24. Patriots 30–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:36.

Fourth quarter

CLE – Connor Hamlett 17-yard pass from Charlie Whitehurst (pass failed), 14:05. Patriots 30–13. Drive 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:22.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 7:42. Patriots 33–13. Drive 11 plays, 72 yards, 6:23.

Top passers

NE – Tom Brady – 28/40, 406 yards, 3 TD
CLE – Charlie Whitehurst – 14/24, 182 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

NE – LeGarrette Blount – 18 rushes, 37 yards, TD
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 13 rushes, 22 yards

Top receivers

NE – Chris Hogan – 4 receptions, 114 yards
CLE – Gary Barnidge – 5 receptions, 76 yards

With Tom Brady back from his four-game suspension due to his alleged role in Deflategate, the Browns hosted the Patriots. The game turned out to be a disaster for the Browns as Brady and the Pats destroyed the Browns defense.

The loss dropped the Browns to 0–5.

Week 6: at Tennessee Titans

Week Six: Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	6	7	0	13	26
Titans	7	7	7	7	28

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Date: October 16
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 60,897
Referee: Carl Cheffers
TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy and Adam Archuleta
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

TEN – Rishard Matthews 11-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 10:37. Titans 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:23.
CLE – Cody Parkey 45-yard field goal, 8:47. Titans 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 1:50.
CLE – Cody Parkey 37-yard field goal, 2:08. Titans 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:53.

Second quarter

TEN – Kendall Wright 48-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 11:41. Titans 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, 2:16.
CLE – Terrelle Pryor 7-yard pass from Cody Kessler (Cody Parkey kick), 0:40. Titans 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 94 yards, 3:49.

Third quarter

TEN – DeMarco Murray 3-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 9:33. Titans 21–13. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:36.

Fourth quarter

TEN – Anthony Fasano 15-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 6:43. Titans 28–13. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:59.
CLE – Terrelle Pryor 5-yard pass from Cody Kessler (pass failed), 2:07. Titans 28–19. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 4:36.
CLE – Duke Johnson 1-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 0:27. Titans 28–26. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 1:40.

Top passers

CLE – Cody Kessler – 26/41, 336 yards, 2 TD
TEN – Marcus Mariota – 17/24, 284 yards, 3 TD, INT

Top rushers

CLE – Duke Johnson – 4 rushes, 18 yards, TD
TEN – DeMarco Murray – 21 rushes, 65 yards, TD

Top receivers

CLE – Terrelle Pryor – 9 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TD
TEN – Kendall Wright – 8 receptions, 133 yards, TD

With the loss, the Browns dropped to 0–6 and became the first NFL team to start 0–6 since the Oakland Raiders in 2014. It was the Browns' first 0–6 start since the 1999 season.

Week 7: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Seven: Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	10	7	0	17
Bengals	7	14	10	0	31

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Date: October 23
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 65,047
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

CIN – Giovani Bernard 5-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 12:14. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:46.

Second quarter

CLE – Cody Parkey 28-yard field goal, 13:26. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:16.
CLE – Isaiah Crowell 1-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 6:20. Browns 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:39.
CIN – Brandon LaFell 44-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 4:09. Bengals 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:11.
CIN – A. J. Green 48-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 0:00. Bengals 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 85 yards, 1:03.

Third quarter

CLE – Kevin Hogan 28-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 10:43. Bengals 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:17.
CIN – Jeremy Hill 74-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 9:47. Bengals 28–17. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:56.
CIN – Mike Nugent 36-yard field goal, 4:19. Bengals 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:16.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Top passers

CLE – Kevin Hogan – 12/24, 100 yards, 2 INT
CIN – Andy Dalton – 19/28, 308 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

CLE – Kevin Hogan – 7 rushes, 104 yards, TD
CIN – Jeremy Hill – 9 rushes, 168 yards, TD

Top receivers

CLE – Gary Barnidge – 6 receptions, 66 yards
CIN – A. J. Green – 8 receptions, 169 yards, TD

With their fourth straight loss to the Bengals, the Browns started 0–7 for the first time since 1999.

Week 8: vs. New York Jets

Week Eight: New York Jets at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	0	7	14	10	31
Browns	10	10	0	8	28

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: October 30
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), rain
Game attendance: 67,431
Referee: Pete Morelli
TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

CLE – Andrew Hawkins 5-yard pass from Josh McCown (Cody Parkey kick), 11:45. Browns 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:15.
CLE – Cody Parkey 41-yard field goal, 3:11. Browns 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 3:42.

