2021 Cleveland Browns season

73rd season in franchise history

The 2021 season was the Cleveland Browns' 69th season as a member of the National Football League (NFL), their 73rd overall and their second under head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry. The Browns finished 8–9, failing to improve upon their 11–5 record from 2020. Despite starting 3–1, they would go 5–8 in their last games, eliminating them from playoff contention in the process. For the 75th anniversary of the team's founding in 1946, the Browns introduced a commemorative logo in January to use for the season.[1]

Offseason

Re-signings

Position Player Tag Date
TE Stephen Carlson ERFA March 5
DE Porter Gustin ERFA March 5
WR Rashard Higgins UFA March 17
WR KhaDarel Hodge RFA March 15
OLB Elijah Lee UFA March 19
WR JoJo Natson UFA March 18
K Cody Parkey UFA March 18
LB Malcolm Smith UFA March 18

Players added

Position Player Tag 2020 Team Date
DE Jadeveon Clowney UFA Tennessee Titans April 14
CB Troy Hill UFA Los Angeles Rams March 18
DT Malik Jackson UFA Philadelphia Eagles March 19
S John Johnson UFA Los Angeles Rams March 17
DT Malik McDowell UFA May 3
DE Takkarist McKinley UFA Las Vegas Raiders March 17
K Chase McLaughlin waivers New York Jets May 11
OT Greg Senat UFA Dallas Cowboys March 18
DT Damion Square UFA Los Angeles Chargers May 4
LB Anthony Walker Jr. UFA Indianapolis Colts March 19

Players lost

Position Player Tag 2021 Team Date
DE Adrian Clayborn Release March 9
LB Tae Davis Release Houston Texans March 15
C Anthony Fabiano Retired[2] June 6
LB B. J. Goodson UFA
WR Marvin Hall UFA New England Patriots[3] June 4
CB Kevin Johnson UFA Tennessee Titans March 18
SS Karl Joseph UFA Las Vegas Raiders April 9
OT Kendall Lamm UFA Tennessee Titans March 17
CB Terrance Mitchell UFA Houston Texans March 17
DE George Obinna ERFA
DT Larry Ogunjobi UFA Cincinnati Bengals March 17
G Malcolm Pridgeon Release February 9
DT Sheldon Richardson Release Minnesota Vikings[4] April 16
S Andrew Sendejo UFA
WR Taywan Taylor UFA Houston Texans[5] May 20
DT Vincent Taylor UFA Houston Texans March 17
CB Tavierre Thomas Release Houston Texans March 5
DE Olivier Vernon UFA

Draft

2021 Cleveland Browns Draft
Round Selection Player Position College Notes
1 26 Greg Newsome II CB Northwestern
2 52 Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah LB Notre Dame from Chicago via Carolina
3 91 Anthony Schwartz WR Auburn from New Orleans
4 110 James Hudson OT Cincinnati from Philadelphia
132 Tommy Togiai DT Ohio State
5 153 Tony Fields II LB West Virginia from Detroit
169 Richard LeCounte S Georgia from Los Angeles Rams
6 211 Demetric Felton RB UCLA

Pre-draft trades

Undrafted free agents

Player Position College Signed Cut
Tre Harbison RB Charlotte May 3
Romeo McKnight DE Charlotte May 3
Emmanuel Rugamba CB Miami (OH) May 3
Kiondre Thomas CB Kansas State May 3
Marvin Wilson DT Florida State May 3

Staff

2021 Cleveland Browns staff

Front office

  • Owners – Jimmy Haslam, Dee Haslam, Whitney Haslam-Johnson, J.W. Johnson (EVP)
  • Chief strategy officer – Paul DePodesta
  • EVP/Chief Operating Officer – David Jenkins
  • EVP of football operations/General manager – Andrew Berry
  • Vice president of football administration – Chris Cooper
  • Vice president of football operations – Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
  • Vice president of player personnel – Glenn Cook
  • Vice president of research and strategy – Andrew Healy
  • Vice president of player personnel process and development – Ken Kovash
  • Director of football administration - Taylor Young
  • Director of player personnel – Dan Saganey
  • Assistant director of pro personnel – Adam Al-Khayyal
  • Director of research and strategy – Dave Giuliani
  • Director of scouting research – Mike Cetta
  • Director of football information systems - Brad DeAngelis
  • Senior football advisor – Ryan Grigson
  • Special advisor – Jim Brown

