CLEVELAND — The Browns were hoping to hit the bye week with still plenty to play for over the final eight games. Instead, the only way they're playing for anything would be to make history.
Cleveland's season hit its hospice stage Sunday with a 27-10 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Chargers . The loss dropped the Browns to 2-7 heading into not just their bye, but also the 4 p.m. Tuesday trade deadline.
The only team to ever make the playoffs after starting the season 2-7 was the 2020 Washington Football Team . The caveat there was the Football Team won the NFC East with a 7-9 record.
The Browns will have a week to sit on the first nine games and how they've gone before they play again Nov. 17 at the New Orleans Saints . How they'll look when they play the Saints remains to be seen, depending on who may be dealt by Tuesday's trade deadline.
Quarterback Jameis Winston came back down to earth after a spectacular starting debut last week against the Baltimore Ravens , when he threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Against the Chargers, he was 26-of-46 passing for 235 yards with one touchdown — a 17-yarder to Cedric Tillman with 44 seconds remaining — and three interceptions, as well as a 50.5 passer rating.
Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert was 18-of-27 passing for 282 yards, two touchdowns and a 125.8 passer rating. Both touchdown came on Browns coverage busts.
That's what's on the line against the Chargers. Follow along here as things unfold on the lakefront:
The Chargers turned the blocked field goal into a J.K. Dobbins 7-yard touchdown run with 4:16 remaining. The score make it 27-3 Los Angeles.
Dobbins, the former Ohio State Buckeye and Baltimore Raven, has 85 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.
The Browns' all-around bad day continued when the Chargers' Teair Tart blocked Dustin Hopkins' 51-yard field goal try with 6:38 remaining. The Chargers took over at the Browns 46.
Browns safety Grant Delpit appeared to injure his shoulder when he tried to make a tackle with 10:18 remaining in the game. Delpit popped right back up after the play, but immediately went to the bench and appeared to point to his left shoulder as he sat down.
Delpit went to the medical tent for a moment, but rejoined his teammates on the bench with 6:48 remaining.
Quarterback Jameis Winston had his third interception of the day to nix another potentially promising drive at the Chargers 35. This time, it was defensive back Tarheeb Still who stepped in front of a pass to wide receiver Elijah Moore for the interception.
Dawand Jones' absence due to a shoulder injury was a brief one. He was back in at left tackle to open the subsequent Browns offensive possession after he had left at the start of the fourth quarter.
Jedrick Wills Jr. made his first appearance in the game at left tackle to open the fourth quarter. He did so because the player who replaced him, Dawand Jones, was injured.
Jones went to the locker room with a shoulder injury 45 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Browns listed him as questionable to return.
The Browns trail the Chargers by 17 points going into the final 15 minutes. They have a third and 2 at the Chargers 45 to open the fourth quarter.
This week, Jameis Winston can't stop throwing the ball to the other team. The Browns quarterback threw his second interception of the third quarter when Chargers safety Alohi Gilman made a lunging pick of a ball thrown nowhere near a Browns receiver after the Browns got to the Chargers 38.
Gilman returned the ball to the Chargers 32. Los Angeles would go three and out.
Welcome to the Jameis Winston experience. A week after being the AFC Offensive Player of the Week with a 334-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Ravens, he was 10 of 22 for 88 yards with an interception and a 39.6 rating with 5:28 remaining in the third quarter.
The Browns were knocking on the door of trying to get back in the game on their first third-quarter drive. Quarterback Jameis Winston's fourth-down push to convert a fourth-and-1 from the Chargers 6 put them five yards from the end zone.
Winston's first-and-goal pass was dropped by wide receiver Cedric Tillman at the goal line. His second-down pass never got to Jerry Jeudy in the back right corner of the end zone.
That's because Los Angeles cornerback Tarheeb Still came over and batted it away. The ball deflected into the hands of safety Elijah Molden, who caught it for the interception and took a knee for the touchback.
The Chargers have opened up a 17-point lead over the Browns at the break. Cleveland gets the ball to start the third quarter.