Second quarter

NYJ – Bilal Powell 35-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 12:44. Browns 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 5:27.
CLE – Isaiah Crowell 1-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 1:51. Browns 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:40
CLE – Cody Parkey 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 20–7. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 1:25.

Third quarter

NYJ – Quincy Enunwa 24-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Nick Folk kick), 8:15. Browns 20–14. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:45.
NYJ – Matt Forte 4-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 2:11. Jets 21–20. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 3:03.

Fourth quarter

NYJ – Matt Forte 2-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 9:38. Jets 28–20. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 6:27.
NYJ – Nick Folk 24-yard field goal, 4:04. Jets 31–20. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:09.
CLE – Andrew Hawkins 1-yard pass from Josh McCown (Josh McCown–Terrelle Pryor pass), 0:12. Jets 31–28. Drive: 14 plays, 84 yards, 3:52.

Top passers

NYJ – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 16/34, 228 yards, TD
CLE – Josh McCown – 25/49, 341 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

NYJ – Matt Forte – 25 rushes, 82 yards, 2 TD
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 11 rushes, 29 yards, TD

Top receivers

NYJ – Quincy Enunwa – 4 receptions, 93 yards, TD
CLE – Terrelle Pryor – 6 receptions, 101 yards

Hoping to stop a 10-game losing streak dating back to last year, the Browns hosted the Jets in an AFC duel. The Browns led 20–7 at halftime. However, they gave up 24 unanswered points to fall behind 31–20 in the 4th quarter. They also committed two turnovers in the 4th quarter. The Browns scored late in the 4th quarter to cut the deficit to 31–28, but a comeback could not be secured as the Jets secured the onside kick, ran out the clock, and dropped the Browns to 0–8. It was only their second 0–8 start in franchise history and the first 0–8 start since the 1975 season. With the loss, the Browns failed to have a winning record for the ninth consecutive season. They also tied a franchise record (first set in between the 2011 and 2012 seasons) for most consecutive losses (11) in franchise history. They would also be the first team to start 0–8 since the 2014 Raiders.

Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Nine: Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	14	14	0	35
Browns	3	7	0	0	10

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: November 6
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), clear
Game attendance: 67,431
Referee: Jeff Triplette
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

CLE – Cody Parkey 31-yard field goal, 12:40. Browns 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:20.
DAL – Jason Witten 26-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Dan Bailey kick), 6:47. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:53.

Second quarter

DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 10-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 10:02. Cowboys 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:48.
DAL – Cole Beasley 6-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Dan Bailey kick), 1:50. Cowboys 21–3. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:39.
CLE – Terrelle Pryor 12-yard pass from Cody Kessler (Cody Parkey kick), 0:23. Cowboys 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:27.

Third quarter

DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 8-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 11:30. Cowboys 28–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:30.
DAL – Gavin Escobar 2-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Dan Bailey kick), 1:41. Cowboys 35–10. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:30.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Top passers

DAL – Dak Prescott – 21/27, 247 yards, 3 TD
CLE – Cody Kessler – 19/27, 203 yards, TD

Top rushers

DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 18 rushes, 92 yards, 2 TD
CLE – Duke Johnson – 5 rushes, 30 yards

Top receivers

DAL – Jason Witten – 8 receptions, 134 yards, TD
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 4 receptions, 63 yards

Attempting to stop their 11-game losing streak, the Cleveland Browns hosted the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys routed the Browns 35–10.

With the loss, the Browns dropped to 0–9 for the first time since 1975 and clinched their ninth consecutive losing season. They also lost their 12th consecutive game, setting a new franchise record for most consecutive losses.

Week 10: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Ten: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	7	0	0	7
Ravens	0	6	15	7	28

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Date: November 10
Game time: 8:25 pm. EST
Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), fair
Game attendance: 70,921
Referee: Jerome Boger
TV announcers (NFLN): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Heather Cox
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

BAL – Justin Tucker 25-yard field goal, 10:29. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:53.
CLE – Seth DeValve 25-yard pass from Cody Kessler (Cody Parkey kick), 6:30. Browns 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:59.
BAL – Justin Tucker 40-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 7–6. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 1:39.

Third quarter

BAL – Darren Waller 4-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 9:36. Ravens 13–7. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 3:58.
BAL – Steve Smith Sr. 11-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Joe Flacco–Kyle Juszczyk pass), 2:05. Ravens 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 2:57.

