2012 Cleveland Browns season

64th season in franchise history; first under Haslam ownership November 2022 March 2026 2012 Cleveland Browns Pat Shurmur Tom Heckert Randy Lerner (until October 25)Cabot, Mary Kay October 16, 2012 Jimmy Haslam is new Cleveland Browns owner after unanimous approval by NFL http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/10/jimmy_haslam_is_new_cleveland.html Cleveland.com Cleveland Live LLC August 18, 2013Jimmy Haslam Cleveland Browns Stadium 5–11 4th AFC North Did not qualify T Joe ThomasK Phil Dawson Browns seasons The 2012 season was the Cleveland Browns' 60th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 64th overall. Although they improved their record to 5–11 this season from their 4–12 finish in 2011, they still placed fourth in the AFC North. They also failed to break their nine-year playoff drought, the longest in franchise history. The 2012 season was the third season under the leadership of team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert, and the second season under head coach Pat Shurmur. The Browns also had Jimmy Haslam as their new owner, after buying the team from Randy Lerner.https://www.nfl.com/news/cleveland-browns-sale-to-jimmy-haslam-complete-09000d5d82afebd3 Cleveland Browns' sale to Jimmy Haslam complete NFL.com Off-season Ownership change On August 2, team owner Randy Lerner sold the controlling interest of the Browns to Tennessee businessman Jimmy Haslam. Haslam is the owner of Pilot Flying J travel centers and was previously a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The amount of the sale was in excess of US$1 billion.August 2, 2012 Reports: Deal to sell the Browns complete Sports Illustrated http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/nfl/08/02/browns-sale.ap/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20120804212727/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/nfl/08/02/browns-sale.ap/index.html dead August 4, 2012 August 6, 2012 The sale was approved on October 25, 2012. Coaching changes thumb|260px|Phil Dawson and Reggie Hodges lead the Browns onto the field against Buffalo in week 3 On January 11, defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson left the Browns to take the same position with the Dallas Cowboys.McMahon, Tim January 11, 2012 Jerome Henderson will be new DB coach ESPN https://www.espn.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4689446/jerome-henderson-will-be-new-db-coach January 20, 2012 On January 18, the Browns hired Nolan Cromwell as a senior offensive assistant. Cromwell replaces Keith Gilbertson, who retired following the 2011 season.Schudel, Jeff January 18, 2012 Browns hired Nolan Cromwell as senior offensive assistant The News Herald http://news-herald.com/articles/2012/01/18/sports January 19, 2012 https://archive.today/20120712061258/http://news-herald.com/articles/2012/01/18/sports July 12, 2012 dead mdy-all On January 23, the Browns hired former Tennessee Titans' assistant secondary coach Tim Hauck to replace Henderson as defensive backs coach. Hauck was on the Titans' staff from 2009 to 2010, and served as an assistant at the collegiate level prior to that.January 23, 2012 Browns add Hauck to staff ClevelandBrowns.com http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Browns-add-Hauck-to-staff/e52b0200-04de-438a-b385-d33bc474a1f7 January 25, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120126165846/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Browns-add-Hauck-to-staff/e52b0200-04de-438a-b385-d33bc474a1f7 January 26, 2012 dead On January 27, the Browns hired former Minnesota Vikings' head coach Brad Childress as offensive coordinator. Childress coached the Vikings from 2006 to 2010. From 2003 to 2005, he was the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, where he worked with current Browns' head coach Pat Shurmur.Ulrich, Nate January 28, 2012 Browns hire Brad Childress as offensive coordinator Akron Beacon Journal http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/football/other_nfl/view.bg?articleid=1399435&srvc=sports&position=recent January 29, 2012 Roster changes Free agency Pos Player Tag Date signed 2012 team FS Mike Adams UFA March 15http://www.kffl.com/player/10301/nfl/news Broncos sign FS Adams 2012-03-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20090310205903/http://www.kffl.com/player/10301/nfl/news 2009-03-10 dead Denver Broncos DE Marcus Benard RFA ILB Titus Brown ERFA/UFAhttp://www.kffl.com/player/18265/NFL/titus-brown Titus Brown not Tendered 2012-03-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20120101185101/http://www.kffl.com/player/18265/nfl/titus-brown 2012-01-01 dead G Oniel Cousins UFA March 15http://www.kffl.com/player/18428/nfl/news Browns re-sign G Cousins and DT Schaffering 2012-03-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20110414095741/http://www.kffl.com/player/18428/nfl/news 2011-04-14 dead Cleveland Browns K Phil Dawson UFA/FTCabot, Mary Kay March 2, 2012 Cleveland Browns put franchise tag on longtime kicker Phil Dawson Cleveland Plain Dealer http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/03/breaking_cleveland_browns_fran.html March 4, 2011 March 13Florio, Mike March 13, 2012 Phil Dawson signs franchise tender NBC Sports http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/13/phil-dawson-signs-franchise-tender/ March 17, 2012 Cleveland Browns G John Greco UFA March 13http://www.kffl.com/player/18680/nfl/news Browns re-sign G Greco 2012-03-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20100208181818/http://www.kffl.com/player/18680/nfl/news 2010-02-08 dead Cleveland Browns T Artis Hicks UFA March 15http://www.kffl.com/player/5807/nfl/news Dolphins Sign T Hicks 2012-03-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20101227070000/http://www.kffl.com/player/5807/nfl/news 2010-12-27 dead Miami Dolphins RB Peyton Hillis UFA March 14March 15, 2012 Chiefs sign free-agent RB Peyton Hillis Fox News Associated Press https://www.foxnews.com/sports/chiefs-sign-free-agent-rb-peyton-hillis/ March 15, 2012 Kansas City Chiefs ILB D'Qwell Jackson UFA February 27Cabot, Mary Kay February 27, 2012 Cleveland Browns sign LB D'Qwell Jackson to five-year, $42.5 million deal Cleveland Plain Dealer http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/02/cleveland_browns_agree_to_mult.html February 27, 2012 Cleveland Browns P Brad Maynard UFA WR Jordan Norwood ERFA April 16http://www.kffl.com/player/21231/NFL/jordan-norwood Browns re-sign WR Norwood 2012-04-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20120519180815/http://www.kffl.com/player/21231/nfl/jordan-norwood 2012-05-19 dead Cleveland Browns CB Dimitri Patterson UFA March 15Hensley, Jamison March 15, 2012 Report: Browns keep CB Dimitri Patterson ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/55374/report-browns-keep-cb-dimitri-patterson March 16, 2012 Cleveland Browns DT Brian Schaefering ERFA March 15 Cleveland Browns TE Alex Smith UFA March 13http://www.kffl.com/player/11313/nfl/news Browns re-sign TE Smith 2012-03-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20110720205920/http://www.kffl.com/player/11313/nfl/news 2011-07-20 dead Cleveland Browns C Steve Vallos UFA March 19http://www.kffl.com/player/17071/nfl/news Eagles Sign C Vallos 2012-03-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20100913031708/http://www.kffl.com/player/17071/nfl/news 2010-09-13 dead Philadelphia EaglesRFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent, FT: Franchise tag Player re-signed by Browns Releases Pos Player Date released Date signed 2012 Team P Richmond McGee March 12http://www.kffl.com/player/19630/nfl/news Browns release T Pashos and P McGee 2012-03-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054648/http://www.kffl.com/player/19630/nfl/news 2016-03-04 dead DE Jayme Mitchell March 16http://www.kffl.com/player/14789/NFL/jayme-mitchell Browns release DE Mitchell 2012-08-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20120826203219/http://www.kffl.com/player/14789/nfl/jayme-mitchell 2012-08-26 dead June 4http://www.kffl.com/player/14789/NFL/jayme-mitchell Buccaneers sign DE Mitchell 2012-08-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20120826203219/http://www.kffl.com/player/14789/nfl/jayme-mitchell 2012-08-26 dead Tampa Bay Buccaneers T Tony Pashos March 12 RB Armond Smith