2011 Cleveland Browns season

2011 Cleveland Browns season
Head coach	Pat Shurmur
General manager	Tom Heckert
Owner	Randolph D. Lerner
Home field	Cleveland Browns Stadium
Results
Record	4–12
Division place	4th AFC North
Playoff finish	did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	T Joe Thomas
Uniform

The 2011 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 63rd season as a professional sports franchise and its 59th season as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The team had hoped to improve on its 2010 season, where it finished with a record of 5–11 and placed third in the AFC North, however, the team was eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14. This season marked the second season under the leadership of team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert, as well as the first season under head coach Pat Shurmur. The Browns played all of their home games at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.

Off-season

Personnel changes

On January 3, 2011, one day after the 2010 season, the Browns fired head coach Eric Mangini. In two seasons with the Browns, Mangini had a record of 10–22 and a disappointing 2–10 record against division opponents.^[1]

On January 13, the team hired former St. Louis Rams' offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to replace Mangini as head coach. Shurmur served as the Rams' offensive coordinator from 2009–2010, and was an offensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999–2008. This is his first opportunity as an NFL head coach.^[2]

On January 21, Shurmur made his first addition to the coaching staff, by hiring Dick Jauron as defensive coordinator. Jauron, who most recently served as the Philadelphia Eagles' secondary coach, has served as defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1995–98, head coach of the Chicago Bears from 1999–2003, and head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2006–09.^[3] Jauron replaces Rob Ryan, who became the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.

On January 25, the Browns hired Chris Tabor as special teams coordinator. Tabor most recently served as the Chicago Bears' assistant special teams coach from 2008–2010.^[4] Tabor replaces Brad Seely, who became the special teams coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers.

On January 31, the Browns added four new coaches to their staff. The Browns hired former Oakland Raiders defensive line coach Dwaine Board as defensive line coach, former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Billy Davis as linebackers coach, former University of Miami offensive coordinator Mark Whipple as quarterbacks coach, and former NFL wide receiver Mike Wilson as wide receivers coach.^[5]

The rest of the Browns' position coaches were retained from Mangini's staff. The Browns have not hired an offensive coordinator, as Shurmur intends to call the offensive plays for the team.^[6]

Scheme Changes

This season marks the Browns' transition into the West Coast Offense of Coach Pat Shurmur and the 4–3 defense of defensive coordinator Dick Jauron.

Roster Changes

Free Agency

Pos.	Player	Tag	2011 Team	Signed
DE	Titus Adams	UFA
RB	Mike Bell	UFA	Lions	August 9[7]
OLB	Marcus Benard	ERFA	Browns	July 29[8]
ILB	Titus Brown	ERFA	Browns	August 3
ILB	Blake Costanzo	UFA	49ers	August 3[9]
K	Phil Dawson	UFA	Browns F[10]	July 29[8]
SS	Abram Elam	UFA	Cowboys	August 3[11]
TE	Greg Estandia	UFA
ILB	D'Qwell Jackson	UFA	Browns	March 3[12]
DE	Jayme Mitchell	UFA	Browns	August 1[13]
TE	Evan Moore	ERFA	Browns	July 29[8]
FS	Sabby Piscitelli	UFA	Chiefs	August 4[14]
DE	Derreck Robinson	UFA	Browns	July 31[15]
OLB	Matt Roth	UFA	Jaguars	August 12[16]
DE	Brian Schaefering	ERFA	Browns	July 29[8]
TE	Alex Smith	UFA	Browns	August 1 [17]
DE	Robaire Smith	UFA
FS	Nick Sorensen	UFA
WR	Chansi Stuckey	UFA	Cardinals	July 29[18]
ILB	Jason Trusnik	UFA	Dolphins	July 29[19]
FB	Lawrence Vickers	UFA	Texans	August 3[20]
QB	Seneca Wallace	UFA	Browns	March 3[12]
G	Floyd Womack	UFA	Cardinals	July 31[21]
CB	Eric Wright	UFA	Lions	July 31[22]
G	Billy Yates	UFA	Browns	July 29[8]