Fourth quarter

BAL – Breshad Perriman 27-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 6:21. Ravens 28–7. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 7:27.

Top passers

CLE – Cody Kessler – 11/18, 91 yards, TD
BAL – Joe Flacco – 30/41, 296 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 9 rushes, 23 yards
BAL – Terrance West – 21 rushes, 65 yards

Top receivers

CLE – Terrelle Pryor – 5 receptions, 48 yards
BAL – Breshad Perriman – 3 receptions, 64 yards, TD

Trying to halt their 12-game losing streak that had started back during the 2015 NFL season, the Browns traveled to Baltimore to play against the Baltimore Ravens who beat them in Week 2. This was the Browns' only prime time game this year. The Browns led 7–6 at halftime, but the Ravens dominated the second half, outscoring them 22–0 and winning 28–7. The seven points scored by the Browns represented their fewest points scored in a game this season.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 0–10. It was their worst start in franchise history. They are also the first team to begin the season 0–10 since the 2014 Oakland Raiders. The Browns' overall NFL record fell to 461–461–10, marking the first time in franchise history they did not have a record above .500.

Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Eleven: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	11	3	7	24
Browns	0	0	3	6	9

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: November 20
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 67,431
Referee: Brad Allen
TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

PIT – Chris Boswell 32-yard field goal, 2:28. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 82 yards, 9:18.

Second quarter

PIT – Chris Boswell 33-yard field goal, 4:43. Steelers 6–0. Drive: 16 plays, 68 yards, 9:28.
PIT – Le'Veon Bell 1-yard run (Ben Roethlisberger–David Johnson pass), 0:00. Steelers 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 1:51.

Third quarter

CLE – Cody Parkey 24-yard field goal, 8:05. Steelers 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 5:00.
PIT – Chris Boswell 22-yard field goal, 0:03. Steelers 17–3. Drive: 15 plays, 71 yards, 8:02.

Fourth quarter

CLE – Gary Barnidge 14-yard pass from Josh McCown (kick failed, wide right), 9:45. Steelers 17–9. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:18.
PIT – Javon Hargrave fumble recovery in the end zone (Chris Boswell kick), 3:36. Steelers 24–9.

Top passers

PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 23/36, 167 yards
CLE – Cody Kessler – 7/14, 128 yards, INT

Top rushers

PIT – Le'Veon Bell – 28 rushes, 146 yards, TD
CLE – Josh McCown – 2 rushes, 11 yards

Top receivers

PIT – Antonio Brown – 8 receptions, 76 yards
CLE – Terrelle Pryor – 5 receptions, 97 yards

The Browns hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were coming off a loss against the Cowboys. The Steelers defeated the Browns 24–9, dropping the Browns to 0–11. With the loss, the Browns were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention for the 14th consecutive season. For the second consecutive season, they were the first NFL team to be mathematically eliminated from contention. The Browns have now gone 24 consecutive seasons without winning a division title, extending the longest active streak in the NFL. They also extended their current franchise record for most consecutive games lost to 14 games. The team is also the first team to start 0–11 since the 2011 Indianapolis Colts.

Week 12: vs. New York Giants

Week Twelve: New York Giants at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	14	0	13	27
Browns	0	6	0	7	13

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: November 27
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 60,034
Referee: Walt Anderson
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Matt Millen and Peter Schrager
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

NYG – Dwayne Harris 13-yard pass from Eli Manning (Robbie Gould kick), 7:03. Giants 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 31 yards, 0:42.
CLE – Cody Parkey 20-yard field goal, 1:43. Giants 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 28 yards, 3:51.
NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. 32-yard pass from Eli Manning (Robbie Gould kick), 1:13. Giants 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 0:30.
CLE – Cody Parkey 25-yard field goal, 0:00. Giants 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 1:13.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

NYG – Jason Pierre-Paul 48-yard fumble return (kick failed, wide right), 10:58. Giants 20–6.
CLE – Corey Coleman 21-yard pass from Josh McCown (Cody Parkey kick), 8:17. Giants 20–13. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:41.
NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. 4-yard pass from Eli Manning (Robbie Gould kick), 5:10. Giants 27–13. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:07.