Los Angeles has outgained the Browns 256-57, despite being 1 of 9 on third down. Justin Herbert was 14 of 16 for 250 yard with two touchdowns and a 158.3 passer rating.
Jameis Winston was 6 of 13 for 47 yards and a 55.6 passer rating. Winston's been sacked four times, compared to six time Herbert has been sacked, three of those by Myles Garrett .
The Chargers hit the Browns with a pair of big pass plays for their first two touchdowns. Their third score was a good, old-fashioned rushing score, when J.K. Dobbins took a handoff to the left, put his foot in the ground and found a hole to run through for a 16-yard touchdown with 3:30 remaining in the first half.
Dobbins was essentially untouched, save for a lunging attempt made by cornerback Martin Emerson Jr.
The Browns went three and out on their possession after the Chargers touchdown pass. A third-down illegal motion penalty on wide receiver Jerry Jeudy negated a first-down catch by Cedric Tillman, then quarterback Jameis Winston was sacked by defensive lineman Morgan Fox to force the punt.
Winston has been sacked four times in the first half.
The Browns find themselves in a 13-3 deficit with 8:01 remaining in the second quarter after quarterback Justin Herbert found a wide-open Quentin Johnston for a 66-yard touchdown. Cameron Dicker missed the point-after kick to keep the lead at 10 points.
Johnston got so open because cornerback Denzel Ward hesitated for a moment as he took a step toward tight end Hayden Hurst , who was running an out. However, safety Juan Thornhill wasn't playing deep behind Ward, which allowed Johnston to get loose.
Dustin Hopkins helped Cleveland put points on their best drive of the first half so far with a 38-yard field goal with 9:30 remaining in the second quarter. That capped a 10-play, 34-yard drive that reached the Chargers 13 before quarterback Jameis Winston was sacked for a 7-yard loss by defensive lineman Morgan Fox on third down.
Winston has been sacked three times on the day. He's 5 of 10 for 40 yards and a 60.4 passer rating today.
The Chargers took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter. They were facing fourth down and a punt situation to open the second.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett put his four-game streak of not having a sack on two of the final three plays of the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert. He beat Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slate on both plays.
They were the first sacks for Garrett since he got to Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew with 12:38 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Week 4 game.
The Chargers won the field position battle on the first Corey Bojorquez punt, when Derius Davis returned it 53 yards to the Browns' 30. The second time, Bojorquez won the matchup with a 60-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Los Angeles 5.
The Chargers struck first as quarterback Justin Herbert found a wide-open Josh Palmer for a 27-yard touchdown with 6:49 remaining. The score, on third-and-20, gave Los Angeles a 7-0 lead.
The play was a coverage bust by the Browns, as cornerback Denzel Ward released Palmer, thinking he had safety help with Juan Thornhill over top. However, Thornhill broke on the second receiver, Ladd McConkey , who had run a post.
The Chargers started their second possession in great field position thanks to a 53-yard punt return by Derius Davis. Davis eluded a pair of coverage men for the Browns initially, then ran upfield until he was tackled by Khaleke Hudson .
The return set up the Chargers on the Browns 30.
The Browns forced a punt on the Chargers' first possession, which reached the Chargers 48. They started at their own 9 after the punt.
Cleveland's first 11 out on offense:
QB: Jameis Winston
RB: Nick Chubb
TE: David Njoku
WR: Elijah Moore
WR: Jerry Jeudy
WR: Cedric Tillman
LT: Dawand Jones
LG: Joel Bitonio
C: Ethan Pocic
RG: Wyatt Teller
RT: Jack Conklin
The Browns won the coin toss and deferred their option to the second half. The Chargers started with the ball.
Here's the first 11 players out for the Browns:
DE: Za'Darius Smith
DT: Dalvin Tomlinson
DT: Shelby Harris
DE: Myles Garrett
LB Devin Bush
LB: Mohamoud Diabate
LB: Winston Reid
S: Grant Delpit
CB: Denzel Ward
CB: Martin Emerson Jr.
