WASHINGTON, United States – The Cleveland Browns will not become the second NFL team to endure an 0-16 campaign after edging San Diego 20-17 on Saturday in their penultimate game of the season.
Browns defensive end Jamie Meder blocked a 32-yard ï¬eld goal try by San Diego’s Josh Lambo with 3:45 remaining that would have pulled the Chargers level and Lambo was wide to the right on a 45-yard ï¬eld goal attempt on the game’s ï¬nal play to preserve Cleveland’s long-awaited victory.
“You don’t want to say it was our Super Bowl, but it really was,” said left tackle Joe Thomas, who is in his 10th season with the Browns. “Certainly, the emotion and the joy and the happiness after the game in the locker room felt really good.”
The only team in NFL history to ï¬nish 0-16 was the 2008 Detroit Lions.
The Browns improved to 1-14 after their ï¬ rst victory since December 13 of last year. That’s a 21-game losing skid in all if you include three ï¬nal losses in the 2015 campaign and four pre-season defeats this year.
“It’s just a wonderful feeling to get that monkey off our backs,” Browns linebacker Chris Kirksey said.
Philip Rivers flipped 1-yard touchdown passes to Antonio Gates and Tyrell Williams but the Chargers fell to 5-10 after failing to ï¬nd the end zone on their ï¬nal ï¬ve possessions.