NFL | WEEK 14 Mistakes by the Lake

The Browns committed five turnovers in a costly loss to Carolina.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- Five turnovers, a missed chip-shot field goal, only 130 yards passing and squandered second-half timeouts added up to a golden opportunity missed for the playoff-seeking Cleveland Browns.
Sunday, Cleveland (6-6) saw its postseason hopes take a major hit when the Carolina Panthers (4-8), led by unheralded running back Dee Brown, upset the Browns, 13-6.
"This game was huge for us, so it's horrible to swallow right now," Browns tackle Ryan Tucker said. "We ran the ball well, I thought, but once we got inside the 30, it was like we hit a wall."
The Browns fell 1 1/2 games behind the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4-1) in the AFC North Division race with four games to play.
"They [the Panthers] are the sixth-rated defense in the league for a reason," said quarterback Tim Couch, who completed 12-of-27 passes for 130 yards and three interceptions.
Red zone
"They got some pressure on us," Couch said. "I thought we moved the ball well, but once we got into the red zone we were horrible. That is the thing we have been doing best all season -- getting touchdowns in the red zone."
The Browns' three red zone possessions resulted in just field goals by Phil Dawson.
"Things happened today that haven't happened to us in a long, long time," said Browns coach Butch Davis, whose team lost for just the second time since Oct. 13.
"In previous games, we've been able to get the ball down into the red zone and score touchdowns instead of field goals," Davis said. "You make it extraordinarily difficult to win when you turn the ball over like we did today. The turnovers were clearly the difference in the game today."
Strong running
Brown, who replaced the suspended Lamar Smith, gained 122 yards on 27 carries. Panthers quarterback Rodney Peete completed 8-of-17 for 89 yards.
Browns free safety Earl Little said Brown "did a great job -- you can't take that away from him.
"Dee Brown -- a lot of guys haven't heard of him but [he] played well, stayed square and protected the ball," Little said. "They didn't do anything to hurt themselves offensively and their defense stepped up."
The Browns grabbed an early lead on their first possession thanks to two big plays by rookie running back William Green.
First, Green turned a screen pass into a 16-yard gain into Carolina territory. He later ripped off a 16-yard run to set up Dawson's 25-yard field goal.
Green finished with 94 yards rushing on 24 carries and 44 more on three pass receptions.
Near the end of the first quarter, the Panthers took the lead for good after safety Mike Minter picked off a wobbly Couch pass and returned it to the Cleveland 22.
Three plays later, Peete found tight end Wesley Walls behind the Browns' secondary for a 24-yard touchdown.
"Rodney made a great throw," Walls said, "It dropped in there beautifully."
Staying close
In the final seconds of the third quarter, Dawson connected for 33-yard field goal to cut Carolina's lead to 7-6. The play was set up by Little's interception.
Panthers placekicker Shayne Graham, who saw a 22-yard attempt blocked by Browns defensive tackle Gerard Warren in the second quarter, kicked field goals of 43 and 44 yards in the fourth quarter.
Davis lost his final timeout of the second half when his replay challenge of a Couch fumble was upheld with 7:42 remaining in the game. Right before the two-minute warning, that lack of timeouts prevented the Browns from challenging a play in which the Browns could have scored a touchdown.
The Browns' remaining schedule includes games against such contending teams as the Colts, Ravens and Falcons.
"We have four games to go, we're at .500," assessed wide receiver Kevin Johnson. "Ten and six, I think, is a pretty good record to get into the playoffs."
williams@vindy.com