Top passers

NYG – Eli Manning – 15/27, 194 yards, 3 TD
CLE – Josh McCown – 25/43, 322 yards, TD

Top rushers

NYG – Rashad Jennings – 15 rushes, 55 yards
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 16 rushes, 44 yards

Top receivers

NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. – 6 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD
CLE – Terrelle Pryor – 6 receptions, 131 yards

The Browns took on the Giants who were on a five-game winning streak and were coming off their 22–16 win over the Bears, but the Browns suffered their 12th straight loss this season due to three touchdown passes by Eli Manning to Odell Beckham Jr. and a fumble return by Jason Pierre-Paul for a touchdown.

With the loss, the Browns went into their bye week at 0–12. They would be the first team to start with such a record since the 2011 Colts.

Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Fourteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	13	7	0	3	23
Browns	0	0	7	3	10

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: December 11
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 28 °F (−2 °C), snow
Game attendance: 60,028
Referee: Gene Steratore
TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

CIN – Tyler Eifert 14-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 12:21. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 2:39.
CIN – Jeremy Hill 1-yard run (kick short), 6:27. Bengals 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:49.

Second quarter

CIN – Tyler Eifert 5-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 5:06. Bengals 20–0. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:37.

Third quarter

CLE – Robert Griffin III 1-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 8:11. Bengals 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:40.

Fourth quarter

CLE – Cody Parkey 30-yard field goal, 14:14. Bengals 20–10. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 4:06.
CIN – Mike Nugent 44-yard field goal, 8:38. Bengals 23–10. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:36.

Top passers

CIN – Andy Dalton – 20/28, 180 yards, 2 TD
CLE – Robert Griffin III – 12/28, 104 yards, INT

Top rushers

CIN – Jeremy Hill – 25 rushes, 111 yards, TD
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 10 rushes, 113 yards

Top receivers

CIN – Tyler Boyd – 6 receptions, 49 yards
CLE – Gary Barnidge – 3 receptions, 27 yards

Coming off their bye week, the Browns hosted the Bengals in a rematch of Week 7. The Bengals jumped out to a 20–0 halftime lead and never looked back, handing Cleveland a 23–10 loss.

With the loss, Cleveland became the eighth team since 1960 to start a season 0–13, and the first since the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They became the first franchise to lose 16 in a row since the Oakland Raiders did it during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Week 15: at Buffalo Bills

Week Fifteen: Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	3	0	10	0	13
Bills	10	7	7	9	33

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

Date: December 18
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 25 °F (−4 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 66,529
Referee: Clete Blakeman
TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy and Adam Archuleta
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

BUF – Dan Carpenter 21-yard field goal, 10:14. Bills 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:06.
CLE – Cody Parkey 35-yard field goal, 3:50. Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:24.
BUF – Mike Gillislee 3-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 0:00. Bills 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:50.

Second quarter

BUF – Charles Clay 19-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 0:34. Bills 17–3. Drive: 13 plays, 91 yards, 7:29.

Third quarter

CLE – Robert Griffin III 18-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 8:58. Bills 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:54.
BUF – LeSean McCoy 3-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 5:50. Bills 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:08.
CLE – Cody Parkey 40-yard field goal, 1:32. Bills 24–13. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:18.

Fourth quarter

BUF – LeSean McCoy 8-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 12:38. Bills 30–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:54.
BUF – Dan Carpenter 34-yard field goal, 7:21. Bills 33–13. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 4:00.

Top passers

CLE – Robert Griffin III – 17/28, 196 yards
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 17/24, 174 yards, TD

Top rushers

CLE – Robert Griffin III – 8 rushes, 48 yards, TD
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 19 rushes, 153 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

CLE – Duke Johnson – 5 receptions, 62 yards
BUF – Charles Clay – 7 receptions, 72 yards, TD

The Browns headed to Buffalo to try to collect their first win of the season, but the Bills routed the Browns 33–13. With the loss, the Browns fell to 0–14 and became the first team to lose 17 consecutive regular season games since the St. Louis Rams in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The Browns also became the fourth team to start a season 0–14, joining the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1980 New Orleans Saints, and the 2008 Detroit Lions. The Browns also tied their franchise record for total losses in a single season. The Browns also became the first team since the 2013 Houston Texans to have 14 straight losses in a single season.

