The Browns certainly didn't roll over like many analysts thought they would.
And yet, Sunday's game against the Eagles just seemed like more of the same.
Cleveland fell to Philadelphia 20-16 at Lincoln Financial Field, dropping the team's record to a dreary 1-5 on the season. Though quarterback Deshaun Watson looked solid in the second half, the struggles of the NFL's worst statistical offense continued, with more penalties eventually suppressing any chance the Browns may have had to tie or win the game.
The Browns' only touchdown came on a blocked field goal return by Rodney McLeod Jr. that made it a 10-10 game at the half. Trailing 20-13 late in the fourth quarter, Cleveland gave itself a first-and-goal at the Philly 5 before pushing to the 3, but a pair of false starts and an incomplete pass forced head coach Kevin Stefanski to kick a field goal, rather than go for it on fourth down with less than four minutes to go.
Unfortunately, the Browns never got the ball back, as the Eagles were able to run out the clock and force Cleveland to burn all three of its timeouts. The final blow came on a gutsy 40-yard pass from Jalen Hurts to A.J. Brown, picking up the third first down of the drive and allowing Philadelphia to just kneel on it from there.
Hurts and Brown were in sync all afternoon, with the receiver catching six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown in his first game since Week 1 after missing time with a hamstring injury. Devonta Smith also returned after a game off to record a 45-yard catch-and-run for a score.
In total, Hurts accounted for 297 total yards and those two TDs. Jim Schwartz's defense was unable to get much pressure either, with the Browns only managing to hit him twice.
On the offensive end, Cleveland was stuck in the doldrums for the first 30 minutes, managing only 71 total yards. Watson and his receivers were additionally victimized by a number of miscommunications, and Amari Cooper dropped another crucial pass on the game's opening drive.
Things looked more crisp in the second half, however, with Watson eventually finishing the game with 16 of 23 throws completed for 168 yards and a 90.5 passer rating, his highest of the season. The run game also found a rhythm with 100 total yards, 43 of them coming from Pierre Strong.
Still, the offense could not find the end zone, with the only points coming on McLeod's return and three Dustin Hopkins field goals. A decent drive to start the third quarter also stalled and resulted in a missed kick from Hopkins from 52 yards out.
Former All-Pro right tackle Jack Conklin returned to help the offensive line, but center Ethan Pocic was ruled out, and backup Nick Harris had to be carted off the field with a broken leg that will end his season. That left Michael Dunn to shift from right guard (where he was filling in for Wyatt Teller) to center with Zak Zinter at right guard.
Dealing with injuries yet again, the line was helpless to protect Watson, who was sacked five more times to bring his season total to 31. Seven different Eagles had a hand in those sacks, and Philly registered 10 total hits on Watson.
Though the team continues to express optimism, at 1-5, the season seems to be slipping away. The Browns will return home next Sunday after a three-game road trip to host the division rival Cincinnati Bengals.