The Cleveland Browns lost a winnable game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, with an interception by Jacoby Brissett serving as the nail in the coffin.
With the Browns approaching field goal range with a chance to tie but facing a 3rd and 23, Brissett looked for David Bell but was picked off by Dee Alford, sealing the 23-20 win for the Falcons.
Brissett has tossed just two interceptions this season but both came in late-game situations with the Browns trying to drive to tie or win.
“He wants plays back like I want play calls back,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game. “That’s the frustrating part about this game when you fall short.
“We just didn’t do enough. Knew it was going to be a 60-minute football game, I know we come up and say it every week, but we know it was going to be a 60-minute football game. And we just didn’t make enough plays down the stretch and in those critical situations, and we just got to look at the film and get better from it.”
Brissett has been more than competent in relief of the suspended Deshaun Watson. But Sunday’s performance was not his most impressive. Brissett finished the game 21 of 35 for 234 yards and the interception.
“We still had a chance at the end, that’s what it comes down to,” Brissett said. “Me making the wrong decision on something.
Big Plays Bite Browns in Loss to Falcons
The Browns outgained the Falcons 403-333 and seemingly had a chance to take control of the game multiple times. But Atlanta kept clawing their way into the game and just made more plays than the Browns down the stretch.
“We just didn’t do enough,” Brissett said. “We just didn’t make enough plays down the stretch in those critical situations.”
A moment of note came on the first drive, when Stefanski decided to go for a 4th and 4 inside the red zone rather than kick a chip shot field goal for an early lead. The play ended with Brissett throwing the ball out of the back of the end zone.
“I think we wanted to score sevens in the red zone,” Stefanski said. “We really felt like we could, you know, and tried to run it on that third down and then got knocked back, which was unfortunate, but just didn’t come away with points. And again, that falls squarely on me.”
Brissett has been the king of the quarterback sneak on short fourth-down conversions and is a proponent of the Browns continuing to be aggressive.
“Obviously we’re behind the aggressive play because that’s us and we live with the results and we go to the next play,” Brissett said. “And we respect Kev for giving us that trust in this team. Because it’s not just about the offense, it’s about the defense and special teams and in that sense, so hey, they trust us to go for it and we just got to convert it and we will.”
Browns Heading Into Tougher Stretch of Schedule
The Browns fell to 2-2 with the loss and enter a tougher stretch of their schedule with the Chargers up next. They also have a gauntlet over the next seven games that includes the Bills, Patriots, Buccaneers and Dolphins, as well as a pair of games against AFC North foes Baltimore and Cincinnati.
“This doesn’t change our plan. Our plan is one week at a time,” Brissett said. “We’ve just got to go learn from this one, get ready for next week.”
The Browns are hoping to keep the ship afloat and still be in the playoff picture when Watson returns from his suspension on December 3 against the Texans. Luckily for the Browns, the AFC North has struggled as a whole, with the Ravens and Bengals at 2-2 and the Steelers at 1-3.
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Browns Send Strong Message on Jacoby Brissett After Loss to Falcons