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

  • Offensive coordinator – Alex Van Pelt
  • Run game coordinator/running backs – Stump Mitchell
  • Pass game coordinator/wide receivers – Chad O'Shea
  • Tight ends – Drew Petzing
  • Offensive line – Bill Callahan
  • Assistant offensive line – Scott Peters
  • Senior offensive assistant – Kevin Rogers
  • Offensive assistant – T. C. McCartney
  • Offensive quality control – Jonathan Decoster
 Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Joe Woods
  • Defensive line – Chris Kiffin
  • Assistant defensive line – Jeremy Garrett
  • Linebackers – Jason Tarver
  • Defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs – Jeff Howard
  • Assistant defensive backs – Brandon Lynch
  • Defensive run game coordinator – Ben Bloom
  • Defensive quality control – Stephen Bravo-Brown
  • Defensive Assistant - Zach Dunn

Special teams coaches

  • Assistant special teams – Doug Colman
  • Coaching assistant – Ryan Cordell

Strength and conditioning

  • Director of high performance – Shaun Huls
  • Director of strength and conditioning – Larry Jackson
  • Director of performance nutrition – Katy Meassick
  • Strength and conditioning assistant/sports science – Josh Christovich
  • Strength and conditioning assistant – Monty Gibson
  • Strength and conditioning assistant – Dale Jones
  • Strength and conditioning assistant – Evan Marcus

Final roster

2021 Cleveland Browns final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 54 active, 14 inactive, 9 practice squad (+5 exempt)

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 14 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 23–13 1–0 TIAA Bank Field Recap
2 August 22 New York Giants W 17–13 2–0 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap
3 August 29 at Atlanta Falcons W 19–10 3–0 Mercedes Benz Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule

The Browns' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12.

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 12 at Kansas City Chiefs L 29–33 0–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
2 September 19 Houston Texans W 31–21 1–1 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap
3 September 26 Chicago Bears W 26–6 2–1 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap
4 October 3 at Minnesota Vikings W 14–7 3–1 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap
5 October 10 at Los Angeles Chargers L 42–47 3–2 SoFi Stadium Recap
6 October 17 Arizona Cardinals L 14–37 3–3 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap
7 October 21 Denver Broncos W 17–14 4–3 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap
8 October 31 Pittsburgh Steelers L 10–15 4–4 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap
9 November 7 at Cincinnati Bengals W 41–16 5–4 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
10 November 14 at New England Patriots L 7–45 5–5 Gillette Stadium Recap
11 November 21 Detroit Lions W 13–10 6–5 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap
12 November 28 at Baltimore Ravens L 10–16 6–6 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
13 Bye
14 December 12 Baltimore Ravens W 24–22 7–6 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap
15 December 20 Las Vegas Raiders L 14–16 7–7 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap
16 December 25 at Green Bay Packers L 22–24 7–8 Lambeau Field Recap
17 January 3 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 14–26 7–9 Heinz Field Recap
18 January 9 Cincinnati Bengals W 21–16 8–9 FirstEnergy Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 1: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 8 14 0729
Chiefs 3 7 101333

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

First quarter

  • CLE – Nick Chubb 4-yard run (Kareem Hunt run), 7:53. Browns 8–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:07.
  • KC – Harrison Butker 28-yard field goal, 1:51. Browns 8–3. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 6:02.

Second quarter

  • CLE – Jarvis Landry 5-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 13:28. Browns 15–3. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:23.
  • KC – Patrick Mahomes 5-yard run (Harrison Butker kick), 6:30. Browns 15–10. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:58.
  • CLE – Nick Chubb 18-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 2:55. Browns 22–10. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 3:35.

Third quarter

  • KC – Travis Kelce 11-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 7:27. Browns 22–17. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:33.
  • KC – Harrison Butker 43-yard field goal, 0:32. Browns 22–20. Drive: 10 plays, 28 yards, 5:24.

Fourth quarter

  • CLE – Kareem Hunt 2-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 10:24. Browns 29–20. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:08.
  • KC – Tyreek Hill 75-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 10:10. Browns 29–27. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:14.
  • KC – Travis Kelce 8-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (pass failed), 7:04. Chiefs 33–29. Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:32.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With the loss, the Browns started their season at 0–1. The Browns failed to win in Week 1 for the 17th straight season.