May 14May 15, 2012 Browns cut Smith, place Sweat on retired list Associated Press http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20120515/SPORTS/205150311/Browns-cut-Smith-place-Sweat-retired-list May 16, 2012 May 15http://www.panthers.com/team/roster/Armond-Smith/bf070a8a-64f8-4945-95b3-4e44a8c820d9 Carolina Panthers: Armond Smith 2012-12-29 https://web.archive.org/web/20121224020329/http://www.panthers.com/team/roster/Armond-Smith/bf070a8a-64f8-4945-95b3-4e44a8c820d9 2012-12-24 dead Carolina Panthers G Eric Steinbach March 14March 14, 2012 Browns Release Eric Steinbach ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/7687628/2012-nfl-free-agency-cleveland-browns-release-eric-steinbach March 16, 2012 July 26http://www.kffl.com/player/5930/NFL/eric-steinbach Dolphins sign G Steinbach 2012-08-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20120809152356/http://www.kffl.com/player/5930/nfl/eric-steinbach 2012-08-09 dead Miami Dolphins Signings Pos Player Date signed 2011 Team DE Juqua Parker March 15Schudel, Jeff March 15, 2012 Browns sign veteran DL Jaqua Parker The News-Herald http://news-herald.com/articles/2012/03/15/sports/doc4f624d1d84e02591180603.txt March 15, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120319065901/http://news-herald.com/articles/2012/03/15/sports/doc4f624d1d84e02591180603.txt March 19, 2012 dead Philadelphia Eagles DE Frostee Rucker March 14March 15, 2012 DE Frostee Rucker signs with Browns Chicago Tribune https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/sns-tsn-abn-rucker-cle-20120315,0,4332278.story March 16, 2012 Cincinnati Bengals 2012 Draft Class 2012 NFL draft The draft occurred from April 26–28. The Browns had an NFL-high eleven selections. Round Selection Player Position College1 3Vikings Trade 1 [a] Trent Richardson RB Alabama 22Falcons trade [b] Brandon Weeden QB Oklahoma State 2 37 Mitchell Schwartz T California 3 87Broncos trade 1 [c] John Hughes DT Cincinnati 4 100 Travis Benjamin WR Miami (FL) 120Broncos trade 1 [c] James-Michael Johnson LB Nevada 5 160Broncos trade 2 [d] Ryan Miller G Colorado 6Vikings Trade 2 [e] 204Compensatory [f] Emmanuel Acho LB Texas 205Compensatory [f] Billy Winn DT Boise State 7 245Compensatory [f] Trevin Wade CB Arizona 247Compensatory [f] Brad Smelley FB Alabama NOTES: Vikings trade 1 [a] On Draft Day, The Browns acquired the Minnesota Vikings' first-round pick (No. 3) for their own first- (No. 4), fourth- (No. 118), fifth- (No. 139) and seventh- (No. 211) round selections. Falcons trade [b] The Browns acquired the Atlanta Falcons' 2012 first- (No. 22) and fourth- (No. 118, traded to Minnesota) round selections and 2011 first-, second-, and fourth-round selections for Cleveland's 2011 first-round selection. Broncos trade 1 [c] The Browns traded their third-round pick (No. 67) to the Denver Broncos for their third- (No. 87) and fourth- (No. 120) round picks. Broncos trade 2 [d] The Browns acquired the Denver Broncos' fifth-round selection, as well as a 2011 sixth-round selection and RB Peyton Hillis in exchange for QB Brady Quinn during the 2010 offseason.Florjancic, Matt March 26, 2012 Browns awarded four compensatory picks ClevelandBrowns.com http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Browns-awarded-four-compensatory-picks/77bf5680-cbc5-4f76-adc7-2eb146c137ff March 27, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120329032433/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Browns-awarded-four-compensatory-picks/77bf5680-cbc5-4f76-adc7-2eb146c137ff March 29, 2012 dead Vikings trade 2 [e] Although the Browns have two sixth-round selections, they traded their original selection in this round to the Minnesota Vikings for DE Jayme Mitchell. Compensatory [f] Compensatory selection Undrafted free agents Pos Player College Signed Released CB Mike Allen James Madison April 30Hangst, Andrea April 30, 2012 Tracking Cleveland Browns' 2012 NFL Undrafted Free-Agent Signings BleacherReport https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1166702-tracking-cleveland-browns-2012-nfl-undrafted-free-agent-signings May 2, 2012 May 30Pokorny, Chris May 30, 2012 Wilson: Browns Reportedly Cut CB Mike Allen Dawgs by Nature http://www.dawgsbynature.com/2012/5/30/3052331/wilson-browns-reportedly-cut-cb-mike-allen May 30, 2012 G Matt Cleveland Idaho April 30 August 26Rados, Paul August 26, 2012 Cleveland Browns Cut Nine, Projections for Remaining Roster Cuts: A Fan's Look Yahoo! Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/news/cleveland-browns-cut-nine-projections-remaining-roster-cuts-235300946--nfl.html August 27, 2012 WR Josh Cooper Oklahoma State April 30 August 31Rados, Paul September 1, 2012 Cleveland Browns Release Final Cuts List, Roster Set at 53: A Fan's Reaction Yahoo! Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/news/cleveland-browns-release-final-cuts-list-roster-set-044500075--nfl.html September 7, 2012 CB Emanuel Davis East Carolina April 30 August 26 LB JoJo Dickson Idaho May 14Cabot, Mary K May 14, 2012 Cleveland Browns cut RB Armond Smith, sign Toledo RB Adonis Thomas and former Idaho LB JoJo Dickson Cleveland Plain Dealer http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/05/cleveland_browns_cut_rb_armond.html May 16, 2012 August 26 C Garth Gerhart Arizona State April 30 August 31 S Tashaun Gipson Wyoming April 30 DE William Green Florida April 30 August 31 WR Antwuan Reed Pittsburgh April 30 August 26 WR Bert Reed Florida State April 30 August 26 WR Jermaine Saffold Missouri State April 30 August 26 G J.B. Shugarts Ohio State April 30 August 31 LB Andrew Sweat Ohio State April 30 May 14Sweat was placed on the reserve retired list after choosing to pursue law school rather than a career in football Brinson, Will May 15, 2012 Ohio State linebacker Andrew Sweat picks law school over NFL, concussions CBS Sports http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/19053613/ohio-state-linebacker-andrew-sweat-picks-law-school-over-nfl-concussions May 16, 2012 RB Adonis Thomas Toledo May 14 August 31 Supplemental Draft On July 12, the Browns selected WR Josh Gordon of Baylor with a second round pick in the supplemental draft. The Browns will forfeit their second round pick in the 2013 NFL draft. July 12, 2012 Browns select WR Gordon in supplemental draft Associated Press https://sports.yahoo.com/news/browns-select-wr-gordon-supplemental-185259012--nfl.html July 12, 2012 Gordon became only the second player drafted by the Browns in the supplemental draft, the other being QB Bernie Kosar in 1985. Other news and notes LB Fujita suspension On May 2, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced a three-game suspension for LB Scott Fujita for his role in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal in 2009. Fujita was suspended along with former Saints teammates Jonathan Vilma, Anthony Hargrove, and Will Smith for what the commissioner called "conduct detrimental to the NFL as a result of their leadership roles."Fendrich, Howard May 2, 2012 NFL suspends 4 players for Saints' bounties Associated Press https://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl-suspends-4-players-saints-161219860--nfl.html;_ylt=ArZvrBr0mAnNnuCCbiqKcPA5nYcB May 2, 2012 Fujita and the three other players have appealed the suspensions,https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/7881761/nfl-bans-four-players-new-orleans-saints-bounty-roles Jonathan Vilma banned one year ESPN May 2, 2012 however on July 3 Goodell upheld the suspensions.Telich, John July 3, 2012 Browns Fujita Appeal Denied by League WJW http://fox8.com/2012/07/03/browns-fujita-appeal-denied-by-league/ July 12, 2012 On September 7, two days before the Week 1 game, the suspensions against Fujita and the other players were overturned. Fujita started the Week 1 contest.Glitin, Marty September 7, 2012 Browns LB Scott Fujita gets nod to play CBS Sports http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/nfl-rapidreports/20094542/browns-lb-scott-fujita-gets-nod-to-play September 7, 2012 DT Taylor injury On May 10, starting DT Phil Taylor tore his left pectoral muscle while doing bench presses in the weight room. Taylor, the Browns' 1st round draft choice in 2011, will be out for several months and may miss the entire season.May 11, 2012 Browns' Phil Taylor will need surgery Associated Press