The Cleveland Browns Cannot Escape Their Brownsiness

Despite everything that happened all Sunday—and all year, for that matter—the Browns found themselves camped out at the Pittsburgh Steelers' two-yard-line in sudden death overtime, with a full four downs to earn a road victory.

After starting their miserable season 0-14, the Browns had a chance to round out their year with a two-game win streak—and it was more than just a chance; the average NFL team scores a touchdown about 90% of the time when given 1st-and-goal from two yards out.

But these are the Browns, and their essential Brownsiness will not be denied.

Matched up against the Steelers' JV team—they had nothing to play for, so none of their first-team skill-position players started the game—the Browns had quickly rolled up a 14-0 lead. Browns tight ends Gary Barnidge and Seth DeValve hauled in their second and third touchdowns of the season, respectively, as probably-not-for-long starting quarterback Robert Griffin III built towards a respectable stat line: 29-of-40 for 232 yards, two touchdowns and a pick.

Just before halftime, Steelers backup quarterback Landry Jones got one back, swinging a pass out to tailback DeAngelo Williams and letting him rumble in from 11 yards out. But late in the third quarter, the Browns were still in control when rookie defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun picked off Jones and ran it back 67 yards.

Unfortunately, the end zone was 68 yards away.

In what was briefly the most Browns thing ever, Boddy-Calhoun was stripped one yard short of glory. The ball rolled into (and out of) the end zone, turning a Browns pick-six into a Pittsburgh touchback:

The Steelers scored two more touchdowns, turning what should have been a 21-14 Cleveland lead into a 21-14 Pittsburgh lead. But the Browns weren't done; Griffin led one more touchdown drive to force overtime.

The Browns took the ball in the extra session, and Griffin methodically worked his way downfield. The Browns mounted a 17-play drive that covered 79 yards (in the forward direction). Then, from the Steelers' two, Griffin and the Browns telegraphed a wide receiver screen to Andrew Hawkins, who tried to fight for yardage and ended up fighting backward for a loss of 14.

I've never seen another NFL team complete a pass inside the 5 for a 14-yard loss. So, there's that. https://t.co/hzj9CUOee2
— Bruce Hooley (@BHOOLZ) January 1, 2017

With one real chance to score a game-sealing touchdown, Griffin tried to find Terrelle Pryor—who surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season earlier in the contest—in the end zone, but it was not meant to be. When kicker Cody Parkey booted the layup field goal, there was a sense the Browns' fate was sealed.

And lo, it was: Jones drove the Steelers for a game-winning touchdown, and the Browns finished the season with one win and zero hope for winning a game in Heinz Field any time soon.

Having secured the No. 1 overall pick by being the undisputed worst team in the NFL, the Browns will have to put their faith in a front office that didn't do much with a whole lot of 2016 draft picks. So how are they supposed to do more with even more 2017 draft picks?

Maybe they will, and the Browns won't be a neverending font of tragicomedy.