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Cleveland Browns go 0-16 in the NFL this season

CLEVELAND has endured a never-before-seen NFL nightmare that condemned it to the history books’ most embarrassing pages.

3 min read
January 1, 2018 - 1:46PM
AP
It’s not a fun time to be involved with the Browns.
It’s not a fun time to be involved with the Browns.

THE Cleveland Browns joined the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams in NFL history to go 0-16 in a season when they failed to find a way to beat the backup-laden Pittsburgh Steelers in a 28-24 loss on Monday (AEDT).

Cleveland had a chance late in the fourth quarter, but DeShone Kizer’s fourth-down pass to Corey Coleman bounced off Coleman’s hands and fell incomplete.

After going 1-15 in its last campaign, the loss to Pittsburgh means Cleveland is the first team ever to go 1-31 over two seasons.

For the 16th time in 2017, the Browns walked off the field searching for answers that are as elusive now as they’ve been at any point since the franchise’s return to the NFL nearly two decades ago.

To their credit, the Browns could at least laugh at themselves, as shown by their post-game tweet.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said after the game head coach Hue Jackson will return in 2018 despite his 1-31 record across two seasons, and the Browns have two of the top four picks in the 2018 draft.

Kizer finished with 314 yards passing and two touchdowns to Rashard Higgins, but also threw a fourth-quarter pick, his NFL-leading 22nd of the season. The AFC North champion Steelers (13-3) didn’t play stars Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell among others, but it hardly mattered.

Landry Jones completed 23 of 27 passes for 239 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and rookie wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster caught nine passes for 143 yards and a score. He also returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.

Pittsburgh, which has a wild-card round bye, sacked Kizer six times, boosting its season total to 56, a franchise record.

Unsurprisingly, the internet wasted no time kicking the Browns when they were down.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS 23 DEFEATED CHICAGO BEARS 10

Minnesota’s defence turned in another dominant performance and Latavius Murray rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Vikings secure a first-round bye for the playoffs.

Stefon Diggs caught six passes for 65 yards and recorded a touchdown for the Vikings (13-3), who reached 13 wins for only the second time in the history of the 57-year-old franchise after holding a second straight opponent without an offensive touchdown.

Mitchell Trubisky finished his rookie season with a turnover-free game, completing 20 of 36 passes for 178 yards. He failed, however, to guide the Bears (5-11) across the goal line despite 11 plays from the 10-yard line or closer in the fourth quarter.

Trubisky also took a safety in the second quarter on an intentional grounding call.

In what could have been the final game for coach John Fox, who’s 14-34 in three seasons, the Bears didn’t cross midfield until the fourth quarter and totalled only 30 yards rushing. They were penalised 10 times for 116 yards and went 1 for 14 on third and fourth-down conversions.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 26 DEFEATED NEW YORK JETS 6

Patriots QB Tom Brady never gets sick of winning.
Patriots QB Tom Brady never gets sick of winning.

Dion Lewis ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass, helping the Patriots clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

The win clinched the seventh 13-win season for the Patriots (13-3), second in NFL history to San Francisco’s nine seasons. It was also coach Bill Belichick’s 250th career regular-season win, moving him into a tie with Tom Landry for third all-time among head coaches.

New England has defeated New York in four straight meetings, and the Patriots haven’t lost to the Jets (5-11) at home during the regular season with Tom Brady starting since 2006. Brady’s 13th win as a starter this season tied him with Brett Favre for most wins by a starting quarterback at age 40 or older.

Lewis finished with a season-high 26 carries for 93 yards. Brandin Cooks had 11 catches for 79 yards and a touchdown for New England, which will have a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski was held without a catch for the first time this season and the third time in his career. James Harrison, signed by New England last week after being cut by Pittsburgh, had two sacks — on consecutive plays to end the game — and finished with five total tackles and a forced fumble.

Originally published as Cleveland Browns go 0-16 in the NFL this season

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/american-sports/nfl/cleveland-browns-go-016-in-the-nfl-this-season/news-story/4caa00d2e6cad6d5f31d18ea1566417c