Bills break Browns streaks

ORCHARD PARK, NY---The Browns lost more than just the game against the Bills on Sunday afternoon at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

ORCHARD PARK, NY---The Browns had won three consecutive games against the Buffalo Bills entering Ralph Wilson Stadium Sunday afternoon and were riding the momentum of back-to-back wins over the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins. However, in the end, both of those streaks came to an end.
With 4:37 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Browns had possession and faced a first-and-ten from their 47-yard line. Two plays later, they were backed up in third-and-eight and looked to the air for the first down conversion. Quarterback Jake Delhomme dropped back and fired a pass down the right sideline for Mohamed Massaquoi, but was hit on the play and Leodis McKelvin registered the interception.
“I knew right when I hit it that it was going straight up in the air,” said Delhomme. “I could just tell.”
The interception was the Browns’ (5-8) third and final turnover of the game as the Bills (3-10) relied on the running of Fred Jackson to run out the clock. Jackson led the way with a game-high 112 yards on 29 carries, while quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick averaged 12.3 yards-per-run on four quarterback scrambles.
Jackson converted a key third-and-three right before the two-minute warning by gaining 19 yards down to the Browns’ 39-yard line.
“I’m really disappointed in the loss for obvious reasons,” said Browns coach Eric Mangini. “I don’t think we played well in any of the three phases. They were able to run the ball effectively and we talked about it all week. We didn’t keep Fitzpatrick in the pocket. He hurt us with his feet.
“Both backs (Jackson and C.J. Spiller) being able to hit the edge and get to the outside, that hurt us as well,” he continued. “The fumbles, three turnovers and putting the ball on the ground at other points, you just can’t do that. You can’t do that and expect to operate effectively and win games. I give them a lot of credit. They played a lot better than we did today. We have to come back and address the problems.”
Prior to the turnovers, the Browns were moving the ball well against the Bills defense.
Running back Peyton Hillis broke a 25-yard run on the team’s third play from scrimmage and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark on his next carry. However, the Browns would be stopped short of the goal line on the drive and elected to kick a field goal instead of going for a touchdown.
“I did think about it, but I felt like this game was going to be close,” Mangini said. “I thought, at that point, to just get the points and we’ll have some drives later on. They’re an excellent goal line defense, but I had liked what we had there and our chances.”
It was one of the two times the Browns failed to score a touchdown while in the red zone. They were 0-for-1 in goal-to-go situations and 2-of-10 on third down.
“That first drive was nice, but at the end of the day, we didn’t punch it into the end zone,” said Hillis. “In my head, that’s not successful. We have a great line and a great fullback and I wasn’t there for them today like I should’ve been.”
“We were running the ball well and thought it was going to set everything else up, but when we got into the red zone, we didn’t really make any plays,” added wide receiver Chansi Stuckey. “I think that ultimately hurt us in the end. Those points make a big difference. Those four points would’ve made a big difference, especially in the fourth quarter. The defense can play a little different and do a couple things differently. That really hurt.”
PASSING DIFFICULTIES
Despite the rainy conditions inside Ralph Wilson Stadium, Delhomme attempted 20 passes. He completed 12-of-20 attempts for 86 yards and the one interception. He was also sacked once for a four-yard loss.
“It’s not the easiest conditions to throw in,” Mangini said. “With us not being as effective as we need to be on third down, we stalled some drives. It’s the same thing with the turnovers. There were a couple that we had. He hit the one to Mo (Massaquoi), but even that one fluttered. It’s hard to get it downfield with a lot of precision.”
“It was a little damp, but for the most part, the way you wanted to throw them, I felt alright,” said Delhomme after repeatedly saying weather was not an excuse for the turnovers. “The one down to Mo that he caught downfield (for a gain of 34 yards), I wish I could’ve gotten a little more on it.”
REGISTERING PRESSURE
Defensively, the Browns had two sacks for 11 yards against Fitzpatrick and the Bills today. They also recorded a fumble recovery.
Linebacker Marcus Benard had a sack and now leads the team with 7.5 on the year. In 18 career games, Benard has registered 11 sacks. Fellow linebacker Chris Gocong posted a career-high ten tackles against the Bills. He had a sack and forced fumble. He leads the Browns with three caused fumbles.
The Browns defense has now tallied 19 takeaways since Week 7 and entered the weekend tied for first in the NFL in that time-span. They also held the Bills scoreless in the first quarter and have allowed just 26 first-quarter points this season.

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