CLEVELAND: Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III should thank Brownie the Elf for the diversion the mascot created in a 23-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on a snowy Sunday afternoon at a half-empty FirstEnergy Stadium.
While the elf tried to retrieve the ball after the 0-13 Browns punted it out of bounds with 2:13 left in the opening quarter, the mascot slipped on the sideline and crashed to the ground. The blooper was captured on CBS’ telecast and quickly went viral on social media.
The moment became a symbol of this winless season and briefly distracted fans from the pathetic performance Griffin had in his return from a fractured left shoulder suffered Sept. 11 during the regular-season opener. Griffin finished the first half with a passer rating of 0.0 as the Browns fell behind 20-0 at halftime and couldn’t get out of the hole.
“When you don’t play a game for three months and come back, you can be a little bit rusty,” said Griffin, who went 12-of-28 passing for 104 yards with an interception and a rating of 38.4. “There are some things, just routine things, that I could have hit and done a better job of. When that does happen, you have a decision to make. You can either fold or fight through it. I’m happy with how I fought through it.”
The Browns rallied in the second half but couldn’t muster enough firepower to avoid their 16th consecutive loss, their 23rd defeat in 24 games and their 31st setback in 34 games. They haven’t won since Dec. 13, 2015, so their drought will last longer than a year.
With three games left, the death march to an 0-16 season continues.
“We’re not going 0-16,” defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah said. “We’re going to keep fighting.”
Playing for just the second time in the past 29 games, Griffin rushed for a 1-yard touchdown and allowed the Browns to trim their deficit to 20-7 with 8:11 left in the third quarter.
Running back Isaiah Crowell sparked the 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 42-yard run and finished with 10 carries for 113 yards. Rookie fullback Danny Vitale dropped a touchdown pass on first-and-goal from the 3-yard line, but Griffin’s first touchdown run since Dec. 28, 2014, came two plays later.
Browns coach Hue Jackson said Griffin showed “he belongs” and “held his own” by playing with poise and protecting himself while running after an 11-game layoff. But those comments were more than a little generous.
“Obviously, there are some plays that we wish we had back and he will wish that he had back,” Jackson said. “That is Robert’s [second] game where he has really been out there playing in two years. Like I said the other day, if things go great, good. If they do not go as good, that is OK, too. We have to grow from it. He will grow from it and continue to get better.”
Jackson said he plans to start Griffin on Sunday when the Browns visit the Buffalo Bills (6-7).
Griffin insisted he felt fine after the game despite taking several shots. The Bengals (5-7-1) finished with seven QB hits, including three sacks. Griffin rushed seven times for 31 yards.
After his touchdown, the Browns scored on their next possession, cutting the Bengals’ advantage to 20-10 when Cody Parkey made a 30-yard field goal with 14:14 left in the fourth quarter. They settled for three points after Griffin threw off target and out of bounds on third-and-8 from the Bengals’ 12.
“You don’t want to miss a throw, then make a throw, miss a throw, then make a throw,” Griffin said. “I feel like those are the things that I was a little rusty on.”
No Browns player caught more than three passes. Wide receivers Corey Coleman and Terrelle Pryor were basically nonfactors. Coleman compiled three catches and 26 yards on 11 targets, and Pryor had just one catch for 3 yards on three targets.
Jackson thought Griffin failed to see open targets at times, prompting him to scramble and attempt to improvise out of the pocket.
“There were some opportunities to hit some guys underneath, and sometimes it is not just him,” Jackson said. “Sometimes guys need to be a little bit wider than what they were. They have to be in the right spot, but do you think that we can still be able to complete the ball? Yeah.”
Yet Griffin said: “I felt like I saw the field well. I didn’t miss many guys, if any.”
The ineffective passing game contributed to the Browns wasting a revival of their rushing attack, which yielded 22 carries for 169 yards (7.7 average). The Bengals extended their lead to 23-10 on Mike Nugent’s 44-yard field with 8:38 left in the fourth quarter.
Coming off a bye, the Browns fell behind 13-0 in the first 8:33 with quarterback Andy Dalton throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Eifert and running back Jeremy Hill rushing for a 1-yard touchdown.
Later, on first-and-10 from the Browns’ 2, Griffin launched a flea-flicker pass from the end zone intended for Pryor and into triple coverage. Free safety George Iloka intercepted it and returned 21 yards to the Browns’ 26.
“That was disappointing,” Jackson said. “But we took a shot and should not have.”
The Bengals went ahead 20-0 five plays later. The Browns didn’t cover Eifert as he caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dalton with 5:06 left in the second quarter.
Dalton finished 20-of-28 passing for 180 yards and two touchdowns with a rating of 112.2. Eifert caught five passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns on six targets. Hill rushed for 111 yards on 25 carries (4.4 average) and a touchdown.
The Browns fell on the road to the Bengals 31-17 on Oct. 23. They have lost the past five games against their in-state AFC North rival, tying their longest skid of the series. The Browns have been outscored 90-13 in their last three home games against the Bengals.
Now they have three more chances to avoid a winless season, something far more embarrassing than a mascot falling or a quarterback faltering. After the game, inside linebacker Chris Kirksey held a sign on the field that read, “All I Want for Christmas is a Win.”
“We understand we have to take care of one of these three [games],” defensive back Tramon Williams said. “I think guys are all-in. ... It’s not like, ‘Ah, the season’s over. I can’t wait for the season to be over.’ Guys really want to get that zero off this record.”
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ.