The Browns visit Missouri to face another two-win team desperate to maintain relevance this season. Can they actually finish off a win?
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- So far this season, the Browns are 1-2 when it comes to winning the close ones. A victory at Baltimore in overtime, and last-play defeats in San Diego and last week to Denver at FirstEnergy.
Thus the week-long emphasis on "finishing" (which hasn't distracted most of us from wondering about the abysmal run defense or the sporadic offense). The Rams have a defense comparable to the Broncos and an offense that sputters when it's not handing off to Todd Gurley or finding Tavon Austin.
What happens today? We'll have all the plays with commentary from cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, along with observations from the NFL Twitterverse. Just keep refreshing to get the latest.
2:27 p.m.: Good news: Browns lead in total offense, 139 to 108. Bad news: They lead in turnovers, 2-1.
Halftime: Rams 10, Browns 3
2:25 p.m.: Gurley muscles for 12 over the left side, and Rams decide to call their first timeout at 0:47 with the ball at the 24. Another screen to Gurley works well for 23. Clock running, and a flip over the middle to Gurley gets seven and timeout with 16 seconds left with the ball on the Browns 45.
On second-and-3, Foles in shotgun overthrows Austin on right side. Clock at 0:12. On third-and-3, Foles incomplete to Austin, with Kirksey getting away with some interference at the 40.
Zuerlein from 60 yards is wide right with 0:04 left.
Browns take a shot from midfield? Can McCown get enough time to do so? First answer is yes, second is no -- McCown has to throw ball away as the half ends with Rams sending six at the Browns.
2:20 p.m.: On second-and-15, McCown flushed left from the pressure, scrambles for two yards. On third-and-13, Bitonio jumps and the Rams defensive line is deep in the heads of the offensive line. On third-and-18, a draw to Johnson gets 10.
Browns will go for it with clock closing in on a minute. Browns call timeout with 1:05 left. This is a statement on how inept the Rams offense has been -- but there's second thoughts and Lee is in to punt. Nearly blocked, but fair caught by Austin at the Rams 12 with 58 seconds remaining.
Rams 10, Browns 3; 2:00 left in second quarter
2:14 p.m.: More bad field position, McCown behind Hartline on first down, but a third Rams offside penalty (Eugene Sims) moves the ball to the Browns 21. Rams DB Trumaine Johnson -- who blasted Hartline on the pass play -- needs help to get off the field.
Now on first-and-5, play action to Duke Johnson good for 11 to the 32.
On first down, Johnson for two up the middle, stopped in his tracks by James Laurinaitis. Heavy pressure on McCown on second down forces short throw incomplete -- Joel Bitonio caves against Donald. On third-and-8, McCown gets time and finds Benjamin on the right sideline for 21.
On first down at the Rams 45, Donald blows through untouched against Alex Mack and nearly steals the handoff to Crowell, loss of five. Browns tried to pull Bitonio, but Mack couldn't get to the open Donald in time.
Two-minute warning.
2:06 p.m.: Play action screen to tight end Cory Harkey for five. On second-and-5, Gurley for five up the middle, first down at the Browns 49.
On first down, Gurley for two as Dansby doesn't yield on the power blocking. On second-and-8, Gurley finds a lane over the left side -- that's where other teams have gashed the Browns -- for 15.
First down at the 31. Cunningham loses one over right end. On second-and-11, Foles in shotgun hits Cook over the middle, who fumbles while being tackled by Whitner, recovered by Jordan Poyer at the 14, returned to the 16.
2:02 p.m.: Browns need another long drive, and get three yards from Crowell up the middle on first down -- Rams LB Ayers down with a shoulder issue. Browns had Cameron Irving in as an extra tackle on the left side. Been a couple of games since we saw that.
On second-and-7, McCown in shotgun incomplete on slant left for Benjamin, good coverage by Jenkins. On third-and-7, Joe Thomas jumps trying to get a start in pass blocking. Now third-and-12, Browns jump again, this time Mitchell Schwartz. Ai-yi-yi.
Now third-and-16 at the 3 and McCown scrambles up the middle for nine.
Lee's punt caught by Austin at the 39, runs left but gets just a yard to the 40 with excellent coverage.
