Brownie Bits: Week 15

Useless nuggets of information from Sunday’s Browns game that you can certainly live without…

BAD HISTORY: With Sunday’s defeat, the Browns clinched their fifth consecutive losing record. It’s the longest stretch in team history, topping four-year skids from 2003-2006, 1995-2001, and 1990-1993. This is their 13th losing record in their last 15 seasons and 17th in their last 20.

OFFENSIVE DIFFERENCES: This was the sixth time this season and the second time in three weeks a Browns’ opponent topped 400 total yards. It also marked the sixth time this year the Browns failed to accumulate 300 yards of offense themselves.

MIXED BAG FOR T-RICH: The good news is that Trent Richardson has scored six touchdowns in his last four games, including four scores in his last two. The bad news is that in those last two games, he’s rushed for a total of just 60 yards on 29 carries. Sunday was the fifth time this year he’s rushed for less than 40 yards in a game. Still, he moved within 103 yards of the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

GO FIGURE: Though Washington more than doubled the Browns in total rushing yards (122 to 58), the Browns had a better per-carry average (3.9 to 3.5).

NO-NO NFC: The Browns have now lost seven of their last eight games against NFC opponents and are 4-16 against the NFC over the past five seasons.

Posted by Jonathan Knight Dec 17, 2012 8:00 PM Last Updated: Dec 17, 2012

The Weekend Wrap

Wrap The new, updated NFL Playoff scenarios are in! The way I read it, if the Bengals team plane crashes into the Steelers team plane, and the ensuing debris field wipes out the Ravens training facility in Owings Mills, MD, well, Roger Goodell would have almost no choice but to put the Browns in as the AFC Central champs!! There’s still a chance!! Sure, it depends a lot on the whimsy of air traffic controllers, but still!!!

It’s the Weekend Wrap. Chock full of STFU!!!

Posted by Brian McPeek Dec 16, 2012 8:22 PM Last Updated: Dec 16, 2012

NFL Outsider Picks - Week 15

money jpg Hmm. The new System, HERO (Hutchison Egotistical Rambling Orifice), has netted me a losing record the last two weeks now. One week, sure, probably just Pagan Gods avenging themselves on me. But two? Huh. Makes you wonder if maybe games can't always be accurately predicted by math.

BT went 9-6 last week, I went 7-8, and DJC went 5-10, so that pulls BT into a season-lead tie with myself at 100-101 and drops our previous leader DJC to 97-104.

OK, HERO, I'm counting on you to help me recapture my rightful place on the throne. Work your magic, fair number-cruncher.

All odds are from VegasInsider.com:

Posted by Chris Hutchison Dec 15, 2012 1:40 PM Last Updated: Dec 15, 2012

Browns Stink It Up in Home Finale

2012 12 browns lose skins The Cleveland Browns could not have asked for a better situation on Sunday against the Washington Redskins.

The Browns, in their home finale to the 2012 NFL season, were facing one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL and, because of an injury, the Redskins were forced to start Kirk Cousins at quarterback instead of dynamic rookie Robert Griffin III.

All the Browns had to do was take advantage of the opportunity staring them in the face.

But, just like a rube who continually falls for a Nigerian e-mail scam, it is the Browns who are continually being taken advantage of, rather than the other way around.

Final score: Washington 38, Cleveland 21.

The loss snaps the Browns three-game winning streak, kills all the premature talk about a drive for the playoffs and certainly deals a serious blow to Pat Shurmur’s chances of coming back for a third year as Browns coach.

Posted by Thomas Moore Dec 15, 2012 6:30 AM Last Updated: Dec 16, 2012