THE San Francisco 49ers’ slim playoff hopes were finally ended in a miserable 24-10 defeat against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday (AEDT).

Jim Tomsula’s team fell to 4-9 after becoming just the third team to lose to the lowly Browns this season.

On the surface it appeared to bode well for Jarryd Hayne’s hopes of a recall to the 53-man roster.

Hayne has been stuck on the practice squad since being cut mid-season but, as he continues to improve, felt another opportunity to play in the NFL wasn’t far away.

“It’s starting to get to a point now where hopefully I may be getting a call up but you just don’t know,” Hayne said recently. “It’s a business over here and you literally have to keep doing your thing and hope to get the call up.”

Hayne’s cause had been helped in recent weeks by the struggles of his replacement, Bruce Ellington, in the return game.

Ellington dropped the ball several times in the past few weeks but produced his longest punt return of the season during the second quarter of today’s game to ease some of the pressure on his position.

Receiving the ball on the 49ers’ 32-yard line, Ellington scampered 36 yards up the sideline to put the 49ers in great field position.

While it only resulted in a field goal, it was the second longest punt return by the team this season, bettered only by Hayne’s 37-yard charge against the Arizona Cardinals.

It was an important contribution by Ellington, after he had earlier dropped a catch after being inserted at wide receiver.

Whether it keeps Hayne out of the team with three games left in the regular season remains to be seen.

Jarryd Hayne still has longest punt return for 49ers this season, by one yard. pic.twitter.com/R9Z8k0eY99 — Jai Bednall (@jaibednall) December 13, 2015

The 49ers allowed nine sacks and managed just 127 yards on offence before a 94-yard drive in garbage time.

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert was roughed up while throwing for 194 yards and a 6-yard TD to Jerome Simpson with 1:42 left.

San Francisco was hurt by penalties, but the bigger issues were with blocking, tackling and overall execution.

The lone bright spot was kicker Phil Dawson’s return to Cleveland, where he played for 14 seasons. The 40-year-old kicked a 44-yard field goal and received a warm ovation from Browns fans after a video tribute was shown of him on the stadium’s scoreboards.

Tomsula was extremely critical of his team’s performance after the game, but placed the focus on the offensive line and the defence.

“I don’t want to take away from the Cleveland Browns. They played a good football game and won the football game. The San Francisco 49ers played a poor football game,” Tomsula said.

“Today, it starts up front. We didn’t block. Our lines didn’t play well up front.

“We didn’t tackle well on defence. Missed tackles. Shoulders. Not wrapping up. Concepts and routes being off. Played a poor football game.”

“We all took a step backward today,” Tomsula added. “We played poorly. There’s not a man in this locker room that doesn’t own part of this, starting with me.”

— with wires

Originally published as Will this play end Hayne’s season?