1:54 p.m.: Foles boots right, but misses Cook at the right sideline. On second-and-10 at the 49, left tackle Greg Robinson flagged for a false start. On second-and-15, Foles to Gurley incomplete on quick hit by Barkevious Mingo at the 46. On third-and-15, Browns rush just three, Foles finds room to throw deep to Brian Quick, but he was out of bounds. Robinson was called for holding anyway, which Browns decline.
Hekker's punt fair caught by Benjamin at the Browns 9 with 9:07 left in the half. A lot of long fields for the Browns so far.
1:49 p.m.: Ball is reset on the 4 after the timeout.
Turbin for two on first down up the middle. On second-and-8, another quick flip to the right sideline for Gabriel gets just three more. Browns are worried about the Rams' pressure. On third-and-5, McCown in shotgun shakes off a rusher, finds Andrew Hawkins for a yard. Not much time for McCown.
Andy Lee's punt caught by Austin at the 39, tripped by Christian Kirksey at the Rams 49 or he might have scored.
1:44 p.m.: Todd Gurley on a counter flip hurdles Campbell for 12 yards.
But on the next play, Xavier Cooper leads the charge and Gurley loses three. On second-and-13, quick flip to Tavon Austin gets seven. On third-and-6, Foles badly overthrows Austin in the right flat -- it was well defensed.
Hekker's punt is well short of Benjamin at the 15, but gets a tremendous roll and is downed at the 1 -- during the commercial it should get spotted on the 4.
1:39 p.m.: Benny Cunningham returns kickoff to the Rams 23. TV needs to catch up on some commericals.
Rams 10, Browns 3; 14:05 left in second quarter
1:37 p.m.: Browns start with second-and-12 at the St. Louis 17.
McCown on quick slant to Benjamin for 10. He's 9-for-9 so far. On third-and-2, McCown scrambles right and is forces OB for no gain (Travis Benjamin isn't much of a blocking challenge for Aaron Donald), then can't slow down before he hits the cement wall and seemingly hurts his right arm.
Travis Coons connects from 25 yards. Browns have scored seven TDs in 20 red zone trips this season.
Rams 10, Browns 0; end of first quarter
1:32 p.m.: Another touchback, Browns again at their 20.
McCown flushed left out of pocket, scrambles for nine against double blitz (two secondary Rams came right up the middle). On second-and-1, Crowell stuffed up the middle for no gain. On third-and-1, McCown boots right, flips to Duke Johnson for 21 to midfield. Nice play against aggressive defense.
On first down, a shotgun draw to Crowell loses two -- Browns laboring to prevent penetration by the Rams defense. On second-and-12, McCown to Jim Dray for five on the right sideline. On third-and-7 at the Rams 47, McCown in shotgun as Rams show eight on the line. Bailout to Robert Turbin gets back to the line of scrimmage (he fumbles out of bounds) but the Rams (DE Robert Quinn) are called for offside. On third-and-2, Rams are offside again (incomplete pass to Barnidge, William Hayes is across early) and it's a gift first down.
On first down at the 37, Crowell no gain around left end. On second-and-10, McCown to Barnidge on the right sideline for 12 -- he has his helmet pulled off but no penalty.
Now first down at the Rams 25. McCown scrambles right and finds Brian Hartline (OSU alert!) for eight. Aaron Donald manhandled Alex Mack. On second-and-2, McCown to Hartline on the bubble screen is a foot short of the first down. On third down, McCown keeps for a first down to the 24.
Clock under a minute. At the 15, McCown on a naked screen to Johnson loses two on the right sideline. Quarter ends.
Rams 10, Browns 0; 7:33 left in first quarter
1:18 p.m.: "Going for a quick knockout here in St. Louis," says Jim Donovan.
Gurley for five on first down, then loses three on nice penetration by Randy Starks. On third-and-8 at the Browns 23, Foles pressured by Armonty Bryant, flips to TE Jared Cook for two yards.
Greg Zuerlein's 39-yard field goal is good. Not quite a knockout, but the Browns are taking an eight-count.
1:16 p.m.: After a touchback, Duke Johnson loses three yards on first down when the left side of the offensive line caves in. On second-and-13, McCown to a wide-open Gary Barnidge (what, the Rams didn't watch tape on him?) gets a first down at the 30.
