Browns vs. Bills: Full Report Card Grades for Cleveland

Sunday began with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting that the Buffalo Bills may be readying to fire head coach Rex Ryan. 

The Cleveland Browns then lost to those Bills by 20 points. 

Cleveland lost 33-13, and it felt as if the game wasn't even that close. Buffalo was a yard away from scoring one last touchdown in the waning moments of the contest, and the Browns defense appeared to give as little effort as imaginable throughout the second half until the hosts removed starters from the game. 

Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson needs to use the next several days to determine who in his locker room wants to take the field and play for a win next Sunday. Those who spend their money to watch the Browns play the San Diego Chargers on Christmas Eve deserve to see better than what Cleveland offered in Buffalo. 

The Browns aren't just a bad team; they're a bad team that worsened throughout a lost season. There's little hope this roster can win a game over the next two weeks.

Quarterback

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Give Cleveland quarterback Robert Griffin III credit for leaving it all on the field and fighting for each yard throughout the contest. Griffin did well to break free and scamper for a touchdown in the third quarter, and he finished the game as Cleveland's leading rusher with 48 yards. 

With that said, Griffin clearly isn't the answer at QB for the Browns. He is a tremendous athlete who can chuck the ball deep down the field, but the artist once known as RG3 once again missed far too many short passes in a losing effort. Griffin completed 17 of 28 attempts for 196 yards and no touchdowns, and he took five sacks.

Griffin holds onto the football far too long far too often in the pocket, and he obviously isn't the same player he was back in 2012. Rookie Cody Kessler remains active and on the depth chart even though he suffered two concussions this fall, and Kessler should be given an opportunity to play if he isn't going to be shut down for the rest of the campaign.  

Grade: D

Running Back

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

The Buffalo defense surrendered 240 rushing yards to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Cleveland earned 107 yards on the ground this afternoon, but running backs accounted for only 59 of those yards. 

Isaiah Crowell finished the day with a total of eight carries for 28 yards. Duke Johnson earned 31 yards on five rushes. As a pair, they averaged over 4.5 yards per carry. The Browns nevertheless failed to establish any momentum in the rushing attack yet again, and there's little reason to think Jackson will begin to believe in his backs over the next two weeks. 

RG3 was Cleveland's best rusher against Buffalo. That's unacceptable. 

Johnson served as somewhat of a security blanket for Griffin in the passing game. The Browns may need to consider moving Johnson to wide receiver to get the most out of him. 

Grade: F

Wide Receiver and Tight End

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Former quarterback and current wide receiver Terrelle Pryor needs to compose himself during games.

Pryor, who is earning a reputation for being a diva as ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi recently explained, threw a tantrum on the field after the Browns had to call a timeout because Griffin couldn't take a snap before the play clock expired. The 27-year-old also had two costly and avoidable drops. 

Pryor caught four of the eight passes thrown to him, and he gained only 19 yards. He may be passionate and may want to win, but he isn't helping the Browns with his antics. Maybe the Browns are trying to send a message by not offering Pryor a contract extension before the end of the season. 

Running back Duke Johnson led the Browns with five receptions. WR Corey Coleman caught three passes, and tight end Gary Barnidge caught two of three targets for 35 yards.

Nobody among these players stood out against a lackluster Buffalo defense.

Grade: F

Offensive Line

David Richard/Associated Press

Cleveland's offensive line played well, for the most part, against the Bills. 

Center Cameron Erving has now put together a solid run of six consecutive quarters of positive play. Erving didn't go viral because of a missed block or some other terrible mistake on Sunday, which is only a plus considering how lost the second-year pro looked earlier this fall. Odds are Erving isn't Cleveland's center of the future, but he may earn a home on the offensive line for the 2017 season over the next couple of weeks. 

It's hard to ridicule the offensive line for Griffin being sacked five times. Griffin's freelancing style caused blockers to lose assignments, and his tendency to hold onto the ball for as long as possible forced linemen to attempt to hold blocks for several seconds too many times. 

The biggest shame here is that the offensive line wasn't rewarded for its efforts outside of the team's single touchdown drive. 

Grade: B

Defensive Line

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Nobody, absolutely nobody, on the Cleveland defensive line played well. 

Rookie Emmanuel Ogbah finished the afternoon with a single sack, but Ogbah otherwise did little of note minus that play. Danny Shelton routinely lost battles up front, he committed a silly penalty when he hit the QB late and he made zero impact in run defense. The only reason I know Carl Nassib played in Buffalo is because of the box score. 

