2015 Cleveland Browns season

2015 Cleveland Browns season
Head coach	Mike Pettine
General manager	Ray Farmer
Owner	Jimmy Haslam
Home field	FirstEnergy Stadium
Results
Record	3–13
Division place	4th AFC North
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Alex Mack, C Joe Thomas, OT Gary Barnidge, TE
Uniform

The 2015 Cleveland Browns season was the franchise's 67th season as a professional sports franchise and its 63rd as a member of the National Football League. It was the second and final season under the head coach/general manager tandem of Mike Pettine and Ray Farmer as both were fired January 3, 2016 following a 3–13 season, tied for the worst record in the league with the Tennessee Titans, but statiscally, the second worst in the league. The team finished in 4th place in the AFC North for a fifth consecutive season. ^[1]

Offseason

Personnel changes

On January 8, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan left the Browns due to disagreements about the quarterback Johnny Manziel's readiness to start. Quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains was fired the same day. Notably, Loggains was instrumental in the team's drafting of Manziel in the 2014 NFL Draft. On January 15, wide receivers coach Mike McDaniel left the Browns by mutual agreement.

On January 21, John DeFilippo was hired as the Browns’ new offensive coordinator. DeFilippo, who has been the Oakland Raiders’ quarterbacks coach for the past three seasons, replaces Kyle Shanahan, who resigned earlier in the month. After his first stint as the Raiders’ quarterbacks coach (2007–08), DeFilippo worked with HC Mike Pettine for one successful season with the New York Jets. Under DeFilippo’s guidance, rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez showed enough poise to lead New York to the AFC Championship. Pettine was the Jets’ defensive coordinator that season.

On January 27, Joker Phillips was hired as wide receivers coach.

On January 31, Kevin O'Connell accepted the position of quarterbacks coach.

Roster changes

Free agents

Pos	Player	Tag	2015 Team	Signed
WR	Miles Austin	UFA	Philadelphia Eagles	March 31
SS	Johnson Bademosi	RFA	Cleveland Browns	April 23[2]
TE	Jordan Cameron	UFA	Miami Dolphins	March 12
RB	Shaun Draughn	UFA	Cleveland Browns	March 6[3]
QB	Brian Hoyer	UFA	Houston Texans	March 11[4]
NT	Sione Fua	UFA	TBA
FS	Tashaun Gipson	RFA	Cleveland Browns	[5]
NT	Ishmaa'ily Kitchen	RFA	TBA
P	Spencer Lanning	ERFA	Tampy Bay Buccaneers	March 6[6]
SS	Jim Leonhard	UFA	Retired
WR	Marlon Moore	UFA	Cleveland Browns	March 11[7]
ILB	Craig Robertson	ERFA	Cleveland Browns	April 23[8]
NT	Ahtyba Rubin	UFA	Seattle Seahawks	March 19[9]
OT	Ryan Seymour	ERFA	Cleveland Browns	March 9[10]
OLB	Jabaal Sheard	UFA	New England Patriots	March 11[11]
CB	Buster Skrine	UFA	New York Jets	March 10[12]
OLB	Scott Solomon	UFA	Cleveland Browns	Unknown
QB	Tyler Thigpen	UFA	TBA

Players shaded in green re-signed with the Browns

UFA: Unrestricted free agent RFA: Restricted free agent ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent FT: Player was designated with the franchise tag TT: Player was designated with the transition tag

Releases

Pos	Player	Released	2015 Team	Signed
OL	Paul McQuistan	February 13

Signings

Pos	Player	2014 Team	Signed
CB	Micah Pellerin	Dallas Cowboys	January 20[13]
CB	Varmah Sonie	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	February 18[14]
QB	Josh McCown	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 2[15]
WR	Brian Hartline	Miami Dolphins	March 10[16]
QB	Thad Lewis	Houston Texans	March 12[17]
CB	Tramon Williams	Green Bay Packers	March 16[18]
DE	Randy Starks	Miami Dolphins	March 16[19]
WR	Dwayne Bowe	Kansas City Chiefs	March 20[20]
TE	Rob Housler	Arizona Cardinals	April 9[21]
P	Andy Lee	San Francisco 49ers	June 21st

