Cleveland Browns’ fans, we have all been here before. We start the season off wholly optimistic and as the season goes on we slap a smile on our faces and continue to cheer on our team, but have that sinking feeling in our stomachs as that “losses” column grows. The Browns ended the 2011 season 4-12. Nothing really good can be said about this. We are Browns’ fans and the most passionate and loyal in the league, but it is truly impossible to find something great to say about this season.

So, what can the Browns do to make 2012 a great season? Which playing position needs the most improvement? The three positions that really need work are quarterback, wide receiver and right offensive tackle.

For the time being, we can put the right offensive tackle to the side and talk about quarterbacks and wide receivers. The Browns’ two main quarterbacks are Colt McCoy who is still battling the symptoms of a concussion, and Seneca Wallace.

Colt McCoy was the starting quarterback throughout most of the season and Seneca Wallace finished out the last three games after McCoy was injured. Neither had a stellar season. Wallace has far more experience, but went 0-3. McCoy went 4-9. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like we need another quarterback, but to simplify things for the quarterbacks that we have. Personally, I would like to see Wallace start and give him a receiver that can handle the ball.

This brings us to wide receiver. We have our main receivers as Josh Cribbs, Greg Little, Jordan Norwood and Mohamed Massaquoi. All of these guys are talented in their own right, but all have also missed some monumental passes this year that they simply should not have missed. You can have the best quarterback in the game, but if the wide receiver is missing his passes, he is going to be ineffective. So, it seems like the Browns need to work on the wide receiver position. It would be nice if they would get their hands on Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State. That would be a Browns’ fans’ dream. Even if they cannot, they need to work with their current players and get them into better shape for next season. These guys are in the NFL, so they obviously have talent, they just need to start showing it and bringing it to every game.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen is a lifelong Browns fan who grew up in a household of Browns’ fans. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. Regardless of the trials and tribulations the Browns have been through, she remains loyal, albeit honest about her home team. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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Cold. Windy. Miserable. That about sums up my experience at the Cleveland Browns game on Sunday, January 1. In addition to a good dose of Cleveland winter, the Browns unfortunately fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers by the score of 13-9.

Coming into the game I honesty was not expecting much. A win against the Steelers would be a fantastic way to end a mildly disappointing season while a loss would guarantee a better draft pick. (Am I really justifying a loss here?)

I was looking for a competitive football game, and based upon the final score it would appear the win could have gone either way. When taking a look at the final stats, the Steelers played poorly but the Browns were simply awful.

Quarterback Seneca Wallace completed just 16 of 41 attempts for a total of 177 yards on the day. He threw no touchdowns and was picked off once.

On the other hand, Joshua Cribbs had a career game netting seven receptions for 91 yards. Unfortunately, that was the lone bright spot for the Browns. For one of the only players that is passionate and wants to be on the field as much as possible, embraces and interacts with the fans, and genuinely loves Cleveland, he deserved all of his success in the game. I just wish it were enough to contribute to a win. One guy cannot do it all.

Peyton Hillis, who may have played his last game in Cleveland, carried the ball 10 times for 30 yards.

For the Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger was only marginally better than Wallace going 23 for 40 for 221 yards. His decision to play with a lingering sprained ankle did not make much sense, especially with the playoffs right around the corner.

Isaac Redman racked up 92 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. As the only touchdown of the game, it broke up the field goal battle between Phil Dawson and Shaun Suisham.

Dawson was 3-3 on the day hitting from 26 yards, 45 yards, and 49 yards on the day. Suisham was 1-1 in extra points and 3-2 in field goals hitting from 19 yards and 29 yards.

When all was said and done, the Browns fell yet again and finished the season with a 4-12 record. But in true Cleveland style—Just wait until next year!

More Cleveland Browns Commentary from this Contributor:

The Cleveland Browns’ experience: A fan’s take

Cleveland Browns lose to Cardinals in OT, QB debate begins: A fan’s reaction

The benefits of being a die-hard Cleveland Browns fan this season: A fan’s perspective

Cleveland Browns prepare for tough game against Baltimore Ravens: A fan’s view

Cleveland Browns release Pro Bowl veteran Pontbriand in favor of rookie Yount: A fan’s reaction

Sources:

All data provided by NFL.com

Paul Rados is an avid Cleveland Browns fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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The
Pittsburgh Steelers
had no problems getting by without
Ben Roethlisberger
in their latest game, but the franchise quarterback says he plans to play in the team’s potentially significant regular-season
finale in Cleveland.

The progress of a game on the opposite end of Ohio may determine how much.

A first-round bye is in sight for the Steelers with a victory over the Browns on Sunday and some help, but otherwise they’d
likely need to win three times on the road to make a return trip to the Super Bowl.

After suffering a high ankle sprain in a 14-3 win over Cleveland in Week 14, Roethlisberger played through pain in a 20-3
loss at San Francisco 11 days later, throwing three interceptions as Pittsburgh blew a chance to stay in the driver’s seat
for the AFC’s top seed.

