Post Game Notes: Browns vs. Falcons

Cleveland Browns at Atlanta Falcons | Georgia Dome | Nov. 23, 2014
 
·         The Browns are 7-4 on the season, their best record through 11 games since 2007, when the club also started 7-4.
 
·         Along with the club's 24-3 victory at Cincinnati on Nov. 6, the Browns have won consecutive road games for the first time since 2008 (Oct. 26 at Jacksonville and Nov. 17 at Buffalo).
 
·         Cleveland forced two turnovers today (one interception, one fumble recovery). The Browns defense has forced 15 turnovers in the past seven games. On the season, the team owns a +7 turnover ratio.
 
·         The Browns scored two rushing touchdowns to increase their season total to 14 after posting four all of last season. The 14 rushing scores marks the most by the Browns since totaling 14 in 1989.
 
·         The Browns defense limited the Falcons to 63 rushing yards, the fewest the team has allowed all season. Cleveland held Atlanta to 2.7 yards per rush (23 carries), also the lowest total allowed this season.
 
·         The Browns improved to 3-0 against the NFC this season. Since 1999, the only other time the Browns won three games against the NFC was in 2007.
 
·         With a 7-4 start, Mike Pettine has the fourth-best start by a Browns coach in his first 11 NFL games. Paul Brown opened 9-2 in 1950, Blanton Collier started 8-2-1 in 1964 and Bud Carson opened 7-3-1 in 1989.
 
BEST START BY BROWNS A HEAD COACH IN FIRST NINE NFL GAMES
           *        Coach                     Year          Record      Winning %  
           1.      Paul Brown             1950          9-2                  .818
           2.      Blanton Collier        1964          8-2-1               .773
           3.      Bud Carson             1989          7-3-1               .682
           4.      Mike Pettine           2014          7-4                  .636
 
·         LB Paul Kruger recorded two sacks, including a strip-sack that was recovered by Cleveland. He has six career multiple-sack games, including two this year. He has six sacks in the past five games. After totaling 4.5 sacks in 2013, Kruger leads the team with eight sacks this year, the most by a Brown since LB Jabaal Sheard led the team with 8.5 in 2011.
 
·         Rookie RB Isaiah Crowell rushed for a game-high 88 yards with two touchdowns. In addition to an 11-yard touchdown, he scored a 26-yard touchdown in the third quarter, the longest touchdown run by the Browns since a 26-yard touchdown run by RB Trent Richardson on Oct. 28, 2012.  Crowell leads the Browns with seven rushing touchdowns this year. He entered the week tied for the lead among all rookies in rushing touchdowns.
 
·         QB Brian Hoyer completed 23 of 40 passes for a career-high 322 yards. He became the first Browns player to record back-to-back 300-yard passing games since Brian Sipe in 1980 (391 vs. Green Bay on Oct. 19 and 349 vs. Pittsburgh on Oct. 26).  He improved to 10-4 (.714) as a starter for the Browns and has five career fourth quarter game-winning drives, including four this season. During the game-winning drive, Hoyer completed four of six passes for 61 yards to set the Browns up for a game-winning field goal as time expired. Hoyer's .714 winning percentage is the third-highest in Browns history for quarterbacks with a minimum of 10 starts.
BROWNS ALL-TIME QB WINNING PERCENTAGE (Min. 10 starts)
                             Player                        Years      Total Starts         W-L        Winning %  
                       1.   Otto Graham              1950-55          71              57-13-1           .810
                       2.   Tommy O'Connell     1956-57          14               10-3-1            .750
                       3.   Brian Hoyer              2013-14          14               10-4-0            .714                        4.   Frank Ryan                1962-68          76              52-22-2           .697
                       5.   Bill  Nelson                1968-72          51              34-16-1           .676
 
·         WR Josh Gordon made his 2014 debut and recorded eight receptions for 120 yards, his ninth career 100-yard game. His 2,571 receiving yards are the most by Brown in their first 31 games with the team.
 
MOST RECEIVING YARDS IN FIRST 31 GAMES WITH THE BROWNS
                    Player                        Pos.          Total
1.     Josh Gordon             WR          2,571
2.     Kellen Winslow          TE            1,953
3.     Braylon Edwards        WR           1,881
 
·         K Billy Cundiff converted on four field goal attempts, including a 37-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. He has 10 career game-winning field goals, including two this season. He is 20 of 25 on the season. He scored 14 points, his most since he scored 16 in on Sept. 9, 2012, as a member of the Redskins. Cundiff surpassed 800 career points following a 33-yard field goal in the second quarter. He now has 113 career points.
 
·         DB Joe Haden recorded an interception, his second in as many games. He has 15 interceptions in his career and two this season.
 
·         WR Andrew Hawkins recorded five receptions for 93 yards. He is leading the team in receptions (50) and receiving yards (694), while adding two touchdowns.
 
·         DL Ahtyba Rubin recorded his first sack of the season and 12th of his career.
 
·         LT Joe Thomas extended his consecutive-snaps streak to 7,643, the longest active stretch in the league. Thomas has started all 123 games and hasn't missed an offensive play since being selected by the Browns with the third overall pick in the 2007 draft.
 
·         The following injuries were announced during today's game:
o   DB Tashaun Gipson* left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury and did not return.