The
2016 season was the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
' 64th in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), their 68th overall, and their first under
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
Hue Jackson
Hue Jackson (born October 22, 1965) is an American football coach who is the head football coach at Grambling State University. An offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, he held coordinator positions in the Nationa ...
and ''de facto'' general manager
Sashi Brown
Sashi Brown (born May 15, 1976) is an attorney and American football executive who is the president of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Brown began his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns.
Care ...
. The Browns failed to improve upon their 3–13 record from their
previous season, finishing 1–15, their worst record in franchise history at the time. The Browns failed to make the playoffs for a franchise-record 14th straight season and ninth straight season with a losing record.
Despite the team's performance, offensive tackle
Joe Thomas became the fifth player in league history to be selected to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
in each of his first 10 seasons.
Offseason
Front office changes
On January 3, just hours after the Browns' final game of the 2015 season, the team fired general manager
Ray Farmer
Harvey Ray Farmer (born July 1, 1974) is an American football executive and former linebacker who is a scouting consultant for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He is the former general manager of the Cleveland Brown ...
, who had been the general manager the past two seasons.
Team owner
Jimmy Haslam
James Arthur Haslam III (born March 9, 1954) is an American businessman and sports executive. He is the chairman of the board of the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain. He and his wife Dee own the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League ...
also announced that the team's general counsel
Sashi Brown
Sashi Brown (born May 15, 1976) is an attorney and American football executive who is the president of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Brown began his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns.
Care ...
would become the team's vice president of football operations.
On January 5, the Browns hired former
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
executive
Paul DePodesta
Paul DePodesta (born December 16, 1972) is an American football executive and former baseball executive who is the chief strategy officer of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as a front-office assista ...
to be their chief strategy officer. DePodesta brought over 20 years of experience in the
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
front offices, but had never held an executive position in the NFL before this.
On March 4, the Browns announced the resignation of team president
Alec Scheiner, effective March 31.
Coaching changes
On January 3, the Browns fired head coach Mike Pettine. In two seasons with the Browns, Pettine had a record of 10–22, but went just 4–19 after a 6–3 start to the 2014 season.
On January 13, the Browns hired former
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
offensive coordinator
Hue Jackson
Hue Jackson (born October 22, 1965) is an American football coach who is the head football coach at Grambling State University. An offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, he held coordinator positions in the Nationa ...
as head coach. Jackson was the Bengals' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons and was the head coach of the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
in 2011, in which they posted an 8–8 record.
Roster changes
Free agents
Releases
Signings
2016 Draft Class
Notes
* The Browns traded their original 1st round selection (No. 2) to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
for the Eagles' 1st (8), 3rd (77), and 4th (100) round selections, as well as the Eagles' 1st round selection in
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
and 2nd round selection in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
.
:*The Browns would then trade the No. 8 and its 6th round (176) selection to the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
for their 1st (15) and 3rd (76) round selections and a 2nd round selection in 2017.
* The Browns traded their 3rd (No. 77) and 5th (141) round selections to the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
for their 3rd (93), 4th (129), and 5th (168) round selections.
* The Browns traded their 4th round selection (No. 100) to the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
for their 4th (114) and 5th (154) round selections.
* The Browns traded their 7th round selection (No. 223) to the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
for their 7th round selection (250) and CB
Jamar Taylor.
* ^As the result of a negative differential of free agent signings and departures that the Browns experienced during the free agency period, the team received three
compensatory selection
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
s for the 2016 draft: selection 138 in the fourth round, and selections 172 and 173 in the fifth round. Free agent transactions that occurred after May 12, 2015 did not impact the team's formula for determining compensatory selections for the 2016 draft.
Josh Gordon's reinstatement and rehab
On April 1, wide receiver
Josh Gordon
Joshua Caleb Gordon (born April 13, 1991) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He previously played for the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tennessee Titans. Nicknamed ...
applied for reinstatement following an indefinite suspension by the NFL due to repeated violations of the league's substance abuse policy, causing him to miss the entire 2015 season. On April 11, it was revealed that Gordon had failed another drug test, and on April 12, the league announced that Gordon's appeal had been denied. He was eligible to reapply on August 1.
On July 25, the NFL announced that Gordon would be reinstated on a conditional basis, and can stay with the team during a four-game ban to begin the season.
Staff
Final roster
Preseason
Schedule
Regular season
Schedule
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Philadelphia Eagles
The Browns opened their 2016 regular season with a road game against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
and rookie quarterback
Carson Wentz
Carson James Wentz (born December 30, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Wentz played college football at North Dakota State, where he won two consecutive NCAA FCS nat ...
, whom the Browns had passed up in the 2016 draft. The Eagles won 29–10 and with the loss, the Browns started the season 0–1. This would be their 12th straight regular season opening loss.