Needing two wins and a Baltimore loss to win the AFC North and guarantee at least a first-round bye, the Steelers (11-4) rested
Roethlisberger in favor of
Charlie Batch
last weekend against St. Louis. Batch threw for 208 yards while Pittsburgh rode a 116-yard rushing performance from
Rashard Mendenhall
and a dominant defensive effort to a 27-0 win.

Baltimore held off a late rally by the Browns to win 20-14 that same day, but the division’s current leader – by virtue of
a head-to-head sweep of the Steelers – hardly has it easy in Week 17. The Ravens travel to Cincinnati, where a win would put
the Bengals in the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 6 seed and third qualifier from the North.

A Baltimore loss and Pittsburgh win would give the Steelers the No. 2 seed, and potentially No. 1 should New England falter.
But anything else leaves Pittsburgh as the AFC’s fifth seed with no week off, almost certainly requiring the defending conference
champions to win three road games to reach a fourth Super Bowl in seven years.

It was unclear early in the week if the Steelers would risk Roethlisberger for what amounts to a 50-50 shot at best at a bye,
but Thursday the recently named Pro Bowl passer said he’d give it a go.

“As long as I can deal with pain, I’ll be out there,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t want to let the guys down, so I’ll do
what I can to be out there.”

Coach Mike Tomlin’s offensive coordinator agrees – to a point.

“I want him out there but not at the risk of injuring himself,” Bruce Arians said. “If he can’t move around and get out of
the way, there’s no sense in getting him out there.”

While the Steelers need help from the Bengals – offensive lineman
Trai Essex
said he “might peek a couple of times” at the scoreboard – they’re focused on the Browns (4-11), especially considering they
didn’t put the Dec. 8 meeting away until a 79-yard Roethlisberger-to-
Antonio Brown
touchdown with 2:52 left.

“Cleveland’s going to do whatever they can to put a damper on our season as much as possible,” Essex told the Steelers’ official
website. “They’re not having the year I’m sure they wanted to, but whenever we play against each other it doesn’t matter what
our record is, we’re going to get their best and they’re going to get ours.”

Roethlisberger isn’t the only quarterback to have sustained a potentially significant injury in the first meeting. Browns
quarterback
Colt McCoy
took a helmet-to-helmet shot from Steelers linebacker
James Harrison
late in the fourth quarter, a hit that drew Harrison a one-game suspension and opened the door to Cleveland’s coaching staff
receiving plenty of criticism.

McCoy returned to the game, but was later diagnosed with a concussion. The decision to send him back in led to the NFL instituting
a policy that requires teams to have a certified athletic trainer in the press box help medical staffs evaluate injured players.

One of the harshest critics of the Browns’ handling of the situation was none other than Harrison, who said last week that
Cleveland should be disciplined since he was docked one game.

As for his play, Harrison claims he’s lowered his target area. Browns linebacker D’Qwell Jackson isn’t so sure.

“Harrison is who he is and whether you fine him, you suspend him, he’s not going to change,” Jackson said.

McCoy, who missed the past two games, has not been medically cleared and is unlikely to return for the finale.
Seneca Wallace
figures to get the call again after throwing for 373 yards, two TDs and an interception in losses to the Cardinals and Ravens.

“We have to try to take advantage of every opportunity and make sure we do it at 100 percent,” Wallace said. “Do it at a high
level and minimize mistakes. Against teams in this division, we can’t give them easy ones.”

As long as Roethlisberger’s been in Pittsburgh, matchups with Cleveland have typically been just that. The Steelers are 13-1
against the Browns with Roethlisberger starting, and he’s thrown seven touchdown passes without a pick in his last four visits
to Cleveland.

“You never want to lose to Cleveland,” Steelers safety
Ryan Clark
said. “When you are in this city, when you play for this organization, that’s a game you don’t want to lose.”

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Notes, observations and some facts on the third quarter …

• Ben Roethlisberger is determined to take lead on first drive. After three runs, he’s throwing almost every down. In no-huddle mode, Ben completes passes of 12 yards to Heath Miller, 11 to Antonio Brown and 11 to Mike Wallace.

• A dropped interception at the goal line by Buster Skrine kept alive the Steelers’ drive. Skrine jumped when he didn’t have to and dropped the ball.

• Dimitri Patterson breaks up lob pass to Jerricho Cotchery in the end zone.

• Browns defense holds at the 11. Shaun Suisham’s 29-yard field goal ties score at 6.

• Troy Polamalu steps in front of Evan Moore for interception at Browns’ 43 with 8:22 to go. Seneca Wallace was drifting to the right and throwing off back foot again.

• This Isaac Redman is always spinning, like Montario Hardesty. Tough to lay a lick on him.

• Now Roethlisberger has Steelers back inside Browns 20.

• Jabaal Sheard guessed wrong and jumped offsides. Steelers at the 7. Redman plows in for a 7-yard TD run.

• Needing to up the tempo, Wallace connects twice with Cribbs for 11 and 21 yards, and then keeps it for 20 yards to Steelers’ 24.

