| 2011 Cleveland Browns season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Randy Lerner |
| General manager | Tom Heckert |
| Head coach | Pat Shurmur |
| Defensive coordinator | Dick Jauron |
| Home stadium | Cleveland Browns Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 4–12 |
| Division place | 4thAFC North |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | TJoe Thomas |
The2011 season was theCleveland Browns' 59th in theNational Football League (NFL) and their 63rd overall. They were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14 and ultimately finished with a 4–12 record, one win less than in2010 season, when they finished 5–11 and placed third in theAFC North. This season marked the second season under the leadership of team presidentMike Holmgren and general managerTom Heckert, as well as the first season under head coachPat Shurmur. The Browns played all of their home games atCleveland Browns Stadium inCleveland, Ohio.
On January 3, 2011, one day after the 2010 season, the Browns fired head coachEric Mangini. In two seasons with the Browns, Mangini had a record of 10–22 and a disappointing 2–10 record against division opponents.[1]
On January 13, the team hired formerSt. Louis Rams' offensive coordinatorPat Shurmur to replace Mangini as head coach. Shurmur served as the Rams' offensive coordinator from 2009–2010, and was an offensive assistant with thePhiladelphia Eagles from 1999–2008. This is his first opportunity as an NFL head coach.[2]
On January 21, Shurmur made his first addition to the coaching staff, by hiringDick Jauron as defensive coordinator. Jauron, who most recently served as the Philadelphia Eagles' secondary coach, has served as defensive coordinator for theJacksonville Jaguars from 1995–98, head coach of theChicago Bears from 1999–2003, and head coach of theBuffalo Bills from 2006–09.[3] Jauron replacesRob Ryan, who became the defensive coordinator of theDallas Cowboys.
On January 25, the Browns hired Chris Tabor as special teams coordinator. Tabor most recently served as the Chicago Bears' assistant special teams coach from 2008–2010.[4] Tabor replacesBrad Seely, who became the special teams coordinator of theSan Francisco 49ers.
On January 31, the Browns added four new coaches to their staff. The Browns hired formerOakland Raiders defensive line coachDwaine Board as defensive line coach, formerArizona Cardinals defensive coordinatorBilly Davis as linebackers coach, formerUniversity of Miami offensive coordinatorMark Whipple as quarterbacks coach, and former NFL wide receiverMike Wilson as wide receivers coach.[5]
The rest of the Browns' position coaches were retained from Mangini's staff. The Browns have not hired an offensive coordinator, as Shurmur intends to call the offensive plays for the team.[6]
This season marks the Browns' transition into theWest Coast Offense of CoachPat Shurmur and the 4–3 defense of defensive coordinatorDick Jauron.
| Pos. | Player | Tag | 2011 Team | Signed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | Titus Adams | UFA | ||
| RB | Mike Bell | UFA | Lions | August 9[7] |
| OLB | Marcus Benard | ERFA | Browns | July 29[8] |
| ILB | Titus Brown | ERFA | Browns | August 3 |
| ILB | Blake Costanzo | UFA | 49ers | August 3[9] |
| K | Phil Dawson | UFA | Browns[10] | July 29[8] |
| QB | Jake Delhomme | UFA | Texans | November 29 |
| SS | Abram Elam | UFA | Cowboys | August 3[11] |
| TE | Greg Estandia | UFA | ||
| ILB | D'Qwell Jackson | UFA | Browns | March 3[12] |
| DE | Jayme Mitchell | UFA | Browns | August 1[13] |
| TE | Evan Moore | ERFA | Browns | July 29[8] |
| FS | Sabby Piscitelli | UFA | Chiefs | August 4[14] |
| DE | Derreck Robinson | UFA | Browns | July 31[15] |
| OLB | Matt Roth | UFA | Jaguars | August 12[16] |
| DE | Brian Schaefering | ERFA | Browns | July 29[8] |
| TE | Alex Smith | UFA | Browns | August 1[17] |
| DE | Robaire Smith | UFA | ||
| FS | Nick Sorensen | UFA | ||
| WR | Chansi Stuckey | UFA | Cardinals | July 29[18] |
| ILB | Jason Trusnik | UFA | Dolphins | July 29[19] |
| FB | Lawrence Vickers | UFA | Texans | August 3[20] |
| QB | Seneca Wallace | UFA | Browns | March 3[12] |
| G | Floyd Womack | UFA | Cardinals | July 31[21] |
| CB | Eric Wright | UFA | Lions | July 31[22] |
| G | Billy Yates | UFA | Browns | July 29[8] |
| Player re-signed by Browns |
F The Browns placed thefranchise tag on Dawson
| Pos. | Player | Released | 2011 Team | Signed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | Eric Alexander | July 28[23] | ||
| LB | Eric Barton | February 9[24] | ||
| LB | David Bowens | February 9[24] | ||
| DE | Kenyon Coleman | February 9[24] | Cowboys | July 29[25] |
| QB | Jake Delhomme | July 28[23] | ||
| TE | Tyson DeVree | July 28[23] | Colts | July 31[26] |
| DT | Shaun Rogers | February 9[24] | Saints | March 1[27] |
| TE | Robert Royal | February 9[24] | ||
| T | John St. Clair | February 9[24] |
| Pos. | Player | 2010 Team | Signed |
|---|---|---|---|
| RB | Brandon Jackson | Packers | July 29[8] |
| P | Richmond McGee | Bears | August 3[28] |
| CB | Dmitri Patterson | Eagles | August 2[29] |
| FS | Usama Young | Saints | July 29[8] |
| Date | Trade Partner(s) | Player(s) Traded | Player(s) Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 29 | St. Louis Rams | 2012 conditional 7th round Draft Pick | GJohn Greco | [13][30] |
