Updated Hot Seat Watch for Pat Shurmur After Browns' Loss to Cowboys

Two weeks ago, the discussion surrounding Pat Shurmur focused on the remainder of the season being an audition for this young Cleveland Browns.

After the last two games, there doesn't appear much likelihood of a call back. 

Shurmur's Browns weren't excelling at closing out games then, and nothing has changed.

Cleveland came out firing against the Dallas Cowboys. The Browns even looked like a real, live NFL team as they staked themselves to a 13-point lead.

But, as always, the joy was short lived.

Dallas came out after halftime and scored their first of two consecutive touchdowns within a couple minutes. From there, every Browns fan knew where this game was headed.

Time out. Last time, we used a comparison to the Detroit Lions. Another one is fitting here.

When the Lions settled a for a field goal late in the fourth quarter, everyone who had watched a Detroit game knew what was going to happen.

Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb. Game over. 

The disappointing season, of which the Packers game was a microcosm, has fans screaming for Jim Schwartz' head. And he's actually had some success. 

Back to Jerry's World. 

The Browns made things interesting with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin Watson. But again, old-school fans had been burned enough to keep calm.

And they were right.

Dallas notched two more field goals to bring home a three-point win.

Not only did the loss knock Cleveland to 2-8, it demonstrated that Shurmur hasn't gotten through to his team how to close out games. Basically, how to win.

Winning a few games, especially those where the Browns came out strong, was the only way that Shurmur was going to keep his job. Now, with two more weeks' worth of evidence, it's difficult to imagine how he returns for 2013.