It happened again

At the time, it was just an innocent mistake by the young kicker who heroically captured Browns Nation a week ago with an unbelievable 58-yard field goal to win a season-opening game for the first time in 18 years.

So when Cade York's point-after attempt following Nick Chubb's third touchdown of the afternoon against the New York Jets in the home opener Sunday took a very sudden detour well right of the right upright, fans probably shrugged and figured the kid's human after all.

The Browns had built a 30-17 lead with just 1:55 left in regulation. It sure looked as though they were on the verge of winning their first two games of the season for the first time since 1993. What could go wrong?

Before answering that, bear in mind one prima facie fact. This star-crossed franchise has led the National Football League in blowing games in the most mind-numbing ways over the last 24 seasons. They are masters at the art of snatching losses from the jaws of victory.

So repeating: What could go wrong?

How about two Jets touchdowns -- one shockingly given up by yet another blown coverage two plays after York's missed extra point; the other after the Cleveland onsides kick receiving team (the so-called hands team) botched (surprise!) an opportunity to put the game away.

The Jets' Ripleyesque 31-30 victory before a stunned and extremely angry home crowd that witnessed Murphy's Law once again come to life is nothing more than another chapter in the Cleveland Browns Book of Fate. 

How in the world did Jets wide receiver Corey Davis come so wide open down the right sideline for a 66-yard gift? Who cares? Defensive coordinator Joe Woods apparently doesn't. Was this way of cleaning things up after last Sunday? After three major coverage breakdowns in two games, this now qualifies as an epidemic.

Jets quarterback Joe Flacco had his way with the Cleveland secondary once his pass protection was cleaned up. The veteran sliced and diced for four touchdowns, including a pair to first-round draft choice Garrett Wilson, the second of which applied the fatal dagger with 22 seconds left.

What good does it do to start pointing fingers of guilt? At best, it's probably best to indict the entire secondary, figuring you're going to be correct somewhere along the way. It's quite obvious Woods isn't even close to approaching, let along finding, a solution.

To be clear here, I'm not blaming the kid for the loss, although the scoreboard and standings -- would disagree with that. This football team has no clue how to close out games. When a 30-17 lead with less than two minutes left is not sufficient enough to win, you've got major problems.

When you take in the big picture, losing winnable games like this with an extremely rugged seven-game stretch waiting later down the road against infinitely better teams than the Jets is a dagger to the hopes of returning to the postseason.

This loss cannot be pinned on Jacoby Brissett, who was a whole lot better than last Sunday, completing all but five of his 27 passes for 229 yards, one touchdown to Amari Cooper, who caught all but one of his 10  targets for 101 yards, and an interception.

The pick on his last pass of the day was intended for Cooper deep down the middle with less than 10 seconds to play as the Browns desperately tried to set up another long-distance York field goal. Jets safety Ashtyn Davis read the play all the way and jumped the route.

Cooper also factored in the onsides kick, a maneuver that almost always fails. Almost, but not on this day. Jets punter Braden Mann, who perfectly executed a fake punt with a 17-yard pass in the first quarter that led to the Jets' opening touchdown, laid the football on its side on the kicking tee.

He directed the kick toward the left sideline, toward Cooper on the perimeter, as players on both teams frantically attempted to secure it. Cooper reacted slowly, perhaps too slowly, toward the spinning football and was knocked off it by Jets safety Lamarcus Joyner.

Jets cornerback Justin Hardee, a Cleveland native who played  his high school ball at Glenville, recovered the ball at the Jets 47 with 82 seconds left. With the game on the line, the Cleveland defense collapsed. 

Nine plays and 60 seconds later, Flacco, who raised his career record against Cleveland to 18-3, expertly moved his offense to the shocking ending with Wilson, the former Ohio State star, grabbing his second scoring pass of the day on a simple 15-yard post route with the closest Browns defender at least five yards away. Greg Zuerlein produced the game winner on a simple point after.

The Browns, who never trailed until Zuerlein's successful extra point, took the lead on long time-consuming sustained drives, the kind that ostensibly provide the defense with enough time to rest and recover between possessions to be effective.

With drives consuming 14 plays (90 yards), 10 plays (61 yards), 11 plays (76 yards), nine plays (75 yards) and six plays (42 yards) for four touchdowns and a field goal, how in the world did the Browns lose this one? 

Chubb's hard-earned 87-yard effort and the equally strong running of Kareem Hunt (58 more yards) have been reduced to a footnote rather than signifying they are truly among the NFL scariest and most dangerous game-changing runners. Being productive on this day didn't, as it turned out, mean that much.