S: Juan Thornhill
Dawand Jones will get another shot at playing left tackle.
The second-year Browns offensive tackle will start at left tackle Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. It's his second consecutive start at a position he had not played in a game since he was at Ohio State in 2020.
Jones started at the position a week ago against the Baltimore Ravens because Jedrick Wills Jr. was inactive due to a knee injury. Wills was available against the Chargers, but will be the backup swing tackle instead of starting, which he's done in all 57 of the games in which he's appeared since the Browns made him the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 draft out of the University of Alabama.
There's no other changes to the starting five up front from the previous week, meaning it will be just the second time this season the Browns will start the same offensive line combination in consecutive games. They started the same five in Weeks 1 and 2, only it was Jones at right tackle instead of left and James Hudson III at left tackle.
The Browns' inactive list only featured one injured player: Linebacker Jordan Hicks (ribs, elbow, triceps). The other four were healthy scratches: Quarterback Bailey Zappe , running back D'Onta Freeman, offensive tackle Germain Ifedi and defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson .
Zappe will be the emergency No. 3 quarterback behind starter Jameis Winston and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson . He was signed off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad to fill the hole in the quarterback room created by Deshaun Watson 's season-ending Achilles injury.
The injuries to Hicks and, even bigger, Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah will mean Mohamoud Diabate and Devin Bush will start at linebacker. Owusu-Koramoah was placed on injured reserve on Saturday due to the neck injury that he sustained against the Ravens.
QB Bailey Zappe (3QB)
RB D'Onta Foreman
LB Jordan Hicks
OT Germain Ifedi
DT Quinton Jefferson
Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
Play-by-play:Spero Dedes
Analysts:Adam Archuleta
Sideline:Aditi Kinkhabwala
TV channel:CBS WOIO-TV (Channel 19)
Stream: Paramount+ and NFL+
Announcers:Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Adam Archuleta (analyst), Aditi Kinkhabwala (sideline reporter)
The Cleveland Browns Radio Network will carry the game, with Andrew Siciliano (play-by-play), Nathan Zegura (analyst) and Je'Rod Cherry (sideline reporter) on the call. Among the affiliates in the Akron-Canton area are WAKR-AM 1590, WONE-FM 97.5, WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKRK-FM 92.3, WKNR-AM 850 and WNCX-FM 98.5.
The Cleveland Browns Radio Network's call can also be streamed at Cleveland Browns.com , as well as the Browns mobile app. It's also available on Sirius XM radio , with channel 230 carrying the Browns feed.
The Browns also have a Spanish-language broadcast, with Rafael "Rafa" Hernández-Brito (play-by-play) and Octavio Sequera (analyst) on the call. Games will be streamed on La Mega Cleveland , as well as heard on WNZN-FM 89.1 in Lorain and WVKO-FM 103.1 in Columbus.
Tickets for Sunday's game on StubHub can be purchased on StubHub from $15 before fees.
It's a sunny day in Cleveland, with the temperature at kickoff expected to be near 64 degrees, according to the National Weather Service . Southeast wind 6 to 11 mph.
Browns:LB Jordan Hicks (ribs, elbow, triceps), out; LB Khaleke Hudson (ankle), questionable.
Chargers:OLB Joey Bosa (hip), questionable; WR D.J. Chark (groin), questionable; CB Kristian Fulton (hamstring), out; LB Denzel Perryman (toe), questionable; WR Brenden Rice (shoulder), out; TE Stone Smartt (fibula), doubtful.
Cleveland improved to 2-6 on the season with a 29-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland. Jameis Winston, replacing an injured Deshaun Watson, threw for 334 yards and three touchdown.
The Chargers improved to 4-3 on the season with a 26-6 win over the New Orleans Saints last Sunday in Inglewood, Calif. Los Angeles scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away from New Orleans.
So what should we expect from the Browns this Sunday against the Chargers? Click here to see what our writers project as the score of today's game.
Provided by BetMGM.com ; access USA TODAY Sports Scores ad Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1 p.m. ET Saturday.