Player re-signed by Browns

F The Browns placed the franchise tag on Dawson

Pos.	Player	Released	2011 Team	Signed
LB	Eric Alexander	July 28[23]
LB	Eric Barton	February 9[24]
LB	David Bowens	February 9[24]
DE	Kenyon Coleman	February 9[24]	Cowboys	July 29[25]
QB	Jake Delhomme	July 28[23]
TE	Tyson DeVree	July 28[23]	Colts	July 31[26]
DT	Shaun Rogers	February 9[24]	Saints	March 1[27]
TE	Robert Royal	February 9[24]
T	John St. Clair	February 9[24]

Signings

Pos.	Player	2010 Team	Signed
RB	Brandon Jackson	Packers	July 29[8]
P	Richmond McGee	Bears	August 3[28]
CB	Dmitri Patterson	Eagles	August 2[29]
FS	Usama Young	Saints	July 29[8]

Trades

Date	Trade Partner(s)	Player(s) Traded	Player(s) Acquired	Notes
July 29	St. Louis Rams	2012 conditional 7th round Draft Pick	G John Greco	[13][30]

2011 Draft class

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Signed	Notes
1	21	Phil Taylor	Defensive tackle	Baylor	August 2[31]	From Kansas City[32]
2	37	Jabaal Sheard	Defensive end	Pittsburgh	July 29[8]
	59	Greg Little	Wide receiver	North Carolina	July 29[8]	From Atlanta[33]
4	102	Jordan Cameron	Tight end	USC	July 29[8]
	124	Owen Marecic	Fullback	Stanford	July 29[8]	From Atlanta[33]
5	137	Buster Skrine	Cornerback	Chattanooga	July 29[8]
	150	Jason Pinkston	Offensive tackle	Pittsburgh	July 29[8]	From NY Giants via Minnesota[34]
7	248	Eric Hagg	Safety	Nebraska	July 29[8]	Compensatory selection

The Browns did not have a 3rd^[32] or 6th round selection.^[34] The Browns traded their original 7th round selection^[35] but later received a new 7th round selection as a compensatory pick.

Undrafted free agents

Pos.	Player	College	Signed	Cut
OLB	Derrick Addai	Kentucky State	July 29[36]	August 3[28]
G	Dominic Alford	Minnesota	July 26[37]	September 3[38]
DT	Kyle Anderson	Georgetown College	July 26[37]	August 28[39]
DT	Andre Carroll	Delaware State	July 29[36]	September 3[40]
WR	L.J. Castile	Delta State	July 29[36]	September 3[40]
CB	James Dockery	Oregon State	July 26[37]
OLB	Archie Donald	Toledo	August 3[28]	September 3[38]
DE	Jabari Fletcher	Appalachian State	July 26[37]	August 28[39]
T	Calton Ford	Norfolk State	July 29[36]	September 3[40]
TE	Evan Frosch	TCU	July 29[36]	September 3[40]
CB	Carl Gettis	Missouri	July 26[41]	September 3[38]
OLB	Eric Gordon	Michigan State	August 3[28]	September 3[40]
CB	Darian Hagan	Cal	July 29[36]	August 28[39]
LB	Benjamin Jacobs	Fresno State	July 29[36]
WR	Chris Matthews	Kentucky	July 26[37]	September 3[40]
WR	Juan Nunez	Western Michigan	July 26[41]	August 28[39]
T	Jarrod Shaw	Tennessee	July 29[36]	September 3[38]
RB	Armond Smith	Union College	July 29[36]
OLB	Brian Smith	Notre Dame	July 26[37]	September 3[38]
OLB	Sidney Tarver	Tennessee State	July 26[37]	September 3[40]
QB	Troy Weatherhead	Hillsdale College*	July 26[37]	August 28[39]
K	Jeff Wolfert	Missouri	July 29[36]	August 28[39]
MLB	Alex Wujciak	Maryland	July 26[37]	August 3[28]

* Weatherhead also played for the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League.

Uniform Changes

On June 16, it was announced that the Browns would be wearing white jerseys for all home games. The Browns had previously worn white at home during the 1950s–1980s and again in the early 2000s.^[42] Because the home team for all Browns' away games chose to wear their colored jersey, the Browns wore the same uniform for all 16 games for the first time in franchise history.