https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/7918806/cleveland-browns-dt-phil-taylor-months-chest-injury May 14, 2012 Suicide of grounds crew member A member of the Browns' grounds crew killed himself at their practice facility in Berea, Ohio, a team spokesman said Sunday, December 2, 2012. The man's body was found Saturday morning, December 1, 2012, at the facility in suburban Cleveland, the same day Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher committed suicide after killing his girlfriend. Browns spokesman Neal Gulkis confirmed to The Associated Press that a team employee died of a suicide, but provided no other details. He released a statement calling the man a good friend and an outstanding employee and saying the team's heartfelt condolences go out to his family.http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/cleveland-browns-employee-kills-self-at-practice-center-120212 Browns employee kills self Staff 2012 Cleveland Browns #312821 white #de6108 Majority owner – Jimmy Haslam Minority owner – Randy Lerner CEO – Joe Banner President – Alec Scheiner general manager – Tom Heckert Executive vice president of business operations – Bryan Wiedmeier Senior vice president of football operations – Mark Schiefelbein Senior vice president of football administration – Matt Thomas Director of player personnel – Jon Sandusky Director of college scouting – John Spytek Head coach – Pat Shurmur Assistant to the head coach – Luke Steckel Offensive coordinator – Brad Childress Quarterbacks – Mark Whipple Running backs – Gary Brown Wide receivers – Mike Wilson Tight ends – Steve Hagen Offensive line – George Warhop Senior offensive assistant – Nolan Cromwell Offensive assistant – Chris Beake Defensive coordinator – Dick Jauron Defensive line – Dwaine Board Linebackers – Billy Davis Defensive backs – Tim Hauck Senior defensive assistant – Ray Rhodes Defensive assistant – Chuck Bullough Special teams coordinator – Chris Tabor Special teams assistant – Shawn Mennenga Strength and conditioning – Kent Johnston Assistant strength and conditioning – Rick Lyle Rosters Opening training camp roster Cleveland Browns 2012 Opening training camp 90 0  9 Thaddeus Lewis 12 Colt McCoy  6 Seneca Wallace  3 Brandon Weeden y 20 Montario Hardesty 29 Brandon Jackson American football 48 Owen Marecic FB 25 Chris Ogbonnaya 33 Trent Richardson y 47 Brad Smelley y FB 35 Adonis Thomas y 80 Travis Benjamin y 88 Josh Cooper wide receiver y 16 Josh Cribbs 86 Josh Gordon y 15 Greg Little wide receiver 11 Mohamed Massaquoi 18 Carlton Mitchell 10 Jordan Norwood 83 Bert Reed y 85 Jermaine Saffold y 17 Owen Spencer 13 Rod Windsor 84 Jordan Cameron 87 Dan Gronkowski 81 Alex Smith tight end 82 Ben Watson American football 78 Dominic Alford G/T 63 Jake Anderson American football y T 61 Matt Cleveland y T 75 Oniel Cousins G 64 Stanley Daniels American football G 53 Garth Gerhart y G 77 John Greco G 66 Shawn Lauvao G 55 Alex Mack C 60 Ryan Miller offensive lineman y G/T 62 Jason Pinkston G/T 72 Mitchell Schwartz y T 74 Jarrod Shaw G 68 J. B. Shugarts y T 73 Joe Thomas offensive tackle T 58 Marcus Benard DE 94 Auston English DE 49 William Green defensive lineman y DE 93 John Hughes American football y DT -- Ishmaa'ily Kitchen y DT 95 Juqua Parker DE 69 Scott Paxson DT 92 Frostee Rucker DE 70 Brian Sanford DE 91 Brian Schaefering DT 97 Jabaal Sheard DE 96 Emmanuel Stephens DE 67 Kiante Tripp DT 79 Billy Winn American football y DE 59 Emmanuel Acho y MLB 42 JoJo Dickson MLB 40 L. J. Fort y OLB 99 Scott Fujita OLB 51 Chris Gocong OLB 52 D'Qwell Jackson MLB 54 Ben Jacobs American football OLB 50 James-Michael Johnson y MLB 56 Kaluka Maiava OLB 47 Craig Robertson American football MLB 90 Quinton Spears OLB/DE 37 Johnson Bademosi y FS 24 Sheldon Brown American football CB 38 Emanuel Davis y CB 31 James Dockery CB 39 Tashaun Gipson y FS 23 Joe Haden CB 27 Eric Hagg SS 21 Dimitri Patterson CB 34 Antwuan Reed y CB 36 David Sims safety SS 22 Buster Skrine CB 41 Ray Ventrone SS 26 Trevin Wade y CB 43 T. J. Ward SS 28 Usama Young FS  4 Phil Dawson K  2 Reggie Hodges P  5 Spencer Lanning P  7 Jeff Wolfert K 57 Christian Yount LS 89 Evan Moore TE Active/NF-Inj. 71 Ahtyba Rubin DT Active/PUP 98 Phil Taylor American football DT Active/PUP 44 Eddie Williams American football FB Active/PUP Week 1 Roster Cleveland Browns 2012 53 9 8  9 Thaddeus Lewis 12 Colt McCoy  3 Brandon Weeden y 20 Montario Hardesty 29 Brandon Jackson American football 48 Owen Marecic FB 25 Chris Ogbonnaya 33 Trent Richardson y 80 Travis Benjamin y 16 Josh Cribbs 13 Josh Gordon y 15 Greg Little wide receiver 11 Mohamed Massaquoi 10 Jordan Norwood 84 Jordan Cameron 81 Alex Smith tight end 82 Ben Watson American football 75 Oniel Cousins G 77 John Greco G 66 Shawn Lauvao G 55 Alex Mack C 60 Ryan Miller offensive lineman y G/T 62 Jason Pinkston G 72 Mitchell Schwartz y T 73 Joe Thomas offensive tackle T 93 John Hughes American football y DT 67 Ishmaa’ily Kitchen y DT 95 Juqua Parker DE 71 Ahtyba Rubin DT 92 Frostee Rucker DE 97 Jabaal Sheard DE 96 Emmanuel Stephens DE 90 Billy Winn American football y DE 94 Tank Carder y MLB 58 L. J. Fort y OLB 52 D'Qwell Jackson MLB 50 James-Michael Johnson y MLB 99 Scott Fujita OLB 56 Kaluka Maiava OLB 53 Craig Robertson American football MLB 37 Johnson Bademosi y FS 24 Sheldon Brown American football CB 39 Tashaun Gipson y FS 23 Joe Haden CB 27 Eric Hagg FS 21 Dimitri Patterson CB 22 Buster Skrine CB 41 Ray Ventrone FS 26 Trevin Wade y CB 43 T. J. Ward SS 28 Usama Young SS  4 Phil Dawson K  2 Reggie Hodges P 57 Christian Yount LS 59 Emmanuel Acho y MLB IR -- Marcus Benard DE IR -- Auston English DE IR 51 Chris Gocong OLB IR 69 Scott Paxson DT IR 34 Antwuan Reed y CB IR 98 Phil Taylor American football DT PUP 44 Eddie Williams American football FB IR 65 Ronnie Cameron y DT 88 Josh Cooper wide receiver y WR 61 Garth Gerhart y G 54 Ben Jacobs American football OLB 70 Brian Sanford DE 74 Jarrod Shaw G 68 J. B. Shugarts y OT 47 Brad Smelley y FB/TE Final roster 2012 Cleveland Browns 53 13 8  8 Josh Johnson quarterback  9 Thad Lewis 12 Colt McCoy  3 Brandon Weeden y 20 Montario Hardesty 29 Brandon Jackson American football 48 Owen Marecic FB 25 Chris Ogbonnaya 33 Trent Richardson y 47 Brad Smelley y FB 80 Travis Benjamin y 88 Josh Cooper wide receiver y 16 Josh Cribbs 13 Josh Gordon y 15 Greg Little wide receiver 84 Jordan Cameron 81 Alex Smith tight end 82 Ben Watson American football 75 Oniel Cousins T 77 John Greco G 66 Shawn Lauvao G 55 Alex Mack C 60 Ryan Miller offensive lineman y G 72 Mitchell Schwartz y T 74 Jarrod Shaw G 73 Joe Thomas offensive tackle T 91 Hall Davis DE 93 John Hughes American football y DT 67 Ishmaa'ily Kitchen y DT 95 Juqua Parker DE 71 Ahtyba Rubin DT 92 Frostee Rucker DE 97 Jabaal Sheard DE 98 Phil Taylor American football DT 90 Billy Winn American football y DT 94 Tank Carder y OLB 58 L. J. Fort y OLB 52 D'Qwell Jackson MLB 56 Kaluka Maiava OLB 54 Adrian Moten MLB 53 Craig Robertson American football OLB 37 Johnson Bademosi y CB 24 Sheldon Brown American football CB 39 Tashaun Gipson y FS 23 Joe Haden CB 27 Eric Hagg SS 31 Prince Miller CB 22 Buster Skrine CB 41 Ray Ventrone FS 26 Trevin Wade y CB  4 Phil Dawson K  2 Reggie Hodges P 57 Christian Yount LS 59 Emmanuel Acho y MLB IR -- Auston English DE IR 99 Scott Fujita OLB IR 51 Chris Gocong OLB IR 50 James-Michael Johnson y OLB IR 11 Mohamed Massaquoi WR IR 10 Jordan Norwood WR IR-DFR 62 Jason Pinkston G IR 70 Brian Sanford DE IR 96 Emmanuel Stephens DE IR 28 Usama Young FS IR 43 T. J. Ward SS IR 44 Eddie Williams American football FB IR 65 Kendrick Adams y DE 63 Bryant Browning G 87 George Bryan American football y TE 64 Ricky Elmore LB 61 Garth Gerhart y C 36 Jordan Mabin y CB 17 Rod Windsor WR 68 D. J. Young T Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.comrecap 1 August 10 Friday at Detroit Lions W 19–17 1–0 Ford Field Recap 2 August 16 Thursday at Green Bay Packers W 35–10 2–0 Lambeau Field Recap 3 August 24 Friday Philadelphia Eagles L 10–27 2–1 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 4 August 30 Thursday Chicago Bears L 20–28 2–2 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap LB Gocong injury On August 4, starting LB Chris Gocong tore his right Achilles tendon during morning practice. He will likely miss the entire season.August 4, 2012 Browns' Chris Gocong hurts Achilles Associated Press