On December 21, OT Joe Thomas was voted to his 10th consecutive Pro Bowl. Thomas now holds the Browns record for most Pro Bowls, passing Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Lou Groza, who each have nine. Thomas joins Pro Football Hall of Famers Merlin Olsen (14), Mel Renfro (10), Barry Sanders (10) and Lawrence Taylor (10) as the only players in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl in each of their first 10 seasons. Thomas' streak of 10 consecutive Pro Bowls was the longest active streak in the NFL.^[29]

Week 16: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week Sixteen: San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	10	0	7	0	17
Browns	7	10	3	0	20

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: December 24
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 57,272
Referee: Walt Coleman
TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

SD – Antonio Gates 1-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Josh Lambo kick), 10:49. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:11.
CLE – Isaiah Crowell 8-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 5:12. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 5:37.
SD – Josh Lambo 43-yard field goal, 1:49. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:23.

Second quarter

CLE – Isaiah Crowell 4-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 12:39. Browns 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:10.
CLE – Cody Parkey 49-yard field goal, 4:46. Browns 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 4:49.

Third quarter

CLE – Cody Parkey 27-yard field goal, 10:58. Browns 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:02.
SD – Tyrell Williams 1-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Josh Lambo kick), 6:04. Browns 20–17. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:54.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Top passers

SD – Philip Rivers – 23/46, 322 yards, 2 TD, INT
CLE – Robert Griffin III – 17/25, 164 yards

Top rushers

SD – Kenneth Farrow – 9 rushes, 28 yards
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 16 rushes, 54 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

SD – Antonio Gates – 8 receptions, 94 yards, TD
CLE – Gary Barnidge – 5 receptions, 42 yards

In their final home game of the year, the Browns hosted the San Diego Chargers on Christmas Eve afternoon, looking to get their first win. The contest was competitive throughout the afternoon. The Chargers had a game-tying field goal attempt blocked by Jamie Meder with just under 4 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. After the Browns punted, the Chargers drove down the field and reached the Browns’ 27-yard line in the final seconds. However, the Chargers had no timeouts remaining and had to rush the field goal unit out in the final seconds. Kicker Josh Lambo missed the potential game-tying field goal as time expired, allowing the Browns to pick up their first win of the season.

With the win, the Browns improved to 1–14 and ended their 17-game losing streak. The Browns finished the season 1–7 at home. This was the first and only time this season that the Browns allowed fewer than 23 points in a single game. After this game, the Browns endured a 19-game winless streak and did not win again until Week 3 of the 2018 season.

Week 17: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Seventeen: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Browns	7	7	0	7	3	24
Steelers	0	7	0	14	6	27

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Date: January 1, 2017
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 55,921
Referee: John Hussey
TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

CLE – Seth DeValve 12-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Cody Parkey kick), 7:48. Browns 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 4:18.

Second quarter

CLE – Gary Barnidge 4-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Cody Parkey kick), 9:21. Browns 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:42.
PIT – DeAngelo Williams 11-yard pass from Landry Jones (Chris Boswell kick), 0:31. Browns 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 1:30.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

PIT – DeAngelo Williams 1-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 13:21. Tied 14–14. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:01.
PIT – Demarcus Ayers 11-yard pass from Landry Jones (Chris Boswell kick), 5:14. Steelers 21–14. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:20.
CLE – George Atkinson III 5-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 3:28. Tied 21–21. Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 1:46.

Overtime

CLE – Cody Parkey 34-yard field goal, 7:17. Browns 24–21. Drive: 17 plays, 65 yards, 7:43.
PIT – Cobi Hamilton 26-yard pass from Landry Jones, 2:57. Steelers 27–24. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:20.

Top passers

CLE – Robert Griffin III – 29/40, 232 yards, 2 TD, INT
PIT – Landry Jones – 24/37, 277 yards, 3 TD, INT

Top rushers

CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 19 rushes, 152 yards
PIT – DeAngelo Williams – 23 rushes, 67 yards, TD

Top receivers

CLE – Terrelle Pryor – 7 receptions, 94 yards
PIT – Eli Rogers – 6 receptions, 61 yards

The Browns entered this game looking to win consecutive games for the first time since they won three in a row during Weeks 8 to 10 of the 2014 season. The Steelers entered the game locked into the AFC's #3 seed and rested most of their starters. However, the Browns would still fall to the Steelers, losing 27–24 in an overtime affair. With the loss, the Browns finished the season with a 1–15 record, their worst record in franchise history. The Browns also became the tenth team in NFL history, but the first since the 2009 Rams, to finish 1–15. They failed to win a division game for the first time since the 2011 season and extended their losing streak within the division to 11 games. The Browns also failed to win a road game in a season for only the second time in franchise history and the first since the 1975 season. They also extended their road losing streak to 13 games and failed to win a road game against the Steelers for the 13th consecutive season. The Browns finished with the worst record in the NFL and secured the #1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. This marked the beginning of a 17-game losing streak continuing through the 2017 season and ending with a tie in Week 1 of the 2018 season.