It appeared members of the defensive line gave up after Griffin scored his rushing touchdown in the third quarter. Buffalo's offense cut through the Cleveland defense like a hot knife through butter in two touchdown drives, and a 17-10 game became a 33-13 blowout in under a full quarter of football. 

This was the worst performance, hands down, the Cleveland defensive line produced this season. 

Grade: F

Linebacker

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Buffalo tight end Charles Clay caught all seven passes thrown his way largely because not a single linebacker bothered to cover him throughout the afternoon. 

Clay's touchdown reception in the second quarter was difficult only because Buffalo QB Tyrod Taylor threw a horrible pass and nearly missed the open TE on the play. Linebacker Jamie Collins, who became less of a factor with each quarter, kept his eyes on Taylor as Clay ran behind him, and nobody latched onto the TE as he entered the end zone. 

Collins didn't play like an All-Pro worthy of a massive contract in Buffalo. 

Both Christian Kirksey and Demario Davis did well to tackle ball-carriers who ran to them, but neither man affected the outcome of the contest. Cam Johnson continues to look like a player who deserves a spot on the roster but wouldn't start for a contender. 

Grade: F

Secondary

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Cornerback Joe Haden may return to form away from Cleveland, but he probably won't be a member of the Browns next year. 

Haden again failed to impress against the pass and the run, and he was responsible for two dreadful plays he probably won't want to re-live while watching game film. It appeared Haden ran away from Brandon Tate when Tate gained 30 yards on a reverse in the first quarter, and Haden then failed to tackle LeSean McCoy on a play that helped set the Bills up for a touchdown in the second half. 

Sitting Haden in favor of youngers players for the final two games of the year may be best for all involved. 

Briean Boddy-Calhoun consistently trailed behind WRs. Ibraheim Campbell stopped short when he had a clear opportunity to sack Taylor in the fourth quarter. 

This unit played like the NFL's worst secondary against Buffalo.

Grade: F

Special Teams

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Mario Alford may be the returner the Browns lacked throughout the season.

Alford nearly fumbled the ball when he played a punt off a bounce in Cleveland territory, but he otherwise played well during return duties. Most importantly, Alford looked more comfortable than both Joe Haden and Duke Johnson in return situations, and he deserves additional opportunities to make plays over the next two weeks. 

One positive is that the Browns seemingly don't need to shake things up as it pertains to the team's kickers. Cody Parkey made the two field goals he attempted, and Parkey continues to push his nightmare performance against the Miami Dolphins earlier this year out of memories. Per Spotrac, punter Britton Colquitt can enter free agency in 2017, and the Browns should consider signing him to an extension for the right price. 

Grade: B

Coaching

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Griffin's touchdown run made the score 17-10 with roughly nine minutes remaining in the third quarter. At that point of the contest, the Browns were one defensive stop away from giving the Cleveland offense a chance to tie the game before the final period.

Not only did the Browns fail to stop the Bills, but Cleveland's defense also offered zero resistance, as Buffalo traveled 75 yards down the field in six plays. Danny Shelton was correctly flagged for roughing the passer, and Tyrod Taylor earned 28 yards with his legs. LeSean McCoy finished the drive with a short touchdown run that extended Buffalo's lead to 24-10, and Cleveland's chances of winning the game evaporated somewhere over Lake Erie. 

That drive could prove to be the beginning of the end of defensive coordinator Ray Horton's tenure with the Browns. 

When will Cleveland fans stop giving Hue Jackson a pass? Jackson was responsible for the Browns signing Robert Griffin III, as Jeff Darlington of NFL.com explained, and Jackson wanted Cody Kessler, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Neither player looks like a franchise QB this holiday season.

Those who support the Browns need to hold everybody running the club responsible for the team's failures this season.

Grade: F

Final Grade

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

The Cleveland team that took the field in Buffalo couldn't beat any NFL opponent. 

I'm watching the San Diego Chargers lead the Oakland Raiders as I write this sentence. I currently see no reason to believe the Browns will defeat the Chargers at FirstEnergy Stadium on Christmas Eve. 

Maybe, just maybe, those on the Chargers won't be up for playing on the Lake Erie shoreline early in the afternoon before the holiday. Perhaps Cleveland players will want to win a game for those who attend the game. 

Thousands upon thousands of seats will be empty on December 24. The Chargers sit at 5-8 halfway through their home game against the Raiders, and the Browns are the league's worst team. 

It's going to be a sad sight, especially if the Browns play as poorly as they did in Buffalo. 

Final Grade: F