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Signed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | Phil Taylor | Defensive tackle | Baylor | August 2[31] | From Kansas City[32] |
| 2 | 37 | Jabaal Sheard | Defensive end | Pittsburgh | July 29[8] | |
| 59 | Greg Little | Wide receiver | North Carolina | July 29[8] | From Atlanta[33] | |
| 4 | 102 | Jordan Cameron | Tight end | USC | July 29[8] | |
| 124 | Owen Marecic | Fullback | Stanford | July 29[8] | From Atlanta[33] | |
| 5 | 137 | Buster Skrine | Cornerback | Chattanooga | July 29[8] | |
| 150 | Jason Pinkston | Offensive tackle | Pittsburgh | July 29[8] | From NY Giants via Minnesota[34] | |
| 7 | 248 | Eric Hagg | Safety | Nebraska | July 29[8] | Compensatory selection |
The Browns did not have a 3rd[32] or 6th round selection.[34] The Browns traded their original 7th round selection[35] but later received a new 7th round selection as a compensatory pick.
* Weatherhead also played for theCleveland Gladiators of theArena Football League.
On June 16, it was announced that the Browns would be wearing white jerseys for all home games. The Browns had previously worn white at home during the 1950s–1980s and again in the early 2000s.[42]Because the home team for all Browns' away games chose to wear their colored jersey, the Browns wore the same uniform for all 16 games for the first time in franchise history (although the Browns wore their brown jerseys for three preseason games).
| Cleveland Browns 2011 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB) Wide receivers(WR) Tight ends(TE) | Offensive linemen(OL) | Linebackers(LB)
Defensive backs(DB)
Special teams(ST) | Reserve lists
|
The Browns' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 13 | Green Bay Packers | W 27–17 | 1–0 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | Detroit Lions | L 28–30 | 1–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 25 | atPhiladelphia Eagles | L 14–24 | 1–2 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | atChicago Bears | L 14–24 | 1–3 | Soldier Field | Recap |
After the third preseason game, all NFL teams had to reduce their rosters to 80 players. On August 28, The Browns released eight players, the majority of them being undrafted free agents.[39][43]
After the final preseason game, all teams had to reduce their rosters to 53 players. The Browns released 25 players and placed two players – RBBrandon Jackson and GEric Steinbach – on injured reserve. Notable players released include QBJarrett Brown and DBCoye Francies.[38]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 11 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 17–27 | 0–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap | ||
| 2 | September 18 | atIndianapolis Colts | W 27–19 | 1–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | ||
| 3 | September 25 | Miami Dolphins | W 17–16 | 2–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap | ||
| 4 | October 2 | Tennessee Titans | L 13–31 | 2–2 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap | ||
| 5 | Bye | |||||||
| 6 | October 16 | atOakland Raiders | L 17–24 | 2–3 | O.co Coliseum | Recap | ||
| 7 | October 23 | Seattle Seahawks | W 6–3 | 3–3 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap | ||
| 8 | October 30 | atSan Francisco 49ers | L 10–20 | 3–4 | Candlestick Park | Recap | ||
| 9 | November 6 | atHouston Texans | L 12–30 | 3–5 | Reliant Stadium | Recap | ||
| 10 | November 13 | St. Louis Rams | L 12–13 | 3–6 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap | ||
| 11 | November 20 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 14–10 | 4–6 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap | ||
| 12 | November 27 | atCincinnati Bengals | L 20–23 | 4–7 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap | ||
| 13 | December 4 | Baltimore Ravens | L 10–24 | 4–8 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap | ||
| 14 | December 8 | atPittsburgh Steelers | L 3–14 | 4–9 | Heinz Field | Recap | ||
| 15 | December 18 | atArizona Cardinals | L 17–20(OT) | 4–10 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap | ||
| 16 | December 24 | atBaltimore Ravens | L 14–20 | 4–11 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap | ||
| 17 | January 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 9–13 | 4–12 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap | ||
Note: Intra-divisional opponents are inbold text.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 10 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
| Browns | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
atCleveland Browns Stadium,Cleveland, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Browns began the season with a division game against theCincinnati Bengals. The Bengals struck first, with twoMike Nugent field goals and aJermaine Gresham touchdown reception. Down 13–0, the Browns struck back, withColt McCoy completing two touchdown passes to give Cleveland the lead at halftime.Phil Dawson gave the Browns an insurance field goal, but late in the fourth, Bengals backup QBBruce Gradkowski caught the Browns defense slow out of the huddle and hitA. J. Green for a 41-yard touchdown that proved to be the game winner. With the 27–17 loss, the Browns started the season 0–1.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 27 |
