CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Christian Kirksey's high-decibel postgame speech, complete with plenty of expletives, could be heard in the adjoining interview room following the Browns' 30-16 loss to the Bengals.

The Browns had just lost another hard-fought game to fall to 0-11 for the second straight season, and they were miffed about what they felt was a horrible unnecessary roughness call against Jabrill Peppers near the end of the game.

"Men don't quit. Men don't fold,'' Kirksey said of his message. "As the leader on this team, I feel like it's my job to keep these guys going, keep pushing and just keep sticking to the process. There's no time to complain about a call. There's no time to feel sorry for ourselves.' This is a man's game."

There's also almost no more time to win a football game and avoid the dreaded 0-16. The Browns have five games left to keep the 2008 Detroit Lions all alone in the 0-16 club from their 2008 season.

The Browns became only the second team in NFL history besides the 1976-77 Bucs to go 0-11 for two straight seasons, and set the league record for worst 48-game stretch at 4-44. Hue Jackson lost for the fourth straight time to his former Bengals team, and slipped to 1-26 to tie the Bucs' John McKay in '76-'77 for the worst start in NFL history.

"As I just told our football team in the locker room, I'm proud of them because we continue to fight,'' said Hue Jackson. "I've been saying this now for weeks: Our guys fight extremely hard. We don't always do things perfectly, but we continue to work, and that gives us a chance.''

DeShone Kizer, who overcame a four-turnover game against Jacksonville last week and a mid-game concussion check in Cincy, put forth a gutsy and spirited effort, and scored on a 3-yard keeper with 6:57 left to make it a one-score game.

But then came the Peppers penalty that rocked everyone on the team but Peppers himself, and it was the winless Browns against the world once again.

"This is a war that we're in right now,'' said Kizer. "(But) once we get over that hill we're going to win for a long time.''



What it means



The Browns are in serious jeopardy of going 0-16, and are inching closer to having the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight season. Question is, what will Browns owner Jimmy Haslam do to clean up this fine mess? Jackson remains confident that Haslam is in his corner, and it sure looked like it when the two chatted with Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron together before the game.

But Jackson explained, "we were over there honestly talking about Auburn, Alabama, the Iron Bowl. Because the last time he played in that game, that was the last time Auburn had won the game. So honestly we were talking about the Iron Bowl game more so than anything. So again, people make too much of that because of all the things that went on with the trade. And to me, that was thing that broke the ice, I think you can put a name with a face now and go from there.''



The Peppers penalty



After Kizer scored on the draw to make it 23-16, the defense just needed a stop to give him another chance. Instead, facing a third and 5 from the Browns' 40, Andy Dalton (214 yards, 2 TDs, 111.3 rating) fired a pass down the left side to receiver Josh Malone, who beat Jamar Taylor and corralled the ball with one hand before Peppers stormed in and drilled him in the chin with the crown of his helmet.



The ball popped loose, Malone got the wind knocked out of him, and Peppers was flagged 15 yards for hitting a defenseless receiver in the head. The rule prohibits "forcibly hitting the defenseless player's head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player's neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him."



Still, Jackson was miffed after the game about what he felt what a bad call.



"He didn't target the guy's head,'' said Jackson. "That's a huge call in the game and you've got to get that one right. Go back and look at the replay. It's just too big of a play in the game....I stand by (Peppers) wholeheartedly. Big play.''



"That's what you want out of your safety,'' said Kirksey.



Only Peppers, who was told by Jackson to keep bringing the heat, was contrite.



"I tried to keep it within the strike-zone,'' he said. "It's the referee's job to call it if it's not. They made the right call, and I just have to move on from it. I was trying to make a play for my team, and I guess I came in a little high."



In a game that featured three dropped interceptions, a taunting call against Bryce Treggs, a dropped pass by Corey Coleman in the end zone, 152 yards rushing by the Bengals, and 1-for-4 by the Browns in the red zone, the call against Peppers was not the reason the Browns lost this game.



Kizer's concussion check



Kizer (18-of-31, 268 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INT, 86.5 rating) fought through a ton of adversity, including a concussion check in the second quarter after big hit on his second drive by Burfict with the Browns trailing 10-3. He self-reported his symptoms and was taken to the locker room while Cody Kessler went three-and-out in his absence.

But Kizer came sprinting back to the sidelines and re-entered the game with 6:12 left in the half. He managed the clock better at the end of the first half this time, putting a field goal on the board to make it 16-6. He also took a 97.3 rating into the break.

In the fourth quarter, he found Kenny Britt for 38 yards and Rashard Higgins for 22 en route to his 3-yard TD run against the NFL's No. 3 red zone defense.



"He showed me a tough dude,'' said David Njoku. "He got hit in the head somewhere in the game and for him to fight his way through and come back out here for the team, he does it for us, risking his body every play for us. We really appreciate that."



Overall, it was Kizer's best long ball outing, completing 4-of-8 for 133 yards on passes of 20 yards or more, according to profootballfocus.com.



Corey Coleman's drop in the end zone



Facing a second and 20 after a Shon Coleman hold and the Browns trailing 23-6 in the third quarter, Kizer fired a perfect pass on a post route to a double-covered Corey Coleman -- and the receiver dropped it.

"Obviously it's unfortunate,'' said Jackson. "Corey knows he's got to make that play. It's so important, because that changes the game. We've just got to keep working at it. I'm disappointed.''

Kizer, who connected with Coleman on a 44-yarder in the first quarter, told Coleman "'I'm going to throw you the exact same ball and you're going to make the play.' We expect him to make that play every time he steps out there.''



More help is on the way



Josh Gordon is set to be activated on Monday and can play next Sunday against the Chargers in Los Angeles.



Red zone woes



The Browns went 1-for-4 in the red zone for a number of reasons, including a pass interference call against Njoku.



"We're just not good enough yet to overcome these things,'' said Jackson. "We have to continue to get better that way. It's tough when we get down there. That area of the field shrinks, so we've got to make some special plays and we're not on top of that just yet like we need to be.''



Zane Gonzalez' hits and misses



Gonzalez pushed a field goal wide left for the fifth time this season, this time a 43-yarder. But he made kicks of 27, 21 and 39. He also shanked a punt 16 yards while Britton Colquitt was being checked for a concussion. He was later cleared.



Extra points



Isaiah Crowell rushed for a season-high 95 yards... Myles Garrett broke his two-game sackless streak with a sack and leads the team with five..Jabrill Peppers, and Briean Boddy-Calhoun dropped interceptions, and Joe Schobert missed one in the end zone.



Next



The Browns play the Chargers Sunday in Los Angeles.