CLEVELAND _ The Browns lost their third starting quarterback this season and the New England Patriots got their superstar quarterback back.
The contrast in quarterback situations between one of the NFL's worst teams and one of its perennial elite was blatant Sunday as the Browns fell 33-13 to the Patriots at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Browns lost rookie quarterback Cody Kessler to chest and rib injuries late in the first quarter while Patriots quarterback Tom Brady showed virtually no signs of rust in his return from a four-game suspension for Deflategate.
The Browns are 0-5 for the third time during the expansion era. They finished 2-14 in 1999 and 5-11 in 2012 after losing their first five games. The Browns haven't won since Dec. 13. They have lost their past seven games and 14 of their last 15 dating back to last season.
And the Patriots (4-1) added injury to insult.
On second-and-12 at the Browns' 10-yard line, Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower rushed between center John Greco and right guard Alvin Bailey and into the backfield unblocked. He proceeded to blast Kessler with a bone-rattling hit.
Not only was Kessler injured on the play, but his backward pass intended for running back Duke Johnson also bounced out of bounds in the end zone for a safety to give the Patriots a 16-7 lead with 1:20 left in the opening quarter.
Kessler, a third-round draft pick from the University of Southern California, never returned to the game.
He was forced to start in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins because quarterbacks Robert Griffin III (fractured coracoid bone in left shoulder) and Josh McCown (fractured left collarbone) suffered injuries in the first two games. Kessler had solid performances in his first two starts and went 5-of-8 passing for 62 yards and a touchdown with a rating of 126 against the Patriots before being hurt.
Journeyman backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst filled in for Kessler. Quarterback-turned-wide receiver Terrelle Pryor took the first two snaps after the injury occurred, then Whitehurst played QB until he suffered an injury with 3:57 left in the fourth quarter. Pryor replaced Whitehurst, who appears to be OK.
As Whitehurst scrambled, cornerback Jonathan Jones hit him. Whitehurst limped to the sideline, where he had his left knee examined by medical personnel. Then he simulated dropping back and threw on the sideline. The Browns announced he was probable to return, and Whitehurst came back for the final series to take a knee.
Whitehurst went 14-of-24 passing for 182 yards and a touchdown with an interception. His passer rating was 78.8.
If Kessler cannot play Sunday, Whitehurst or Pryor could become the 27th quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999 when they visit the Tennessee Titans. It remains to be seen whether McCown could make it back in time to face the Titans. Griffin definitely won't be ready and could very well miss the rest of the season.
The Browns have started three quarterbacks in five games this season. Going back to last season, they've started five QBs in the past seven games.
Including Pryor and Whitehurst, the Browns have used five quarterbacks this season. They're the first team to have five players throw at least five passes through five games since the 1968 Denver Broncos, according to the Elias Sports Bureau via ESPN.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history back in the saddle.
They scored touchdowns on their first three possessions with Brady rolling out of the gate. Patriots fans invaded Cleveland and could be heard cheering and loudly chanting Brady. He left the blowout with 6:02 left in the fourth quarter and finished 28-of-40 passing for 406 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He posted a passer rating of 127.7, rushed twice for 14 yards and took one sack.
After the Browns opened the game with a three-and-out, running back LeGarrette Blount finished an eight-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown, allowing the Patriots to capture a 7-0 lead with 10:28 left in the first quarter.
The Browns tied the score 7-7 with Kessler throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Andrew Hawkins in the back corner of the end zone with 6:09 left in the first quarter. Hawkins completed the nine-play, 75-yard drive by beating the coverage of cornerback Cyrus Jones, who was ejected with 10:52 left in the third quarter after drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
The Patriots went ahead 14-7 when Brady capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive with a 7-yard pass to tight end Martellus Bennett, who was wide open and scored with 2:06 left in the first quarter.
Two plays later, Kessler was knocked out of the game and the Patriots extended their lead to nine points with a safety.
They went ahead 23-7 with 12:10 left in the second quarter when Brady threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Bennett at the end of an eight-play, 64-yard drive. Bennett caught the pass despite inside linebacker Chris Kirksey applying tight coverage in the front of the end zone.
The Patriots led 23-7 at halftime and piled on during the first possession of the third quarter. Brady put the finishing touches on an eight-play, 75-yard drive with a 37-yard touchdown pass to Bennett, giving the Patriots a 30-7 lead with 12:24 left in the third quarter.
Tight end Connor Hamlett, making his NFL regular-season debut, caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Whitehurst over Jonathan Jones in the back of the end zone. The score trimmed the Browns' deficit to 30-13 with 14:05 left in the fourth quarter. The Browns went for two but failed to convert when Whitehurst's pass intended for Pryor fell incomplete.
The Patriots tacked on Stephen Gostkowski's 31-yard field goal and took a 33-13 lead with 7:42 left in the fourth quarter. Gostkowski missed a 50-yard attempt wide right with 12 seconds left in the first half.
The Browns entered the game with the NFL's No. 1-ranked rushing attack (149.3 yards per game). However, they ran for just 27 yards on 22 attempts (1.2 average) against the Patriots. Running back Isaiah Crowell entered the weekend with 61 carries for 394 yards (6.5 average) and three touchdowns, but he had just 22 yards on 13 carries (1.7 average).