On first down, Johnson cuts over left guard for four. On second-and-6, Johnson loses two on a run blitz by safety Mark Barron. On third-and-8, McCown in shotgun is sacked by William Hayes, fumbles and LB Akeem Ayers recovers on the Browns 25.
Rams 7, Browns 0; 11:59 left in first quarter
1:10 p.m.: Crowell up the middle for eight on first down, then three more on second down for a first down at the 19.
On first down, Rams show blitz and McCown flips to Taylor Gabriel in a bubble screen -- which is tipped by the formation. Gabriel is hit at the 16 by Janoris Jenkins and fumbles, Rodney McLeod recovers and scores 22-yard return.
Yikes.
1:06 p.m.: All that talk about crowd noise, the stadium is "half full" according to Jim Donovan, but that's "generous" says Doug Dieken.
Stedman Bailey takes a lateral on the kickoff and gets to the 33 to start. On first down, Nick Foles to Kenny Britt is incomplete. On second-and-10, Gurley loses four around the right side with Paul Kruger making the stop. On third-and-14, a flip to fullback Kenny Cunningham gets nothing.
Johnny Hekker's punt caught by Travis Benjamin at the 11, gets 20 yards but Browns called for block in the back by Ibraheim Campbell. Ball on the 7.
1:01 p.m.: Browns call heads, lose the toss and start the game on defense.
And, it wouldn't be complete without your moment of Nathan Zegura Zen: "Talking with the Browns before the game, it's obviously imperative to get out quickly."
12:56 p.m.: Brian Anderson and Adam Archuleta are your CBS voices. That's not the C, D or E team.
12:54 p.m.: Johnny Manziel, Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe. Just hangin' out ...
12:51 p.m.: OK, so Bortles can make some plays that don't make you think of Browns' failures of the last 15 years ...
12:48 p.m.: When it comes to game predictions, Bill Livingston is the best so far among the cleveland.com and Plain Dealer writers (and picks a two-point loss for the Browns today). But his column on Manziel and the typical NFL/Browns reaction to off-field issues really hit a nerve with fans this week.
"Everyone lawyers up so much in sports these days that no one wants to blow it by violating the players' due process. You know, the way NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and his cockamamie legal department have done with Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Tom Brady.
"But is it possible that 'handling it internally' is a form of denial? Is the players' right to privacy greater than the resources for treatment? Both Manziel and (Josh) Gordon have been classic backsliders.
"Think of how much domestic abuse, child abuse, drug abuse and alcohol abuse have been empowered by not talking about it and by keeping it in the family."
12:36 p.m.: There's an argument that the Browns traded down in the 2014 draft because the Jaguars surprised by taking Blake Bortles before the Browns could. Which makes today's developments in London just another chance at pondering the home team's talent evaluation skills.
12:34 p.m.: Not only is Boomer Esaiason bullish on the Rams against the Browns, he thinks Todd Gurley is the most valuable fantasy player in the NFL today.
Sure, basing your argument on NFL stats -- like that sort of thing matters.
12:30 p.m.: It's just another Sunday without Dwayne Bowe, nothing surprising there.
But also out for the Browns are CB Joe Haden, S Tashaun Gipson, LB Craig Robertson, TEs Rob Housler and E.J. Bibbs and QB Austin Davis. Which means Johnny Manziel continues to be the backup for Josh McCown.
But CBS's Jason La Canfora is drawing a straight line from Manziel's return to the backup role to his off-field issues being revived after his traffic stop of a week ago.
"While Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel had been earning rave reviews for his behavior on and off the field in the early part of the season, he began to take a turn for the worse after losing his brief grip on the starting quarterback job, sources said, culminating in his questioning by police in his car a week ago. Some in the Browns organization were bracing for an incident of some sort, with his attitude and demeanor changing slightly after one week running the offense with veteran Josh McCown injured.
"Concern began at that point that Manziel might not be as focused and diligent both at the team's facility and in his free time, and during the past two weeks there were small signs that he was not quite as dedicated to his craft, sources said, as it became apparent that he was going to be in a backup role for the foreseeable future."
Inactives for the Rams: OT Andrew Donnal, LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar, TE Lance Kendricks, DE Chris Long, QB Sean Mannion, RB Tre Mason, OLB Alec Ogletree. Long's absence is a rare piece of inactive good news for the Browns.
