default-cbs-image

Just when you think the Browns can’t Browns any more, they take Brownsing to a new level. It’s gotta be really darn depressing to be a Cleveland fan, because the upshot of having your heart ripped out in unbelievably painful fashion during a home game on primetime television is the Browns get a better draft position.

Cleveland’s loss on Monday night was next-level stuff. Josh McCown fought as hard as he could to keep them in a meaningless game against the Ravens only to get injured, only to be replaced by Austin Davis who managed to set Cleveland up for a potential game-winning field goal, which was promptly blocked by the Ravens and returned for a walk-off touchdown. 

There really are no words for it. 

Unless you’re a heavenly diety hell-bent on ruining Cleveland forever.

Or if you’re John Harbaugh and trying to find words to explain your lack of words.

“I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” Harbaugh said walking to the middle of the field to shake Mike Pettine’s hand.

Most people haven’t. Those that have, like the Florida State Seminoles (who lost on a blocked kick to Georgia Tech), understand exactly what it can end up doing to your Twitter mentions.

Really, though, what else is left to say about the Browns' ability to master ineptitude? The entire sequence leading up to the field goal was a master's-level class in poor clock management. After Matt Schaub threw an interception late in the fourth, Cleveland had two timeouts and 50 seconds to get in field-goal range for Travis Coons. 

They ran a short pass with Davis hitting Brian Hartline for 6 yards -- and then didn’t call timeout or play fast? Maybe Davis and Mike Pettine weren’t on the same page?

Either way, the ball wasn’t snapped again until there were 18 seconds left in the game. Absolutely zero urgency. Davis scrambled right for 7 yards to the Ravens 33-yard line and slid inbounds. Pettine was irate, but how mad could you be when you’re saving your timeouts and the clock is melting? 

Then, with 9 seconds left, the Browns ran Duke Johnson into the right side of the line despite the ball already being on the right hashmark with 50-some yards to go for the field goal and one timeout in the pocket. ANY throw could’ve gotten some yardage and there was time to stop the clock.

Pettine nearly went for two earlier in the game, balked at the last minute and coached scared here, too. 

Browns fans don’t deserve this sort of loss, but in a vacuum Cleveland probably had this coming.  

Just another heartbreaking loss for Cleveland Browns fans. (USATSI)

2. No Johnny Manziel: Half of the telecast was devoted to Manziel, who didn’t appear in this game despite McCown going down with injury. Manziel pulled a Craig from Friday and got fired on his day off, being benched for partying on his bye week shortly after being named starter for the remainder of the season. Very impressive stuff. 

Kudos to the Browns and to Pettine for sticking to his guns and not playing Manziel, by the way. They could’ve easily folded when McCown went down and thrown Manziel in there. Instead he was forced to sit and watch while Davis did his best to bring this team back for what would have been a surprising win.

Hopefully Manziel learned his lesson after this latest humbling. But there’s no real way of telling if this will be the magical moment that flips the switch for Johnny Football. It hasn’t flipped yet.

3. Buck’s First TD: The Ravens lost Justin Forsett for the season last week, but they’re not totally devoid of offensive talent at the running back position. Javorius Allen, taken in the fourth round of the draft this year, flashed some potential starting alongside a questionable offensive corps. 

Notably his receiving skills on an impressive touchdown, his first-ever trip to the end zone as a pro.

4. Joshy Football: No one’s going to confuse Josh McCown with Johnny Manziel. One’s a journeyman veteran who’s been better than advertised when given an opportunity in decent positions.

Manziel is a rogue youngster, incapable of staying out of his own way off the field but also capable of making eye-popping plays while on it. But maybe they’re more alike than we think! McCown made a heck of an athletic play in the red zone, pulling off Manziel’s signature spin move out of the pocket, thinking hard about running the ball and then winging a touchdown (another Manziel signature move).

5. Pick-six machine: No one throws pick-sixes like Matt Schaub. NO ONE. 

Schaub entered this game with four pick-sixes in seven games and managed yet another one. 

6. Nice bounce back: If you’re gonna blast Schaub for throwing a pick-six, you’ve got to credit him for hopping right back in the saddle and marching his team down the field for a score. Schaub dissected the Browns’ defense and threw a real nice throw to the outside setting up Kamar Aiken for a score. 

7. Coolest thing in Cleveland: This hovercraft, which came out on the field at halftime. 

Would totally watch this hovercraft instead of the Browns playing on a weekly basis, especially if they’re playing the Ravens every time. 

8. Close calls: The Ravens extended an NFL record they already own -- they’ve now gone 11 straight games to start the season with a game decided by eight points or less. Wild stuff every single week with Baltimore. 

9. Playoff implications: Ha ha ha. Here are Week 13 clinching scenarios for other NFL teams however.

10. Draft implications: The Browns slide into the No. 2 overall pick as of Week 12 with their “loss” (you could honestly call it a win because their season is over). 

11. What’s next: The Browns (+7) host the Bengals at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday and probably have to make a call about whether they put Davis or Manziel out there. The Ravens (+5.5) head to Miami for an AFC showdown of mediocrity with the Dolphins at 1 p.m. ET.