Week 2: vs. Houston Texans

Week 2: Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Texans 7 7 0721
Browns 7 7 10731

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • HOU – Tyrod Taylor 15-yard run (Joey Slye kick), 7:06. Texans 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:38.
  • CLE – Baker Mayfield 5-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 1:14. Tied 14–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:52.

Third quarter

  • CLE – Demetric Felton 33-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 7:50. Browns 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 5:52.
  • CLE – Chase McLaughlin 30-yard field goal, 4:40. Browns 24–14. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:37.

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – Brandin Cooks 2-yard pass from Davis Mills (Joey Slye kick), 11:32. Browns 24–21. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 8:08.
  • CLE – Nick Chubb 26-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 5:52. Browns 31–21. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 5:40.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With the win, the Browns improved to 1–1.

Week 3: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 3: Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 3 0 306
Browns 0 10 31326

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game information

First quarter

  • CHI - Cairo Santos 47-yard field goal, 8:40. Bears 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 2:46.

Second quarter

  • CLE - Chase McLaughlin 57-yard field goal, 12:31. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 4:32.
  • CLE - Austin Hooper 13-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:19. Browns 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 2:35.

Third quarter

  • CLE - Chase McLaughlin 41-yard field goal, 9:32. Browns 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 4:26.
  • CHI - Cairo Santos 22-yard field goal, 1:43. Browns 13–6. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:02.

Fourth quarter

  • CLE - Kareem Hunt 29-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 14:46. Browns 20–6. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:57.
  • CLE - Chase McLaughlin 52-yard field goal, 10:40. Browns 23–6. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 3:00.
  • CLE - Chase McLaughlin 28-yard field goal, 3:43. Browns 26–6. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 5:35.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • CHI – David Montgomery – 10 rushes, 34 yards
  • CLE – Nick Chubb – 22 rushes, 84 yards

Top receivers

With the win, the Browns improved to 2–1. The Browns' defense set franchise records for fewest yards allowed (47) and fewest net passing yards allowed (1).[12] DE Myles Garrett set a franchise record with 4.5 sacks[12] and was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.[13]

Week 4: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 4: Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 11 0314
Vikings 7 0 007

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

  • CLE - Chase McLaughlin 53-yard field goal, 6:16. Browns 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 3:29.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

This was Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski's first return to Minneapolis since leaving the Vikings in January 2020 to become the Browns head coach. Stefanski served as an assistant coach for the Vikings from 2006 to 2019.

With the win, the Browns improved to 3–1. This marked the Browns' sixth consecutive win over NFC opponents.

Week 5: at Los Angeles Chargers

Week 5: Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Chargers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 3 17 71542
Chargers 7 6 82647

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

  • Date: October 10
  • Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 70,240
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • CLE – Rashard Higgins 7-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 12:46. Browns 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:58.
  • LAC – Mike Williams 72-yard pass from Justin Herbert (kick failed), 11:43. Chargers 13–10. Drive: 4 plays, 82 yards, 1:03.
  • CLE – Kareem Hunt 3-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:54. Browns 17–13. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 6:00.
  • CLE – Chase McLaughlin 31-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:38.

Third quarter

  • CLE – Nick Chubb 52-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 12:18. Browns 27–13. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:42.
  • LAC – Justin Herbert 9-yard run (Justin Herbert–Donald Parham pass), 6:25. Browns 27–21. Drive: 14 plays, 84 yards, 5:53.

Fourth quarter

  • LAC – Mike Williams 42-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Tristan Vizcaino kick), 11:22. Chargers 28–27. Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 1:29.
  • CLE – David Njoku 71-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Baker Mayfield–Austin Hooper pass), 10:40. Browns 35–28. Drive: 2 plays, 78 yards, 0:42.
  • LAC – Austin Ekeler 4-yard run (Tristan Vizcaino kick), 7:24. Tied 35–35. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:16.
  • CLE – Kareem Hunt 8-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 4:45. Browns 42–35. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:39.
  • LAC – Austin Ekeler 19-yard pass from Justin Herbert (kick failed), 3:15. Browns 42–41. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:30.
  • LAC – Austin Ekeler 3-yard run (run failed), 1:31. Chargers 47–42. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 0:31.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • CLE – David Njoku – 7 receptions, 149 yards, TD
  • LAC – Mike Williams – 8 receptions, 165 yards, 2 TD

With the loss, the Browns fell to 3–2. The Browns became the first team in NFL history to lose a game despite scoring 40+ points and having no turnovers. Such teams were previously 442–0.

