Browns' loss to Cardinals ensures no winning season for 12th consecutive year

Nate Ulrich | The Akron Beacon Journal

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GLENDALE, Ariz. — Frustration mounted and tempers flared as the Browns had their playoff hopes buried in the desert Sunday.

The Browns are on the brink of being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention after falling 38-24 to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at State Farm Stadium. The loss also ensured the Browns (6-8) would not finish with a winning season for a league-worst 12th consecutive year, making them the only franchise to go without such a campaign this decade.

Coach Freddie Kitchens needed a win in his reunion with the Cardinals (4-9-1), who employed him as an assistant coach for 11 seasons.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield wanted to earn what he called “real bragging rights” against Cardinals rookie QB Kyler Murray, his friend and former teammate at the University of Oklahoma.

Instead, the Browns were embarrassed by the Cardinals.

The Browns fell behind 14-0 to begin the game, 21-10 at halftime and were on their heels all day. The Browns have lost their past four games against the Cardinals and haven’t prevailed in Arizona since Nov. 16, 2003.

Cardinals running back Kenyon Drake finished with 22 carries for 137 yards (6.2 average) and four touchdowns. He entered the game with just one TD this season.

Murray went 19-of-25 passing for 219 yards and one touchdown with an interception and a rating of 98.6. He also rushed for 56 yards on eight carries (7 average).

Mayfield completed 30 of 43 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and a rating of 90.

After being dominated in the first half, the Browns came out swinging to begin the third quarter and produced an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive.

A 29-yard run by Chubb gave the Browns a first down at the Arizona 3. Two plays later, Mayfield threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide-open tight end Ricky Seals-Jones, allowing the Browns to slice the Cardinals’ advantage to 21-17 with 8:54 left in the third quarter.

But after the teams traded possessions, the Browns had a crucial ruling go against them.

On third-and-3 from the Cleveland 22, Murray threw incomplete into the end zone on a pass intended for wide receiver Christian Kirk, who was covered by free safety Damarious Randall.

The officials didn’t call a penalty, but Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury challenged the play because he thought Randall should have been flagged for pass interference. After a replay review, the ruling on the field was reversed with Randall receiving a 21-yard PI penalty.

So instead of kicking a 40-yard field goal on fourth-and-3 from the 22, the Cardinals faced first-and-goal at the 1. On the next play, Drake rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to finish the six-play, 61-yard march, and the Cardinals seized a 28-17 cushion.

With a chance to make it a one-score game during the next series, Browns rookie kicker Austin Seibert missed a 45-yard field goal wide left with 12:05 left in the fourth quarter.

Receiver Jarvis Landry had a heated exchange with Kitchens on the Browns’ sideline after the offense failed to convert on third down on the previous play. The scene shown during CBS’ telecast continued when Landry sat on the bench with his head down and Kitchens tried to talk to him. Landry caught a 2-yard pass from Mayfield on third-and-5 from the Arizona 29 before the Browns settled for Seibert’s failed field-goal attempt.

Then the Cardinals sealed their win.

Drake rushed for a 17-yard touchdown to end an eight-play, 65-yard drive as the Browns fell behind 35-17 with 7:25 left.

In desperation mode, the Browns immediately gave the ball back to the Cardinals. Seals-Jones caught a 26-yard pass from Mayfield but fumbled when linebacker Joe Walker knocked the ball out. Safety Jalen Thompson recovered and returned the ball 24 yards to the Cleveland 30 with 7:13 to play.

The Cardinals extended their lead to 38-17 when Zane Gonzalez, a former Browns kicker, ended a six-play, 27-yard drive with a 21-yard field goal, giving Arizona a 38-17 lead with 5:18 remaining.

Although Seals-Jones suffered a shoulder injury on his fumble, he returned to the game to catch a 1-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield with 1:21 left. The garbage-time TD let the Browns trim the Cardinals’ lead to 38-24. The Cardinals recovered the ensuing onside kick.

The Browns were torched and gashed by Murray and Co. in the first half and trailed 21-10 at halftime. The Cardinals racked up 299 yards compared with 151 for the Browns through the first two quarters.

The Cardinals began the game by punching the Browns in the mouth. Drake took a pitch from Murray on an option play and rushed for a 5-yard touchdown on second-and-goal. The score finished a 10-play, 90-yard opening drive, and the Cardinals captured a 7-0 lead with 10:09 left in the first quarter.

Instead of countering, the Browns gave the ball away in the red zone. On first-and-10 from the Arizona 20, Mayfield’s high pass intended for receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Patrick Peterson with 4:11 left in the first quarter.

Fortunately for the Browns, their defense got a stop on the next series to prevent the Cardinals from scoring off Mayfield’s interception. But then the offense failed to play complementary football by going three-and-out on a possession beginning with outside linebacker Chandler Jones sacking Mayfield for a 6-yard loss.

The Cardinals started their next drive with a 35-yard run by Murray and finished the six-play, 67-yard march when Drake rushed for a 1-yard touchdown on first-and-goal with 12:02 left in the second quarter. As a result, the Browns found themselves in a 14-0 hole.

But the Browns showed enough life to go on a 10-0 run.

They answered Drake’s second touchdown with a seven-play, 83-yard scoring drive. Chubb finished it by breaking loose on second-and-7 for a 33-yard rushing TD, and the Browns cut their deficit to 14-7 with 7:50 left in the second quarter. Chubb became the first Browns player to record at least eight rushing touchdowns in consecutive seasons since Hall of Famer Leroy Kelly did it in 1968-69.

On the ensuing series, rookie linebacker Mack Wilson intercepted a pass Murray intended for tight end Charles Clay and returned it 21 yards to the Arizona 28 with 6:45 left in the second quarter.

But the Browns failed to gain a first down on the subsequent possession and summoned Seibert, whose successful 44-yard field goal reduced the Cardinals’ lead to 14-10 with 4:33 remaining in the second quarter.

However, the Browns couldn’t get a defensive stop to end the first half.

On second-and-9 from the Arizona 14, receiver Damiere Byrd caught a pass from Murray, got away from linebacker Joe Schobert and rookie safety Sheldrick Redwine at the 28 and raced for a 51-yard gain. Schobert tried to strip Byrd of the ball instead of securing the tackle. Redwine missed a tackle, too.

On second-and-goal, the Cardinals put an exclamation point on an 11-play, 87-yard drive. Murray threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dan Arnold, who jumped to make the catch over Redwine in the back corner of the end zone with 25 seconds left in the second quarter, and Cardinals went ahead 21-10.

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