Cleveland Browns: Grades from shameful loss in Buffalo

With their thorough, 33-13 dismantling of the winless Cleveland Browns, the Buffalo Bills remain alive in the AFC playoff hunt. That’s where the putrid payoff comes.

On offense, the Browns have been struggling, as they have not eclipsed the 20-point mark in their last five games.

In fact, it’s gotten so bad that not only would some Browns fans rather spend their Sunday afternoons watching a different team, they’re cool with it being their heated rivals. It’s not as though the pass protection has ever reached a high level, but an average of almost four sacks per game makes a two-sacks-per-game average seem pedestrian by comparison. You know, one of my best seasons was a losing season stats wise, and that kind of sucked.

No one celebrates 0-16.

“Definitely this season you have to cope with the difficulties of not winning a game”, the 10th-year veteran said. Miami more so than the Jets since the Dolphins have won eight of nine games. They just couldn’t close. What they had in the way of competitive games came in September and October. He has the 25th highest average points per game for a running back. Cleveland answered with a Robert Griffin III 18-yard touchdown run, but the Bills kept feeding McCoy and it led to two more Shady scores, extending the lead to 33-13.

The Browns also seem to have unusual stability for a team in such a dire situation. Coach Hue Jackson blamed inactivity and expects a giant improvement in Griffin’s second straight start.

-Bills WR Sammy Watkins vs. Browns CB Joe Haden.

The loss dropped the Browns to 0-14. LB Demario Davis and LB Christian Kirksey led the Browns with eight tackles. The Bills rank seventh in the NFL defending the pass, but Ryan’s vaunted defense has been gouged on the ground, allowing 125.8 yards a game, which ranks 28th in the league.

Whether Garrett or Allen can remedy the pathetic defense is something someone other than EVP of Football Operations Sashi Brown should decide. Perhaps their best chance at getting a win comes in NFL Week 15 at New Era Field against the Buffalo Bills.

The Browns will have no lower than the third draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft as the San Francisco 49ers (1-12) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12) are the only two teams that could have a worse record than the Browns. Dareus has played well in the five games he has dressed, and he will present a major problem for the interior of the Browns’ line.

A 15-yard penalty was assessed for roughing the quarterback, presumably because officials felt Brown’s helmet contacted Griffin’s chin.

Several of those 2008 Lions are coaches today.

The question is whether going back to Cody Kessler or Josh McCown might spell the end of Griffin’s days in Cleveland.

Offensive lineman Damion Cook and defensive linemen Corey Smith passed away. He made his debut on October 30, then missed the next game with a groin injury.