• Ryan Clark blitz scores a sack of Wallace back to Steelers’ 31. Then a holding call on Alex Mack moves it back 10 more.

• Phil Dawson makes 49-yard field goal to cut Steelers’ lead to 13-9 after Mike Tomlin declined a 10-yard holding penalty on third down.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Notes, observations and some facts on the second quarter …

• Steelers convert fourth-and-1 and get to Browns’ 14. But Jabaal Sheard’s 13-yard sack and Shaun Suisham’s 45-yard field goal miss keeps game scoreless.

• Seneca Wallace hits Jordan Cameron for 15 yards. First Browns first down. Peyton Hillis gets another on runs of 9 and 2 yards.

• From the 31, Wallace accelerates on a keeper and is tripped up at the Steelers’ 4. His fumble disallowed when ruled down by contact. Browns go backwards, but Phil Dawson’s 26-yard field goal makes it 3-0.

• Jayme Mitchell buries Ben Roethlisberger just after a 1-yard throw. Browns finally on to his dunkathon.

• At the 2-minute warning, Wallace’s 23-yard pass to Josh Cribbs takes Browns to Steelers’ 41.

• Cribbs again for 14 yards to the 27. A jump ball in end zone for Evan Moore against Ryan Clark falls incomplete.

• Dawson’s 45-yard field goal makes it 6-0.

• Roethliserger throws over Joe Haden and Antonio Brown makes over-shoulder catch for 40 yards down to Browns’ 14.

• After Brown makes another catch at Browns’ 1, Steelers use their last timeout at :11.

• Roethlisberger throws too far on lobs for Brown and Hines Ward. After Pat Shurmur ices Suisham, chip shot field goal of 19 yards is good, killing shutout bid, 6-3.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Notes, observations and some facts on the first quarter …

• Browns win coin toss, receive, and punt after three plays, one a sack.

• Sheldon Brown holding penalty on third down gives Steelers a first down.

• On a third-and-1 inside handoff, Isaac Redmon gains 13 yards on an inside cut. Steelers drive to Browns’ 32. On fourth-and-3, Redmond beats D’Qwell Jackson on a circle route, but Ben Roethlisberger’s touch pass is too long. Mike Tomlin eschewed 49-yard field goal try with 24 mph wind.

• Seneca Wallace is sacked before he takes two steps on well-timed blitz by Troy Polamalu. Browns offense really humming. Six snaps, 14 yards, two sacks, two punts.

• Roethlisberger is being very careful not to hold the ball very long. As a result, his passes are not sharp. He’s in dink and dunk mode, like the second half of Dec. 8 game after his injury.

• Ahtyba Rubin storms in to bury Roethlisberger for a 9-yard sack.

• Jeremy Kapinos’ punt bounces backwards from the goal line. Browns take over at their 4, then have third 3-and-out in a row.

Gotta run!.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Scribbles in my Browns notebook during halftime of Sunday’s game…

1. It was great to see Ahtyba Rubin sack Ben Roethlisberger in the first quarter. It was his fifth of the year, an excellent total for a defensive tackle. He was the 190th pick in 2008 by Phil Savage, his second-best pick in his four years with the Browns behind Joe Thomas. Rubin has played 86 percent of the snaps this season, ranking No. 2 among all defensive tackles. He has been flagged for only one penalty.

2. Jabaal Sheard sacked Roethlisberger in the second quarter. That gave the rookie from Pittsburgh 8.5 this season, the most by a Brown since Kamerion Wimbley had 11 in 2006. Sheard also has forced five fumbles. He was a second-round pick, and has played like a first-rounder. He has been on the field for 90 percent of the snaps this season, so he has been extremely durable.

3. You know it’s a bad year for the passing game when Seneca Wallace threw an 10-yard pass to Josh Cribbs and I said, “That’s a nice throw and catch.” But it was third-and-11, and the Browns still had to punt.

4. Then again, Wallace was sacked when he was trying to hand off to Peyton Hillis.

5. In the second quarter, the Browns finally got a first down — and it was a 15-yard pass from Wallace to Jordan Cameron. It was his sixth catch of the season as tight ends Ben Watson and Alex Smith are injured.

6. Cribbs made a tremendous tackle on a kickoff. He leads the team in special teams tackles.

7. Wallace scrambled 27 yards — the Browns’ longest gain of the half — to set up a field goal by Phil Dawson.

8. Wallace completed passes of 23 and 14 yards to Cribbs to set up another field goal by Dawson, giving the Browns a 6-0 lead.

9. Peyton Hillis had 21 tough yards on seven carries as Pittsburgh has loaded up the line of scrimmage and is daring the Browns to throw.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

BEREA — Browns quarterback Colt McCoy (concussion) has been ruled out of Sunday’s season finale against the Steelers, and Seneca Wallace will make his third straight start of the season.

McCoy seemed to hold out hope on Thursday that he might at least be on the sidelines for the game. But he still hasn’t been cleared medically for football activity.

Coach Pat Shurmur said McCoy improved as a quarterback as the season progressed, but declined to provide much of an evaluation of his season. He re-iterated that it will be done after the season.

