Browns are own worst enemy again in loss to Bills

DETROIT — The Buffalo Bills took awhile to thaw out. But once they could wiggle their fingers and toes, they buried the Browns 31-23 in the relocated game at Detroit's Ford Field, and put Cleveland's playoff hopes in a deep freeze at 3-7. The Browns have now lost six of their last seven games — and two straight — to all but eliminate themselves from playoff contention. The only way they'd have a shot now is if they win their final seven games, including next week's visit from the Bucs. The beatdown — Buffalo led 28-10 in the fourth quarter — followed their 39-17 rout by the Dolphins in Miami last week. Myles Garrett stated unequivocally last week that the Browns would have to win their next two — against the Bills and Bucs — to remain in the playoff conversation regardless of the longshot it still would've been. He astutely observed that they had to beat the now 7-3 Bills — who had to dig out from six feet of snow in Buffalo to get here — to keep the train chugging along. Instead, the Browns were blown out for the second straight week, and run all over for the second straight week to insure that it's now all about next season. The Bills, who were outgained 145-15 in the first quarter, rushed for 172 yards, the fifth time this season the defense has surrendered 160 yards or more, all losses. The Browns had hoped to give Deshaun Watson something to play for when he returns to the field Dec. 4th in Houston, but it wasn't to be. Jacoby Brissett, who lost his starting center in Ethan Pocic to a knee injury on the first play of the game and fumbled twice, has one more start next week against the Bucs before handing over the reins to Watson. If the Browns could've handed over five victories to Watson, they would've had some hope. Now, the final six games will be more about getting Watson acclimated to his new team, and figuring out what to do with their horrible run defense. For the second straight week, the Browns started out strong, scoring on their opening drive to prove that their scripted plays work beautifully. They also led 10-3 and 10-6 before the Bills scored at end of the half to take to a 13-10 lead and never look back. The Browns made the score more respectable than their performance looked on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper, his second of the game, that narrowed the gap to 28-16 with 4:11 left, and a 2-yard TD pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones with 19 seconds left that made 31-23. The two-point pass to Cooper after his late TD failed after he stepped out of bounds before catching the ball. The Bills, who lead the NFL in takeaways, seized the moment with two fumble recoveries on Brissett's miscues and a blocked Cade York field goal on a 34-yard attempt in the third quarter that would've made it 22-13. They scored 10 points off the turnovers, and didn't turn it over themselves. Brissett's first fumble was on a bad exchange with backup center Hjalte Froholdt, and the second was a strip on a fourth and 1 keeper. Josh Allen, who's prone to turnovers, protected the ball from start to finish to snap a two-game losing streak. The Bills took a 13-10 lead at the half on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Stefan Diggs with 14 seconds left. It was Diggs' first target of the day, and he had expressed his dismay a little earlier in the quarter. It was also the Bills first lead of the game, and spoiled a half in which the Browns dominated in numerous ways — except on the scoreboard. The imposed their will on the Bills in the first half, outgaining the Browns 145-15 in the first quarter. It was Bills' lowest first-quarter output in three seasons, according to ESPN Stats and info. The Browns also possessed the ball for 19:06 to Buffalo's 10:40 in the first half. But the Browns failed to keep up the pace of their excellent first drive, in which Amari Cooper caught a 25-yard touchdown pass to cap the 9-play, 75-yard march. The drive featured third and 11 conversions, a 22-yard scramble by Brissett, and a 16-yard pass to Cooper on a slant. By the end of the first half, Cooper caught 6-of-7 targets for 91 yards. It was a far cry from last week in Miami, where he was targeted only three times and caught all three for 32 yards. The Browns defense set the tone early on by forcing a three-and-out on the Bills opening drive, but the Browns started the ensuing drive at their 11, and punted three plays later from their 16. That, coupled with a 28-yard return, started Buffalo at the Browns 32, but they managed only 8 yards before settling for a 42-yard field goal that made it 7-3 with 3:32 left in the first quarter. The Browns extended their lead to 10-3 with 14:05 left in the third after back-to-back incomplete passes in the end zone to tight ends Harrison Bryant and Pharaoh Brown, who dropped the post route in single coverage with linebacker Tyrel Dodson. Garrett blew up the next with a 6-yard sack of Allen for another three-and-out. But the Browns, who started at their 10, were unable to cash in on the big play. Instead, backup center Hjalte Froholdt and Brissett fumbled the snap exchange near midfield, and the Bills recovered to start at their 48. Once again, the defense rose to the occasion, holding Buffalo to a 36-yard field goal that closed the gap to 10-6 with 4:54 left in the half. The Browns punted from midfield on their next possession, wasting a 24-yard catch on third down by Cooper into Bills' territory. Buffalo marched 78 yards in 11 plays on their two-minute drill at the end of the half, capped by Diggs' 5-yard TD catch. On the play, he slipped into the back left side of the end zone, where he was wide open. The Bills followed with the dreaded "double dip," kicking a 56-yard field goal on their opening drive of the second half to extend their lead to 16-10. They followed that with a 5-yard TD run by Devin Singletary to capitalize on Brissett's fumble on a fourth and 1 keeper to break open a 22-10 lead. After York's blocked 34-yard field goal with 1:37 left in the third, the Bills kicked a 49-yarder of their own to make it 25-10. The Bills certainly made themselves at Ford Field, where they'll return in four days to face the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.