2015 draft class

2015 Cleveland Browns Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	12	Danny Shelton	Defensive tackle	Washington
	19	Cameron Erving	Guard	Florida State
2	51	Nate Orchard	Defensive end	Utah
3	77	Duke Johnson	Running back	Miami (Florida)
	96	Xavier Cooper	Defensive Tackle	Washington State
4	115	Ibraheim Campbell	Safety	Northwestern
	123	Vince Mayle	Wide receiver	Washington State
6	189	Charles Gaines	Cornerback	Louisville
	195	Malcolm Johnson	Fullback	Mississippi State
	198	Randall Telfer	Tight end	USC
7	219	Hayes Pullard	Inside linebacker	USC
	241	Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	Cornerback	Oregon

Notes

• The Browns acquired additional selections in the first (No. 19) and fourth (No. 111) rounds as part of a trade that sent the team's 2014 first-round selection to the Buffalo Bills.
• The Browns acquired an additional sixth-round (No. 202) selection in a trade that sent the team's 2014 seventh-round selection to the Baltimore Ravens.
• The Browns have traded picks in Round 2 (No. 51 for No. 43) with the Houston Texans for additional picks and upgrades in the later rounds in this years' draft (see above for updated selections). They also made swaps for higher picks with the Arizona Cardinals in rounds 4-7.

Gordon suspension

On January 25, it was announced that wide receiver Josh Gordon was facing a year-long suspension following a fifth failed drug test, this time for alcohol. This follows a 10-game suspension in 2014 for testing positive for marijuana. On February 3, the league imposed the suspension without pay for at least one year, possibly indefinitely. His earliest return would be training camp for the 2016 season.^[22]

Manziel enters rehab

On February 3, 2015, quarterback Johnny Manziel voluntarily entered a rehab facility for dependence on alcohol. He exited the facility on April 12, shortly prior to the beginning of offseason workouts.^[23]

GM Farmer suspension

In an incident widely dubbed as Textgate, it was announced on February 4 that the Browns faced sanctions amid allegations of text messages being sent from general manager Ray Farmer to coaches and coordinators during games during the 2014 season, a violation of NFL rules. On March 30, 2015 it was announced Ray Farmer was suspended for the first four games of the season without pay and the Browns were fined $250,000 for the incident. No loss of current or future draft picks were imposed.^[24]

Logo and uniform changes

The Browns introduced new logos on February 24. The helmet remains the primary logo, changing the team's orange color to a brighter hue, and changing the facemask from gray to brown. The team also premiered a secondary logo, which is a simplistic helmet, and a new logo for the Dawg Pound.

On April 14, the Browns premiered nine new uniforms. There are three jersey colors and three pants colors: orange, brown, and white, allowing for nine possible uniform combinations. The uniforms have "Cleveland" above the numbers on the front, "Browns" down the leg, and "Dawg Pound" inside the collar. The uniforms are the first in the NFL to utilize contrast stitching and chainmail/raised numbers. The team name down the leg are also NFL firsts.

• 

  Players showing the nine possible jersey and pants combinations

• 

  New helmet

• 

  "CLEVELAND" text on the jersey

• 

  "BROWNS" text on pant leg

Preseason

Schedule

This was the first preseason in 13 years in which the Great Lakes Classic was not played against the rival Detroit Lions.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 13	Washington Redskins	L 17–20	0–1	First Energy Stadium	Recap
2	August 20	Buffalo Bills	L 10–11	0–2	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
3	August 29	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 31–7	1–2	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
4	September 3	at Chicago Bears	L 0–24	1–3	Soldier Field	Recap

Moeller suspended

On September 7, the Browns suspended offensive line coach Andy Moeller indefinitely in response to an alleged assault Moeller is being investigated for.^[25] He and the Browns mutually parted ways before the teams' home opener on Sept. 27th.^[26]