It means McCoy will miss the final three games after suffering his concussion Dec. 8 against the Steelers.

Wide receiver Jordan Norwood (concussion) and right tackle Tony Pashos (ankle, illness) have also been ruled out. Pashos, who’s been suffering from a stomach ailment, will be replaced by Artis Hicks. Norwood will miss his second straight game with his concussion.

In other Browns news, linebacker D’Qwell  Jackson has been voted Browns Player of the Year by the local chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. Safety Mike Adams has been voted the team’s Good Guy for the way he conducts himself with the media, in the community and with his teammates.

Adams, whose contract is up after this season, said he’d love to be back in Cleveland to be part of the winning seasons that are ahead.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

BEREA — Despite a strong desire to come back and finish the season against the Steelers, Browns quarterback Colt McCoy hasn’t been cleared from his concussion to practice or play.

It puts an end to speculation about whether the Browns would start McCoy if healthy. It also means that Seneca Wallace will most likely get his third straight start to finish the season, and first ever against the Steelers.

“He’s trying to get back as quickly as he can,” said coach Pat Shurmur. “And he’s expressed that. He wants to get out there and get competing. He’s expressed that, sure.”

Shurmur said McCoy’s feeling a lot better and is lifting and running, but he’s still not passing the concussion tests, which are administered daily. He did not specify what the symptoms are.

“Colt’s around,” said Shurmur. “He was in all of the meetings [Wednesday] but he was not at the walk-through, no. He’s exercising, doing rehab, taking care of what he needs to do to get back healthy.”

McCoy hasn’t played since Steelers linebacker James Harrison drilled him in the facemask with his helmet on Dec. 8, causing the concussion. McCoy was sent back into the game two plays later because the medical staff didn’t see the hit.

It has proven to be one of the worst of 11 concussions suffered by eight Browns this season. McCoy is about to miss his third straight game, which would tie him with tight end Ben Watson. Watson was placed on injured reserve after suffering his third concussion of the season against the Steelers. Most of the other players have missed only a game or two.

But Shurmur said he’s not surprised that it’s taking McCoy so long to come back.

“Nothing surprises me,” he said. “Injuries are all different. The length of time it takes players to come back is all different, so I’m not surprised. I know there’s a process you go through and we’re taking him through that process just like anybody else that’s injured.”

McCoy hasn’t spoken publicly since the concussion, but might do so this week.

“He’s taking it pretty rough,” said Josh Cribbs. “He’s a gamer. He wants to be out there on the field, he wants to be battling with his team. It’s hard for him to look at it at home. It’s unfortunate. It’s very unfortunate.”

Said center Alex Mack, “I know he’s disappointed. He wants to be out here, he wants to work hard, but it’s important that he’s healthy. It’s taking longer than we want it to and it’s not what you want, but in terms of health, it’s important.”

Shurmur stopped just short of naming Wallace the starter, but said, “He’s taking all the reps and the longer it goes in the week, there’s a pretty darn good shot he’ll be the starter.”

What’s cooking: McCoy can’t be with the team on the field, but he certainly made his presents felt in the locker room on Wednesday.

McCoy gave all of his offensive linemen The Big Green Egg: The World’s Best Smoker and Grill. He also provided the charcoal and matching green coats.

“That’s pretty cool,” said left tackle Joe Thomas. “I’m really excited to put it together. I know a lot of guys are foodies on the O-line as you can tell by the bellies on a few of us. It’s pretty neat and it sounds like it’s a great Christmas gift for a lot of guys.”

Ben practices: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (ankle) participated fully in practice on Wednesday, and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he will potentially be able to play. Roethlisberger is still ailing from the high ankle sprain he suffered Dec. 8 when Browns defensive end Scott Paxson hit him legally. . . . Steelers linebacker James Harrison (neck), and safety Troy Polamalu (knee), receiver Mike Wallace (ankle) and linebacker LaMarr Woodley (hamstring) were limited.

Norwood not cleared: Receiver Jordan Norwood has also not been cleared to practice with his concussion. Norwood, who suffered the concussion in Arizona, sat out last week’s game in Baltimore. . . . Right tackle Tony Pashos sat out Wednesday’s practice with an illness and ankle injury, but Shurmur expects him back today.

Cribbs up for award: Cribbs has been selected as the Browns’ 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. It recognizes a player’s off-the-field community service activities as well as his playing excellence. The three NFL finalists will be announced at a later date, and each will be present at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on Feb. 5 for the announcement of the NFL Man of the Year.

“We all know what he means to the community, and we all know what he can do on the field,” said Shurmur.

Cribbs was honored to be nominated.

“I just really want to show the guys how to conduct themselves off the field and do my duty as an athlete and as a human being,” he said. “Being in a position to give back, it’s just a must.”

Jackson honored: Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was grateful to be voted a first alternate to the Pro Bowl.