Standings

Division

AFC North
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
⁽³⁾ Pittsburgh Steelers	11	5	0	.688	5–1	9–3	399	327	W7
Baltimore Ravens	8	8	0	.500	4–2	7–5	343	321	L2
Cincinnati Bengals	6	9	1	.406	3–3	5–7	325	315	W1
Cleveland Browns	1	15	0	.063	0–6	1–11	264	452	L1

Conference

AFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	New England Patriots	East	14	2	0	.875	5–1	11–1	.439	.424	W7
2^[a]	Kansas City Chiefs	West	12	4	0	.750	6–0	9–3	.508	.479	W2
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	11	5	0	.688	5–1	9–3	.494	.423	W7
4^[b]	Houston Texans	South	9	7	0	.563	5–1	7–5	.502	.427	L1
Wild Cards
5^[a]	Oakland Raiders	West	12	4	0	.750	3–3	9–3	.504	.443	L1
6	Miami Dolphins	East	10	6	0	.625	4–2	7–5	.455	.341	L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7^[b]^[c]	Tennessee Titans	South	9	7	0	.563	2–4	6–6	.465	.458	W1
8^[c]	Denver Broncos	West	9	7	0	.563	2–4	6–6	.549	.455	W1
9^[d]	Baltimore Ravens	North	8	8	0	.500	4–2	7–5	.498	.363	L2
10^[d]	Indianapolis Colts	South	8	8	0	.500	3–3	5–7	.492	.406	W1
11	Buffalo Bills	East	7	9	0	.438	1–5	4–8	.482	.339	L2
12	Cincinnati Bengals	North	6	9	1	.406	3–3	5–7	.521	.333	W1
13^[e]	New York Jets	East	5	11	0	.313	2–4	4–8	.518	.313	W1
14^[e]	San Diego Chargers	West	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.543	.513	L5
15	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	3	13	0	.188	2–4	2–10	.527	.417	L1
16	Cleveland Browns	North	1	15	0	.063	0–6	1–11	.549	.313	L1
Tiebreakers^[f]
^ ^a ^b Kansas City clinched the AFC West division over Oakland based on head-to-head sweep. ^ ^a ^b Houston clinched the AFC South division title over Tennessee based on record vs. division opponents. ^ ^a ^b Tennessee finished ahead of Denver based on head-to-head victory. ^ ^a ^b Baltimore finished ahead of Indianapolis based on record vs. conference opponents. ^ ^a ^b The New York Jets finished ahead of San Diego based record vs. common opponents — the Jets' cumulative record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Miami was 1–4, while San Diego's cumulative record against the same four teams was 0–5. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