Week 6: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 6: Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 7 16 7737
Browns 0 14 0014

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • ARI - DeAndre Hopkins 13-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 14:49. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:41.
  • ARI - Matt Prater 36-yard field goal, 13:02. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:51.
  • ARI - Matt Prater 51-yard field goal, 9:24. Cardinals 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, -5 yards, 2:07.
  • CLE - Donovan Peoples-Jones 11-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 5:06. Cardinals 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:18.
  • ARI - Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 0:43. Cardinals 23–7. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 4:23.
  • CLE - Donovan Peoples-Jones 57-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:00. Cardinals 23–14. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:43.

Third quarter

  • ARI - DeAndre Hopkins 9-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 2:56. Cardinals 30–14. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:30.

Fourth quarter

  • ARI - A. J. Green 14-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 4:48. Cardinals 37–14. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 7:18.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • ARI – James Conner – 16 rushes, 71 yards
  • CLE – Kareem Hunt – 14 rushes, 66 yards

Top receivers

With the loss, the Browns fell to 3–3. This loss ended a 6-game winning streak over NFC opponents and marked the first time the Browns lost consecutive games under head coach Kevin Stefanski. Starting quarterback Baker Mayfield left the game after aggravating a shoulder injury he suffered earlier in the season. Mayfield was ruled out for the following game, ending his streak of 51 consecutive starts at quarterback, the second longest stretch in franchise history (trailing only Brian Sipe's 70 consecutive starts from 1978–82).[14]

Week 7: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 7: Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Broncos 0 0 7714
Browns 10 0 7017

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game information

First quarter

  • CLE - D'Ernest Johnson 4-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 12:20. Browns 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:40.
  • CLE - Chase McLaughlin 52-yard field goal, 3:14. Browns 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 43 yards, 7:04.

Second quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With the win, the Browns improved to 4–3. RB D'Ernest Johnson was named the FedEx Ground Player of the week. Johnson, who was making his first career start in place of injured RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, had 22 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown, including several key runs to run out the clock and preserve the win.[15]

Week 8: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 8: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 3 6615
Browns 3 0 7010

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Date: October 31
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 56 °F (13 °C)
  • Game attendance: 67,431
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • CLE – Chase McLaughlin 30-yard field goal, 8:09. Browns 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6:51.

Second quarter

  • PIT – Chris Boswell 31-yard field goal, 9:18. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 5:36.

Third quarter

  • CLE – D'Ernest Johnson 10-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 9:36. Browns 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:19.
  • PIT – Najee Harris 8-yard run (pass failed), 3:39. Browns 10–9. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 5:57.

Fourth quarter

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With the loss, the Browns fell to 4–4.

On November 5, the Browns announced their intentions to release WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 9: Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 7 17 10741
Bengals 7 3 0616

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: November 7
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 65,451
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • CLE – Nick Chubb 1-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 14:45. Browns 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:25.
  • CLE – Donovan Peoples-Jones 60-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 10:10. Browns 21–7. Drive: 1 play, 60 yards, 0:08.
  • CLE – Chase McLaughlin 28-yard field goal, 4:10. Browns 24–7. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:21.
  • CIN – Evan McPherson 27-yard field goal, 0:02. Browns 24–10. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:08.

Third quarter

  • CLE – Nick Chubb 70-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 8:00. Browns 31–10. Drive: 2 plays, 70 yards, 0:14.
  • CLE – Chase McLaughlin 24-yard field goal, 5:14. Browns 34–10. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:20.

Fourth quarter

  • CIN – Joe Mixon 2-yard run (run failed), 13:51. Browns 34–16. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:16.
  • CLE – David Njoku 18-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 4:27. Browns 41–16. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:32.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • CLE – Nick Chubb – 14 rushes, 137 yards, 2 TD
  • CIN – Joe Mixon – 13 rushes, 64 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

With the win, the Browns improved to 5–4. The 25-point margin of victory was the Browns' largest since 2003. RB Nick Chubb was named FedEx Ground Player of the Week. Chubb rushed for 137 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns.