Personnel

Staff

Cleveland Browns 2011 staff
	Front Office Owner – Randy Lerner President – Mike Holmgren Executive Vice President of Business Operations – Bryan Wiedmeier General Manager – Tom Heckert Vice President of Football Operations – Mark Schiefelbein Vice President of Football Administration – Matt Thomas Director of Player Personnel – Jon Sandusky Director of College Scouting – Jon Spytek Head Coaches Head Coach – Pat Shurmur Offensive Coaches Quarterbacks – Mark Whipple Running Backs – Gary Brown Wide Receivers – Mike Wilson Tight Ends – Steve Hagen Offensive Line – George Warhop Senior Assistant/Offense – Keith Gilbertson Offensive Assistant – Chris Beake			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Dick Jauron Defensive Line – Dwaine Board Linebackers – Billy Davis Defensive Backs – Jerome Henderson Senior Assistant/Defense – Ray Rhodes Defensive Assistant – Chuck Bullough Special Teams Coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Chris Tabor Special Teams Assistant – Shawn Mennenga Strength and Conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Kent Johnston Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Rick Lyle

Final roster

2011 Cleveland Browns final roster
	Quarterbacks  9 Thaddeus Lewis 12 Colt McCoy  6 Seneca Wallace Running backs 31 Montario Hardesty 40 Peyton Hillis 48 Owen Marecic FB 25 Chris Ogbonnaya 44 Eddie Williams FB Wide receivers 16 Josh Cribbs RS 15 Greg Little 11 Mohamed Massaquoi 18 Carlton Mitchell 10 Jordan Norwood 13 Rod Windsor Tight ends 84 Jordan Cameron 87 Dan Gronkowski 89 Evan Moore		Offensive linemen 72 Oniel Cousins G 77 John Greco G 75 Artis Hicks G/T 66 Shawn Lauvao G 55 Alex Mack C 79 Tony Pashos T 62 Jason Pinkston G/T 73 Joe Thomas T 60 Steve Vallos C Defensive linemen 94 Auston English DE 92 Jayme Mitchell DE 69 Scott Paxson DT 71 Ahtyba Rubin DT 70 Brian Sanford DE 91 Brian Schaefering DT 97 Jabaal Sheard DE 98 Phil Taylor DT 67 Kiante Tripp DT		Linebackers 51 Chris Gocong OLB 52 D'Qwell Jackson MLB 54 Ben Jacobs OLB 56 Kaluka Maiava OLB 53 Brian Smith MLB 90 Quinton Spears OLB/DE Defensive backs 20 Mike Adams FS 24 Sheldon Brown CB 34 James Dockery CB 23 Joe Haden CB 27 Eric Hagg SS 21 Dimitri Patterson CB 22 Buster Skrine CB 41 Ray Ventrone SS 28 Usama Young FS Special teams  4 Phil Dawson K  7 Brad Maynard P 57 Christian Yount LS		Reserve lists 58 Marcus Benard DE (NF-Inj.) 59 Titus Brown MLB (IR) 99 Scott Fujita OLB (IR)  2 Reggie Hodges P (IR) 29 Brandon Jackson RB (IR)  8 Richmond McGee P (IR) 81 Alex Smith TE (IR) 65 Eric Steinbach G (IR) 96 Emmanuel Stephens DE (IR) 43 T. J. Ward SS (IR) 82 Benjamin Watson TE (IR) Practice squad 78 Dominic Alford G/T 88 Torrey Grissett WR 95 Ayanga Okpokowuruk DE 93 Craig Robertson MLB 74 Jarrod Shaw G 36 David Sims SS 35 Armond Smith RB 17 Owen Spencer WR Rookies in italics 53 Active, 11 Inactive, 8 Practice squad

Preseason

Schedule

The Browns' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.

Week	Date	Kickoff (EDT)	Opponent	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
				Final score	Team record
1	August 13	7:30 p.m.	Green Bay Packers	W 27–17	1–0	Cleveland Browns Stadium	WKYC	Recap
2	August 19	7:30 p.m.	Detroit Lions	L 28–30	1–1	Cleveland Browns Stadium	WKYC	Recap
3	August 25	7:30 p.m.	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 14–24	1–2	Lincoln Financial Field	WKYC	Recap
4	September 1	8:00 p.m.	at Chicago Bears	L 14–24	1–3	Soldier Field	WKYC	Recap

Roster Moves

After the third preseason game, all NFL teams had to reduce their rosters to 80 players. On August 28, The Browns released eight players, the majority of them being undrafted free agents.^[39][43]

After the final preseason game, all teams had to reduce their rosters to 53 players. The Browns released 25 players and placed two players – RB Brandon Jackson and G Eric Steinbach – on injured reserve. Notable players released include QB Jarrett Brown and DB Coye Francies.^[38]