References

^ Brown is the de facto general manager. His official title is "Executive Vice President, Football Operations"
^ ^a ^b "Browns fire Mike Pettine, Ray Farmer". ESPN. January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
^ Jackson, Zac (January 3, 2016). "Haslam gives Sashi Brown roster control, denies Marrone interview scheduled". NBC Sports. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
^ "Paul DePodesta named Browns Chief Strategy Officer". ClevelandBrowns.com. January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
^ ESPN (March 23, 2016). "Cleveland Browns Transactions - 2016". ESPN. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
^ Wesseling, Chris (January 13, 2016). "Cleveland Browns hire Hue Jackson as head coach". NFL.com. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
^ Birkett, Dave (March 10, 2016). "Detroit Lions add special teams ace in Cleveland Browns DB Johnson Bademosi". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
^ Williams, Eric (March 9, 2016). "Chargers reach deals with WR Travis Benjamin, TE Antonio Gates". ESPN. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Browns re-sign LB Tank Carder; sign DL Jamie Meder, RB Raheem Mostert". ClevelandBrowns.com. March 7, 2016. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
^ "Browns' Travis Coons: Re-signs with Browns". CBS Sports. April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
^ McManamon, Pat (March 9, 2016). "Jaguars add safety Tashaun Gipson for 5 years, $35.5M, source says". ESPN. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
^ "Browns sign restricted free agents and exclusive rights players". ClevelandBrowns.com. April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ESPN (March 17, 2016). "Cleveland Browns Transactions - 2016". ESPN. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
^ McClure, Vaughn (March 9, 2016). "Falcons address one big need with center Alex Mack". ESPN. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
^ ClevelandBrowns.com (April 4, 2016). "Browns sign restricted free agents and exclusive rights players". Retrieved April 4, 2016.
^ Doe, John (March 22, 2016). "Saints, LB Craig Robertson reach 3-year deal". ESPN. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
^ McManamon, Pat (March 9, 2016). "OT Mitchell Schwartz leaving Browns for Chiefs". ESPN. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
^ Sessler, Mark (March 16, 2016). "Cleveland Browns release receiver Dwayne Bowe". NFL.com. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
^ Wesseling, Chris (March 16, 2016). "Karlos Dansby released by Cleveland Browns". NFL.com. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
^ Marcum, Jason (March 29, 2016). ""Bengals sign Karlos Dansby; Brandon LaFell still in play"". SB Nation. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
^ McManamon, Pat (March 11, 2016). "Johnny Manziel Waived by Browns". ESPN. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
^ Reilly, Steve (April 5, 2016). ""Browns release veteran starting safety Donte Whitner"". The Duncan Independent. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ESPN (March 16, 2016). "Cleveland Browns Transactions - 2016". ESPN. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
^ Chris Pokorny (March 16, 2016). "Browns Reportedly Sign ILB Demario Davis, Who Could Start for Ray Horton". Dawgs By Nature. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
^ Schwab, Frank (March 24, 2016). "Robert Griffin III signs with the Cleveland Browns". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
^ "Browns sign Rahim Moore, former Texans safety, to 1 year deal". Cleveland.com. March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
^ "Over The Cap".
^ Florio, Mike (March 31, 2015). "June 1 free-agency deadline moved to May 12". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
^ "Joe Thomas selected to team record 10th Pro Bowl". Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2016.

External links

Official website
2016 Cleveland Browns at Pro Football Reference (Profootballreference.com)
2016 Cleveland Browns Statistics at jt-sw.com
2016 Cleveland Browns Schedule at jt-sw.com
2016 Cleveland Browns at DatabaseFootball.com

[1-1-30] Kansas City clinched the AFC West division over Oakland based on head-to-head sweep.

[1-2-31] Houston clinched the AFC South division title over Tennessee based on record vs. division opponents.

[3-1-32] Tennessee finished ahead of Denver based on head-to-head victory.

[3-2-33] Baltimore finished ahead of Indianapolis based on record vs. conference opponents.

[3-3-34] The New York Jets finished ahead of San Diego based record vs. common opponents — the Jets' cumulative record against Cleveland, Indianapolis,
Kansas City and Miami was 1–4, while San Diego's cumulative record against the same four teams was 0–5.

[35] When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

[1] Brown is the de facto general manager. His official title is "Executive Vice President, Football Operations"

[Farmer-2] "Browns fire Mike Pettine, Ray Farmer". ESPN. January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016.

[3] Jackson, Zac (January 3, 2016). "Haslam gives Sashi Brown roster control, denies Marrone interview scheduled". NBC Sports. Retrieved January 10, 2016.

[4] "Paul DePodesta named Browns Chief Strategy Officer". ClevelandBrowns.com. January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2015.

[5] ESPN (March 23, 2016). "Cleveland Browns Transactions - 2016". ESPN. Retrieved March 23, 2016.

[6] Wesseling, Chris (January 13, 2016). "Cleveland Browns hire Hue Jackson as head coach". NFL.com. Retrieved January 15, 2016.

[7] Birkett, Dave (March 10, 2016). "Detroit Lions add special teams ace in Cleveland Browns DB Johnson Bademosi". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 11, 2016.

[8] Williams, Eric (March 9, 2016). "Chargers reach deals with WR Travis Benjamin, TE Antonio Gates". ESPN. Retrieved March 9, 2016.

[Carder-9] "Browns re-sign LB Tank Carder; sign DL Jamie Meder, RB Raheem Mostert". ClevelandBrowns.com. March 7, 2016. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.

[10] "Browns' Travis Coons: Re-signs with Browns". CBS Sports. April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016.

[11] McManamon, Pat (March 9, 2016). "Jaguars add safety Tashaun Gipson for 5 years, $35.5M, source says". ESPN. Retrieved March 10, 2016.

[12] "Browns sign restricted free agents and exclusive rights players". ClevelandBrowns.com. April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.