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 13	at New York Jets	L 10-31	0-1	MetLife Stadium	Recap
2	September 20	Tennessee Titans	W 28–14	1–1	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
3	September 27	Oakland Raiders	L 20–27	1–2	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
4	October 4	at San Diego Chargers	L 27–30	1–3	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
5	October 11	at Baltimore Ravens	W 33–30 (OT)	2–3	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
6	October 18	Denver Broncos	L 23–26 (OT)	2–4	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
7	October 25	at St. Louis Rams	L 6–24	2–5	Edward Jones Dome	Recap
8	November 1	Arizona Cardinals	L 20–34	2–6	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
9	November 5	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 10–31	2–7	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
10	November 15	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 9–30	2–8	Heinz Field	Recap
11	Bye
12	November 30	Baltimore Ravens	L 27–33	2–9	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
13	December 6	Cincinnati Bengals	L 3–37	2–10	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
14	December 13	San Francisco 49ers	W 24–10	3–10	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
15	December 20	at Seattle Seahawks	L 13–30	3–11	CenturyLink Field	Recap
16	December 27	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 13–17	3–12	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
17	January 3	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 12–28	3–13	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at New York Jets

The Jets routed the Browns 31-10. Late in the first quarter, the Browns' starting quarterback, Josh McCown, fumbled the football in the Jets' endzone and suffered a concussion. He was ruled out and replaced by Johnny Manziel for the remainder of the contest. The Browns led 10-7 late in the first half, but the Jets scored a touchdown late in the second quarter to lead 14-10 at halftime. In the second half, the Browns failed to score while the Jets scored 17 unanswered points to turn it into a blowout. The Browns committed 5 turnovers in the game, with 4 of them being lost fumbles. They also committed 12 penalties, losing 109 yards.

With the loss, the Browns opened the season at 0-1. They lost their 11th straight season opener, extending their NFL record for the most consecutive season opening losses by a franchise in NFL history.

Week 2: vs. Tennessee Titans

In the team's home opener, former Heisman Trophy winners Johnny Manziel and Marcus Mariota started against each other, and the two combined for over 400 yards with each having a pair of TD's and no INT's. After the Browns led 21-0 at halftime, Anthony Fasano and Dexter McCluster factored in each of the scoring drives for Tennessee, as defensive containment limited Mariota for most of the game. The Titans cut the deficit to 21-14 late in the 4th quarter. On their next drive, the Browns reached midfield and faced 3rd and 2. On a broken play, Manziel found Benjamin and threw a touchdown to put the Browns up 28-14. The Titans reached the red zone on their next drive, but Mariota fumbled and lost the ball, allowing the Browns to run out the clock. After committing 5 turnovers in their season opener, the Browns had 0 turnovers while forcing 3 Titans turnovers. For Cleveland, Armonty Bryant led the Browns with 2.5 sacks (of the 7 total) as they pressured the Titans to turn over the ball 3 times, and a selection for AFC Special Teams Player of the Week was bestowed upon WR/KR Travis Benjamin, who had 269 all-purpose yards, including a 78-yard punt return TD.

With the win, the Browns ended their six game losing streak and improved to 1-1 on the season. Benjamin's 3 TD's were all over 50 yards, becoming the only the third player in NFL history to have three 50+ yard touchdowns in the same game.

Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders

The Raiders opened the scoring on their first drive of the game, settling for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The Browns failed to score and trailed 3-0 after the first quarter. The Raiders scored a second quarter touchdown to take a 10-0 lead. Late in the half, the Browns reached the Raiders' 1 yard line and had 1st and goal at the 1. However, they failed to get into the end zone in three attempts. After a false start penalty on 4th and goal, the Browns settled for a field goal to cut the deficit to 10-3. With less than 2 minutes remaining in the half, the Raiders drove down the field, and QB Derek Carr threw a touchdown pass, giving the Raiders a 17-3 lead at halftime. Early in the third quarter, the Raiders kicked another field goal and went up 20-3. The Browns finally reached the end zone in the third quarter as QB Joshua McCown completed a 28 yard pass to TE Gary Barnidge, cutting it to 20-10. The Raiders scored another touchdown early in the 4th quarter, and the Browns trailed 27-10. At that moment, the Browns began to mount a 4th quarter rally. K Travis Coons kicked a field goal to pull within 27-13. The Raiders turned the ball over in their own territory on their next drive, and the Browns scored another touchdown to cut the deficit to 27-20. The Browns' defense forced a 3 and out, and the Raiders were forced to punt. However, Travis Benjamin muffed the punt, and the Raiders recovered it. The Raiders ran three more plays before they punted again, pinning the Browns at their own 2 yard line. The Browns had one last chance to score a game saving touchdown. Within 2 minutes, they reached the Raiders' 29 yard line. After McCown was sacked, the Browns faced 3rd and 14 on the Raiders' 34 yard line with under 45 seconds to play. At that moment, McCown threw a pass that was intercepted by Charles Woodson. With no timeouts remaining, the Raiders were able to kneel and run out the clock.

