In some ways, the Cleveland Browns should look back on 2014 and smile. They won seven games, were in the playoff talk in late November and early December, and took positive strides. They also ended a streak of six consecutive seasons with at least 10 losses. But when a 6-3 and 7-4 start disintegrates into five losses in a row to end the season, the dominant emotion is disappointment. The Browns had a chance to get something special accomplished, but incessant quarterback drama, too many injuries -- especially to Pro Bowl center Alex Mack -- and the uninspired play of Josh Gordon combined to leave the Browns floundering at season’s end.

Team MVP

This is not an easy choice because by season’s end not many were playing standout football. Joe Haden is a possibility, but his play early in the season wasn’t as strong as it was late. Karlos Dansby was an every-down contributor. Paul Kruger had moments. The choice is the same as the team’s Player of the Year: Joe Thomas. His choice illustrates the difficulty in finding an MVP for this team. Nobody had a head-and-shoulders-above-everyone-else season that mandated he be given the MVP. Thomas is the choice because of his play, professionalism and consistency.

Best moment

It remains the 24-3 victory over Cincinnati on a Thursday night. It was the kind of glorious victory that has fans buzzing when it ends. That win represented one of the high-water marks of the Brian Hoyer tenure, as fans chanted his name during the game (in Cincinnati) and flocked to the corner of the end zone as he left the field. At that point, the quarterback job seemed to be Hoyer’s, but the unceasing focus on backup Johnny Manziel and the team’s refusal to simply commit to Hoyer for the entire season eventually led to Hoyer internalizing too much, which led to him pressing, which … well that’s been covered ad nauseam. At least fans have that win and the home win over Pittsburgh to remember.

Worst moment

The excitement over Manziel’s first start had the entire nation buzzing. Well … it had at least the entire nation of football fans buzzing. Writers from New York, the NFL Network and elsewhere flew to Cleveland to watch his debut. It turned into a nightmare, as Manziel threw for just 80 yards, had two interceptions and became the fifth rookie quarterback shut out in his first start. That game didn’t lead to the Browns benching Manziel, but it did lead to many questions about his future -- inside and outside the Browns facility. Those questions only grew when Manziel was fined for being late on the final Saturday of the season.

Outlook

There are many unknowns with the 2015 Browns, starting with who plays quarterback. Hoyer is a free agent, and Manziel gave little reason to believe. That position has been the Browns' weakness in every season since 1999, as the team has tried over and over and over to find a quarterback. Hoyer was the first to actually win games, but even that wasn’t good enough -- and led to the team being blasted by its alumni. Until the Browns find a dependable quarterback and stick with him, the team's outlook will be murky.