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Kickoff (ET)	Opponent	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
				Final score	Team record
1	September 11	1:00 p.m.	Cincinnati Bengals	L 17–27	0–1	Cleveland Browns Stadium	CBS	Recap
2	September 18	1:00 p.m.	at Indianapolis Colts	W 27–19	1–1	Lucas Oil Stadium	CBS	Recap
3	September 25	1:00 p.m.	Miami Dolphins	W 17–16	2–1	Cleveland Browns Stadium	CBS	Recap
4	October 2	1:00 p.m.	Tennessee Titans	L 13–31	2–2	Cleveland Browns Stadium	CBS	Recap
5	Bye
6	October 16	4:05 p.m.	at Oakland Raiders	L 17–24	2–3	O.co Coliseum	CBS	Recap
7	October 23	1:00 p.m.	Seattle Seahawks	W 6–3	3–3	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Fox	Recap
8	October 30	4:15 p.m.	at San Francisco 49ers	L 10–20	3–4	Candlestick Park	CBS	Recap
9	November 6	1:00 p.m.	at Houston Texans	L 12–30	3–5	Reliant Stadium	CBS	Recap
10	November 13	1:00 p.m.	St. Louis Rams	L 12–13	3–6	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Fox	Recap
11	November 20	1:00 p.m.	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 14–10	4–6	Cleveland Browns Stadium	CBS	Recap
12	November 27	1:00 p.m.	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 20–23	4–7	Paul Brown Stadium	CBS	Recap
13	December 4	4:05 p.m.[44]	Baltimore Ravens	L 10–24	4–8	Cleveland Browns Stadium	CBS	Recap
14	December 8	8:20 p.m.	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 3–14	4–9	Heinz Field	NFLN	Recap
15	December 18	4:15 p.m.	at Arizona Cardinals	L 17–20 (OT)	4–10	University of Phoenix Stadium	CBS	Recap
16	December 24	1:00 p.m.	at Baltimore Ravens	L 14–20	4–11	M&T Bank Stadium	CBS	Recap
17	January 1	4:15 p.m.[45]	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 9–13	4–12	Cleveland Browns Stadium	CBS	Recap

LEGEND:

Bold indicates division games.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 1: Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	10	3	0	14	27
Browns	0	14	3	0	17

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: September 11
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 72°F (Partly Cloudy)
• Game attendance: 67,321
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap

Game information

First Quarter CIN (8:20) – Mike Nugent 24 yd field goal Bengals 3, Browns 0 Drive: 10 plays, 35 yds, 4:40 CIN (2:22) – Jermaine Gresham 2 yd pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick) Bengals 10, Browns 0 Drive: 7 plays, 41 yds, 4:03 Second Quarter CIN (11:30) – Mike Nugent 47 yd field goal Bengals 13, Browns 0 Drive: 9 plays, 42 yds, 4:24 CLE (9:17) – Benjamin Watson 34 yd pass from Colt McCoy (Phil Dawson kick) Bengals 13, Browns 7 Drive: 4 plays, 57 yds, 2:13 CLE (4:14) – Evan Moore 2 yd pass from Colt McCoy (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 14, Bengals 13 Drive: 9 plays, 90 yds, 3:21 Third Quarter CLE (8:36) – Phil Dawson 20 yd field goal Browns 17, Bengals 13 Drive: 10 plays, 50 yds, 4:50 Fourth Quarter CIN (4:28) – A. J. Green 41 yd pass from Bruce Gradkowski (Mike Nugent kick) Bengals 20, Browns 17 Drive: 5 plays, 62 yds, 1:51 CIN (1:49) – Cedric Benson 39 yd run (Mike Nugent kick) Bengals 27, Browns 17 Drive: 3 plays, 46 yds, 0:18 Top passers CIN – Andy Dalton – 10/15, 81 yds, 1 TD CLE – Colt McCoy – 19/40, 213 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CIN – Cedric Benson – 25 carr, 121 yds, 1 TD CLE – Peyton Hillis – 17 carr, 57 yds Top receivers CIN – Jermaine Gresham – 6 rec, 58 yds, 1 TD CLE – Benjamin Watson – 3 rec, 45 yds, 1 TD Top defenders CIN – Reggie Nelson – 9 tackles, 1 sack CLE – D'Qwell Jackson – 11 tackles, 2 sacks

The Browns began the season with a division game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals struck first, with two Mike Nugent field goals and a Jermaine Gresham touchdown reception. Down 13–0, the Browns struck back, with Colt McCoy completing two touchdown passes to give Cleveland the lead at halftime. Phil Dawson gave the Browns an insurance field goal, but late in the fourth, Bengals backup QB Bruce Gradkowski caught the Browns defense slow out of the huddle and hit A. J. Green for a 41-yard touchdown that proved to be the game winner. With the 27–17 loss, the Browns started the season 0–1.