With the loss, the Browns dropped to 1-2.

Week 4: at San Diego Chargers

The Browns were making their first trip to San Diego since 2006. The game was back and forth, with neither team leading by more than one possession. The Chargers led 7-3 after the 1st quarter. On the Browns' first drive of the second quarter, QB Josh McCown threw a 34 yard touchdown pass to RB Duke Johnson to put the Browns up 10-7. The teams traded field goals, making it a 13-13 game at halftime. The Browns scored a field goal at the start of the 3rd quarter to go up 16-13. On the Chargers' next drive, QB Phillip Rivers led the Chargers to a touchdown, going up 20-16 heading into the 4th quarter. After K Travis Coons kicked a field goal to cut the deficit to 20-19, Rivers led another touchdown drive to put the Chargers up 27-19. On the Browns' next drive, they reached the end zone, assisted by an incredible catch by TE Gary Barnidge on the Chargers' 1 yard line. They converted on the two point conversion to tie the game at 27-27 with just over 2 minutes remaining. The Chargers reached the Browns' 24 yard line with under 50 seconds to play. The Browns began to use timeouts until the Chargers faced 4th down with 2 seconds to play. After the Chargers called timeout, their kicker had an opportunity to win the game with a 39 yard field goal. The 39 yard game winning attempt was off to the right, and the game appeared to be on its way to overtime.. However, CB Tramon Williams was flagged for being offside during the play, giving the Chargers another attempt, this time from 34 yards. The field goal was converted, and the Chargers won 30-27. The Browns committed 12 penalties in the game, including this critical offside penalty.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 1-3.

Week 5: at Baltimore Ravens

The Browns opened division play in a week 5 battle with the Baltimore Ravens. Ravens QB Joe Flacco entered this game with a 13-1 record against the Browns. The Ravens' defense was strong, limiting the running game to just 9 yards on the first 8 attempts, with constant blitz pressure forcing Browns QB Josh McCown to make the right reads on his passes. The Ravens led 14-3 after the first quarter and 21-9 early in the third quarter. At that point, the Browns began to come back. The Browns scored a touchdown to make it 21-16 heading into the 4th quarter. Connecting with TE Gary Barnidge on an 80-yd drive in the fourth quarter, the Browns led for the first time at 22-21. Teams then traded scores, with the Ravens leading 27-22, then the Browns leading 30-27 with three minutes left in regulation. The Ravens used those three minutes to drive down the field and tie the game with a field goal. Tied at 30 after regulation, the game headed into overtime. The Ravens got the ball first. The Browns' defense forced a 3-and-out, and Travis Benjamin set up the punt at the Brown's 35. The Ravens failed to force a punt or turnover as the Browns drove down the field to the Ravens' 14 yard line, where K Travis Coons would kick the game-winning field goal .

McCown completed passes to nine different receivers; four of them--Gary Barnidge, Travis Benjamin, Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel-- had six or more receptions. He finished 36/51 for a career high 457 yards with two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdwn.. McCown also became the first quarterback in franchise history to throw 300+ passing yards in three straight games. The Browns ran the ball 25 times, with seven carries in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal by Coons, who is now 10-for-10 to start his career.

With the win, the Browns improved to 2-3 and moved into 3rd place in the AFC North. The Browns snapped a five-game road losing streak and a seven game losing streak in Baltimore. This was also the Browns' first overtime win since November 18, 2007, coincidentally a 33-30 road victory over the Ravens in the infamous "Dawson Bar" Game.

