CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has relieved head coach Mike Pettine of his duties with the franchise following Sunday's 28-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season finale at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Pettine and the Browns posted a 3-13 record during 2015 regular season. In two years under Pettine, the Browns went 10-22 and won just three of their last 21 games.
Pettine started his head-coaching career with the Browns at 7-4 and had the team in sole possession of first place in the AFC North Division in mid-November for the first time ever. It was the first time in nearly 30 years that the Browns held first place in any division that late into a season.
However, as the Browns struggled to stay relevant in the AFC North Division race over the final five weeks of the 2014 regular season, they were outscored, 118-57, and fell to 7-9 after a 20-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last December.
Already with the worst-ranked defense heading into the 2015 season, the Browns dedicated money in free agency and draft picks with the hope of improving, particularly against the run, but the defensive woes continued to plague the team all throughout the year.
Under the direction of Pettine, the former defensive coordinator of the New York Jets (2009-2012) and Buffalo Bills (2013), the Browns' defensive mistakes repeated themselves, but coordinator Jim O'Neil said after several days of analysis during the bye week that the coaches felt there were no major scheme issues with the plays that were called.
Whether or not the defensive struggles were scheme-related, the Browns allowed at least 30 points in nine of their 16 games this season, and all but one of those performances were losses. The Browns surrendered an average of 26.9 points and 379.2 yards per game, and are ranked in the bottom five of the NFL in points, as well as last in rushing yards allowed for the second consecutive year.
