Browns find a new low, lose on a blocked field goal for a touchdown
The factory of sadness produced a moment that is only believable from the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns lined up for a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation on Monday night. And the Baltimore Ravens ended up winning the game on that play.
Ravens defensive end Brent Urban blocked the kick. Safety Will Hill scooped it up and returned it down the sideline for a touchdown to finish a surprisingly entertaining 33-27 Baltimore win. The Browns managed to lose a home game against a Ravens team that came in 3-7 and was without Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett, Steve Smith and Terrell Suggs, among others. This tweet from the Browns’ account right after the final play sums it all up:
And this hilarious/sad video is the essence of life as a Browns fan:
The final two minutes were a comedy of errors. After the Browns got the ball back on another Matt Schaub interception, they had some strange clock management errors despite having two timeouts. They ran straight ahead for no gain on the play before the blocked field goal, which was a long attempt with a low trajectory. It seemed somehow fitting that on the block Urban got penetration between Browns offensive guard Cameron Erving and defensive tackle Danny Shelton, Cleveland’s two somewhat disappointing first-round picks.
Browns fans might be numb to it all at this point. They have the worst record in the NFL since re-entering the league in 1999. They’re 2-9 after that brutal loss. Johnny Manziel, their 2014 first-round pick, had to watch Austin Davis play quarterback when Josh McCown left with a right shoulder injury because Manziel had been demoted to third string for partying on the bye week and lying to the team when a video of it surfaced.
The Browns might be the NFL’s most hopeless franchise. Coach Mike Pettine’s time seems to be running out, and the strange ending to Monday night’s game won’t help. The team has had four first-round picks the past two years and none of them have made a huge impact. Cornerback Justin Gilbert, taken before Odell Beckham last year, is almost certainly going to go down as a bust. He has barely played on defense this season. Manziel was picked ahead of Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr, and his career seems to be hanging on by a string. Erving has been overpowered at times. Shelton hasn’t been great either.
There isn’t a ton of hope in Cleveland, and it’s not supposed to be that way in the NFL. The way the league promotes parity, every team should be able to turn it around in a year or two with just a few good decisions. But that’s the problem. The Browns haven’t made many good decisions.
So when Hill picked up the blocked field goal and went for the touchdown, it was just another stomach punch for the beleaguered Browns fans. The way things have gone for them the past 17 seasons, they probably figured it was coming before the ball was even snapped.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