“It’s definitely a great honor, but at the same time there’s a lot of guys on this team that are well-deserving of that award,” he said. “Ahtyba Rubin’s been playing lights out for us, a lot of young guys, Jabaal Sheard, Phil Taylor. Across the board, we’ve got a lot of young guys that are well-deserving. I’m greatly honored, but my focus right now is the Pittsburgh Steelers and getting a win before we take off.”

Cribbs was also happy to be named a second alternate as a returner and third as a special-teamer.

“I’ve got to do better if I want to make it,” he said. “We as a team do as well. If I deserved it, I would be first-team. It’s an honor still. It’s an achievement and it’s an honor. I’ve still got to do better to make first-team.”

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BEREA, Ohio — Colt McCoy is making progress from his concussion and still has a chance to start Sunday. But will the Browns start their second-year QB against James Harrison and the Steelers’ No. 1-ranked defense?

McCoy, who sat out games in Arizona and Baltimore, hasn’t yet been cleared to practice, but coach Pat Shurmur said Monday that if he’s able to practice on Wednesday “there’s a chance he can play.” But Shurmur was still unwilling to commit to McCoy, even if he gets the green light from the medical staff.

“I can’t cross that bridge yet,” said Shurmur. “We’ll know more Wednesday when we start practicing for the Steelers and then we’ll talk about it then. And I’m not trying to be vague. That’s the case.”

McCoy felt better last week, but not enough to make the trip to Baltimore. He did some physical activity, including using the elliptical machine, but apparently still had symptoms that prevented him from team practices.

Shurmur said McCoy has increased his activity this week, but wasn’t specific. The Browns are off on Tuesday and begin full preparation for the Steelers on Wednesday.

“Colt worked out [Monday] and was in all of the meetings,” said Shurmur. “He’s making improvement.”

If McCoy is cleared to start, will the Browns throw him back in there? Here are a number of things to consider:

1. He’d be going up against Harrison, whose helmet-to-helmet blow on Dec. 8 gave him the concussion.

2. Harrison was suspended a game for the hit, which cost him about $73,000. He spoke out last week, saying the Browns should’ve been fined for putting McCoy back in the game with a concussion. He’s probably not going to be in the holiday spirit this game.

3. Should the Browns risk McCoy so soon after the concussion — especially with the NFLPA still trying to decide whether or not to file a grievance against the Browns? A source said the union should make its decision the first week of January.

4. With nothing at stake for the Browns, should they just let McCoy rest and also avoid the second-guessing it will invite if he plays?

5. The Browns have said they’ve seen enough of McCoy to make a decision on whether or not he can be their quarterback of the future. If that’s the case, why play him?

6. Will one more game with Seneca Wallace help the Browns determine if the offensive woes this season can be attributed to a lack of playmakers and not so much the quarterback?

7. Has Wallace moved the offense well enough the past two games to earn him another start? He’s 0-2 in his two starts with an average of 12 points a game.

Wallace reiterated Monday what he said after the 20-17 overtime loss in Arizona on Dec. 18: the job should be McCoy’s if he’s healthy.

“Like I said before, I would’ve loved to have been able to try to help this team out longer … but coaches made the decision at the beginning of the season to have Colt as the starter,” said Wallace. “If he’s healthy enough, I feel like he should come back and finish the season like he did.

“If I was the leader of this team at the beginning of the season and got knocked out and had a chance to come back and play, I’d want to finish the season out.”

How much would Wallace like to bounce back from the Ravens loss?

“I’m excited regardless,” he said. “I don’t care who it is, if it’s Pittsburgh or the St. Louis Rams. You’re playing football. We can go out and compete another time. That’s the opportunity we love to go out and play football.”

Wallace is coming off a 20-14 loss to the Ravens in which the offense scored just seven points. He completed 19 of 33 attempts for 147 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He made two crucial mistakes: an interception on the opening drive and letting the first-half clock run out deep in Ravens territory without getting at least a field-goal attempt.

As for the interception, Shurmur said, “there was a little bit of heat inside. Seneca flushed to his right. We have to make sure we’re smart with the football. I have to do a better job of getting protection where he doesn’t get heat up the middle. I’ll take responsibility for that. But we can’t turn the ball over there.”

Shurmur said he needs to do a better job of communicating to Wallace to get the ball spiked at the end of the half. But Wallace took responsibility.

“It’s not all [Shurmur's] fault,” he said. “If you’re a man, you’ve got to take responsibility for what you do on the field. … He’s going to try to back us because he’s the head coach. But at the end of the day, we get on the field and we’re playing between those lines, we’ve got to take responsibility for what we do out there.

“So yeah, it was a communication error, but at the same time, it’s not 100 percent his fault.”

What injury? Browns linebacker Kaluka Maiava suffered a broken left hand on the opening kickoff of the second half in Baltimore. But he’ll play with a cast Sunday. He said he broke a little piece of his index finger and that it won’t require surgery.

It won’t be the first time he’s dealt with this kind of injury.

“I told the doctor I think I’ve been playing with a cast on my hand since my junior year in high school,” he said. “Every year I had something on my hand.”