For his performance, QB Josh McCown was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Week 6: vs. Denver Broncos

The Browns entered this game hoping to knock off the unbeaten Denver Broncos. The Broncos' defense dominated the first half as the Browns trailed 10-0 at halftime. The Browns had 94 yards of offense, their lowest total yards in a half this season. The Broncos' offense scored a field goal while CB Aqib Talib picked off QB Josh McCown and scored a defensive touchdown. On the Browns' first drive of the second half, they went 72 yards and McCown threw a touchdown pass to TE Gary Barnidge to cut the deficit to 10-7. The Bronocs kicked a field goal late in the third quarter and took a 13-7 lead into the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos extended the lead to 16-7. The Browns went down the field as McCown and Barnidge connected on another touchdown, cutting the deficit to 16-14. On the Broncos' next drive, Denver QB Peyton Manning threw an interception to LB Karlos Dansby, which was returned for a touchdown. The Browns took their first lead of the game, going up 20-16. The Browns attempted a two point conversion which would have given them a 6-point lead, but failed. On the first play of the Broncos' next drive, Manning threw a 72 yard touchdown pass to Sanders, and the Broncos reclaimed the lead at 23-20. The teams traded punts before the Browns tied the game with a field goal, making it 23-23. On the Broncos' next drive, the Browns forced a three and out. The Browns reached the Broncos' 46 yard line and were approaching field goal range. However, McCown threw an interception on 2nd and 10. The Broncos went three and out again and were forced to punt. The Browns took a knee, and the game went into overtime.

In overtime, The Broncos won the coin toss and elected to receive. On 3rd and 2, Manning threw an interception to LB Barkevious Mingo, who ran it back to the Broncos' 39 yard line. The Browns were approaching field goal range and would win the game with a field goal. However, they lost 13 yards on the next three plays and were forced to punt. The Broncos reached the Browns' 16 yard line on their next drive, and their kicker Brandon McManus successfully converted the 34 yard game winning field goal.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 2-4.

Week 7: at St. Louis Rams

The Rams routed the Browns 24-6. The Browns committed turnovers on their first two drives, one was run back for a defensive score while the other resulted in a Rams field goal to put the Browns behind 10-0. The Browns kicked two field goals and cut the deficit to 10-6, but the offense stalled after that. The Rams forced two more turnovers and scored two more touchdowns to go up 24-6 early in the 4th quarter and put the game away.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 2-5.

Week 8: vs. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals received the ball first and scored on an 80 yard touchdown drive to go up 7-0. After a turnover, the Browns tied the game up at 7-7. The Browns scored two more touchdowns to go up 20-7. The Cardinals drove into the red zone, but Fitzgerald turned the ball over. After the Browns went 3 and out, the Cardinals drove down the field and kicked a field goal to cut the deficit to 20-10 heading into halftime. The Cardinals dominated the second half. They scored 14 unanswered to go up 24-20 heading into the 4th quarter. The Cardinals committed a turnover on their own 20 yard line late in the third quarter, but McCown threw an interception into the endzone on the Browns' next drive. The Cardinals scored another touchdown on their next drive, going up 31-20. After the Browns turned it over, the Cardinals kicked a field goal to make it 34-20. With QB Josh McCown injured, backup Johnny Manziel entered the game on the Browns' final drive. However, the Browns were able to gain only one first down before turning it over on downs and effectively ending the game.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 2-6.

Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals

In a Thursday Night Football matchup, the Bengals defeated the Browns 31-10. Browns QB Johnny Manziel made his fourth career start and second of this season in place of the injured Josh McCown. The Browns received the ball first and punted after gaining only one first down. The Bengals scored a touchdown on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. The Browns reached the Bengals' 4 yard line, but they were unable to reach the end zone and settled for a field goal. The Bengals led 7-3 after the first quarter. The Bengals scored an early second quarter touchdown to go up 14-3. The Browns went 93 yards and scored a touchdown to cut the deficit to 14-10 heading into halftime. The Bengals dominated the second half as the Browns did not record a first down until the 3 minute mark of the 4th quarter and had only 2 first downs for the entire second half. The Bengals scored another touchdown to go up 24-10 early in the 4th quarter. The Browns went 3 and out again, and the Bengals scored another touchdown on their next drive to take a 31-10 lead. The Browns attempted to respond, but they could not gain a first down and punted again. The Browns blocked a Bengals' and had the ball at Cincinnati's 37 yard line. They had two first downs on the drive, but they failed to score a touchdown and turned the ball over on downs, allowing the Bengals to run out the clock.