https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8233283/cleveland-browns-lb-chris-gocong-carted-achilles-injury August 27, 2012 QB Weeden named starter On August 6, coach Pat Shurmur named Brandon Weeden as the starting QB. Weeden, 28, was picked 22nd overall by the Browns in the 2012 NFL draft.August 6, 2012 Browns name rookie QB Brandon Weeden starter Associated Press http://www.recordpub.com/news/sports_article/5207927?page=0 August 27, 2012 First roster cuts All NFL teams were required to cut their rosters from 90 players to 75 by August 27. One day earlier, the Browns released nine players, most notably WR veteran WR Carlton Mitchell. The Browns also placed LBs Emanuel Acho and Chris Gocong on injured reserve, waived/injured DEs Marcus Benard and Auston English and CB Antwaun Reed. The team also placed DT Phil Taylor on the physically unable to perform list. With one open roster spot, the Browns claimed DE Ernest Owusu off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings.Kilpatrick, Bryan August 27, 2012 Browns Awarded Defensive Lineman Ernest Owusu Off Waivers SB Nation http://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-browns/2012/8/27/3272763/browns-roster-transactions-ernest-owusu-waivers August 27, 2012 Second roster cuts All NFL teams were required to cut their rosters from 75 players to 53 by August 31. The Browns cut quarterback Seneca Wallace; running back Adonis Thomas; fullback Brad Smelley; wide receivers Josh Cooper and Rod Windsor, tight ends Dan Gronkowski and Evan Moore; offensive linemen Dominic Alford, Stanley Daniels, Garth Gerhart, Jerrod Shaw, and J.B. Shugarts; defensive linemen Ronnie Cameron, William Green, Ernest Owushu, Brian Schaefering, and Kiante Tripp; linebackers Benjamin Jacobs and Quinton Spears; and defensive back James Dockery. In addition, DT Phil Taylor remained on the physically unable to perform list. Cameron, Cooper, Gerhart, Jacobs, Shaw, Shugarts, and Smelley were added to the Browns' practice squad. Captains elected On September 2, the Browns elected offensive tackle Joe Thomas, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, and kicker Phil Dawson as captains. Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.comrecap 1 September 9 Philadelphia Eagles L 16–17 0–1 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 2 September 16 at Cincinnati Bengals L 27–34 0–2 Paul Brown Stadium Recap 3 September 23 Buffalo Bills L 14–24 0–3 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 4 September 27 Thursday at Baltimore Ravens L 16–23 0–4 M&T Bank Stadium Recap 5 October 7 at New York Giants L 27–41 0–5 MetLife Stadium Recap 6 October 14 Cincinnati Bengals W 34–24 1–5 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 7 October 21 at Indianapolis Colts L 13–17 1–6 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 8 October 28 San Diego Chargers W 7–6 2–6 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 9 November 4 Baltimore Ravens L 15–25 2–7 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 10 Bye 11 November 18 at Dallas Cowboys L 20–23 (OT) 2–8 Cowboys Stadium Recap 12 November 25 Pittsburgh Steelers W 20–14 3–8 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 13 December 2 at Oakland Raiders W 20–17 4–8 O.co Coliseum Recap 14 December 9 Kansas City Chiefs W 30–7 5–8 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 15 December 16 Washington Redskins L 21–38 5–9 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 16 December 23 at Denver Broncos L 12–34 5–10 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 17 December 30 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 10–24 5–11 Heinz Field Recap Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns – Game summary September 9 1:00 p.m. EDT Eagles 0 10 0 7 Browns 3 0 3 10 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 68,693 Sunny 68 F C Ken Roan Fox Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale First quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 43-yard field goal, 9:16. Browns 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 1:57. Second quarter PHI – Alex Henery 42-yard field goal, 15:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 2:07. PHI – Jeremy Maclin 18-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 0:23. Eagles 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 0:32. Third quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 42-yard field goal, 5:01. Eagles 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:22. Fourth quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 22-yard field goal, 14:17. Eagles 10–9. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:38. CLE – D'Qwell Jackson 13-yard interception return (Phil Dawson kick), 14:10. Browns 16–10. PHI – Clay Harbor 4-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 1:23. Eagles 17–16. Drive: 16 plays, 91 yards, 5:07. Top passers PHI – Michael Vick – 29/56, 317 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT CLE – Brandon Weeden – 12/35, 118 yards, 4 INT 1 TD Top rushers PHI – LeSean McCoy – 20 rushes, 110 yards CLE – Trent Richardson – 19 rushes, 39 yards Top receivers PHI – Jeremy Maclin – 7 receptions, 96 yards, 3TD CLE – Mohamed Massaquoi – 3 receptions, 41 yards The Browns opened their season against the Philadelphia Eagles. They got their first points of the 2012 season when Phil Dawson kicked a 43-yard field goal to make the score 3–0 for the only points of the opening quarter. The Eagles responded to tie the game at 3–3 when Alex Henery kicked a 42-yard field goal followed by Michael Vick finding Jeremy Maclin in the end zone on an 18-yard touchdown pass to make the halftime score 10–3. Heading into the third quarter and extending into the 4th, the Browns scored 13 unanswered points starting with Dawson's field goals from 42 (for the only score of the quarter) and 22 yards out shortening the Eagles' lead from four to just a point from 10–6 to 10–9. And then, the Browns retook the lead when D'Qwell Jackson ran for a 13-yard touchdown for a 16–10 game. However, the Philadelphia Eagles were able to complete the comeback as Vick found Clay Harbor on a 4-yard pass making the final score 17–16. The Browns started their season 0–1 for the eighth straight year. Week 2: at Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary September 16 1:00 pm. EDT Browns 3 7 7 10 Bengals 7 10 7 10 Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 63,036 Sunny 66 F C Jerry Hughes CBS Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker First quarter CIN (13:35) – Adam Jones 81-yard punt return (Mike Nugent kick) Bengals 7, Browns 0 CLE (9:06) – Phil Dawson 50-yard field goal Bengals 7, Browns 3 Drive: 9 plays, 32 yards, 4:12 Second quarter CIN (10:33) – A. J. Green 10-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick) Bengals 14, Browns 3 Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:25 CLE (8:15) – Trent Richardson 32-yard run (Phil Dawson kick) Bengals 14, Browns 10 Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 2:22 CIN (4:49) – Mike Nugent 39-yard field goal Bengals 17, Browns 10 Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:20 Third quarter CIN (12:05) – Brandon Tate 44-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick) Bengals 24, Browns 10 Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:02 CLE (0:20) – Trent Richardson 23-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Bengals 24, Browns 17 Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:12 Fourth quarter CIN (11:01) – Andrew Hawkins 50-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick) Bengals 31, Browns 17 Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:23 CLE (7:18) – Greg Little 24-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Bengals 31, Browns 24 Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:33 CIN (2:14) – Mike Nugent 37-yard field goal Bengals 34, Browns 24 Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:02 CLE (0:20) – Phil Dawson 25-yard field goal Bengals 34, Browns 27 Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 1:49 Top passers CLE – Brandon Weeden 26/37, 322 yards, 2 TD CIN – Andy Dalton 24/31, 318 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers CLE – Trent Richardson 19 rushes, 109 yards, TD CIN – BenJarvus Green-Ellis 21 rushes, 75 yards Top receivers CLE – Mohamed Massaquoi 5 receptions, 90 yards CIN – Brandon