Week 10: at New England Patriots

Week 10: Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 7 0 007
Patriots 7 17 71445

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: November 14
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 48 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 65,878
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • NE – Rhamondre Stevenson 5-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 14:43. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:05.
  • NE – Kendrick Bourne 23-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 5:40. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 11 plays, 99 yards, 6:11.
  • NE – Nick Folk 38-yard field goal, 0:17. Patriots 24–7. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 3:31.

Third quarter

  • NE – Rhamondre Stevenson 5-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 5:04. Patriots 31–7. Drive: 8 plays, 92 yards, 5:06.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Hunter Henry 3-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 13:33. Patriots 38–7. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:59.
  • NE – Jakobi Meyers 11-yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Folk kick), 4:13. Patriots 45–7. Drive: 6 plays, 92 yards, 4:02.

Top passers

  • CLE – Case Keenum – 8/12, 81 yards
  • NE – Mac Jones – 19/23, 198 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

  • CLE – D'Ernest Johnson – 19 rushes, 99 yards
  • NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 20 rushes, 100 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

  • CLE – D'Ernest Johnson – 7 receptions, 58 yards
  • NE – Kendrick Bourne – 4 receptions, 98 yards, TD

With the loss, the Browns fell to 5–5. The 38-point margin of defeat was the Browns' largest since 2005.

Week 11: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 11: Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 0 7310
Browns 0 13 0013

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Date: November 21
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Showers, 44 °F (7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 67,431
  • Referee: Clay Martin
  • TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib and Megan Olivi
  • Recap, GameBook
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

  • DET – Aldrick Rosas 43-yard field goal, 9:07. Browns 13–10. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:54.

Top passers

  • DET – Tim Boyle – 15/23, 77 yards, 2 INT
  • CLE – Baker Mayfield – 15/29, 176 yards, TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

Top receivers

With the win, the Browns improved to 6–5. This win ended a four-game losing streak to the Lions, as this was the Browns first win over the Lions since 2001.

Week 12: at Baltimore Ravens

Week 12: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 3 7010
Ravens 3 3 7316

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Game information

First quarter

  • BAL – Justin Tucker 52-yard field goal, 0:24. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 3:38.

Second quarter

  • BAL – Justin Tucker 25-yard field goal, 3:53. Ravens 6–0. Drive: 17 plays, 59 yards, 8:41.
  • CLE – Chase McLaughlin 46-yard field goal, 1:02. Ravens 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 25 yards, 1:27.

Third quarter

  • BAL – Mark Andrews 13-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 9:48. Ravens 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:12.
  • CLE – David Njoku 20-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:39. Ravens 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 87 yards, 2:30.

Fourth quarter

  • BAL – Justin Tucker 49-yard field goal, 1:10. Ravens 16–10. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 5:18.

Top passers

  • CLE – Baker Mayfield – 18/37, 247 yards, TD
  • BAL – Lamar Jackson – 20/32, 165 yards, TD, 4 INT

Top rushers

  • CLE – Kareem Hunt – 7 rushes, 20 yards
  • BAL – Lamar Jackson – 17 rushes, 68 yards

Top receivers

  • CLE – Jarvis Landry – 6 receptions, 111 yards
  • BAL – Mark Andrews – 4 receptions, 65 yards, TD

With the loss, the Browns went into their bye week at 6–6. The Browns' sixth loss on the season means they did not improve upon their 11–5 record from 2020.

Week 14: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week 14: Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Ravens 0 6 31322
Browns 10 14 0024

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Date: December 12
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 47 °F (8 °C)
  • Game attendance: 67,431
  • Referee: Brad Rogers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • CLE – Chase McLaughlin 43-yard field goal, 7:30. Browns 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:50.
  • CLE – Jarvis Landry 9-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:38. Browns 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 4:58.

Second quarter

  • CLE – Austin Hooper 1-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 8:15. Browns 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 6:05.
  • BAL – Justin Tucker 50-yard field goal, 3:30. Browns 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:54.
  • CLE – Myles Garrett 15-yard fumble return (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:49. Browns 24–3.
  • BAL – Justin Tucker 42-yard field goal, 0:02. Browns 24–6. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 0:47.

Third quarter

  • BAL – Justin Tucker 55-yard field goal, 2:05. Browns 24–9. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:40.

