BROWNS BOW OUT AS 2ND 0-16 TEAM
PITTSBURGH» The Browns joined the 2008 Lions as the only teams in NFL history to go 0-16 when they failed to beat the Steelers on Sunday, losing 28-24 to the AFC’s No. 2 postseason seed.
Late in the fourth quarter, DeShone Kizer’s fourth-down pass to Corey Coleman bounced off Coleman’s hands and fell incomplete.
And 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. Coach Hue Jackson is expected to return despite a 1-31 record, 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, the first professional scores for the former Colorado State star. But Kizer also threw a fourth-quarter interception, his NFL-leading 22nd of the season.
The Steelers (13-3) sat out stars Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell among others, but it hardly mattered. Backup Landry Jones completed 23-of-27 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown, 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.
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
Philip Rivers passed for 387 yards and three touchdowns, but the Chargers (9-7) missed out on a playoff berth despite their 30-10 victory over the Raiders, who fired coach Jack Del Rio after ending their season 6-10. Keenan Allen scored on a 27-yard fumble recovery and a 6-yard TD catch for the Chargers, who won six of their final seven games in their relocation season . ... Minnesota’s defense turned in another dominant performance and Latavius Murray rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Vikings (13-3) secure an NFC first-round bye for the playoffs with a 23-10 victory over the Bears (5-11). The Vikings posted 13 wins for only the second time in franchise history and held a second consecutive opponent without an offensive touchdown. ... Dion Lewis ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass, helping the Patriots (13-3) clinch homefield advantage in the AFC playoffs with a 26-6 victory over the Jets (5-11) . ... Dak Prescott tossed a 20-yard TD pass to Brice Butler early in the fourth quarter as the Cowboys (9-7) closed with a 6-0 victory over Philadelphia (13-3), keeping the Eagles from a franchise-record 14th win. The Eagles rested several starters on a frigid day and played others only briefly after securing the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed last week . ... Jacoby Brissett threw for a touchdown and Marlon Mack ran for a TD as the Colts (4-12) pinned a 22-13 loss on the Texans (4-12). After the game, the Colts fired coach Chuck Pagano . ... Matthew Stafford threw three touchdown passes for the Lions (9-7), who beat the Packers 35-11. The Lions finished with a winning record in consecutive seasons for the first time since doing it three years in a row from 1993-95. The Packers (7-9) posted a losing record for the first time since 2008 . ... Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning threw a 16-yard TD pass to Hunter Sharp in what may have been Manning’s final game with the Giants, who closed their 3-13 season with an 18-10 victory over the Redskins (7-9) . ... Phil Dawson kicked four field goals, the last from 42 yards with 2:21 left, as the Cardinals (8-8) pinned a 26-24 loss on the Seahawks (9-7) . ... Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 292 yards and two TDs, leading the 49ers (6-10) to their fifth straight victory, a 34-13 rout of an 11-5 Rams team that rested its stars for the playoffs . ... Jameis Winston threw for 363 yards, including a 39-yard TD pass to Chris Godwin with nine seconds left, as the Buccaneers ended their 5-11 season with a 31-24 victory over the NFC South champion Saints (11-5) . ... Matt Bryant kicked five field goals, including a 56yarder, in the second half for the Falcons (10-6), who clinched a playoff berth with a 22-10 victory over the Panthers (11-5), who also are in the playoffs.