Browns Blow It in Jacksonville, Lose 24-20

Teams that turn the ball over as much as the Jacksonville Jaguars did on Sunday win about five percent of the time. One of those rare occasions was Sunday, as the Jaguars beat the Browns 24-20.

The blame for this loss can be passed to all aspects of the team, including the defense. Even after forcing six turnovers, including a stretch of five consecutive turnovers in the second half, Maurice Jones-Drew was able to waltz his way to a 75-yard catch that started as just a screen, setting up the final go-ahead touchdown for Jacksonville.

And the worst thing about this loss?

Quarterback Colt McCoy left the stadium in a walking boot after injuring his ankle in the second half. On the Browns’ drive to take a 20-17 lead late in the fourth quarter, McCoy came up limping after originally injuring the ankle earlier in the half. It could be that dreaded high ankle sprain, but everyone is hoping that it’s

Or maybe the worst part about this loss is the offense in general. The Browns could only muster ten points off six turnovers, as the offense returned to its pedantic roots. Unimaginative and far too reliant on Peyton Hillis, the offense could get nothing going against one of the more porous defenses in the NFL. Those six turnovers were also offset by the six sacks that the Browns gave up, which kept McCoy on the run for most of the day.

No, the worst part about this loss is the fact that they have lost five of their six games that have been decided by seven points or less. It is still evident that the Browns have a glaring lack of playmakers at the wide receiver position and will occasionally slip into the offensive troubles that plagued them earlier in the season.

Six turnovers and yet another late-game scoring drive engineered by a rookie quarterback are signs of the good things to come. But until the Browns get there, fans will have to endure growing pains such as these. As the team gets better, they will figure out how to win close games, but to be so tantalizingly close to five wins won’t do much to keep fans from playing the “if only” game.