The party's over

The Browns have scored a touchdown on their first possession of the game four times this season and lost them all entering week 11 of the 2022 National Football League season. Make that five after they did it again Sunday in Detroit against the Buffalo Bills, who overcame a sluggish first half and hammered them, 31-23.

(Quick timeout to inform you, as if you didn't already know, this is the Browns' seventh straight loss on a Sunday, their second loss in a row overall and sixth setback in the last seven games. What's that about the playoffs? How about wait'll next year? Okay, as you were.)

Don't let the final fool you. This one was won when the Bills took the lead (13-10) with 15 seconds left in the first half and never gave it up en route to scoring 22 straight points, including their first second-half touchdown since week six.

The now 3-7 Browns, who flawlessly moved 75 yards in nine plays on the game's opening drive, made the final look somewhat respectable during garbage time with a 13-point fourth quarter, quarterback Jacoby Brissett throwing two of his three scoring passes to Amari Cooper, his second of the afternoon, and Donovan Peoples-Jones.

It became clear from the start the Bills, whose run defense had collapsed in the last three games (nearly 600 yards), were going to sell out to make sure Browns running back Nick Chubb was not going to make it four games, holding him to what must be a career-low 19 of the club's 80 yards in 14 attempts.

That put the game, relocated to Detroit instead of snow-bound Buffalo, in the hands of Brissett, which is generally not a good idea. But the veteran, who has one game left next Sunday against Tampa Bay at home before Deshaun Watson takes over, had his best day of the season with 324 yards and the three scores.

He also fumbled a snap that short-circuited a second-quarter drive and failed to pick up a first down on back-to-back quarterback sneaks on the first possession of the second half at the Buffalo 27-yard line. He gained maybe 10 inches on both attempts.

The botched exchange by Brissett, lined up under center, might have occurred because he has not worked with Hjalte Froholdt, who replaced Ethan Pocic when the starting center departed after the first two plays of the game with a bad right knee.

The Browns also threatened to score on the possession following the Brissett fumble, but Cody York's 34-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by Buffalo special teamer Siran Neal.

York had connected on a 32-yarder to give the Browns a 10-3 lead in the opening minute of the second quarter, but only after tight ends Harrison Bryant and Pharaoh Brown dropped very catchable passes in the end zone.

Interestingly, the Cleveland defense, heavily maligned after being embarrassed in Miami last Sunday, played a strong first half, holding a snoozing Buffalo offense to just 134 total yards, only 56 on the ground, and yet trailed, 13-10, making quarterback Josh Allen look rather normal in the process.

The Bills didn't pick up their initial first down of the game until about eight minutes remained in the second quarter, the Cleveland defense forcing two punts and the first two of Tyler Bass' six field goals, including a 56-yarder.

The pass coverage was tight, the tackling was crisp, the line dominated the trenches, the aggression players lobbied for was clearly in evidence. It kind of made me wonder where was this defense last week against the Miami Dolphins? 

Signs the game was beginning to unravel showed up in the final minute of the half when Allen found All-Pro Stefon Diggs, his favorite receiver, wide open on a five-yard shallow cross from five yards when no one picked him up. Yep, yet another blown coverage. It was Diggs' first target of the game and completed an 11-play, 78-yard march in the final two minutes of the half.

And then they played the second half. 

The Cleveland defense that played the first half did not show up for the final 30 minutes. The aggression was gone, So, too, were the tight coverage and solid tackling. Just about everything worked on offense for the Bills, soothing the burn of two straight tough losses.They scored points on all five possessions, piling up 223 more yards and four more Bass field goals. 

Remember those 56 yards on the ground for the Bills in the first half? They doubled that figure in the second half  with 115 more for 171, the damage done mostly -- and shared equally -- by Devin Singletary and rookie James Cook.

Allen's six interceptions in the last three games is history. He wasn't his usual spectacular, MVP-candidate self in this one. He was as good as he needed to be, hanging in there while the Browns slowly self -destructed.

Now it's back to the laboratory for the umpteenth time for head coach Kevin Stefanski as he vainly attempts to stem the flow of losing games week after week after week.