Tate 3 receptions, 71 yards, TD After a tough home loss to the Eagles, the Browns traveled on the road to take on the Bengals for Round 1 of the Battle Of Ohio. With less than 90 seconds played, the Bengals scored as Pacman Jones returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown making the score 7–0. The Browns responded with Phil Dawson's 50-yard field goal to come within 4 at 7–3. In the 2nd quarter Andy Dalton found A.J. Green on a 10-yard touchdown pass making the score 14–3 for an 11-point lead. The Browns followed up with Trent Richardson running for a 32-yard touchdown making the score 14–10 but the Bengals pulled away as Mike Nugent nailed a 39-yard field goal for a 17–10 halftime lead. In the 3rd quarter, the Bengals went right back to work when Dalton found Brandon Tate on a 44-yard touchdown pass to increase their lead to 24–10. Again, the Browns tried to rally by coming in just a touchdown short with Brandon Weeden's first NFL career touchdown pass, a 23-yard pass to Richardson to make the score 24–17. The Bengals pulled away in the 4th quarter as Dalton found Andrew Hawkins on a 50-yard pass making the score 31–17 but again, the Browns tried to rally by coming within a touchdown as Weeden found Greg Little on a 24-yard pass making the score 31–24. After this, the Bengals moved ahead by double digits for the first time since leading by 14 in the 3rd quarter with Nugent's 37-yard field goal for a 34–24 lead. The Browns tried to rally a comeback but could only come away with 3 points as Dawson nailed a 25-yard field goal for a final score of 34–27. With the loss, the Browns fell to 0–2. Also, with the Steelers' victory over the Jets, the team now sits in sole possession of last place in the AFC North as well as losing by a certain number of points increasing as the weeks go by from losing to the Eagles by a point in Week 1 to losing to the Bengals by 7 points in Week 2. Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns – Game summary September 23 1:00 pm. EDT Bills 14 0 3 7 Browns 0 7 7 0 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 69,353 Occasional Showers 53 F C David Scott CBS Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein First quarter BUF (9:08) – T. J. Graham 9-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) Bills 7, Browns 0 Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:21 BUF (5:15) – C. J. Spiller 32-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) Bills 14, Browns 0 Drive: 4 plays, 49 yards, 1:53 Second quarter CLE (2:17) – Trent Richardson 6-yard run (Phil Dawson kick) Bills 14, Browns 7 Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:41 Third quarter BUF (10:42) – Rian Lindell 37-yard field goal Bills 17, Browns 7 Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:22 CLE (2:33) – Travis Benjamin 22-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Bills 17, Browns 14 Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 4:38 Fourth quarter BUF (9:12) – Stevie Johnson 9-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) Bills 24, Browns 14 Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 5:27 Top passers BUF – Ryan Fitzpatrick 22/35, 208 yards, 3 TD CLE – Brandon Weeden 27/43, 237 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers BUF – Tashard Choice 20 rushes, 91 yards CLE – Trent Richardson 12 rushes, 27 yards, TD Top receivers BUF – Stevie Johnson 7 receptions, 61 yards, TD CLE – Jordan Cameron 5 receptions, 45 yards The Browns returned home for a home game against the Bills. Again, the Browns fell behind and for the second straight week never held the lead as Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick found T. J. Graham on a 9-yard touchdown pass for a 7–0 lead followed up by Fitzpatrick finding C. J. Spiller on a 32-yard touchdown pass for a 14–0 lead. The Browns got on the board in the 2nd quarter when Trent Richardson ran for a 6-yard touchdown to make the score 14–7 at halftime. However, the Bills went back to work in the 3rd quarter as Rian Lindell nailed a 37-yard field goal to take a 10-point lead of 17–7. The Browns tried to rally coming within 3 points of the Bills when Brandon Weeden found Travis Benjamin on a 22-yard pass at 17–14. However, the Bills pulled away and wrapped this game up as Fitzpatrick found Stevie Johnson on a 9-yard touchdown pass for a final score of 24–14. With the loss, the Browns fell to 0–3 with their loss by a certain number of points worsened to 10. Week 4: at Baltimore Ravens Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary September 27 8:20 pm. EDT Browns 0 7 3 6 Ravens 0 9 14 0 M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland 70,944 Cloudy, showers 77 F C Gene Steratore NFLN Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter BAL (12:57) – Torrey Smith 18-yard pass from Joe Flacco (kick aborted) Ravens 6, Browns 0 Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 2:53 BAL (10:03) – Justin Tucker 45-yard field goal Ravens 9, Browns 0 Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 1:58 CLE (2:32) – Trent Richardson 2-yard run (Phil Dawson kick) Ravens 9, Browns 7 Drive: 11 plays, 94 yards, 4:52 Third quarter BAL (9:53) – Joe Flacco 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick) Ravens 16, Browns 7 Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards, 5:07 CLE (6:52) – Phil Dawson 51-yard field goal Ravens 16, Browns 10 Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:01 BAL (0:15) – Cary Williams 63-yard interception return (Justin Tucker kick) Ravens 23, Browns 10 Fourth quarter CLE (12:11) – Phil Dawson 50-yard field goal Ravens 23, Browns 13 Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:04 CLE (4:33) – Phil Dawson 52-yard field goal Ravens 23, Browns 16 Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 1:35 Top passers CLE – Brandon Weeden 25/52, 320 yards, INT BAL – Joe Flacco 28/46, 356 yards, TD, INT Top rushers CLE – Trent Richardson 14 rushes, 47 yards, TD BAL – Ray Rice 18 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers CLE – Greg Little 4 receptions, 77 yards BAL – Anquan Boldin 9 receptions, 131 yards The Browns traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens on Thursday Night Football. After a scoreless first quarter, the Ravens scored first in the second quarter as Joe Flacco found Torrey Smith on an 18-yard touchdown pass (with a failed PAT) for a 6–0 lead. The team increased their lead as Justin Tucker made a 45-yard field goal to make the score 9–0. Finally, the Browns scored not long before halftime when Trent Richardson ran for a 2-yard touchdown, making the halftime score 9–7. After the break, the Ravens went right back to work as Flacco threw several completions to Anquan Boldin before scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run for a 16–7 lead. However, The Browns drew within 6 points as Phil Dawson nailed a 51-yard field goal, making the score 16–10. But then, the Ravens pulled away as Cary Williams picked off Weeden and returned the ball 63 yards for a touchdown, making the score 23–10. In the fourth quarter, the Browns tried to come back as Dawson nailed two field goals from 50 and 52 yards out making the score 23–13 and then 23–16, respectively. However, the Ravens took control of the game and the Browns' record dropped to 0–4 on the season, losing their 13th straight game against a division rival and their 9th straight game against the Ravens. Week 5: at New York Giants Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: Cleveland Browns at New York Giants – Game summary October 7 1:00 pm. EDT Browns 14 3 3 7 Giants 7 20 7 7 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 79,911 Rain 51 F C Clete Blakeman CBS Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf First quarter CLE (14:17) – Trent Richardson 15-yard run (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 7, Giants 0 Drive: 2 plays, 22 yards, 0:37 CLE (10:14) – Josh Gordon 62-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 14, Giants 0 Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:11 NYG (3:22) – Victor Cruz 3-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick) Browns 14, Giants 7 Drive: 11 plays, 92 yards, 6:41 Second quarter CLE (13:48) – Phil Dawson 32-yard field goal Browns 17, Giants 7 Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:43 NYG (6:49) – Lawrence Tynes 29-yard