Written by Jonathan Knight

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

 

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Sunday’s loss was only the third time the Browns had ever been defeated in 12 trips to the city of Buffalo. Going in, they held a record of 8-2-1 in Buffalo against the modern-day Bills and the Bills/Bisons of the All-American Conference from 1946-1949. The only losses prior to Sunday came in 1981 and 2004. The Browns still lead the all-time series 11-6.

 

BRINGING OUT THE WORST IN OUR QUARTERBACKS: The Browns have had a different quarterback start in each of the last seven games they’ve played in Buffalo. And in six of those contests, the Browns’ starting quarterback has been utterly miserable. Taking away Bernie Kosar’s solid performance in a gritty win in the rain in December of 1986, consider the stats in the other six contests:

1981: Brian Sipe - 14 of 37 (37.8%) for 199 yards, 1 TD 3 INT (31.3 quarterback rating)

1984: Paul McDonald - 7 of 18 (38.9%) for 86 yards, 0 TD 1 INT (31.3 quarterback rating)

2004: Luke McCown - 8 of 20 (40%) for 62 yards, 1 TD 2 INT (25.4 quarterback rating)

2008: Brady Quinn - 14 of 36 (38.9%) for 185 yards, 0 TD 0 INT (55.9 quarterback rating)

2009: Derek Anderson - 2 of 17 (11.8%) for 23 yards, 0 TD 1 INT (15.1 quarterback rating)

2010: Jake Delhomme - 12 of 20 (60%) for 86 yards, 0 TD 1 INT (49.2 quarterback rating)

 

Put all six games together and you get a very high-school-quarterback-with-the-flu total of:

57 of 148 (38.5%) for 641 yards, 2 TD 8 INT (34.2 quarterback rating). Adding insult to injury, four of those Buffalo teams finished with losing records and only one (1981) made the playoffs.

 

Yet perhaps the most amazing statistic of all: the Browns actually won three of these six games.

 

IT USED TO BE A HARBINGER: Prior to Sunday, in each of the 10 seasons the Bills had lost to the Browns in the regular season, they finished with a losing record. In each of the five seasons the Bills had defeated the Browns, they finished with a winning record. This year’s Bills now stand at 3-10.

 

THE JAKE’S ON US AGAIN: At this point, you have to wonder exactly what Seneca Wallace has to do to get into a game. Or more specifically, what Jake Delhomme has to do to be taken out of one. For the third straight game with Delhomme at the controls, the Browns’ offense went through long, painful stretches of complete ineptitude, this time not even scoring a touchdown.

            In case anyone receiving paychecks from the Cleveland Browns doesn’t understand how truly awful Delhomme has been this season, let’s spell it out in these terms:

            The 2010 Browns in games Jake Delhomme has started and finished:

            Record: 2-2

            Average Points Per Game: 14.3

            Total Yards Per Game: 289.5

            Turnovers Per Game: 2.3

            Third Down Conversion Rate: 13 for 48 (27%)

 

            The 2010 Browns in games Seneca Wallace has started and finished:

            Record: 1-2

            Average points per game: 18

            Total Yards Per Game: 299.3

            Turnovers Per Game: 1.3

            Third Down Conversion Rate: 14 for 38 (36.8%)

 

            The 2010 Browns in games Colt McCoy has started and finished:

            Record: 2-3

            Average points per game: 22.8

            Total Yards Per Game: 305.6

            Turnovers Per Game: 1.4

            Third Down Conversion Rate: 26 for 65 (40%)

           

That’s not taking into account the Atlanta game, in which Wallace played the first half and Delhomme played the second:

            With Wallace:

            138 yards

            7 points

            0 turnovers

            2 for 5 third-down conversion rate

 

            With Delhomme:

            131 yards

            3 points

            3 turnovers

            5 for 13 third-down conversion rate

 

And the cherry on top: Delhomme’s two victories (Carolina and Miami) were only made possible by apparent acts of God in the final minute.

 

DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS: In the 41 seasons that they’ve both been members of the NFL, the Browns and Bills have winning records in the same year only four times (1973, 1980, 1988, and 1989). And naturally, they never met in the regular season in any of those seasons.

 

PEYTON’S PACE: We’ve been waiting for it all year, and Sunday it finally happened. Peyton Hillis became the ninth running back in Browns’ history to top the 1,000-yard mark in a season, posting the franchise’s 23rd four-digit rushing campaign. Interestingly, he becomes the third different Cleveland back to accomplish the feat in last six seasons (Rueben Droughns in 2005 and Jamal Lewis in 2007 and 2008). Hillis is currently 10^th in the NFL in rushing yardage, ninth in total carries, tied for second in rushing touchdowns, and, sadly, first in fumbles.

 

BUCKING ANOTHER TREND: In only five of the previous 22 seasons in which they had a 1,000-yard rusher did the Browns finish with a losing record. Yet with one more loss, this will mark the third time in the last four occasions that the Browns have had a thousand-yard rusher and still posted a losing mark.

 

SOME HELP, PLEASE: With 118 total yards, Peyton Hillis accounted for 63% of the Browns’ putrid offensive total on Sunday. For the season, he represents 39% of the team’s total offense.

 

18 AND COUNTING: The Browns have now held a lead in 18 consecutive games, good for the fourth-best streak in franchise history and halfway to matching the record string of 36 straight between October of 1950 and December of 1952.

 

MORE SECOND-HALF HORRORS: The Browns picked up more yards (54) and the same number of first downs (3) on their first possession as they did in the entire second half. In the final two quarters, the Browns managed only 50 total yards and averaged a woeful 2.3 yards per play.

 

REMEMBER HIM?: Granted, at this point he’s playing hurt, but Josh Cribbs’ season has become deafeningly quiet. Now averaging just 21.4 yards per kick return (long 36) and only 8.2 per punt return (long 17), Cribbs’ rep as the most dangerous return man in the game has certainly taken a hit. He’s scored only one touchdown all year – on a reception. And speaking of receptions, in the Browns’ last 10 games (going back to before his injury against the Jets), Cribbs has caught a grand total of eight passes for 99 yards.

 

TROUBLE SCORING AGAINST A BAD TEAM: This was the fourth time in their last five games against Buffalo that the Browns have scored less than 10 points.

 

MR. CONSISTENCY KEEPS IT UP: Phil Dawson has now made 19 consecutive field goals from inside 45 yards.

 

PISS-POOR “O”: This was without a doubt the Browns’ worst offensive performance of the season. Their 187 total yards was their lowest tally (previous low was 210 in New Orleans), as was their 4.1 average gain per offensive play (previous low was 4.3 against Atlanta). For the season, they’re averaging 296 yards per game and five per offensive play.

 

MORE PISS-POOR “O”: Sunday marked the first time the Browns had failed to reach double digits on the scoreboard or gather 200 yards in total offense in 18 games, since failing to do either in a game last November in Cincinnati. It was also the first time they failed to score a touchdown since being shut out at home against Baltimore in November of last season. If you thought Sunday was bad, consider than the Browns failed to accumulate 200 total yards of offense in seven games last season.

 

WHERE WE STAND: At five yards per play, the Browns’ offense ranks 25^th in the NFL this week, while the defense holds steady at No. 16 (5.3). In terms of points allowed, the defense is 10^th (19.4 points per game), while the offense is 29^th (19.1).