Moneyline (ML):Browns +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Chargers -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
Against the spread:Browns +1.5 (-110) | Chargers-1.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U):42.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Today is the 51st all-time regular-season or playoff meeting between the Browns and the Chargers, which dates back to the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, when the then-San Diego Chargers joined the NFL. Here's a look at the series between the Browns and Chargers.
Series record (regular season and playoffs): Chargers lead 19-9-1
Series record (regular season): Chargers lead 19-9-1
Playoff record: N/A
Series in Cleveland (regular season and playoffs): Chargers lead 10-5-1
Series record in Cleveland (regular season): Chargers lead 10-5-1
Series record in Cleveland (playoffs): N/A
Series record in San Diego/Los Angeles: Chargers lead 9-4
Series record in San Diego/Los Angeles (regular season): Chargers lead 9-4
Series record in San Diego/Los Angeles (playoffs): N/A
Last meeting: Chargers won 30-28 in Cleveland on Oct. 9, 2022
Series streak: Chargers have won last four meetings
QUARTERBACKS (3):Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Bailey Zappe, Jameis Winston
RUNNING BACK (4):Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford , D'Onta Foreman, Pierre Strong Jr.
WIDE RECEIVER (5):Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Jamari Thrash , Cedric Tillman, Jaelon Darden
TIGHT ENDS (3): Jordan Akins , David Njoku, Geoff Swaim
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9):Joel Bitonio, Jack Conklin, Michael Dunn, Germain Ifedi, Dawand Jones, Ethan Pocic, Jedrick Wills Jr., Zak Zinter , Wyatt Teller
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (9):Myles Garrett, Shelby Harris, Maurice Hurst II, Quenton Jefferson, Isaiah McGuire , Ogbo Okoronkwo, Za'Darius Smith, Dalvin Tomlinson, Mike Hall Jr. ,
LINEBACKERS (6):Devin Bush, Khaleke Hudson, Winston Reid, Jordan Hicks, Nathaniel Watson , Mohamoud Diabate
DEFENSIVE BACKS (10):D'Anthony Bell, Grant Delpit, Martin Emerson Jr., Ronnie Hickman , Rodney McLeod , Cameron Mitchell, Greg Newsome II , Mike Ford Jr., Denzel Ward, Juan Thornhill
SPECIALISTS (3):Corey Bojorquez, Dustin Hopkins, Rex Sunahara
The Browns only used one elevation for the game against the Chargers. That was used on defensive tackle Sam Kamara.
The 6-foot, 272-pound Kamara is technically in his second pro season out of Stony Brook. Originally signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2021, he has appeared in 15 career games. He has appeared in seven games with the Browns from 2022-24, including four this season.
Sunday, Sept. 8:Home vs. Dallas Cowboys, L, 33-17
Sunday, Sept. 15:At Jacksonville Jaguars, W, 18-13
Sunday, Sept. 22:Home vs. New York Giants, L, 21-15
Sunday, Sept. 29:At Las Vegas Raiders, L, 20-16
Sunday, Oct. 6:At Washington Commanders, L, 34-13
Sunday, Oct. 13:At Philadelphia Eagles, L, 20-16
Sunday, Oct. 20:Home vs. Cincinnati Bengals, L, 21-14
Sunday, Oct. 27:Home vs. Baltimore Ravens, W, 29-24
Sunday, Nov. 3:Home vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Nov. 10:BYE WEEK
Sunday, Nov. 17:At New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., FOX
Thursday, Nov. 21:Home vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:20 p.m., Amazon Prime
Monday, Dec. 2:At Denver Broncos, 8:20 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, Dec. 8:At Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Dec. 15:Home vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m., CBS
Thursday, Dec. 19:At Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime
Sunday, Dec. 29:Home vs. Miami Dolphins, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Saturday, Jan. 4 OR Sunday, Jan. 5:At Baltimore Ravens, TBA, TV TBA
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jameis Winston's three interceptions doom Browns vs Chargers