Fourth quarter

  • BAL – Latavius Murray 1-yard run (pass failed), 8:56. Browns 24–15. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 2:34.
  • BAL – Mark Andrews 8-yard pass from Tyler Huntley (Justin Tucker kick), 1:17. Browns 24–22. Drive: 14 plays, 90 yards, 4:09.

Top passers

  • BAL – Tyler Huntley – 27/38, 270 yards, TD
  • CLE – Baker Mayfield – 22/32, 190 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • BAL – Mark Andrews – 11 receptions, 115 yards, TD
  • CLE – Donovan Peoples-Jones – 5 receptions, 90 yards

With the win, the Browns improved to 7–6. During the game, Myles Garrett set the franchise record for most sacks in a season, with 15.

Week 15: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Week 15: Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Raiders 7 3 0616
Browns 0 0 7714

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game information

First quarter

  • LV – Bryan Edwards 5-yard pass from Derek Carr (Daniel Carlson kick), 3:41. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 7:12.

Second quarter

  • LV – Daniel Carlson 24-yard field goal, 0:56. Raiders 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 5:18.

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

  • LV – Daniel Carlson 40-yard field goal, 14:46. Raiders 13–7. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 4:47.
  • CLE – Harrison Bryant 6-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Chase McLaughlin kick), 3:45. Browns 14–13. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 8:22.
  • LV – Daniel Carlson 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Raiders 16–14. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 1:50.

Top passers

  • LV – Derek Carr – 25/38, 236 yards, TD, INT
  • CLE – Nick Mullens – 20/30, 147 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • LV – Josh Jacobs – 15 rushes, 52 yards
  • CLE – Nick Chubb – 23 rushes, 91 yards, TD

Top receivers

After 25 Browns players and three coaches, including head coach Kevin Stefanski, tested positive for COVID-19 in the week leading up to the game, the game was postponed from its original date of December 18 to December 20.[16] During this time, three players were able to test negative and be activated, but the majority of the infected players were ruled out. With starting QB Baker Mayfield and backup QB Case Keenum sidelined with the virus, third-string QB Nick Mullens made his first start with the Browns. Special teams coach Mike Priefer served as acting head coach for the game.[17]

With the loss, the Browns fell to 7–7.

Week 16: at Green Bay Packers

Week 16: Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 6 6 3722
Packers 7 14 3024

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: December 25
  • Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/3:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 77,901
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (Fox/NFLN/Prime Video): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • GB – Davante Adams 9-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:47. Packers 14–6. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:48.
  • CLE – Harrison Bryant 1-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (pass failed), 7:03. Packers 14–12. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:44.
  • GB – Davante Adams 1-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:12. Packers 21–12. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 1:39.

Third quarter

  • GB – Mason Crosby 32-yard field goal, 9:12. Packers 24–12. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:48.
  • CLE – Chris Naggar 37-yard field goal, 1:07. Packers 24–15. Drive: 14 plays, 66 yards, 8:05.

Fourth quarter

  • CLE – Anthony Schwartz 5-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chris Naggar kick), 4:31. Packers 24–22. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 2:10.

Top passers

  • CLE – Baker Mayfield – 21/36, 222 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT
  • GB – Aaron Rodgers – 24/34, 202 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

  • CLE – Nick Chubb – 17 rushes, 126 yards, TD
  • GB – Aaron Jones – 12 rushes, 66 yards

Top receivers

  • CLE – Rashard Higgins – 5 receptions, 58 yards
  • GB – Davante Adams – 10 receptions, 114 yards, 2 TD

This game marked the first time in franchise history that the Browns played on Christmas Day.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 7–8, and had 6 one-score game losses, the most in the NFL[citation needed]

Week 17: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 17: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 0 7714
Steelers 0 10 31326

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

  • PIT – Diontae Johnson 5-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 10:39. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:14.
  • PIT – Chris Boswell 22-yard field goal, 3:02. Steelers 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 39 yards, 4:01.

Third quarter

  • PIT – Chris Boswell 30-yard field goal, 8:20. Steelers 13–0. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:16.
  • CLE – David Njoku 3-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:56. Steelers 13–7. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 2:02.