Week 2: at Indianapolis Colts

Week 2: Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	14	0	13	27
Colts	3	6	3	7	19

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: September 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Domed stadium
• Game attendance: 65,035
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
• Recap

Game information

First Quarter IND (10:31) – Adam Vinatieri 39 yd field goal Colts 3, Browns 0 Drive: 10 plays, 67 yds, 4:29 Second Quarter IND (14:15) – Adam Vinatieri 27 yd field goal Colts 6, Browns 0 Drive: 10 plays, 78 yds, 4:40 CLE (7:53) – Evan Moore 16 yd pass from Colt McCoy (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 7, Colts 6 Drive: 11 plays, 55 yds, 6:22 IND (3:53) – Adam Vinatieri 52 yd field goal Colts 9, Browns 7 Drive: 10 plays, 34 yds, 4:00 CLE (0:15) – Peyton Hillis 1 yd run (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 14, Colts 9 Drive: 10 plays, 80 yds, 3:28 Third Quarter IND (6:52) – Adam Vinatieri 36 yd field goal Browns 14, Colts 12 Drive: 9 plays, 42 yds, 3:52 Fourth Quarter CLE (10:57) – Phil Dawson 20 yd field goal Browns 17, Colts 12 Drive: 7 plays, 19 yds, 3:49 CLE (3:55) – Peyton Hillis 24 yd run (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 24, Colts 12 Drive: 3 plays, 28 yds, 0:55 CLE (2:59) – Phil Dawson 23 yd field goal Browns 27, Colts 12 Drive: 4 plays, 9 yds, 0:24 IND (0:24) – Dallas Clark 6 yd pass from Kerry Collins (Adam Vinatieri kick) Browns 27, Colts 19 Drive: 12 plays, 83 yds, 2:35 Top passers CLE – Colt McCoy 22/32, 211 yds, 1 TD IND – Kerry Collins 19/38, 191 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CLE – Peyton Hillis 27 carr, 94 yds, 2 TD IND – Joseph Addai 14 carr, 64 yds Top receivers CLE – Mohamed Massaquoi 3 rec, 45 yds IND – Reggie Wayne 4 rec, 66 yds Top defenders CLE – D'Qwell Jackson 8 tackles IND – Kavell Conner 10 tackles

The Browns took on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, with both teams looking to rebound from losses. The Colts moved the ball well early, but had to settle for two Adam Vinatieri field goals to take a 6–0 lead. The Browns answered with an Evan Moore touchdown reception from Colt McCoy. The Colts briefly regained the lead on another Vinatieri field goal, but the Browns responded with a Peyton Hillis touchdown run to take a 14–9 lead into halftime. The Colts added another field goal in the third, but the Browns scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth to put the game away and defeat the Colts 27–19. With the win, the Browns improved to 1–1.

Week 3: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 3: Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	7	3	3	3	16
Browns	0	7	3	7	17

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: September 25
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 77°F (Sunny)
• Game attendance: 66,651
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Randy Cross
• Recap

