It marks the team’s fourth-worst record in franchise history, as well as the worst overall since going 0-16 in 2017.
At long last, this miserable Browns season is finally over. Now, the club must immediately get to work in its climb back to relevance.
Cleveland’s 2024 campaign came to a relieving end Saturday with a 35-10 loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens. Just a year after going to the NFL playoffs at 11-6, the Browns collapsed to a 3-14 record, the fourth-worst in franchise history and the worst overall since the team went 0-16 in 2017.
Additionally, it caps off Cleveland’s 17th last-place divisional finish since returning to the league in 1999. By contrast, Baltimore finishes the regular season at 12-5 and has clinched its second straight AFC North title.
Bailey Zappe became the fourth quarterback to start for the Browns this year and mostly played as expected, completing 16 of 31 passes for 170 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Jordan Akins. He also threw two interceptions, including one on the third series of the game that was returned for a TD by Nate Wiggins.
A rare bright spot for the offense came from Jerry Jeudy, who caught six passes for 63 yards. That gave him 90 receptions for the season, breaking the Browns’ record of 89 previously set by Ozzie Newsome (twice) and Kellen Winslow II.
Chasing his third career MVP award, Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson didn’t turn in his best performance, but still put up a solid effort with a pair of TD passes. His 280 total yards also made him the first player in NFL history with 4,000 passing yards and 900 rushing yards in a single season. Derrick Henry added 138 yards on the ground and a pair of scores, including a 43-yarder that finished off the scoring.
A significant blow for the Ravens came in the first half, however, when Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers was forced out with a knee injury. With Baltimore set to host a postseason game next week, his potential absence could prove crucial.