BRONWS FUMBLE AWAY FIRST WIN
Ball stripped from QB Kizer twice in final 1:44; team now 0-10 again.
This is a new low CLEVELAND — for the Browns or any NFL
— team for that matter.
With Sunday’s 19-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in wintry weather at FirstEnergy Stadium, the Browns fell to 4-43 dating to the 2014 season. It’s the worst 47-game stretch in league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Browns tied the worst record over 46 games at 4-42. From 2007-10, the Lions had the same record, butthey won their next game to improve to 5-42.
The Browns are 0-10 for the second consecutive season and the second time in franchise history. It happened for the first time last season, when they went 0-14, won their penultimate game and
finished 1-15. They were 0-9 in 1975 before winning their 10th game.
As the Browns were driving with a chance to earn their first win this year, rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer was sacked on third-and-10 at Jacksonville’s 40 by defensive ends Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue. Campbell forced Kizer to fumble, and the Jaguars (7-3) recovered with 1:44 left at their 44.
The Browns got the ball back at their 20 with 1:24 remaining after the Jaguars punted. But Kizer was strip-sacked again, this time by Ngakoue, who beat left tackle Spencer Drango off the edge. Linebacker Telvin Smith recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, extending the Jaguars’ lead to 19-7 with 1:14 left.
Cornerback A.J. Bouye intercepted an overthrow by Kizer at the Jaguars’ 48 with 8:23 left in the third quarter. The Jaguars turned the takeaway into Josh Lambo’s 39-yard field goal and a 13-7 lead at the end of an eightplay, 31-yard drive with 3:31 left in the fourth quarter.
The Browns defense bailed out their special teams early in the third quarter.
Jabrill Peppers muffed a punt, fellow rookie safety Kai Nacua and linebacker Josh Keyes missed chances to secure the ball and Jaguars safety and Jarrod Wilson recovered at Cleveland’s 31 with 10:23 remaining in the third quarter.
Peppers was undoubtedly thankful when the Browns got a takeaway three plays later. On third-and-6 at the 27, linebacker Christian Kirksey strip-sacked quarterback Blake Bortles, and rookie defensive end Myles Garrett recovered at the 29 with 9:27 left in the third quarter.
The defense made another big play when Browns cornerback Jason McCourty broke up a deep pass from Bortles to wide receiver Marqise Lee on thirdand-9 from the Jaguars’ 24 with 10:41 left in the fourth quarter.
But the offense failed to keep its end of the bargain.
Kizer completed 16 of 32 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. He lost two fumbles and was sacked five times.
The Browns rushed 18 times for 50 yards (2.8 average). Jaguars rookie running back Leonard Fournette rushed 28 times for 111 yards (4.0 average).
The Browns trailed 10-7 at halftime despite being outgained 20668 through the first two quarters.
The Browns squandered golden opportunities early. Their first two possessions began on the Jaguars’ 48-yard line and their own 45, but they had nothing to show for it.
After rookie running back Matthew Dayes returned the opening kickoff 53 yards t to Jaguars’ 48, the Browns went three-andout. After Brad Nortman’s 21-yard punt set the Browns up at their 45, linebacker Telvin Smith intercepted Kizer’s pass intended for Corey Coleman and returned it 26 yards with 8:36 left in the first quarter.
Four plays later, the Jaguars capitalized when Bortles connected with tight end Marcedes Lewis for a 10-yard touchdown pass, allowing them to go ahead 7-0 with 6:54 remaining in the opening quarter.
On the Browns’ first four possessions, Kizer threw the pick and the offense went three-andout the other three times. After the last of those three-and-outs, the Jaguars used a 29-yard run by Fournette to march 47 yards in seven plays and set up Lambo’s 38-yard field goal, which gave them a 10-0 advantage with 14:14 left in the second quarter.
The Browns were outgained 107-4 yards in the first quarter, but came to life during their first possession of the second quarter with a five-play, 66-yard scoring drive. Running back Duke Johnson lined up in the slot and caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Kizer, enabling the Browns to trim their deficit to 10-7 with 11:28 left in the half.
Instead of keeping their momentum alive on offense, the Browns went three-and-out on their next two possessions.
The Jaguars drove inside the Browns’ 25 late in the first half and fumbled on back-to-back plays, with the defense failing to recover either one. Shortly thereafter, Lambo attempted a 41-yard field, but he missed it with 30 seconds remaining before halftime.