With the loss, the Browns' record dropped to 2-7.

Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Browns entered into their divisional rivalry game with the Pittsburgh Steelers having lost 19 of their last 22 meetings and 11 straight games at Heinz Field. Neither starting quarterback would start the game as Josh McCown had a rib injury and Stelers' QB Ben Roethlisberger had an foot injury. Pittsbugh QB Landry Jones would leave the game in the first quarter, forcing Roethlisberger into the game. Leading 6-3 after the 1st quarter, the Steelers would take control of the game in the 2nd quarter, scoring two touchdowns and taking a 21-3 lead into halftime. Steelers K Chris Boswell added a field goal in the third quarter, followed up by a Johnny Manziel touchdown pass to Gary Barnidge early in the 4th quarter to cut the Pittsburgh lead to 24-9, but a late Steelers touchdown gave them a 30-9 lead, which would end up being the final.

Coming off the bench, Roethlisberger passed for 379 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to WR Antonio Brown who led the Steelers with 139 yards. In the loss, Manziel passed for a career-high 372 yards with a touchdown, but he threw a key interception in the red zone. The Steelers defense sacked Manziel six times.

With the loss, the Browns entered their bye week at 2-8 and had sole possession of the NFL's worst record.

Week 11: Bye Week

No game. Cleveland had a bye week.

Week 12: vs. Baltimore Ravens

With just :03 left to play in regulation, Browns kicker Travis Coons lined up for what would have been the game-winning field goal, but the kick was blocked at the line of scrimmage, which was the rookie's first miss of the season. Ravens safety Will Hill then scooped up the live ball and returned it 64 yards for the game-winning touchdown as time expired. The Browns fell to 2-14 all time against the Ravens in the Harbaugh-Flacco era.

With the loss, the Browns dropped to 2-9, which guaranteed them their 8th consecutive losing season. It was their 15th losing season in the 17 years since the team returned to the NFL.

Week 13: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals dominated in every aspect of the game en route to a 37-3 win. The Browns started third-string quarterback Austin Davis, as Josh McCown was placed on IR earlier that week and Johnny Manziel was being disciplined for his antics during the team's bye week. Davis threw for 230 yards and an interception, while his counterpart, Andy Dalton threw two touchdown passes to A.J. Green and ran for a third score.

With their seventh straight loss, the Browns dropped to 2-10 and became the first team in the league that season to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. This marked the 13th straight year that the team missed the playoffs. It was also their 13th consecutive loss in the month of the December. The 34-point margin of defeat was the team's largest since Week 16 of the 2005 season, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-0.

Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers

With the win, the Browns snapped their 7 game losing streak and a 13 game losing streak in December games as they improved to 3-10.

Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks

The Browns fall to 3-11.

Week 16: at Kansas City Chiefs

The Browns fall to 3-12 with the loss. With the Ravens' win over the Steelers, they are assured last place in the AFC North.

Week 17: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers made the playoffs with a dominating 28-12 win over the Browns (and a Jets loss to the Bills). The game was competitive for three quarters, but the Browns failed to get into the endzone, scoring 4 field goals and committing 3 turnovers (2 of them in the 4th quarter, which resulted in Steelers scores). The Browns finished the season with a 3-13 record, their worst record since the 2000 season (when they also went 3-13). It was tied for their second fewest wins in a season, ahead of only the 1999 Browns, who won 2 games and went 2-14 that season. Ray Farmer was immediately fired that day along with Mike Pettine, who had lost 18 of his last 21 games going back to Week 13 of the previous season.

2016 Pro Bowl

Despite the team's awful performance on the field, T Joe Thomas and C Alex Mack were invited to the 2016 Pro Bowl. This marks Thomas' 9th consecutive Pro Bowl selection and ties him with Hall of Famers Lou Groza and Jim Brown for the most pro bowl selections in Browns history. This marks Mack's 3rd appearance in the game.

Special teamer Johnson Bademosi, TE Gary Barnidge, and WR Travis Benjamin were named as alternates at their respective positions.