field goal Browns 17, Giants 10 Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 6:53 NYG (2:59) – Ahmad Bradshaw 4-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick) Browns 17, Giants 17 Drive: 2 plays, 40 yards, 0:54 NYG (1:16) – Victor Cruz 7-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick) Giants 24, Browns 17 Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 1:27 NYG (0:04) – Lawrence Tynes 40-yard field goal Giants 27, Browns 17 Drive: 2 plays, 36 yards, 0:17 Third quarter NYG (5:14) – Victor Cruz 28-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick) Giants 34, Browns 17 Drive: 9 plays, 95 yards, 5:13 CLE (3:37) – Phil Dawson 41-yard field goal Giants 34, Browns 20 Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:39 Fourth quarter NYG (5:41) – David Wilson 40-yard rush (Lawrence Tynes kick) Giants 41, Browns 20 Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:24 CLE (3:56) – Josh Gordon 20-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Giants 41, Browns 27 Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 1:45 Top passers CLE – Brandon Weeden 22/35, 291 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT NYG – Eli Manning 25/37, 259 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers CLE – Trent Richardson 17 rushes, 81 yards, TD NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw 30 rushes, 200 yards, TD Top receivers CLE – Josh Gordon 2 receptions, 82 yards, 2 TD NYG – Rueben Randle 6 receptions, 82 yards After a tough road loss to the Ravens, the Browns went to face against the Giants on the road. They drew first blood taking a 7–0 lead as Trent Richardson ran for a 15-yard touchdown followed by Brandon Weeden finding Josh Gordon on a 62-yard touchdown pass leaving the Browns with a 14–0 lead. Finally, the Giants were able to get on the board when Eli Manning found Victor Cruz on a 3-yard pass to shorten the lead 14–7. In the 2nd quarter, the Browns moved ahead by double digits again as Phil Dawson kicked a 32-yard field goal for a 17–7. The Giants then again responded by scoring 17 unanswered points before halftime starting by coming within a touchdown off of Lawrence Tynes' 29-yard field goal making the score 17–10. Then the Giants were able to tie it as Ahmad Bradshaw ran for a 4-yard touchdown for a 17–17 score before the Giants took the lead as Manning found Cruz again on a 7-yard pass making the score 24–17. Tynes made the score 27–17 with a 40-yard field goal not long before halftime. The Giants went right back to work in the third quarter as Manning found Cruz a 3rd time on a 28-yard pass increasing their lead to 34–17. Then the Browns tried to rally a comeback but only came away with Dawson nailing a 41-yard field goal making the score 34–20. Then in the fourth quarter, David Wilson ran for a 40-yard touchdown making the score 41–20. The Browns wrapped up the game scoring with Weeden finding Gordon again on a 20-yard pass for a final score of 41–27. The Browns dropped to 0–5 on the season. And with the Saints' win over the Chargers on Sunday Night, they remain the league's only winless team. Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary October 14 1:00 pm. EDT Bengals 7 7 0 10 Browns 0 7 6 21 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 67,060 Cloudy/Rain 70 F C Pete Morelli CBS Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots First quarter CIN (7:07) – Jermaine Gresham 55-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick) Bengals 7, Browns 0 Drive: 3 plays, 63 yards, 1:35 Second quarter CLE (14:51) – Josh Gordon 71-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Bengals 7, Browns 7 Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 2:11 CIN (1:54) – A. J. Green 4-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick) Bengals 14, Browns 7 Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, 1:23 Third quarter CLE (8:25) – Phil Dawson 41-yard field goal Bengals 14, Browns 10 Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:28 CLE (6:27) – Phil Dawson 38-yard field goal Bengals 14, Browns 13 Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:05 Fourth quarter CLE (14:56) – Montario Hardesty 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 20, Bengals 14 Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:17 CIN (11:11) – Mike Nugent 44-yard field goal Browns 20, Bengals 17 Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 3:45 CLE (8:00) – Benjamin Watson 4-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 27, Bengals 17 Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 3:11 CLE (7:50) – Sheldon Brown 17-yard interception return (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 34, Bengals 17 CIN (5:21) – A. J. Green 57-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick) Browns 34, Bengals 24 Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:29 Top passers CIN – Andy Dalton 31/46, 381 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT CLE – Brandon Weeden 17/29, 231 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers CIN – BenJarvus Green-Ellis 16 rushes, 62 yards CLE – Montario Hardesty 15 rushes, 56 yards, TD Top receivers CIN – A. J. Green 7 receptions, 135 yards, 2 TD CLE – Josh Gordon 3 receptions, 99 yards, TD The Browns returned home for Round 2 of 2012's Battle of Ohio. The Bengals got off to a fast start in the first quarter as Andy Dalton found Jermaine Gresham on a 55-yard touchdown pass making the score 7–0 for the only score of the period. The Browns then managed to tie it as Brandon Weeden found Josh Gordon on a 71-yard touchdown pass for a 7–7 game before the Bengals moved back into the lead with Dalton's 4-yard pass to A. J. Green making the score 14–7 at halftime. The Browns went into a frenzy of points in the 2nd half starting scoring 13 unanswered points starting in the 3rd quarter when Phil Dawson nailed two field goals from 41 and 38 yards out making the score 14–10 and then 14–13 respectively. And in the fourth quarter, they took the lead as Montario Hardestly ran for a 1-yard touchdown for a 20–14 lead. The Bengals came within three points as Mike Nugent kicked a 44-yard field goal making the score 20–17. But the Browns increased their lead with two straight touchdowns as Weeden found Benjamin Watson on a 4-yard pass followed by Sheldon Brown who returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown making the score 27–17 and then 34–17. The Bengals tried to rally a comeback as Dalton found Green again on a 57-yard pass. But the Bengals failed to rally and therefore lost this game by a final score of 34–24 as the Browns managed to snap their four-game losing streak to the Bengals as well as their 13-game losing streak to division rivals as they improved to 1–5 with the win. Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary October 21 1:00 pm. EDT Browns 0 6 7 0 Colts 7 7 3 0 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 64,560 Sunny 60 F C Carl Cheffers CBS Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots First quarter IND (7:23) – Andrew Luck 3-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick) Colts 7, Browns 0 Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 7:37 Second quarter CLE (14:01) – Greg Little 14-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (kick aborted) Colts 7, Browns 6 Drive: 16 plays, 90 yards, 8:22 IND (7:41) – Andrew Luck 5-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick) Colts 14, Browns 6 Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 6:20 Third quarter CLE (11:53) – Josh Gordon 33-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Colts 14, Browns 13 Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:07 IND (3:19) – Adam Vinatieri 38-yard field goal Colts 17, Browns 13 Drive: 17 plays, 61 yards, 8:34 Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers CLE – Brandon Weeden 25/41, 264 yards, 2 TD IND – Andrew Luck 16/29, 186 yards Top rushers CLE – Montario Hardesty 7 rushes, 28 yards IND – Vick Ballard 20 rushes, 84 yards Top receivers CLE – Josh Gordon 2 receptions, 59 yards, TD IND – Reggie Wayne 6 receptions, 73 yards The Browns traveled to Indianapolis to take on an Andrew Luck-led Colts offense. The Colts were able to score in the first quarter as Andrew Luck ran for a 3-yard touchdown making the score 7–0 for the only score of the game. The Browns responded in