3 Cleveland Browns to blame for Week 12 loss to Denver

A frustrating loss in Week 12 ended the Cleveland Browns three-game winning streak. On the road against the Denver Broncos, they went out and found a way to fight back from a 14-0 deficit but then, things fell apart. Cleveland started to suffer injuries and then the turnovers followed.

In the end, they were looking up at the scoreboard and saw a 29-12 defeat — and watched as the Broncos celebrated their fifth win in a row. Cleveland is still in a great spot with a record of 7-4 but the loss could have lasting effects if the injuries to Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Amari Cooper wind up being long-term.

As they try and answer that and prepare for the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13, we'll take another look back at their rough outing in the Mile High City. Here, we look at three players who deserve the majority of the blame for the team's fourth loss of the season.

3. Pierre Strong, Running Back

Looking at the box score, it would seem as though Pierre Strong didn't even make an appearance in this one. Cleveland's kick returner, and RB3, didn't run any kicks back and he would up without an official carry on the day. He did, however, have his number dialed up for one play.

Shortly after Dorian Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion, Cleveland was facing a second-and-seven. They knew the defense would be focused on the run, so Kevin Stefanski dialed up some trickery. He had P.J. Walker hand the ball to Elijah Moore, who then flipped it to Strong.

Unfortunately, Strong was unable to handle the toss and ended up fumbling it away. Denver recovered the ball and were able to extend the lead thanks to an Adam Trautman touchdown. Suddenly, the 17-12 contest was blown open at 24-12 and the offense looked deflated from this point on.

2. David Njoku, Tight End

Last week, David Njoku had some big plays for the Browns as he's continued to be a solid option in the passing game. That continued in Week 12 with him hauling in six receptions for 59 yards. He even made an impressive finger-tip grab on a pass that was slightly too high while also hauling one in that was a bit low — he even slid to the ground to make the play.

The problem is that he continues to drop passes and seems to be allergic to the end zone. For the second week in a row, Njoku had both hands on a pass that should have gone for a touchdown. In Week 11, the Browns had to settle for a field goal, costing his team four points. This time, they were still able to get a touchdown following his drop but they needed a fourth-down conversion for that to happen.

Not long after the end zone drop, Njoku had another. This time, he was wide open and had plenty of space to run after the catch. Instead of turning that into a huge gain, he let the ball slip through his hands and the Browns offense stalled.

As frustrating as that one was, it's the dropped touchdowns that are problematic. Njoku has never been able to develop into a red-zone weapon. In his career, he's never had more than four touchdowns in a season, hitting that number four times in his career. This year, he's stuck on two and could have at least tied his personal record over the past two weeks.

For Njoku, it has to be infuriating as well. He didn't hold back when he criticized himself for the drops last week and that was during a win. This week, he's sure to do more of the same and will continue to focus on hauling the passes in.

1. Greg Newsome, Cornerback

Denzel Ward has been having a historic season for the Browns but a shoulder injury has him on the shelf. By now, Cleveland fans have to be exhausted when it comes to discussing shoulder injuries but here we are. The hope is that Ward won't be out long and we saw on Sunday that they miss him terribly when he's not out there.

Ward has been a lockdown corner as has second-year player Martin Emerson (who was also banged up at one point in this game). They also have Greg Newsome II, a former first-round pick who helped defeat the Ravens with a huge pick-six in Week 10. Due to his talent, the Browns felt they were in good hands. That proved to be incorrect.

Newsome struggled all day in coverage on Courtland Sutton. He was flagged for a 34-yard pass interference on the opening drive, which kept the Browns from forcing a punt. He then surrendered a 31-yard reception to Sutton on another third down as Denver moved inside the 10. Samaje Perine capped that off with a touchdown run and it was 7-0.

From there, Newsome kept struggling with Sutton who had 61 yards on three receptions. He didn't make a lot of grabs but they were huge — as was the penalty. He even had another big play but it was called back with the refs calling Sutton for interference.

If Ward is going to be out for a while, the Browns will need more from Newsome. He's going to be the veteran of this cornerback room now and if he plays the way he did against the Broncos, that could be an issue for this team. The good news is that we have seen him perform at a higher level, he just needs to do this with more consistency.