Standings

Division

AFC North
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(3) Cincinnati Bengals	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	419	279	W1
(6) Pittsburgh Steelers	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	423	319	W1
Baltimore Ravens	5	11	0	.313	3–3	4–8	328	401	L1
Cleveland Browns	3	13	0	.188	1–5	2–10	278	432	L3

Conference

AFC
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division Leaders
1[lower-alpha 1]	Denver Broncos	West	12	4	0	.750	4–2	8–4	.500	.479	W2
2[lower-alpha 1]	New England Patriots	East	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	.473	.448	L2
3[lower-alpha 1]	Cincinnati Bengals	North	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	.477	.406	W1
4	Houston Texans	South	9	7	0	.563	5–1	7–5	.496	.410	W3
Wild Cards
5	Kansas City Chiefs	West	11	5	0	.688	5–1	10–2	.496	.432	W10
6[lower-alpha 2]	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.504	.463	W1
Did not qualify for the playoffs
7[lower-alpha 2]	New York Jets	East	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.441	.388	L1
8[lower-alpha 3]	Buffalo Bills	East	8	8	0	.500	4–2	7–5	.508	.438	W2
9[lower-alpha 3]	Indianapolis Colts	South	8	8	0	.500	4–2	6–6	.500	.406	W2
10	Oakland Raiders	West	7	9	0	.438	3–3	7–5	.512	.366	L1
11	Miami Dolphins	East	6	10	0	.375	1–5	4–8	.469	.469	W2
12[lower-alpha 3]	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	5	11	0	.313	2–4	5–7	.473	.375	L3
13[lower-alpha 3]	Baltimore Ravens	North	5	11	0	.313	3–3	4–8	.508	.425	L1
14	San Diego Chargers	West	4	12	0	.250	0–6	3–9	.527	.328	L2
15[lower-alpha 3]	Cleveland Browns	North	3	13	0	.188	1–5	2–10	.531	.271	L3
16[lower-alpha 3]	Tennessee Titans	South	3	13	0	.188	1–5	1–11	.492	.375	L4
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 4]
1 2 3 Denver finished ahead of New England and Cincinnati for the No. 1 seed based on head-to-head sweep. New England finished ahead of Cincinnati for the No. 2 seed based on record vs. common opponents — New England's cumulative record against Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Pittsburgh was 4–1, while Cincinnati's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2–3. 1 2 Pittsburgh finished ahead of the New York Jets for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents — Pittsburgh's cumulative record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, New England and Oakland was 4–1, while the Jets' cumulative record against the same four teams was 3–2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The tiebreaker was based on head-to-head victory. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Staff

2015 Cleveland Browns staff
	Front office Owner – Jimmy Haslam President – Alec Scheiner Executive Vice President of Business Operations – Bryan Wiedmeier General Manager – Ray Farmer Executive Chief of Staff – Bill Kuharich Vice President of Player Personnel – Morocco Brown Special Advisor – Jim Brown Special Assistant/Head of Innovation – Steve Gera Head coaches Head Coach – Mike Pettine Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – John DeFilippo Quarterbacks – Kevin O'Connell Running Backs – Wilbert Montgomery Wide Receivers – Joker Phillips Assistant Wide Receivers – Frank Edgerly Tight Ends – Brian Angelichio Offensive Line – George DeLeone Senior Offensive Assistant – Kurt Roper Offensive Quality Control – Michael McCarthy			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Jim O'Neil Defensive Line – Anthony Weaver Linebackers – Chuck Driesbach Assistant Linebackers – Brian Fleury Secondary – Jeff Hafley Assistant Defensive Backs – Bobby Babich Assistant Defensive Backs – Aaron Glenn Defensive Quality Control – Tony Tuioti Special teams coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Chris Tabor Special Teams Assistant – Shawn Mennenga Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Paul Ricci Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Mike Wolf Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Derik Keyes