the 2nd quarter coming within a point when Brandon Weeden found Greg Little on a 14-yard pass (with a failed PAT) making the score 7–6. Then, Luck ran for another touchdown this time from 5 yards out to make the score 14–6 at halftime. The Browns came within a point again in the 3rd quarter as Weeden found Josh Gordon on a 33-yard pass making the score 14–13 but the Colts wrapped things up with Adam Vinatieri's 38-yard field goal followed by a scoreless 4th quarter making the final score 17–13 as the Browns' road record at this point of the season was 0–4 while their record overall was 1–6. Week 8: vs. San Diego Chargers Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary October 28 1:00 pm. EDT Chargers 0 3 3 0 Browns 7 0 0 0 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 65,337 Rainy/Windy 44 F C Jerome Boger CBS Spero Dedes and Rich Gannon First quarter CLE (4:26) – Trent Richardson 26-yard run (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 7, Chargers 0 Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 4:35 Second quarter SD (0:03) – Nick Novak 43-yard field goal Browns 7, Chargers 3 Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 1:48 Third quarter SD (2:36) – Nick Novak 31-yard field goal Browns 7, Chargers 6 Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 4:36 Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers SD – Philip Rivers 18/34, 154 yards CLE – Brandon Weeden 11/27, 129 yards Top rushers SD – Ryan Mathews 24 rushes, 95 yards CLE – Trent Richardson 24 rushes, 122 yards, TD Top receivers SD – Ronnie Brown 7 receptions, 85 yards CLE – Josh Gordon 3 receptions, 46 yards In rainy and windy conditions, Trent Richardson scored the game's only touchdown, running from 26 yards out for a 7–0 lead. The Chargers managed to get on the board as Nick Novak score a 43-yard field goal before halftime making the score 7–3. The Chargers then scored the only points of the second half in the third quarter, with Novak scoring a 31-yard field goal making the score 7–6. There were no further scores and the Browns increased their record to 2–6 and their home record to 2–2. Week 9: vs. Baltimore Ravens Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns – Game summary November 4 1:00 pm. EST Ravens 14 0 0 11 Browns 0 9 3 3 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 65,449 Cloudy 39 F C Jeff Triplette CBS Marv Albert and Rich Gannon First quarter BAL (8:32) – Ray Rice 8-yard run (Justin Tucker kick) Ravens 7, Browns 0 Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:25 BAL (0:01) – Bernard Pierce 12-yard run (Justin Tucker kick) Ravens 14, Browns 0 Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 6:52 Second quarter CLE (9:19) – Phil Dawson 32-yard field goal Ravens 14, Browns 3 Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:42 CLE (1:47) – Phil Dawson 28-yard field goal Ravens 14, Browns 6 Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:05 CLE (0:03) – Phil Dawson 29-yard field goal Ravens 14, Browns 9 Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 1:00 Third quarter CLE (2:39) – Phil Dawson 33-yard field goal Ravens 14, Browns 12 Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 5:30 Fourth quarter CLE (8:48) – Phil Dawson 41-yard field goal Browns 15, Ravens 14 Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 4:32 BAL (4:26) – Torrey Smith 19-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Joe Flacco pass to Anquan Boldin) Ravens 22, Browns 15 Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:22 BAL (2:49) – Justin Tucker 43-yard field goal Ravens 25, Browns 15 Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:01 Top passers BAL – Joe Flacco 15/24, 153 yards, TD CLE – Brandon Weeden 20/37, 176 yards, 2 INT Top rushers BAL – Ray Rice 25 rushes, 98 yards, TD CLE – Trent Richardson 25 rushes, 105 yards Top receivers BAL – Anquan Boldin 5 receptions, 57 yards CLE – Greg Little 5 receptions, 52 yards The Ravens took a 14–0 lead after the first quarter, but the Browns took the lead with five consecutive field goals from Phil Dawson. However, the Ravens retook the lead for good in the fourth quarter. With their 10th-straight loss to the Ravens, the Browns went into their bye week at 2–7. Week 11: at Dallas Cowboys Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Cleveland Browns at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary November 18 1:00 pm. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Browns 7 6 0 7 0 Cowboys 0 0 3 17 3 Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas 81,936 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Ed Hochuli CBS Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf First quarter CLE (4:01) – Benjamin Watson 10-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 7, Cowboys 0 Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 4:55 Second quarter CLE (12:09) – Phil Dawson 51-yard field goal Browns 10, Cowboys 0 Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 3:44 CLE (5:07) – Phil Dawson 37-yard field goal Browns 13, Cowboys 0 Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 4:16 Third quarter DAL (4:16) – Dan Bailey 44-yard field goal Browns 13, Cowboys 3 Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 5:44 Fourth quarter DAL (13:49) – Felix Jones 2-yard run (Dan Bailey kick) Browns 13, Cowboys 10 Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards, 3:59 DAL (6:46) – Dez Bryant 28-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick) Cowboys 17, Browns 13 Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:11 CLE (1:07) – Benjamin Watson 17-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 20, Cowboys 17 Drive: 1 play, 17 yards, 0:03 DAL (0:02) – Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal Browns 20, Cowboys 20 Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 1:05 Overtime DAL (6:07) – Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal Cowboys 23, Browns 20 Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 3:32 Top passers CLE – Brandon Weeden 20/35, 210 yards, 2 TD DAL – Tony Romo 35/50, 313 yards, TD Top rushers CLE – Trent Richardson 28 rushes, 95 yards DAL – Felix Jones 14 rushes, 43 yards, TD Top receivers CLE – Josh Gordon 5 receptions, 53 yards DAL – Dez Bryant 12 receptions, 145 yards, TD The Browns came into Cowboys Stadium leading 13–0 at halftime. However, the lead was blown as the Browns were outscored 20–7 in the 2nd half with the Cowboys kicking a late field goal to tie the game at 20–20 and send it into overtime. There, the Cowboys kicked the game-winning field goal, dropping the Browns to 2–8 and 0–3 against the NFC East. Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary November 25 1:00 pm. EST Steelers 7 7 0 0 Browns 3 10 7 0 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio Mostly Cloudy 40 F C Ron Winter CBS Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots First quarter PIT (14:00) – Lawrence Timmons 53-yard interception return (Shaun Suisham kick) Steelers 7, Browns 0 CLE (9:10) – Phil Dawson 28-yard field goal Steelers 7, Browns 3 Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:13 Second quarter CLE (12:25) – Jordan Cameron 5-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 10, Steelers 7 Drive: 3 plays, 10 yards, 1:21 CLE (3:45) – Phil Dawson 32-yard field goal Browns 13, Steelers 7 Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 5:34 PIT (0:07) – Chris Rainey 1-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick) Steelers 14, Browns 13 Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 1:50 Third quarter CLE (5:25) – Trent Richardson 15-yard run (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 20, Steelers 14 Drive: 3 plays, 31 yards, 1:46 Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers PIT – Charlie Batch 19/33, 199 yards, 3 INT CLE – Brandon Weeden 17/26, 158 yards, TD, INT Top rushers PIT – Jonathan Dwyer 9 rushes, 19 yards CLE – Trent Richardson 29 rushes, 85 yards, TD Top receivers PIT – Emmanuel Sanders 5 receptions, 73 yards CLE – Josh Gordon 4 receptions, 60 yards Although the Steelers scored first on a 53-yard interception return by Lawrence Timmons, the Browns benefited from eight Pittsburgh turnovers and the Browns defeated the Steelers 20–14. This was the first Browns victory over the Steelers since Week 14 of the 2009 season, and only the fifth time the