CLEVELAND -- Quarterback Josh McCown couldn’t breathe. The line couldn’t protect him. The running game offered no relief from Arizona’s relentless blitzes.
Cornerback Joe Haden and safety Donte Whitner -- Pro Bowlers last year -- left on back-to-back defensive plays with concussions.
A 20-point spurt in the first half was trumped by a 27-point run by the Cardinals that turned a double-digit Cleveland lead into a double-digit defeat before anyone knew what hit them.
The Browns crumbled in a 34-20 loss to Arizona on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium to spiral to 2-6 and a tie for last in the AFC North. The Cardinals are 6-2 and atop the NFC West.
Oh, yeah, the day opened with some of the team’s best players mentioned in trade rumors.
The Browns are officially reeling. They’ve lost three straight, five of six and 11 of 13 dating back to last season’s collapse. They head to Cincinnati on Thursday night to face the 7-0 Bengals on national television.
“Hard to explain all that went wrong in the second half,” coach Mike Pettine said.
The Browns, who led 20-7 before Arizona kicked a field goal on the final play before halftime, were held to six first downs and 98 yards in the second half. They punted four times, McCown threw an interception in the end zone, Robert Turbin fumbled a handoff and they turned the ball over on downs.
“We do things that good football teams do and then we do bad things,” McCown said. “We have to clean that up and be more consistent. We are not right now.
“Good football teams, they finish.”
The Browns’ play for much of the first half matched the fall day: beautiful.
McCown shook off a sore right shoulder that limited him during the week to throw three touchdowns and post a 125.5 rating in the first half. The defense moved on from an Arizona touchdown drive to open the game, forcing two critical turnovers.
The trapdoor swallowed the Browns in a hurry.
After the Browns took a 20-7 lead with 4:56 left in the half, Travis Coons missed the extra point — he opened his career with 14 straight field goals and 13 straight extra points — and Cleveland never scored again.
McCown took a shot to his already-sore ribs from linebacker Kevin Minter on the opening third down of the third quarter. He could barely walk off the field and spent time with trainers as Johnny Manziel took snaps on the sideline and put on his helmet.
McCown wasn’t the same, but he wasn’t going anywhere. He dragged himself onto the field for the next series and kept getting up despite two more big hits from tackle Frostee Rucker. McCown bent over, squatted as he tried to compose himself, then waved off Manziel, who was a couple of steps onto the field.
“Obviously, just when you get hit and it doesn’t feel good, you try to just find a comfortable spot,” McCown said. “Wind kind of got out of me a little bit so just trying to get my bearings and get better.
“I just want to be out there fighting with my guys. I didn’t feel like I was hurting enough that it was going to keep me from doing my job so I’m going to stay out there.”
“There was one time today where I was nervous for him,” left guard Joel Bitonio said. “He’s a tough SOB, man. Really tough, and we don’t protect him enough.
“It’s gut-wrenching, because we’ve got to keep him on the field, keep him up.”
McCown stayed in until the game was out of reach -- Manziel went 3-for-6 for 12 yards -- but the big plays of the first half had disappeared. He went 7-for-15 for 89 yards and an interception after the hit from Minter and finished 18-for-34 for 211 yards, three touchdowns, an interception and an 89.2 rating. The Browns couldn’t keep him safe from the blitzing Cardinals, and receiver Brian Hartline dropped four passes after two touchdowns in the first half.
McCown had X-rays on the ribs after the game and wouldn’t say if any were broken. He said the doctors told him the shoulder is structurally sound, so he plans to deal with the pain and start against the Bengals.
“In my mind as long as I can wake up the next few days and do everything I feel like I need to do to feel effective, then I will be ready,” he said.
Pettine said the decision to stick with the banged-up McCown wasn’t because of a lack of trust in Manziel. He’s “hopeful” McCown will be ready Thursday night and again said “if our starter can go, he will be the starter.”
McCown got defensive when reporters repeatedly suggested him playing through the pain was the reason for the second-half struggles. He said he could do everything he needed to, including throw the ball downfield.
“Did you guys not watch the end of the game?” he said. “The throw to Gary (Barnidge) in the fourth quarter, threw one on the sideline to Travis (Benjamin).
“Didn’t affect me -- just discomfort. I made the throws I wanted to make.”
Pettine blamed the offensive struggles on the continued lack of an effective running game. The Browns had 20 carries for 39 yards, a 2.0 average and long of 10. McCown led the way with 18 yards and the lone rushing first down.
“I think they sensed we were in a throw-it-only mode,” Pettine said. “They were winning up front and could afford to commit more guys to coverage.”
While the offense was stuck in the mud, the defense couldn’t contain the soaring Cardinals’ passing attack despite forcing four turnovers.
Carson Palmer (374 yards, four touchdowns, 117.7 rating) took deep shots all day and connected on four of at least 30 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown to Michael Floyd behind Haden early in the third quarter to cut the Browns’ lead to 20-17.
Haden was knocked out when Floyd’s heels hit him in the face mask twice as he ran away down the sideline. Haden returned this week after missing two games with a concussion suffered Oct. 11.
“No matter how many turnovers or takeaways you have, if you give up the big plays, you’re going to lose that football game,” safety Tashaun Gipson, who had an interception.
Gipson was one of the few big names not mentioned in the trade rumors. Left tackle Joe Thomas, center Alex Mack and outside linebackers Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo were included in various reports.
The trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. and a deal would be surprising. The Browns never rule out any move, but would require a king’s ransom to even consider parting with one of their core players.
Nevertheless, the rumors added to the rough day.
“I guess that is what comes with losing,” cornerback Tramon Williams said.
show