Fourth quarter

  • PIT – Chris Boswell 50-yard field goal, 9:46. Steelers 16–7. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 3:50.
  • PIT – Chris Boswell 48-yard field goal, 5:48. Steelers 19–7. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:35.
  • CLE – Harrison Bryant 1-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 1:10. Steelers 19–14. Drive: 17 plays, 76 yards, 4:38.
  • PIT – Najee Harris 37-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 0:51. Steelers 26–14. Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 0:19.

Top passers

  • CLE – Baker Mayfield – 16/38, 185 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
  • PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 24/46, 123 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

  • CLE – Nick Chubb – 12 rushes, 58 yards
  • PIT – Najee Harris – 28 rushes, 188 yards, TD

Top receivers

On January 2, Cincinnati defeated Kansas City to clinch the AFC North title. This marks the Browns’ 29th consecutive season without winning a division title. With the Los Angeles Chargers’ win over Denver later that day, the Browns were eliminated from playoff contention.[18]

With their 18th straight regular season loss in Pittsburgh, the Browns fell to 7–9. They finished 2–6 in away games.

Week 18: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 18: Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bengals 0 7 3616
Browns 7 7 0721

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • CIN – Elliott Fry 36-yard field goal, 5:01. Browns 14–10. Drive: 14 plays, 52 yards, 8:36.

Fourth quarter

  • CLE – Demetric Felton 10-yard pass from Case Keenum (Chase McLaughlin kick), 7:14. Browns 21–10. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 6:00.
  • CIN – Chris Evans 4-yard pass from Brandon Allen (pass failed), 2:26. Browns 21–16. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 4:48.

Top passers

  • CIN – Brandon Allen – 15/29, 136 yards, TD
  • CLE – Case Keenum – 17/24, 176 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

  • CIN – Trayveon Williams – 9 rushes, 38 yards
  • CLE – D'Ernest Johnson – 25 rushes, 123 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • CIN – Trent Taylor – 2 reception, 41 yards
  • CLE – Jarvis Landry – 6 receptions, 75 yards, TD

With the win, the Browns finished the season 8–9. They finished 6–3 in home games. The Browns swept the Bengals in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1994 and 1995.

Standings

Division

AFC North
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 W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) Cincinnati Bengals 10 7 0 .588 4–2 8–4 460 376 L1
(7) Pittsburgh Steelers 9 7 1 .559 4–2 7–5 343 398 W2
Cleveland Browns 8 9 0 .471 3–3 5–7 349 371 W1
Baltimore Ravens 8 9 0 .471 1–5 5–7 387 392 L6

Conference

AFC
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# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division winners
1[a] Tennessee Titans South 12 5 0 .706 5–1 8–4 .472 .480 W3
2[a] Kansas City Chiefs West 12 5 0 .706 5–1 7–5 .538 .517 W1
3 Buffalo Bills East 11 6 0 .647 5–1 7–5 .472 .428 W4
4 Cincinnati Bengals North 10 7 0 .588 4–2 8–4 .472 .462 L1
Wild cards
5[b] Las Vegas Raiders West 10 7 0 .588 3–3 8–4 .510 .515 W4
6[b] New England Patriots East 10 7 0 .588 3–3 8–4 .481 .394 L1
7 Pittsburgh Steelers North 9 7 1 .559 4–2 7–5 .521 .490 W2
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[c] Indianapolis Colts South 9 8 0 .529 3–3 7–5 .495 .431 L2
9[c][d] Miami Dolphins East 9 8 0 .529 4–2 6–6 .464 .379 W1
10[c][d] Los Angeles Chargers West 9 8 0 .529 3–3 6–6 .510 .500 L1
11[e] Cleveland Browns North 8 9 0 .471 3–3 5–7 .514 .415 W1
12[e] Baltimore Ravens North 8 9 0 .471 1–5 5–7 .531 .460 L6
13 Denver Broncos West 7 10 0 .412 1–5 3–9 .484 .357 L4
14[f] New York Jets East 4 13 0 .235 0–6 4–8 .512 .426 L2
15[f] Houston Texans South 4 13 0 .235 3–3 4–8 .498 .397 L2
16 Jacksonville Jaguars South 3 14 0 .176 1–5 3–9 .512 .569 W1
Tiebreakers[g]
  1. ^ a b Tennessee finished ahead of Kansas City based on head-to-head victory.
  2. ^ a b Las Vegas finished ahead of New England based on win percentage in common games (5–1 vs. 2–4 against: Miami, Dallas, LA Chargers, Cleveland, and Indianapolis).
  3. ^ a b c Indianapolis finished ahead of Miami and Los Angeles based on conference record (7–5 vs. 6–6).
  4. ^ a b Miami finished ahead of LA Chargers based on win percentage in common games (5–1 vs. 2–4 against: New England, Las Vegas, Houston, Baltimore, and NY Giants).
  5. ^ a b Cleveland finished ahead of Baltimore based on division record (3–3 vs. 1–5).
  6. ^ a b NY Jets finished ahead of Houston based on head-to-head victory.
  7. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Team leaders