Browns beat the Steelers since returning to the NFL in 1999. The Browns became the only AFC North team on the season to successfully defend their home territory against the Steelers. After the game, it was announced that team president Mike Holmgren would leave the Browns with immediate effect. Week 13: at Oakland Raiders Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: Cleveland Browns at Oakland Raiders – Game summary December 2 4:25 pm. EST/1:25 p.m. PST Browns 0 10 3 7 Raiders 0 3 7 7 O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California 43,641 Cloudy skies 61 F C Bill Leavy CBS Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter CLE (12:59) – Phil Dawson 41-yard field goal Browns 3, Raiders 0 Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 6:27 CLE (10:25) – Josh Gordon 44-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 10, Raiders 0 Drive: 2 plays, 62 yards, 0:49 OAK (4:28) – Sebastian Janikowski 51-yard field goal Browns 10, Raiders 3 Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 2:44 Third quarter CLE (9:51) – Phil Dawson 35-yard field goal Browns 13, Raiders 3 Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 5:09 OAK (0:17) – Rod Streater 64-yard pass from Carson Palmer (S. Janikowski kick) Browns 13, Raiders 10 Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:41 Fourth quarter CLE (3:27) – Trent Richardson 3-yard run (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 20, Raiders 10 Drive: 14 plays, 94 yards, 6:04 OAK (0:01) – Brandon Myers 17-yard pass from Carson Palmer (S. Janikowski kick) Browns 20, Raiders 17 Drive: 15 plays, 84 yards, 3:26 Top passers CLE – Brandon Weeden 25/36, 364 yards, TD, 2 INT OAK – Carson Palmer 34/54, 351 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers CLE – Trent Richardson 20 rushes, 72 yards, TD OAK – Jeremy Stewart 9 rushes, 46 yards Top receivers CLE – Josh Gordon 6 receptions, 116 yards, TD OAK – Brandon Myers 14 receptions, 130 yards, TD Behind Brandon Weeden's career high passing day (364 yards), the Browns defeated the Oakland Raiders 20–17, snapping a 12-game road losing streak, and their first consecutive wins since Weeks 2 and 3 of the 2011 season. The win would also knock Oakland out of the playoff race. Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns – Game summary December 9 1:00 pm. EST Chiefs 7 0 0 0 Browns 3 7 10 10 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 62,422 Overcast/Rainy 45 F C Walt Anderson CBS Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker First quarter KC (15:00) – Jamaal Charles 80-yard run (Ryan Succop kick) Chiefs 7, Browns 0 Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:12 CLE (3:56) – Phil Dawson 23-yard field goal Chiefs 7, Browns 3 Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 4:00 Second quarter CLE (15:00) – Travis Benjamin 93-yard punt return (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 10, Chiefs 7 Third quarter CLE (12:28) – Trent Richardson 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 17, Chiefs 7 Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:32 CLE (8:45) – Phil Dawson 24-yard field goal Browns 20, Chiefs 7 Drive: 5 plays, 7 yards, 2:23 Fourth quarter CLE (14:21) – Trent Richardson 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick) Browns 27, Chiefs 7 Drive: 12 plays, 82 yards, 6:25 CLE (9:08) – Phil Dawson 34-yard field goal Browns 30, Chiefs 7 Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:50 Top passers KC – Brady Quinn 11/22, 159 yards, INT CLE – Brandon Weeden 17/30, 217 yards Top rushers KC – Jamaal Charles 18 rushes, 165 yards, TD CLE – Montario Hardesty 10 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers KC – Dwayne Bowe 2 receptions, 70 yards CLE – Josh Gordon 8 receptions, 86 yards Helped by a 93-yard punt return by Travis Benjamin (the longest punt return for a touchdown in franchise history), the Browns defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 30–7 for their first three-game win streak since 2009, improving their current season to 5–8 and 3–0 against the AFC West. With losses by the Bengals and Steelers (both 7–6), the Browns still remain in playoff contention moving up to only two games behind their two longest rivals. This remained the Browns' only December victory until a 24–10 win over the San Francisco 49ers in 2015. Week 15: vs. Washington Redskins Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: Washington Redskins at Cleveland Browns – Game summary December 16 1:00 pm. EST Redskins 7 3 14 14 Browns 7 7 0 7 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 65,083 Cloudy 58 F C Bill Vinovich Fox Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Krista Voda With the loss, the Browns fell to 5–9 and were eliminated from the postseason contention. This loss clinched the team's fifth straight losing season and 12th in the 14 years since rejoining the NFL. The Browns were 4–4 in home games. Week 16: at Denver Broncos Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos – Game summary December 23 4:05 pm. EST/2:05 p.m. MST Browns 3 0 3 6 Broncos 7 7 7 13 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,351 Partly cloudy 51 F C Alberto Riveron CBS Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts With the loss, the Browns dropped to 5–10 on the season, and as a result they officially clinched fourth place in the AFC North for the second straight season since they still remained two games behind the third-placed Steelers (7–8), who got booted from the playoff race by the Bengals earlier that day. Next week the Browns look to win in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2003, and sweep the Steelers for the first time since 1988. Week 17: at Pittsburgh Steelers Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary December 30 1:00 pm. EST Browns 0 3 7 0 Steelers 0 10 7 7 Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 51,831 Cloudy 28 F C Walt Coleman CBS Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein Top passers CLE – Thaddeus Lewis PIT – Ben Roethlisberger Top rushers CLE – Brandon Jackson PIT – Jonathan Dwyer Top receivers CLE – Benjamin Watson PIT – Emmanuel Sanders After a tough loss at the Broncos, the Browns traveled to Pittsburgh for game 2 of the 2012 series. The Browns were able to tie the game at 3–3 and then 10–10. However, they were overpowered by the Steelers as they scored 14 unanswered points to make the final score 24–10. The Browns went on to lose the game, finishing 5–11 for the season. They finished 1–7 in games away from home. The day after the game, the Browns fired head coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert. In two seasons as Browns head coach, Shurmur posted a record of 9–23, including a disappointing 2–10 mark within the division (1–3 vs. the Bengals and Steelers and 0–4 vs. the Ravens).Alper Josh December 31, 2012 Report: Pat Shurmur, Tom Heckert fired in Cleveland NBC Sports http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/31/report-pat-shurmur-tom-heckert-fired-in-cleveland/ January 4, 2012 Standings 2013 Pro Bowl 2013 Pro Bowl On December 26, T Joe Thomas and K Phil Dawson were recognized for their individual accomplishments by being named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Thomas, who will be the starting left tackle, is making his sixth consecutive appearance in the Pro Bowl, while this is the first Pro Bowl appearance for Dawson in his 14-year career.Florjancic, Matt December 26, 2012 Dawson, Thomas make Pro Bowl roster ClevelandBrowns.com http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Dawson-Thomas-make-Pro-Bowl-roster/b1c69ff5-be2b-42e6-b7b0-91b8a9622888 December 28, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121227164807/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Dawson-Thomas-make-Pro-Bowl-roster/b1c69ff5-be2b-42e6-b7b0-91b8a9622888 December 27, 2012 dead KR Joshua Cribbs, LB D'Qwell Jackson, and C Alex Mack were named first alternates at their respective positions. References 30em External links http://www.clevelandbrowns.com 2012 Cleveland Browns at Pro Football Reference (Profootballreference.com) 2012 Cleveland Browns Statistics at jt-sw.com 2012 Cleveland Browns Schedule at jt-sw.com 2012 Cleveland BrownsFebruary 2025 medicmedic at DatabaseFootball.com Cleveland Category:Cleveland Browns seasons Cleveland Category:2012 in Cleveland