Written by Jonathan Knight

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

 

THE SUFFERING CONTINUES: Since Eric Metcalf’s career-defining game in October of 1993 when he returned two punts for touchdowns against Pittsburgh – including the game-winner with two minutes to play – the Browns hold an abysmal record of 4-28 against the Steelers. If it makes you feel any better (though it probably won’t), from 1950 through 1969, the Browns won 31 of 40 games against the Steelers. Pittsburgh now leads the all-time series, 62-56.

 

SILVER LINING: We can take some (very little, but some) solace in the Browns’ ability to contain Rashard Mendenhall, who rushed for only 36 yards on 14 carries. Granted, two of those were one-yard touchdown runs, but take those away and it’s still only 34 yards on 12 carries. (Look, dude, it’s the end of the season and I’m tired...)

SNAPPING THE STRING: It was a fun ride while it lasted, but it had to end sometime. The Browns’ string of games in which they’d held a lead came to an end Sunday at 20 – the fourth-best streak in team history.

 

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH: The last time the Browns won back-to-back home games against Pittsburgh was 1992-1993.

 

REMEMBER HIM?: Seneca Wallace’s tide-turning one-yard completion to Josh Cribbs on the Browns’ second possession marked his first pass attempt since sustaining his ankle injury in the first half against Atlanta on Oct. 10 that also had the unforeseen aspect of making him invisible to each and every member of the Browns coaching staff long after he recovered.

 

ELEMENTARY: Though the only play he made that anyone really noticed was his assist on Troy Polamalu’s interception on the second play of the game, Ben Watson wrapped up a nice little season with another solid performance: seven catches for 67 yards. He wraps up the year with 68 receptions for 763 yards.

 

STEELERS MISERY BY THE NUMBERS: Since the Browns’ return in 1999...

Number of Browns’ quarterbacks who have started against the Steelers: 11

Number of times the Browns have been held to single digits against the Steelers: 10

Number of times the Browns have allowed the Steelers to score more than 30 points: 9

Number of Browns’ head coaches who have lost to the Steelers: 4

Number of Browns’ total wins over the Steelers: 3

Number of Browns’ quarterbacks who have defeated the Steelers: 2

 

GOING OUT WITH A WHIMPER: Peyton Hillis, the only true reason for excitement over the past four months, limped across the finish line with 13 yards on six carries. In the last three games of the season, he totaled 48 yards on 18 carries. He finishes the year with 1,177 yards, ranked 11th in the NFL. His 11 touchdowns land him tied for sixth.

 

A LOUSY WAY TO FINISH: This was the fourth time since the Browns’ return that they’ve concluded a season playing the Steelers. Needless to say, they’ve lost all four, being outscored 136-49.

 

IT GETS WORSE: The Steelers’ 418 total yards for the game was painful enough, but it gets worse upon further examination. They averaged 6.7 yards per play (to the Browns’ 3.5) and just under nine yards per play in the first half while the Browns averaged just over three.

 

FAREWELL, MR. CONSISTENCY?: Phil Dawson very likely wrapped up his Cleveland career having made 22 consecutive field goals of 45 yards or less. Assuming this is it for Dawson, he finishes his days as a Brown ranked third on the franchise’s all-time scoring list with 1,063 points – 17 shy of Don Cockroft in second and 286 behind all-time leader Lou Groza. He has made more field goals (252) than any other kicker in Cleveland history and has the highest field-goal percentage (83.17).

 

GOING AIRBORNE: The 41 passes Colt McCoy attempted were the most by a Browns quarterback in a game since Brady Quinn tossed 45 in Week 12 against San Diego last season. McCoy’s rough last two games dropped his season quarterback rating to 74.5 in eight starts. By comparison, Tim Couch’s rating at the end of his punishing rookie campaign was 73.2 in 14 starts and Bernie Kosar’s was 69.3 in 10 starts.

 

DOUBLE DUTY: Sick as this is to admit, Colt McCoy was the Browns’ leading rusher with a whopping 19 yards on four carries.

 

COUGHING IT UP: For a team designed to simply hang around and stay competitive against far more talented teams, the last two weeks the Browns have ignored the cardinal rule of survival. They’ve turned the ball over three times in the first half against both the Ravens and Steelers. With 10 turnovers in their final four games, the Browns’ season turnover ratio dropped to minus-1.

 

FOURTH DOWN IS OUR FAVORITE DOWN: Reggie Hodges and the Browns’ punt team were both strong once again. Though he didn’t drop any kicks inside the 20, Hodges averaged 43.7 yards per kick on his three punts and his net average was 42 for the game. He finishes the season with a 39 net average, good for eighth in the NFL.

 

GOOD WHEN IT COUNTS: The Steelers converted on their first five third downs and came through on 8 of 13 for the day, plus converted on their only fourth-down attempt. The Browns, ironically, were much better on fourth down (three for three) than on third (six for 17).

 

THE 400 CLUB: Sunday was only the third time all year the Browns allowed an opponent to tally more than 400 total yards (last year it happened seven times), but the 10th time the Browns failed to accumulate 300 themselves (last year that happened 11 times).

 

WHERE WE STAND: The Browns’ offense finishes 25th in the league, averaging five yards per play (29th in total yardage per game at 289.7), while the defense comes in 19th at 5.4 yards per play (22nd in total yardage allowed at 350.1). In terms of points, the offense finishes 31st at 16.9 per game, while the defense provides the one true highlight of this whole litany of numbers, coming in 13th at 20.8 points allowed per game.