Extra points: Shurmur said he’ll ask the NFL for clarification on why Evan Moore wasn’t ruled out of bounds on the second-to-last play of the first half. Moore was told he needed to take a step forward out of bounds. Shurmur seems to think he was out. … Pro Bowl teams will be announced Tuesday, and Shurmur said several Browns are deserving. He declined to say who. … Remember, the Steelers game has been moved from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Sunday as a result of flex scheduling.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

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The Cleveland Browns suffered another disappointing heartbreak against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Eve (12/24/11). The end of the first half certainly has fans scratching their heads. Why the Browns did not attempt a field goal is beyond comprehension. Browns’s coach Pat Shurmur looked like he was going to explode when the team did not go for a field goal.

Shurmur is saying that he is responsible for the communication breakdowns that happened throughout the game. However, speaking of the particular play at the end of the first half, Shurmur said, “I never would have called a run in that situation with that much time.”

Seneca Wallace took the field as quarterback for the game because Colt McCoy is still out with his concussion. Wallace really looked a lot better last week. He had a few good passes in today’s game, like the excellent touchdown pass to Evan Moore, but he seemed far less confident in this game than he did in the Arizona game.

Wallace has been in the NFL for nine seasons, but he really seemed to be carrying a rookie confidence around with him today. This is the thing that the Browns do not need, especially when playing a team with the talent of the Ravens.

Going into the second half with no points on the board looked really terrible. Then, finally Josh Cribbs saved the day by running an 84-yard touchdown off of a punt. It was a truly remarkable play. This play was not a game-saver, but it definitely re-energized the Browns and gave the fans a little hope and confidence.

Should we even discuss the fourth quarter? Specifically that play where Wallace passed to Hillis when they should have just kicked the ball. This was another head-scratching play that is becoming all too characteristic of the Browns.

Then, with two minutes to go in the game, Phil Taylor just had to go offsides. The Browns had one more chance to actually do something, but him going offsides completely eliminated their chances of a last ditch effort. Had he not gone offsides, the Browns would have had two minutes (I know not much, but at least it would have been something) to at least attempt to score a touchdown.

The Browns will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers for their last game. If they expect to add another win to their record, they are going to have to stop with the careless mistakes and put forth more focus.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen is a lifelong Browns fan who grew up in a household of Browns’ fans. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. Regardless of the trials and tribulations the Browns have been through, she remains loyal, albeit honest about her home team. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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BALTIMORE, Md. — Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace assumed full blame for calling a running play at the end of the first half instead of spiking the ball like coach Pat Shurmur wanted.

After getting to the Ravens’ 5 with 34 seconds left in the half, the Browns botched the final two plays, failed to spike the ball and watched the clock tick down to zero without any points. It let the Ravens preserve their 17-0 halftime lead and proved extremely costly after the Browns mounted a comeback in the 20-14 loss.

“It was bad communication on my behalf,” said Wallace, who called for the run play with 11 seconds left instead of spiking the ball. “At that point, it’s not the head coach’s fault. It’s my job to make sure I get everybody on the right page. At that point in the game, the crowd is into it and it’s tough. I’m not making any excuses. At the end of the day I’ve got to make sure we’re in the right situation to get points out of it.”

With 57 seconds left in the half, the Browns called their final timeout and had a second-and-1 at the 8. Peyton Hillis, who ran well against the Ravens’ second-ranked run defense, plowed 3 yards for a first down at the 5 with 34 seconds remaining.

Wallace then found Moore on the sidelines for a 2-yard pass to the 3, but Moore didn’t take the necessary step to be ruled out of bounds, and the clock fizzled to 11 seconds.

“Yeah, I thought I was out of bounds,” Moore said. “I thought it was kind of a no-brainer. But apparently I was told after the play there’s a rule — you have to at least take a step forward to get out of bounds because if you don’t, that means your forward progress is stopped and the ball is probably dead right there. So I could’ve done a better job of getting out of bounds in hindsight.”

Once Moore realized the clock was still running, “we just hurried to the line, ran the play, and like I said, the result was no points, so obviously we could’ve done something better.”

Moore wasn’t the only one who thought the clock had stopped. It caught others off-guard, including running back Peyton Hillis.

“There’s no doubt,” Hillis said. “Especially in the kind of situation that we were in, everything being fast-paced, getting things on the run, getting the play on the run, stuff like that, and everybody’s being sporadic or hectic to get to their spots, so I think that could have had a lot to do with it. I was caught in the moment. I wasn’t really looking at the clock at that point.”

While it was ticking down to 11 seconds, Shurmur was frantically yelling and motioning from the sidelines for Wallace to spike the ball.

“I would have never called a run in that situation with that much time,” Shurmur said. “There was some communication there that didn’t play through.”

But Wallace had a better idea.

“The thinking was pop them and get an easy one and score a touchdown,” Wallace said. “We’d just run a pass play and they might be playing a little soft thinking we’re going to pass it again, [so] hit them with a running play.