Week 2: vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Browns scored on their first three drives and led 20–2 early in the first quarter. The 18-point lead at the end of the first quarter was the Browns' largest lead after the 1st quarter since 1960. However, the Browns' offense stalled the rest of the game. The Ravens would score the final 23 points of the game to win 25–20. The Browns had a chance to score a go-ahead touchdown on a drive with less than a minute to play, but things went wrong after a controversial taunting penalty was called on Pryor following his catch at the Ravens' 10-yard line with under 30 seconds to play. McCown would throw an interception on the next play to seal the loss.
With the loss, the Browns fell to 0–2.
Week 3: at Miami Dolphins
Cody Kessler made his debut as the Browns' starting quarterback. The Browns led 13–10 at halftime. However, the Dolphins scored two consecutive touchdowns to go up 24–13 early in the fourth quarter. The Browns, sparked by Pryor, rallied to tie the game. The Dolphins attempted a game-winning drive in the final minute of regulation. However, Dolphins QB, Ryan Tannehill, fumbled the ball, and the Browns secured possession. The Browns had a chance to win it at the end of regulation. However, recently signed Browns kicker, Cody Parkey, missed the 46-yard field goal, sending the game to overtime. It was his third miss of the day. Both teams traded punts on their opening possession in overtime. On their second possession, the Dolphins, who got the ball around midfield to start the drive, reached the endzone after a few plays and won the game.
With the loss, the Browns fell to 0–3.
Week 4: at Washington Redskins
The Browns came to Washington for a matchup against the Redskins. The Browns had a 20–17 lead going into the fourth quarter but the offense once again stalled with a
Josh Norman
Joshua Ricardo Norman (born December 15, 1987) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at Coastal Carolina and was drafted by the Panthers in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and has also played f ...
interception and two touchdowns by the Redskins' offense would win the game for the Redskins.
With the loss, the Browns started their season 0–4 for the first time since 2012. Wins by the Jaguars, Bears, and Saints would make the Browns the only team in the NFL without a victory through Week 4.
Week 5: vs. New England Patriots
With
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
back from his four-game suspension due to his alleged role in
Deflategate
Deflategate was a National Football League (NFL) controversy involving the allegation that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ordered the deliberate deflation of footballs used in the Patriots' victory against the Indianapolis Colts dur ...
, the Browns hosted the Patriots. The game turned out to be a disaster for the Browns as Brady and the Pats destroyed the Browns defense.
The loss dropped the Browns to 0–5.
Week 6: at Tennessee Titans
With the loss, the Browns dropped to 0–6 and became the first NFL team to start 0–6 since the Oakland Raiders in 2014. It was the Browns' first 0–6 start since the 1999 season.
Week 7: at Cincinnati Bengals
With their fourth straight loss to the Bengals, the Browns started 0–7 for the first time since 1999.
Week 8: vs. New York Jets
Hoping to stop a 10-game losing streak dating back to last year, the Browns hosted the Jets in an AFC duel. The Browns led 20–7 at halftime. However, they gave up 24 unanswered points to fall behind 31–20 in the 4th quarter. They also committed two turnovers in the 4th quarter. The Browns scored late in the 4th quarter to cut the deficit to 31–28, but a comeback could not be secured as the Jets secured the onside kick, ran out the clock, and dropped the Browns to 0–8. It was only their second 0–8 start in franchise history and the first 0–8 start since the 1975 season. With the loss, the Browns failed to have a winning record for the ninth consecutive season. They also tied a franchise record (first set in between the 2011 and 2012 seasons) for most consecutive losses (11) in franchise history. They would also be the first team to start 0–8 since
the 2014 Raiders.
Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Attempting to stop their 11-game losing streak, the Cleveland Browns hosted the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys routed the Browns 35–10.
With the loss, the Browns dropped to 0–9 for the first time since 1975 and clinched their ninth consecutive losing season. They also lost their 12th consecutive game, setting a new franchise record for most consecutive losses.
Week 10: at Baltimore Ravens
Trying to halt their 12-game losing streak that had started back during the 2015 NFL season, the Browns traveled to Baltimore to play against the Baltimore Ravens who beat them in Week 2. This was the Browns' only prime time game this year. The Browns led 7–6 at halftime, but the Ravens dominated the second half, outscoring them 22–0 and winning 28–7. The seven points scored by the Browns represented their fewest points scored in a game this season.
With the loss, the Browns fell to 0–10. It was their worst start in franchise history. They are also the first team to begin the season 0–10 since the
2014 Oakland Raiders. The Browns' overall NFL record fell to 461–461–10, marking the first time in franchise history they did not have a record above .500.
Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Browns hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were coming off a loss against the Cowboys. The Steelers defeated the Browns 24–9, dropping the Browns to 0–11. With the loss, the Browns were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention for the 14th consecutive season. For the second consecutive season, they were the first NFL team to be mathematically eliminated from contention. The Browns have now gone 24 consecutive seasons without winning a division title, extending the longest active streak in the NFL. They also extended their current franchise record for most consecutive games lost to 14 games. The team is also the first team to start 0–11 since the
2011 Indianapolis Colts.
Week 12: vs. New York Giants
The Browns took on the Giants who were on a five-game winning streak and were coming off their 22–16 win over the Bears, but the Browns suffered their 12th straight loss this season due to three touchdown passes by
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
to
Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Beckham played college football at LSU and was drafted by the ...
and a fumble return by
Jason Pierre-Paul
Jason Andrew Pierre-Paul (born January 1, 1989) is an American football outside linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Florida and was drafted by the New York Giants in ...
for a touchdown.
With the loss, the Browns went into their bye week at 0–12. They would be the first team to start with such a record since the
2011 Colts.
Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Coming off their bye week, the Browns hosted the Bengals in a rematch of Week 7. The Bengals jumped out to a 20–0 halftime lead and never looked back, handing Cleveland a 23–10 loss.
With the loss, Cleveland became the eighth team since 1960 to start a season 0–13, and the first since the
2011 Indianapolis Colts. They became the first franchise to lose 16 in a row since the Oakland Raiders did it during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
Week 15: at Buffalo Bills
The Browns headed to Buffalo to try to collect their first win of the season, but the Bills routed the Browns 33–13. With the loss, the Browns fell to 0–14 and became the first team to lose 17 consecutive regular season games since the St. Louis Rams in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The Browns also became the fourth team to start a season 0–14, joining the
1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
1980 New Orleans Saints, and the
2008 Detroit Lions
The 2008 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 79th season in the National Football League (NFL), and their 75th as the Detroit Lions. The Lions made history by becoming the first team since the schedule was expanded to 16 games to finish winl ...
. The Browns also tied their franchise record for total losses in a single season. The Browns also became the first team since the
2013 Houston Texans
The 2013 Houston Texans season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League. The Texans failed to improve upon their 12–4 record from 2012, suffering through a season-ending 14-game losing streak following a 2–0 start and mi ...
to have 14 straight losses in a single season.
On December 21, OT
Joe Thomas was voted to his 10th consecutive Pro Bowl. Thomas now holds the Browns record for most Pro Bowls, passing Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Lou Groza, who each have nine. Thomas joins Pro Football Hall of Famers Merlin Olsen (14), Mel Renfro (10), Barry Sanders (10) and Lawrence Taylor (10) as the only players in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl in each of their first 10 seasons. Thomas' streak of 10 consecutive Pro Bowls was the longest active streak in the NFL.
Week 16: vs. San Diego Chargers
In their final home game of the year, the Browns hosted the San Diego Chargers on Christmas Eve afternoon, looking to get their first win. The contest was competitive throughout the afternoon. The Chargers had a game-tying field goal attempt blocked by
Jamie Meder with just under 4 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. After the Browns punted, the Chargers drove down the field and reached the Browns’ 27-yard line in the final seconds. However, the Chargers had no timeouts remaining and had to rush the field goal unit out in the final seconds. Kicker
Josh Lambo
Joshua Gregory Lambo (born November 19, 1990) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2015 and then signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 17, 2017. H ...
missed the potential game-tying field goal as time expired, allowing the Browns to pick up their first win of the season.
With the win, the Browns improved to 1–14 and ended their 17-game losing streak. The Browns finished the season 1–7 at home. This was the first and only time this season that the Browns allowed fewer than 23 points in a single game. After this game, the Browns would have a 19-game winless streak and would not win again until week 3 of the
2018 season.
Week 17: at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Browns entered this game looking to win consecutive games for the first time since they won three in a row during Weeks 8 to 10 of the 2014 season. The Steelers entered the game locked into the AFC's #3 seed and rested most of their starters. However, the Browns would still fall to the Steelers, losing 27–24 in an overtime affair. With the loss, the Browns finished the season with a 1–15 record, their worst record in franchise history. The Browns also became the tenth team in NFL history, but the first since
the 2009 Rams, to finish 1–15. They failed to win a division game for the first time since the 2011 season and extended their losing streak within the division to 11 games. The Browns also failed to win a road game in a season for only the second time in franchise history and the first since the 1975 season. They also extended their road losing streak to 13 games and failed to win a road game against the Steelers for the 13th consecutive season. The Browns finished with the worst record in the NFL and secured the #1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. This marked the beginning of a 17-game losing streak continuing through
the 2017 season and ending with a tie in Week 1 of
the 2018 season.
Standings
Division
Conference
References
External links
*
2016 Cleveland Brownsat Pro Football Reference (Profootballreference.com)
2016 Cleveland Browns Statisticsat jt-sw.com
2016 Cleveland Browns Scheduleat jt-sw.com
at DatabaseFootball.com
{{2016 NFL season by team
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
Cleveland Browns seasons
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...