| Colts | 3 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 19 |
atLucas Oil Stadium,Indianapolis, Indiana
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Browns took on theIndianapolis Colts in Week 2, with both teams looking to rebound from losses. The Colts moved the ball well early, but had to settle for twoAdam Vinatieri field goals to take a 6–0 lead. The Browns answered with anEvan Moore touchdown reception fromColt McCoy. The Colts briefly regained the lead on another Vinatieri field goal, but the Browns responded with aPeyton Hillis touchdown run to take a 14–9 lead into halftime. The Colts added another field goal in the third, but the Browns scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth to put the game away and defeat the Colts 27–19. With the win, the Browns improved to 1–1.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Browns faced theMiami Dolphins without their leading rusherPeyton Hillis in a Week 3 matchup. The Dolphins took an early lead, converting aColt McCoy interception into a 7–0 lead on a touchdown pass fromChad Henne. The Browns tied the game on a touchdown pass from McCoy toJoshua Cribbs. The Dolphins took the lead again on aDan Carpenter field goal, and took a 10–7 lead into halftime. The Browns again tied the game in the third withPhil Dawson's field goal. The Dolphins added two more field goals, and had the Browns down six points in the final minutes. McCoy led the Browns down the field, and hitMohamed Massaquoi on a 14-yard touchdown pass to give the Browns a last-minute, 17–16 victory. With the win, the Browns improved to 2–1 and it also became the first season since 2007 to where the team was actually at least a game above .500.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 7 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
| Browns | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the loss, the Browns dropped to 2–2, heading into their Week 5bye.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Raiders | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
atO.co Coliseum,Oakland, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the loss, the Browns fell to 2–3.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Browns | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the win, the Browns improved to 3–3.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 49ers | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
atCandlestick Park,San Francisco, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the loss, the Browns fell to 3–4.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Texans | 14 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
atReliant Stadium,Houston, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the loss, the Browns fell to 3–5.
In reaction to this game, Cleveland comedianMike Polk filmed a video at Cleveland Browns Stadium in which he berated the Browns and dubbed the stadium a "factory of sadness", a nickname that has caught on for both the stadium and the Browns themselves.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Browns | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the loss, the Browns fell to 3–6.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the win, the Browns improved to 4–6.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Bengals | 7 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 23 |
atPaul Brown Stadium,Cincinnati, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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After being swept by the Bengals for the first time since 2009, the Browns dropped to 4–7.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With their 7th straight loss to the Ravens, the Browns fell to 4–8.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
atHeinz Field,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the loss, the Browns dropped to 4–9. And as a result they officially clinched 4th-place in the AFC North.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
atUniversity of Phoenix Stadium,Glendale, Arizona
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the loss, the Browns fell to 4–10 and finished 1–3 against NFC Opponents.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Ravens | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
atM&T Bank Stadium,Baltimore, Maryland
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With their 8th straight loss to the Ravens, the Browns fell to 4–11.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Browns | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the loss, the Browns finished the season 4–12 and last place in the AFC North.
| AFC North | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2)Baltimore Ravens | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–0 | 9–3 | 378 | 266 | W2 |
| (5)Pittsburgh Steelers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 325 | 227 | W2 |
| (6)Cincinnati Bengals | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 344 | 323 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 0–6 | 3–9 | 218 | 307 | L6 |