Final roster

2015 Cleveland Browns final roster
	Quarterbacks 7 Austin Davis 3 Pat Devlin 2 Johnny Manziel Running backs 34 Isaiah Crowell 29 Duke Johnson 41 Raheem Mostert 27 Daryl Richardson 28 Glenn Winston Wide receivers 11 Travis Benjamin 80 Dwayne Bowe 18 Taylor Gabriel 85 Rannell Hall 10 Darius Jennings 15 Marlon Moore 17 Terrelle Pryor Tight ends 82 Gary Barnidge 88 E. J. Bibbs 81 Jim Dray		Offensive linemen 74 Cameron Erving G 65 Kaleb Johnson G 55 Alex Mack C 64 Darrian Miller T 67 Austin Pasztor G 72 Mitchell Schwartz T 73 Joe Thomas T Defensive linemen 92 Desmond Bryant DE 96 Xavier Cooper DE 93 John Hughes NT 98 Jamie Meder DE 71 Danny Shelton NT 94 Randy Starks DE		Linebackers 95 Armonty Bryant OLB 59 Tank Carder ILB 56 Karlos Dansby ILB 58 Christian Kirksey ILB 99 Paul Kruger OLB 51 Barkevious Mingo OLB 44 Nate Orchard OLB 53 Craig Robertson ILB Defensive backs 24 Johnson Bademosi SS 30 Ibraheim Campbell SS 26 Pierre Desir CB 43 Charles Gaines CB 21 Justin Gilbert CB 39 Tashaun Gipson FS 35 Don Jones S 33 Jordan Poyer FS 31 Donte Whitner SS 36 K'Waun Williams CB 22 Tramon Williams CB Special teams  6 Travis Coons K 47 Charley Hughlett LS  8 Andy Lee P		Reserve lists 75 Joel Bitonio G (IR) 61 Michael Bowie OT (IR) 25 Ifo Ekpre-Olomu CB (NF-Inj.) 12 Josh Gordon WR (Susp.) 77 John Greco G (IR) 23 Joe Haden CB (IR) 83 Brian Hartline WR (IR) 16 Andrew Hawkins WR (IR) 42 Malcolm Johnson FB (IR) 13 Josh McCown QB (IR)  9 Connor Shaw QB (IR) 54 Scott Solomon LB (IR) 86 Randall Telfer TE (NF-Inj.) Practice squad 38 Chance Casey CB 79 Dan France G 62 Garth Gerhart C 89 Connor Hamlett TE 57 Cam Johnson OLB 69 Erle Ladson OT 40 De'Ante Saunders CB 37 Tim Scott S 97 Dylan Wynn DE Rookies in italics 53 Active, 13 Inactive, 9 Practice squad

References

External links

• Official website

Cleveland Browns Founded in 1946 Based in Cleveland, Ohio Headquartered in Berea, Ohio Franchise History Players Head coaches Seasons Logos and uniforms First-round draft picks 1999 expansion draft Stadiums Cleveland Municipal Stadium FirstEnergy Stadium Culture and lore Cleveland sports curse Dawg Pound Draft Day Hot Tub Time Machine Kardiac Kids Marty Ball Red Right 88 Relocation controversy "The Best Man" The Drive The Express The Fortune Cookie The Fumble Rivalries Cincinnati Bengals Pittsburgh Steelers Key personnel Owners: Jimmy Haslam Dee Haslam President: Alec Scheiner Chief strategy officer: Paul DePodesta Head coach: Hue Jackson Playoff appearances (28) AAFC: 1946 1947 1948 1949 NFL: 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1957 1958 1964 1965 1967 1968 1969 1971 1972 1980 1982 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1994 2002 Division championships (12) AAFC: 1946 1947 1948 NFL: 1967 1968 1969 1971 1980 1985 1986 1987 1989 Championship appearances (15) AAFC: 1946 1947 1948 1949 NFL: 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1957 1964 1965 1968 1969 League championships (8) AAFC: 1946 1947 1948 1949 NFL: 1950 1954 1955 1964 Retired numbers 14 32 45 46 76 Hall of Fame inductees Players: Brown DeLamielleure Ford Gatski Graham Groza Hickerson Kelly Lavelli McCormack Mitchell Motley Newsome Warfield Willis Coach: Brown Current league affiliations League: National Football League (1950–present) Conference: American Football Conference Division: North Division Former league affiliation League: All-America Football Conference (1946–1949) Media Broadcasters Radio: WKNR WKRK-FM WNCX Browns Radio Network TV: WEWS-TV   Seasons (67) 1940s 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Cleveland Browns seasons 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Suspended operations 1996–1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Bold indicates AAFC (through 1949) or NFL Championship

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