“At that point I’m yelling something to the offensive linemen, trying to gash them and Pat was calling, ‘Clock, clock, clock.’ It’s loud down there, everybody’s into it and we didn’t have that much time. So I called the 66T, a little running play, and we didn’t get it.”

Bam! Hillis was stopped for no gain and the clock struck zero.

“It was just my decision and I went with it,” Wallace said.

Would there have been enough time after the run to get the ball spiked?

“I don’t know,” he said. “At that time your emotions, you’re into the game, yeah, you’re looking at the clock and it’s like, ‘Do we have time to do this?’ At that time you can’t second-guess what you want to do.”

Moore said his mindset when he first caught the ball was “try to score, but [safety Bernie Pollard] was there so quick that that wasn’t happening, so I was trying to shuffle out of bounds, and I didn’t quite get there. No one person is to blame, but you just remove a few mistakes and I’d like to see what happens. You learn from it.”

Even Hillis tried to grab a share of the blame.

“I should have gotten the ball in the end zone and enough said,” he said.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

What are your opinions.

BALTIMORE, Md. — If you’re a Browns fan, you probably are wondering why you spent your afternoon before Christmas watching this game.

Not because your favorite team quit in the 20-14 loss at Baltimore.

But it was how they lost.

It was that disaster at the end of the first half.

Quarterback Seneca Wallace lost track of the time. Rather than spike the ball at the Baltimore 3-yard line and at least kick a field goal, Wallace called a run to Peyton Hillis, who was tackled for no gain (and no points) as the clock ran out.

A frustrated Pat Shurmur looked as if he was ready to eat his plastic play-calling sheet.

“I never would have called a run in that situation with that much time,” said Shurmur, who then blamed himself for the “communication breakdowns.”

Wallace deserves credit for using his legs and strong arm for a beautiful 6-yard touchdown pass to Evan Moore, whose catch matched the athleticism of Wallace’s off-the-gallop throw.

But he also deserves the blame for not stopping the clock, regardless of what he thought the coach said — or what play he thought was called.

That mess cost the Browns three points.

Wallace did talk about “everyone not being on the same page … and it’s not the head coach’s fault.”

But he sounded and looked like a rookie, rather than a guy who has been in the league for nine years and played in 61 games.

But there was so much more to frustrate Browns fans.

Their team was behind, 17-0, at the half. They were poised to be humiliated by a team that has the NFL’s second-best home record (72-23) since 2000. But the Browns really did make this interesting.

Joshua Cribbs returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown.

Sheldon Brown intercepted a Joe Flacco pass in the end zone to save a touchdown.

Wallace combined with Moore for that touchdown.

Hillis was outstanding, bulling his way for 112 yards of grit against a defense designed to stop him.

Could the Browns actually beat Baltimore for the first time since 2007? Could they give their beaten-down fans something good to talk about after a game? Or would it all be just another cruel tease?

Browns fans know the answer.

That was especially true as they had chewed up all their timeouts with 4:05 remaining. Wallace had some trouble with play calls and formations.

This stuff shouldn’t be happening in game 15, no matter who is the quarterback.

There also were a couple of bizarre play-calls, where you can fault the head coach.

Wallace threw an interception on a third-and-1 in the first quarter — it was a strange screen pass to Mohamed Massaquoi, who was 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

You need 1 yard. You have Hillis running over people and the blockers in high gear. Give him the ball.

In the fourth quarter …

I don’t even want to talk about the last part of the fourth quarter.

There was a silly pass to Hillis on a fourth-down play designed to go nowhere. Rookie Phil Taylor jumped offsides, denying the Browns one last chance to get the ball — it came after a timeout where the coaches warned the defense that Baltimore would try to entice someone in an orange helmet into a penalty.

In the end, the Browns dropped to 4-11, having lost 10 of their past 12 games.

Merry Christmas?

The new year and a new season can’t come fast enough for Browns fans, because this one has gotten to be very, very old.

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BALTIMORE, Md. — 1. In the past two games, Peyton Hillis has carried the ball 50 times for 211 yards. Yes, he has looked like the Hillis who rushed and grunted and bowled his way to 1,177 yards last season. Baltimore set its defense to stop Hillis, and he still had 112 yards on 24 carries against a team ranked No. 2 against the run and allowing only 90 yards a game. This came after Hillis had 99 yards in the 20-17 loss to St. Louis.

2. After a season of controversy and injury misery, Hillis is finishing strong and reminding the Browns why, when healthy, he won’t be easy to replace. That will be especially true if the current Browns coaches can figure out how to use him effectively as a receiver. He was that a year ago, catching 61 passes. He has 21 catches this season. A free agent, the Browns should re-open talks to see if they can keep Hillis — without trashing their salary cap.

3. There are times when coaches make the game harder than is needed. The Browns took the opening kickoff and ran the ball right at the Ravens. On his first six carries, Hillis had runs of 6, 1, 3, 11, 5, and 4 yards. The blocking was excellent, especially from young guards Shawn Lauvao and Jason Pinkston, who have been improving the past few weeks.

