CLEVELAND _ Brownie the Elf's blooper became the symbol of this winless season for the Browns as they fell 23-10 to the Cincinnati Bengals on a snowy Sunday afternoon at a half-empty FirstEnergy Stadium.
The elf mascot attempted to retrieve the ball after the 0-13 Browns punted it out of bounds with 2:13 left in the opening quarter. But the mascot slipped on the snowy sideline and fell to the ground with the ball out of reach. The moment was captured on CBS' telecast and quickly went viral on social media.
The Browns rallied in the second half but couldn't muster enough firepower to avoid their 15th consecutive loss, their 22nd defeat in 23 games and their 30th setback in 33 games. They haven't won since Dec. 13, 2015, so their drought will last longer than a year.
With three games left, the death march to an 0-16 season continues.
Quarterback Robert Griffin III failed to jump-start the offense the way he had hoped in his return from a fractured left shoulder suffered Sept. 11 during the regular-season opener and posted a passer rating of 0.0 in the first half.
Playing for just the second time in the past 29 games, Griffin went 12-of-28 passing for 104 yards with an interception. He finished with a passer rating of 38.4 and took three sacks. He also ran seven times for 31 yards and a touchdown.
No Browns player caught more than three passes. Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor caught just one pass for 3 yards on three targets. Rookie receiver Corey Coleman caught three passes for 26 yards on 11 targets.
The Browns cut their deficit to 20-7 when Griffin rushed for a 1-yard touchdown with 8:11 left in the third quarter. Running back Isaiah Crowell sparked the 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 42-yard run. Crowell finished with 10 carries for 113 yards. Rookie fullback Danny Vitale dropped a touchdown pass on first-and-goal from the 3, but Griffin's first touchdown run since Dec. 28, 2014, came two plays later.
The Bengals' lead decreased to 20-10 during the Browns' next possession when Cody Parkey made a 30-yard field goal with 14:14 left in the fourth quarter. They settled for three points after Griffin threw off target and incomplete on third-and-8 from the Bengals' 12-yard line.
The Bengals (5-7-1) answered with Mike Nugent's 44-yard field goal on the next series, capturing a 23-10 lead with 8:38 remaining.
The AFC North matchup was essentially decided in the first half.
The Bengals gained 216 yards and 14 first downs through the first two quarters compared with 72 yards and three first downs for the Browns.
The Bengals scored two touchdowns in the first 8:33 to take a 13-0 lead after their first two possessions.
Coming off a bye, the Browns fell behind 7-0 when tight end Tyler Eifert beat the coverage of inside linebacker Demario Davis and caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton in the front of the end zone, capping a six-play, 73-yard march with 12:21 left in the first quarter.
The Browns' deficit increased to 13-0 when running back Jeremy Hill rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to finish a nine-play, 45-yard drive. Then the point after touchdown was botched. The Browns used several laterals in an attempt to return the ball for a defensive two-point conversion, but safety Ibraheim Campbell was tackled at the 50.
On first-and-10 from the Browns' 2, Griffin launched a flea-flicker pass from the end zone intended for Pryor and into triple coverage. Free safety George Iloka intercepted the pass and returned 21 yards to the Browns' 26.
Griffin's passer rating dropped to 0.0 after the interception, and the Bengals went ahead 20-0 five plays later. The Browns didn't cover Eifert as he caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dalton in the front of the end zone with 5:06 left in the second quarter.
Nugent missed a 36-yard field goal wide right with no time left in the second quarter, but it didn't matter.
Dalton completed 20-of-28 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. His passer rating was 112.2. Hill rushed 25 times for 111 yards and one touchdown.
Earlier this season, the Browns fell to the Bengals 31-17 on Oct. 23 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns have lost the past five games against their in-state rival, tying their longest losing streak of the series.
