PITTSBURGH _ The Browns flirted with escaping an embarrassing legacy, but 0-16 slapped them across the face as they fell 28-24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday's finale at Heinz Field.
The Browns became just the second team in NFL history to finish a season with a record of 0-16. The only other NFL teams to lose every game in a schedule of more than 10 games are the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14) and the 2008 Detroit Lions (0-16), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Falling to 1-31 under coach Hue Jackson, the Browns also set a new record for the worst two-season record since the NFL standardized the length of every team's schedule in 1933, per Elias. The Lions previously held the record at 2-30 (0-16 in 2008 and 2-14 in 2009).
By going 1-15 in 2016 and 0-16 in 2017, Jackson has established the worst start with a team in NFL coaching history. The previous record for fewest wins over the first 32 games as coach of one NFL team was four, according to Elias.
Still, Jackson is expected to return next season.
The Browns have lost their past 17 games dating to last season. They're now 2-41 in their past 43 games and 4-49 in their past 53. They have lost their last 33 games on a Sunday, their last 21 on the road (excluding their October trip to London) and their last 17 in the AFC North.
They have lost 26 of their past 29 games against the Steelers, including six in a row and 14 consecutive on the road. They haven't won in Pittsburgh since Oct. 5, 2003.
Yet they had a chance to avoid infamy on a brutally cold Sunday at Heinz Field.
With the AFC North title and a first-round postseason bye secure, the Steelers rested quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who's 21-2 as a starter against the Browns, running back Le'Veon Bell, wide receiver Antonio Brown (calf), center Maurkice Pouncey (hip), right guard David DeCastro and defensive end Cameron Heyward. Heyward is the only one on the list who hasn't made multiple Pro Bowls, but he leads the team with 12 sacks.
It was reminiscent of the 2016 season finale, when the Steelers sat Roethlisberger, Bell, Brown and Pouncey and then watched backup quarterback Landry Jones author a 27-24 overtime win over the Browns in Pittsburgh.
Jones triumphed over the Browns again.
The Browns trailed 21-14 at halftime but tied the score on the first series of the second half. Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rashard Higgins to finish a seven-play, 68-yard drive and tie the score at 21 with 10:54 left in the third quarter.
But JuJu Smith-Schuster returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to give the Steelers a 28-21 advantage with 10:42 remaining in the third quarter. Then Browns used a positive special teams play _ a successful 51-yard field goal by rookie Zane Gonzalez _ to cap a 16-play, 55-yard drive and slice the Steelers' lead to 28-24.
Browns running back Duke Johnson gained 32 yards on a screen pass from Kizer, but cornerback William Gay forced him to fumble, and safety Mike Mitchell recovered at the Steelers' 31 with 12:35 left in the fourth quarter.
The defense responded and got a stop, though. The Browns got the ball back at their 15 with 9:14 left in the fourth quarter. On first-and-10 from their 31, Kizer threw under pressure a split-second before blitzing cornerback Artie Burns hit him, and safety Sean Davis intercepted the pass intended for rookie tight end David Njoku at the Browns' 47 with 6:47 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Steelers then went three-and-out. After a punt, the Browns took possession at their 15 with 4:30 left in the fourth quarter.
On third-and-3 at the Browns' 22, Gordon caught a short pass from Kizer and turned it into a 33-yard gain.
On fourth-and-2 from the Steelers' 27-yard line, Kizer avoided a sack and threw to wide-open wide receiver Corey Coleman, who dropped the pass for a would-be first down at the 11 with 1:46 to play.
And the Steelers ran out the clock for the win.
Kizer completed 16-of-30 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns with an interception for a rating of 98.5.
The Steelers drew first blood with an eight-play, 72-yard scoring drive on the game's opening possession. Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey rushed for a 29-yard touchdown on an end around, giving the Steelers a 7-0 lead with 10:43 left in the first quarter. Rookie safety Kai Nacua, middle linebacker Joe Schobert and defensive tackle Danny Shelton missed chances to tackle Heyward-Bey on his path to the end zone.
After the Browns went three-and-out on the next series, with Kizer taking two sacks, rookie safety Jabrill Peppers recorded his first career interception and the defense's first takeaway in six games. The Browns hadn't forced a turnover since Nov. 19 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Browns took possession at their 37 after the pick but went three-and-out as Kizer missed on a short throw to Gordon on third-and-7.
The Steelers then marched to the Browns' 9, where they lined up for a 28-yard field goal. But linebacker Christian Kirksey was penalized for a neutral-zone infraction, giving the Steelers a first down.
Kirksey's teammates bailed him out, though, with a goal-line stand. The Steelers went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1, and fullback Roosevelt Nix, a Kent State product, was stopped for a 1-yard loss. Linebacker James Burgess and Shelton were credited for the stop with 45 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Browns couldn't build on the momentum, however, and went three-and-out. Britton Colquitt's punt from the back of the end zone was deflected by linebacker Tyler Matakevich and downed at the Browns' 28.
On third-and-2, Smith-Schuster was open when he caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jones. With the three-play, 28-yard scoring drive, the Steelers captured a 14-0 advantage with 13:26 left in the second quarter.
Finally, the Browns came to life on offense.
Kizer threw a deep pass to Gordon for a 54-yard gain. Two plays later, Johnson ran for a 2-yard touchdown to finish a five-play, 75-yard drive, and the Browns cut their deficit to 14-7 with 11:46 left in the second quarter.
The Steelers advanced to the Browns' 9 again and appeared to be stopped with Jones throwing incomplete into the end zone on third-and-3. But rookie defensive end Myles Garrett was penalized for roughing the passer, giving the Steelers a first down. On the next play, running back Stevan Ridley rushed for a 4-yard touchdown as the Steelers built a 21-7 lead with 7:59 remaining in the second quarter.
The Browns countered two plays later when Kizer and Higgins connected over linebacker T.J. Watt in the middle of the field for a 56-yard touchdown on a catch-and-run. As a result, the Browns trimmed the Steelers' lead to 21-14 with 7:13 left in the second quarter.
With the Steelers marching, Garrett strip-sacked Jones, and rookie defensive tackle Caleb Brantley recovered the fumble at the Browns' 40 with 46 seconds left before halftime.