[autogenerated1-13] ESPN (March 17, 2016). "Cleveland Browns Transactions - 2016". ESPN. Retrieved March 17, 2016.

[14] McClure, Vaughn (March 9, 2016). "Falcons address one big need with center Alex Mack". ESPN. Retrieved March 9, 2016.

[15] ClevelandBrowns.com (April 4, 2016). "Browns sign restricted free agents and exclusive rights players". Retrieved April 4, 2016.

[16] Doe, John (March 22, 2016). "Saints, LB Craig Robertson reach 3-year deal". ESPN. Retrieved March 24, 2016.

[17] McManamon, Pat (March 9, 2016). "OT Mitchell Schwartz leaving Browns for Chiefs". ESPN. Retrieved March 10, 2016.

[18] Sessler, Mark (March 16, 2016). "Cleveland Browns release receiver Dwayne Bowe". NFL.com. Retrieved April 1, 2016.

[19] Wesseling, Chris (March 16, 2016). "Karlos Dansby released by Cleveland Browns". NFL.com. Retrieved April 1, 2016.

[20] Marcum, Jason (March 29, 2016). ""Bengals sign Karlos Dansby; Brandon LaFell still in play"". SB Nation. Retrieved April 1, 2016.

[21] McManamon, Pat (March 11, 2016). "Johnny Manziel Waived by Browns". ESPN. Retrieved March 11, 2016.

[22] Reilly, Steve (April 5, 2016). ""Browns release veteran starting safety Donte Whitner"". The Duncan Independent. Retrieved April 6, 2016.

[autogenerated2-23] ESPN (March 16, 2016). "Cleveland Browns Transactions - 2016". ESPN. Retrieved March 16, 2016.

[24] Chris Pokorny (March 16, 2016). "Browns Reportedly Sign ILB Demario Davis, Who Could Start for Ray Horton". Dawgs By Nature. Retrieved March 16, 2016.

[25] Schwab, Frank (March 24, 2016). "Robert Griffin III signs with the Cleveland Browns". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved March 24, 2016.

[26] "Browns sign Rahim Moore, former Texans safety, to 1 year deal". Cleveland.com. March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.

[27] "Over The Cap".

[28] Florio, Mike (March 31, 2015). "June 1 free-agency deadline moved to May 12". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved March 31, 2015.

[29] "Joe Thomas selected to team record 10th Pro Bowl". Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2016.

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v t e Cleveland Browns
Founded in 1946 Based in Cleveland, Ohio Headquartered in Berea, Ohio
Franchise	History All-time roster (A–J, K–Z) Head coaches Seasons Logos and uniforms First-round draft picks 1999 expansion draft Starting quarterbacks Pro Bowlers Broadcasters
Stadiums	Cleveland Stadium Huntington Bank Field
Key personnel	Owners: Jimmy Haslam Dee Haslam Chief Strategy Officer: Paul DePodesta EVP of Football Ops/GM: Andrew Berry Head coach: Kevin Stefanski
Culture	Art Modell Cleveland sports curse Dawg Pound Doug Dieken The Drew Carey Show Draft Day Hot Tub Time Machine Jeff Shreve Paul Brown Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man The Express: The Ernie Davis Story The Dirty Dozen The Fortune Cookie Brownie the Elf
Lore	Kardiac Kids Miracle at the Met Red Right 88 The Drive The Fumble Relocation controversy 0–16 Bottlegate Deshaun Watson trade
Rivalries	Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals Pittsburgh Steelers
Playoff appearances (30)	1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1957 1958 1964 1965 1967 1968 1969 1971 1972 1980 1982 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1994 2002 2020 2023
Division championships (12)	1946 1947 1948 1967 1968 1969 1971 1980 1985 1986 1987 1989
Conference championships (11)	1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1957 1964 1965 1968 1969
League championships (8)	AAFC: 1946 1947 1948 1949 NFL: 1950 1954 1955 1964
Retired numbers	14 32 45 46 76
Hall of Fame inductees	Players: Brown, J. DeLamielleure Ford Gatski Graham Groza Hickerson Kelly Lavelli McCormack Mitchell Motley Newsome Thomas Warfield Willis Coach: Brown, P.
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League (1950–present) Conference: American Football Conference Division: North Division
Former league affiliation	League: All-America Football Conference (1946–1949)
Media	Cleveland Browns Radio Network Andrew Siciliano Nathan Zegura Je'Rod Cherry WEWS-TV Chris Rose Nathan Zegura Aditi Kinkhabwala