Game information

First Quarter MIA (8:09) – Daniel Thomas 10 yd pass from Chad Henne (Dan Carpenter kick) Dolphins 7, Browns 0 Drive: 4 plays, 43 yds, 1:56 Second Quarter CLE (7:16) – Joshua Cribbs 33 yd pass from Colt McCoy (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 7, Dolphins 7 Drive: 6 plays, 59 yds, 2:43 MIA (0:27) – Dan Carpenter 23 yd field goal Dolphins 10, Browns 7 Drive: 11 plays, 75 yds, 3:38 Third Quarter CLE (10:37) – Phil Dawson 30 yd field goal Browns 10, Dolphins 10 Drive: 9 plays, 68 yds, 4:23 MIA (2:29) – Dan Carpenter 41 yd field goal Dolphins 13, Browns 10 Drive: 14 plays, 70 yds, 8:08 Fourth Quarter MIA (3:23) – Dan Carpenter 38 yd field goal Dolphins 16, Browns 10 Drive: 8 plays, 39 yds, 2:57 CLE (0:43) – Mohamed Massaquoi 14 yd pass from Colt McCoy (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 17, Dolphins 16 Drive: 13 plays, 80 yds, 2:40 Top passers MIA – Chad Henne 19/29, 255 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT CLE – Colt McCoy 19/39, 210 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers MIA – Daniel Thomas 23 carr, 95 yds CLE – Montario Hardesty 14 carr, 67 yds Top receivers MIA – Brian Hartline 4 rec, 87 yds CLE – Benjamin Watson 5 rec, 64 yds Top defenders MIA – Will Allen 5 tackles CLE – Ahtyba Rubin 8 tackles, 1.5 sacks

The Browns faced the Miami Dolphins without their leading rusher Peyton Hillis in a Week 3 matchup. The Dolphins took an early lead, converting a Colt McCoy interception into a 7–0 lead on a touchdown pass from Chad Henne. The Browns tied the game on a touchdown pass from McCoy to Joshua Cribbs. The Dolphins took the lead again on a Dan Carpenter field goal, and took a 10–7 lead into halftime. The Browns again tied the game in the third with Phil Dawson's field goal. The Dolphins added two more field goals, and had the Browns down six points in the final minutes. McCoy led the Browns down the field, and hit Mohamed Massaquoi on a 14-yard touchdown pass to give the Browns a last-minute, 17–16 victory. With the win, the Browns improved to 2–1 and it also became the first season since 2007 to where the team was actually at least a game above .500.

Week 4: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 4: Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Titans	7	14	10	0	31
Browns	3	3	0	7	13

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: October 2
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 55°F (Rain)
• Game attendance: 66,240
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
• Recap

Game information
First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter Top passers TEN – CLE – Top rushers TEN – CLE – Top receivers TEN – CLE – Top defenders TEN – CLE –

With the loss, the Browns dropped to 2–2, heading into their Week 5 bye.

Week 6: at Oakland Raiders

Week Six: Cleveland Browns at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	7	0	10	17
Raiders	7	7	10	0	24

at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: October 16
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 71°F, Sunny
• Game attendance: 57,300
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CLE – OAK – Top rushers CLE – OAK – Top receivers CLE – OAK – Top tacklers CLE – OAK –

With the loss, the Browns fell to 2–3.

Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Seven: Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	0	3	0	3
Browns	0	3	0	3	6

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: October 23
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 62°F, (Sunny)
• Game attendance: 66,350
• Referee: Mike Carey
• TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr. and Drea Avent

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers SEA – CLE – Top rushers SEA – CLE – Top receivers SEA – CLE – Top tacklers SEA – CLE –

With the win, the Browns improved to 3–3.

Week 8: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Six: Cleveland Browns at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	3	0	7	10
49ers	10	7	0	3	20

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

• Date: October 30
• Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT/1:15 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 67°F, Sunny
• Game attendance: 69,732
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CLE – SF – Top rushers CLE – SF – Top receivers CLE – SF – Top tacklers CLE – SF –

With the loss, the Browns fell to 3–4.

Week 9: at Houston Texans

Week Nine: Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	3	0	3	6	12
Texans	14	10	3	3	30

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: November 6
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 71,511
• Referee: Alberto Riveron
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CLE – HOU – Top rushers CLE – HOU – Top receivers CLE – HOU – Top tacklers CLE – HOU –

With the loss, the Browns fell to 3–5.

Week 10: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week Ten: St. Louis Rams at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	10	0	3	13
Browns	3	6	3	0	12

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: November 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 63°F, (Cloudy) / Windy Gusting to Gale Force
• Game attendance: 64,900
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr. and Drea Avent

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers STL – CLE – Top rushers STL – CLE – Top receivers STL – CLE – Top tacklers STL – CLE –

With the loss, the Browns fell to 3–6.

Week 11: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Eleven: Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	0	7	0	3	10
Browns	0	7	0	7	14

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: November 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 52°F, (Cloudy)
• Game attendance: 63,498
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers JAC – CLE – Top rushers JAC – CLE – Top receivers JAC – CLE – Top tacklers JAC – CLE –

With the win, the Browns improved to 4–6.

Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Twelve: Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	7	10	3	0	20
Bengals	7	0	10	6	23

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: November 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 57°F, Rainy
• Game attendance: 48,260
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker

Game information

First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CLE – Colt McCoy – 16/34, 151 YDS, 2 TD CIN – Andy Dalton – 21/31, 270 YDS, 1 TD Top rushers CLE – Peyton Hillis – 19 CAR, 65 YDS, 0 TD CIN – Cedric Benson – 21 CAR, 106 YDS, 1 TD Top receivers CLE – Jordan Norwood – 4 REC, 69 YDS, 0 TD CIN – A.J. Green – 3 REC, 110 YDS, 0 TD Top tacklers CLE – D'Qwell Jackson – 5 TKL, 4 AST CIN – Rey Maualuga – 6 TKL, 4 AST

After being swept by the Bengals for the first time since 2009, the Browns dropped to 4–7.

Week 13: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week Thirteen: Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Ravens	0	10	7	7	24
Browns	0	0	3	7	10

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: December 4
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST^[44]
• Game weather: 51°F, (Light Rain)
• Game attendance: 63,648
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BAL – CLE – Top rushers BAL – CLE – Top receivers BAL – CLE – Top tacklers BAL – CLE –

With their 7th straight loss to the Ravens, the Browns fell to 4–8.

Week 14: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Fourteen: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	3	0	0	0	3
Steelers	7	0	0	7	14

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: December 8
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 31°F, Fair
• Game attendance: 60,754
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CLE – PIT – Top rushers CLE – PIT – Top receivers CLE – PIT – Top tacklers CLE – PIT –

With the loss, the Browns dropped to 4–9. And as a result they officially clinched 4th-place in the AFC North.

Week 15: at Arizona Cardinals

Week Fifteen: Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Browns	7	3	7	0	0	17
Cardinals	0	7	0	10	3	20

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: December 18
• Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST/2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 60,443
• Referee: Scott Green
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CLE – ARI – Top rushers CLE – ARI – Top receivers CLE – ARI – Top tacklers CLE – ARI –

With the loss, the Browns fell to 4–10 and finished 1–3 against NFC Opponents.

Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Sixteen: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	0	7	7	14
Ravens	10	7	3	0	20

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 44°F, Partly Cloudy
• Game attendance: 71,083
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Rich Gannon

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CLE – BAL – Top rushers CLE – BAL – Top receivers CLE – BAL – Top tacklers CLE – BAL –

With their 8th straight loss to the Ravens, the Browns fell to 4–11.

Week 17: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Seventeen: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	3	10	0	13
Browns	0	6	3	0	9

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: January 1
• Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST^[45]
• Game weather: 37°F, (mix of rain and snow)
• Game attendance: 68,266
• Referee: Alberto Riveron
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan & Solomon Wilcots

Game information

First quarter No Scoring Second quarter CLEVELAND: Dawson 26-yard field goal (6:03) Cleveland Browns 3, Pittsburgh Steelers 0 CLEVELAND: Dawson 45-yard field goal (1:06) Cleveland Browns 6, Pittsburgh Steelers 0 PITTSBURGH: Suisham 19-yard field goal (0:00) Cleveland Browns 6, Pittsburgh Steelers 3 Third quarter PITTSBURGH: Suisham 29-yard field goal (9:43) Cleveland Browns 6, Pittsburgh Steelers 6 PITTSBURGH: Redman 7 Yd Run (Suisham Kick) (5:27) Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Cleveland Browns 6 CLEVELAND: Dawson 49-yard field goal (1:59) Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Cleveland Browns 9 Fourth quarter No Scoring Top passers PIT – Roethlisberger, 221 yards CLE – Wallace, 177 yards Top rushers PIT – Redman, 92 yards CLE – Wallace, 44 yards Top receivers PIT – Brown, 90 yards CLE – Cribbs, 91 yards Top tacklers PIT – Timmons, 6 tackles CLE – Jackson, 13 tackles

With the loss, the Browns finished the season 4–12 and last place in the AFC North.

