Written by Jonathan Knight

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Useless nuggets of information from Sunday’s Browns game that you can certainly live without…

ANOTHER SUDDEN DEATH: The Browns are now 17-18-1 all-time in overtime. They’ve lost four straight in sudden-death.

LUCKY DAY: Even with Sunday’s defeat, November 18 remains the winningest day in Browns’ history. They hold a record of 8-2 in games played on that date, with the only other loss coming to Houston in 1990. It’s the most victories and highest winning percentage of any day of the Browns’ calendar year.

SLOPPY AS HELL: The depressing final tally for the Cleveland secondary’s penalty party was eight for 92 yards. The Browns’ 129 total yards in penalties was their highest total of the year (topping the 103 they accumulated in Cincinnati) and worst since they racked up a whopping 188 in an overtime win in Cincinnati in 1995.

NOT AS CHARITABLE: The Browns’ giveaway/takeaway ratio for the season remains plus-1. By comparison, Dallas is at minus-9.

30-MINUTE GOOSE-EGG: This was the first time the Browns held a team scoreless for an entire half since shutting out Seattle in the first half in October of 2011 - 19 games ago.

SPUTTERING: After the Browns’ second field goal put them ahead 13-0, the offense suffered through one of the long droughts which have become routine. On their next five possessions, they managed just five first downs and only 78 total yards, averaging 3.4 yards per play.

NO SURPRISE: With Sunday’s defeat, the Browns clinched their fifth consecutive non-winning season.

SECOND-HALF STRUGGLES: For the second straight game, Trent Richardson put together a strong first half only be be thwarted in the second. This week, he rushed for 62 yards and tallied 31 yards receiving by halftime, but only managed 35 rushing and 18 receiving for the rest of the game.

SACK EXCHANGE: The Browns tallied a season-high seven sacks, their highest in a single game since they drilled Ben Roethlisberger eight times in their win over the Steelers in December of 2009. They now have 26 for the season - 10 more than they’ve allowed - and are closing in on topping their sack tallies from last year (31) and 2010 (29).

MORE SACK FUN: Of the Browns’ seven sacks, no player had more than one. Six different players collected one sack (Ahtyba Rubin, Craig Robertson, Frostee Rucker, Juqua Parker, Jabaal Sheard, and John Hughes), while Usama Young and Kaluka Maiava combined on another. For the season, Rucker, Parker, and Sheard are now tied with D’Qwell Jackson for the team lead in sacks with three.

CAN’T CLOSE: This was the fifth time this year the Browns held a lead in the fourth quarter. They’ve lost three of those games. This was the second time this year the Browns blew a double-digit lead to lose a game.

AWESOME DAWSON: Phil Dawson has now made 25 consecutive field-goal attempts. The average distance during the streak is 37.7 yards. His first kick on Sunday marked his fifth of 50 yards or more during the streak.

BYE-WEEK RECORD: Since the NFL’s 1990 implementation of the 17-week season including a bye week for each team, the Browns are 7-12 in the game following their bye. (Each team had two bye weeks in 1993 and the Browns’ bye week came in Week 17 in 1999 and 2000.)

NO “O” IN BIG D: In their last four meetings with the Cowboys going into Sunday, the Browns averaged just over 13 points per game. This was the first time they’d hit 20 points in Dallas since 1969.

TOUGH STARTS: Excluding the game-tying touchdown drive after Josh Cribbs’ punt return in the final minutes, the Browns’ average starting field position in the second half was their own 19.

HARBINGER GAME: In the last seven seasons the Browns have lost to the Cowboys, they’ve failed to post a winning record. Conversely, the Browns have never finished with a losing record in a season in which they’ve defeated the Cowboys.

THE SERIES: The Browns still lead the all-time series, 17-13. They’ve now lost five of their six games in Dallas dating back to the AFL/NFL merger in 1970. Their only victory in the string was the memorable Jay Novacek-down-at-the-one-inch-line finish in 1994.

RIDDLING THE SECONDARY: Dez Bryant’s 145 receiving yards marked the best day by a passcatcher against the Browns this season, topping A.J. Green’s 135 in Week 6.

NO LUCK SINCE ’99: Ironically, after defeating the Cowboys in their much-celebrated inaugural preseason game back in 1999, the Browns have lost all three regular-season games they’ve played against the Cowboys since their return.

WEEDEN WARMING UP: It wasn’t spectacular, but Brandon Weeden put together one of his more efficient performances of the season, notching a passer rating of 93.8 - the fourth time this year he’s topped 90. His rating for the season has now climbed to 70.3.

BALLHOGS: The Cowboys had possession of the football for 20:07 of the game’s final 28 minutes.

NEFARIOUS NFC: The Browns have lost six of their last seven games against NFC opponents.

CRIBBS AT HIS BEST: Buoyed by the strength of his clutch 52-yard return in the final minutes, Josh Cribbs is now averaging 13.2 yards per punt return on the season - his best clip since averaging 13.5 in 2007.

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