4. With the ball on the Baltimore 30 and a third-and-1 situation, coach Pat Shurmur called for some type of strange screen pass to receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. Seneca Wallace was throwing into the wind and lofted a paper airplane of a pass that was picked off. In fact, the ball was intercepted 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage — remember, the Browns needed only a yard for a first down. If you want to pass in that situation, at least throw it to player who is in position to gain the 1 yard for the first down.

5. The same principle is true for that fourth-quarter pass to Hillis. It was a critical fourth-and-5 play with 4:05 left. It was a sideways pass that went for no gain. To gain 5 yards on a pass, a receiver usually should be at least 6 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

6. While Seneca Wallace (19-of-33, one touchdown pass, one interception, 66.1 rating) had some nice moments, he didn’t play much better against Baltimore than Colt McCoy (17-of-35, one touchdown, one interception, 63.0 rating) in the 24-10 loss earlier in the season. Wallace did have that mess at the end of the first half where he lost track of the clock and cost the Browns a field goal.

7. Massaquoi caught two passes for a grand total of 17 yards. He was targeted five times. He has only 29 catches this season. Yes, he had a concussion earlier in the year, but he has been healthy for several weeks. But he just looks lost out there. In 2009, the Browns took two receivers — Brian Robiskie and Massaquoi — in the second round, and it appears neither is an NFL starter. Robiskie was waived by the Browns, claimed by Jacksonville. He has battled some injuries and has yet to catch a pass for his new team.

8. Injuries to Ben Watson and Alex Smith have meant more time for tight end Evan Moore, who caught five passes against Baltimore. He has 30 catches this season and is tied with Joshua Cribbs for the team lead with four touchdown catches. Moore has played about 35 percent of the snaps this season.

9. Jayme Mitchell has started the past two games at defensive end and has one assisted tackle. Don’t ask me to explain it. But after a good start in the first few games of the season, Mitchell has been almost invisible on defense, and the Browns do need to find another starting defensive end for next season.

10. This 20-14 loss dropped the Browns’ record to 4-11, the final game being Jan. 2 at home against Pittsburgh. If they win, that would make them 5-11 for the third consecutive season. Since they returned in 1999, the Browns best back-to-back seasons were 7-9 (2001) and 9-7 (2002). Those were years three and four after expansion. Since then, they have lost at least 10 games in eight of the last nine years.

11. Since the Browns returned in 1999, they have drafted or signed only six players who have made the Pro Bowl. Two of them are special teams — Joshua Cribbs (a non-drafted free agent) and long-snapper Ryan Pontbriand. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow made it once … and probably won’t again, certainly not in Cleveland. Alex Mack made it last season. The only legitimate star player drafted since 1999 is Joe Thomas, who has been to four Pro Bowls.

12. In that same span, Baltimore has drafted nine Pro Bowlers. Several have been true stars: Chris McAlister, Jamal Lewis, Ed Reed, Todd Heap, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and while Joe Flacco is close to that category. Only Lewis (No. 5 in 2000) was higher than a No. 10 pick. Yes, Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome has been destroying the Browns on draft day, including that Ngata/Kamerion Wimbley deal in 2006. Until the Browns put together at least three strong drafts in a row, they remain the worst team in their very strong division.

Comment Below!.

When the Cleveland Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, December 24, 2011, they will be doing it with Seneca Wallace at quarterback. There is a good chance he will play the role of QB in the final game against the Pittsburgh Steelers the following week as well.

Colt McCoy is still out because of the concussion he sustained due to the head on collision courtesy of James Harrison. He is still having recurring symptoms from this injury and until he is fully recovered from this injury, it is simply not safe for him – or the other players – for him to be out on the field. McCoy will not travel with the Browns either. He will stay home and rest and focus on recovering.

Since Wallace is going to be taking over the role of quarterback for the remainder of the season, he has to start acting like a starting quarterback. According to his teammates. He is falling into the role well.

“I think he’s more vocal in the locker room and on the field,” said Joe Thomas, a left tackle for the Browns. “When you’re the starter, you’re the coach on the field, not only calling plays but getting everybody lined up correctly, making sure the formation’s are correct, the personnel is right. You’re kind of the designated rah-rah guy. When things are going south, you’re the guy that needs to stand up and get everybody in a positive direction.”

Wallace has acknowledged that he is just the backup quarterback and that he is afraid to overstep his boundaries. However, he needs to lose this mentality as it could hold him back. He is not the backup at this moment. He is the starter for the remainder of the season and he needs to think like a starter. He has played in nine NFL seasons and has earned his time on the field.

In the Arizona game, Wallace showed that he has what it takes to make plays. He definitely gave the Browns some new energy. The only thing the Browns need to work on right now is keeping that energy throughout the entire game because that energy definitely faded by the end of the third quarter. If Wallace can keep throwing good passes and keep his men energized, the Browns just might have a chance to defeat the Ravens.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen is a lifelong Browns fan who grew up in a household of Browns’ fans. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. Regardless of the trials and tribulations the Browns have been through, she remains loyal, albeit honest about her home team. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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Gotta run!.