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Chris Ogbonnaya had a costly fumble in the loss to the Steelers.

(Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I hate writing stories like this about the Browns.

I hate writing that the snow is flying and the hopes for the team in the orange helmets is dying -- killed by the Steelers. I hate watching a Browns quarterback staggering off the field while fans keep asking themselves, "Why does this always happen to my team?"

It's a legitimate question after the 27-11 loss on this frigid Sunday at First Energy Stadium.

The Browns are now 4-7, and have lost five of six. Brandon Weeden is back at quarterback -- his third turn in 11 games. By now, you may be asking yourself, "Why does this keep happening to the Browns?"

Wish I had an answer.

My guess is Jason Campbell's ribs have been worse than anyone wanted to admit. Campbell has been refusing to discuss the injury. But he was shaky in last week's 41-20 loss at Cincinnati. This week, he was blasted by the Steelers, and ended up leaving the game with what the Browns called a head injury.

Timeout for a complaint: Campbell was knocked out of the game in the third quarter by cornerback William Gay. Watching the play, it looked as if Gay clubbed Campbell's helmet. Television replays made it look as if he really blasted Campbell in the head. Why no flag?

Instead, Campbell fumbled and that set up a touchdown that led to the Steelers taking a 20-3 lead. Had Campbell remained in the game, it's doubtful the Browns would have won. He was 14-of-22 for 124 yards and was not making any real progress against the Steelers.

Had the flag been tossed, the score would still be 13-3 with Weeden at quarterback -- and I'd still be skeptical about the Browns' ability to come back. The lack of a flag just added to the frustration, but not as much as the injury to Campbell.

By now, most fans believe it's a hopeless situation with Weeden at quarterback. Two coaching staffs have worked to make him a starter. Two have failed, because Weeden seems to lack touch on short passes, and poise in the pocket.

Hard to believe, but Weeden is 14-of-30 on passes BEHIND the line of scrimmage. Most quarterbacks are at 80 percent on those throws.

Before this game, the media and many of the fans were talking about how a victory over the Steelers would make the Browns 3-0 at home in the AFC North. And how Jacksonville comes to town next Sunday, and if the Browns won that game … well, they'd be 6-6.

And if the Browns had drafted Ben Roethlisberger in 2004 instead of Kellen Winslow … Ah, never mind.

Returning to the original theme: I hate stories like this because I've written too many over the years. The Browns ended last season on a three-game losing streak. It was six in a row in 2011, and four in a row in 2010. That happens because injuries pile up and sink marginal teams as the schedule separates the Browns (and others like them) from the real contenders.

The last two games have been so depressing, so one-sided, it's hard to spend much time second-guessing the coaches. In both games, the Browns reached a point where they were overwhelmed. And yes, the lack of a legitimate NFL starting quarterback showed up … again.

And the Browns made some key turnovers.

And it was over. Just like that, the Browns giving their fans little reason to stick around.

With five games left and only Weeden remaining, Rob Chudzinski and his coaching staff face an enormous challenge of stopping this season from turning into another of those dreadful 4-12 or 5-11 finishes that fans have endured here since 2007.

It won't be easy.