Regular season

Category Player(s) Value
Passing yards Baker Mayfield 3,010
Passing touchdowns Baker Mayfield 17
Rushing yards Nick Chubb 1,259
Rushing touchdowns Nick Chubb 8
Receptions Jarvis Landry 52
Receiving yards Donovan Peoples-Jones 597
Receiving touchdowns David Njoku 4
Points Chase McLaughlin 81
Kickoff return yards Anthony Schwartz 322
Punt return yards Demetric Felton 227
Tackles Anthony Walker Jr. 113
Sacks Myles Garrett 16.0
Forced fumbles 2 players tied 2
Interceptions 2 players tied 3
Pass deflections 2 players tied 10

Awards

The following Browns were awarded for their performances during the season:

AFC Defensive Player of the Week/Month

W/M Player Line
3 DE Myles Garrett 7 TKL, 4 TFL, 4.5 sacks

2022 Pro Bowl

On December 20, it was announced that G Joel Bitonio, RB Nick Chubb, DE Myles Garrett, G Wyatt Teller, and CB Denzel Ward were named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster, with Bitonio and Garrett named as starters. This marks the fourth Pro Bowl selection for Bitonio, the third for Chubb and Garrett, the second for Ward, and the first for Teller.

References

  1. ^ Patsko, Scott (January 29, 2021). "Browns unveil logo to celebrate 75th anniversary of the franchise". Cleveland.com. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  2. ^ "AFC Notes: Browns, Fisher, Broncos, Fleming".
  3. ^ "Patriots Sign Wide Receiver Marvin Hall". Patriots.com. June 4, 2021.
  4. ^ "Vikings Sign and Bring Back DT Sheldon Richardson".
  5. ^ "Houston Texans Transactions (5-20-2021)". HoustonTexans.com. May 20, 2021.
  6. ^ Shook, Nick (April 24, 2020). "Saints trade up, select LB Zack Baun with 74th pick". NFL.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  7. ^ "Browns trade pass rusher Genard Avery to the Eagles in exchange for 2021 draft pick". CBS Sports. October 28, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  8. ^ DaSilva, Carmen (October 15, 2019). "Rams trade 2021 draft pick to Browns for OL Austin Corbett". RamsWire. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  9. ^ "Browns acquire safety Ronnie Harrison from Jaguars in trade". NFL.com. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  10. ^ "Teller-traded-cleveland". clevelandbrowns.com. August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  11. ^ Alper, Josh (March 17, 2020). "Broncos agree to trade Andy Janovich to Browns". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Browns 26, Bears 6: Myles Garrett sacks Justin Fields 4.5 times, defense holds Chicago to 1 net yard passing". Chronicle-Telegram. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  13. ^ "Myles Garrett named AFC Defensive Player of the Week". ClevelandBrowns.com. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  14. ^ Baker Mayfield out for Thursday's game against Denver
  15. ^ "Browns running back D'Ernest Johnson named FedEx Ground Player of the Week". WJW-TV. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  16. ^ Amid COVID-19 outbreak, Browns vs. Raiders postponed until 5 p.m. Monday
  17. ^ Ulrich, Nate (December 20, 2021). "Browns activate John Johnson III from COVID-19 list; Nick Mullens set to start at quarterback against Raiders". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  18. ^ "Why Did The Browns Miss The Playoffs?". The Cold Wire. January 3, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.

External links

  • 2021 Cleveland Browns at Pro Football Reference (Profootballreference.com)
  • 2021 Cleveland Browns Statistics at jt-sw.com
  • 2021 Cleveland Browns Schedule at jt-sw.com
  • 2021 Cleveland Browns at DatabaseFootball.com
  • Official website
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Cleveland Browns
  • Founded in 1946
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