Standings

AFC North
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(2) Baltimore Ravens	12	4	0	.750	6–0	9–3	378	266	W2
^(5) Pittsburgh Steelers	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	325	227	W2
^(6) Cincinnati Bengals	9	7	0	.563	2–4	6–6	344	323	L1
Cleveland Browns	4	12	0	.250	0–6	3–9	218	307	L6

References

1. Leahy, Sean (January 3, 2011). "Cleveland Browns fire coach Eric Mangini". USA Today. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
2. Withers, Tom (January 13, 2011). "Browns’ hire Pat Shurmur". Associated Press. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
3. Withers, Tom (January 21, 2011). "Browns name Dick Jauron defensive coordinator". Associated Press. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
4. "Tabor named special teams coordinator". ClevelandBrowns.com. January 25, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
5. Florjancic, Matt (January 31, 2011). "Browns add to coaching staff". ClevelandBrowns.com. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
6. "Shurmur press conf. transcript-1/14". 2011-01-14. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
7. Lions sign RB Bell
8. "Browns sign kicker Dawson, draft picks". Associated Press. July 30, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
9. 49ers sign ILB Costanzo
10. "Browns Franchise Dawson". ClevelandBrowns.com. February 22, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
11. Cowboys sign SS Elam
12. Withers, Tom (March 3, 2011). "Key Players Re-Sign with Browns Hours Before Becoming Free Agents". Associated Press. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
13. "Browns announce roster moves". ClevelandBrowns.com. August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
14. "CHIEFS SIGN CB BRANDON CARR AND S SABBY PISCITELLI". KCChiefs.com. August 4, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
15. "Browns re-sign Derreck Robinson". ClevelandBrowns.com. August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
16. Jaguars sign OLB Roth
17. Browns re-sign TE Smith
18. "Cardinals sign 5 free agents, 5 draft choices as camp opens". Associated Press. July 30, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
19. Dolphins sign ILB Trusnik
20. Texans sign FB Vickers
21. Lutui, Deuce (July 31, 2011). "Cardinals Sign Free Agent OG Floyd Womack". Retrieved August 19, 2011.
22. Lions sign CB Writht
23. Grossi, Tony (July 28, 2011). "Cleveland Browns make it official, confirm release of QB Jake Delhomme and two others". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
24. "Browns make roster moves". ClevelandBrowns.com. February 9, 2011. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
25. Cowboys Sign DE Coleman
26. Colts Claim DeVree off Waivers
27. "Saints sign veteran DT Rogers". The Sports Network. March 1, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
28. DiMatteo, Steve (August 3, 2011). "Browns Sign Punter Richmond McGee and Two Undrafted Rookies". Dawg Pound Daily. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
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31. Jonas, Nick (August 2, 2011). "Browns ink first-round pick Taylor". Sports Network. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
32. On Day 1 of the draft, after trading with Atlanta (see below) the Browns traded their 1st and 3rd round picks (Nos. 27 and 70, used to select Jonathan Baldwin and Justin Houston, respectively) to the Kansas City Chiefs for their first round selection (No. 21, used to select Phil Taylor)
33. On Day 1 of the draft, the Browns traded their 1st round pick (No. 6, used to select Julio Jones) to the Atlanta Falcons for their 1st (No. 27, traded to Kansas City), 2nd (No. 59, used to select Greg Little), and 4th (No. 124, used to select Owen Marecic) round picks, as well as the Falcons' first and fourth round picks in 2012.
34. On day 3 of the draft, the Browns traded their two 6th round picks (Nos. 168 and 170, used to select DeMarcus Love and Mistral Raymond, respectively) to the Minnesota Vikings for their fifth round pick (No. 150, used to select Jason Pinkston).
35. In March 2010, the Browns traded their seventh round selection (No. 209, later traded to Detroit) to the Seattle Seahawks for QB Seneca Wallace
36. Cypert, Thomas (July 30, 2011). "Browns Start Camp with Steinbach & Massaquoi Injured, 21 Undrafted Free Agents". Cleveland Browns Forum. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
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41. Rados, Paul (July 26, 2011). "Browns add a handful of undrafted free agents". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
42. Florjancic, Matt (June 16, 2011). "Ask Matt". ClevelandBrowns.com. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
43. Gesk, Michael (August 29, 2011). "NFL Roster Cuts: Cleveland Browns Released Eight To Get To 80 Players". SBNation. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
44. Schefter, Adam (November 21, 2011). "NFL announces Week 13 flex plan". espn.com. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
45. http://www.steelersdepot.com/2011/12/steelers-week-17-sunday-game-against-browns-flexed-to-415-kickoff/