remain exciting.Everything else about the Carolina Panthers looks stale.Unable to come up with big plays down the stretch again E.J. Gaines Color Rush Jersey , the reeling Panthers suffered their fifth straight loss, a 26-20 setback to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday that puts a major dent in Carolina’s playoff hopes.Afterward, Newton, stylish as usual in a hat and tailored gray, three-piece suit adorned with a yellow rose on his lapel, uncomfortably answered questions about Carolina’s collapse.“It’s extremely frustrating to come up short each and every week with similar settings and not be able to push through,” said Newton, who passed for 265 yards and a touchdown but had two bad throws late in the fourth quarter. “I wish I had the words to say, but I don’t. In this league, that’s what it always comes down to: finding ways to keep the game close.“We just haven’t found a way to win.”The Panthers (6-7) are plummeting. They have three games left, but two are against the New Orleans Saints (11-2), who clinched the NFC South with a 28-14 win over Tampa Bay.Carolina was unable to put away the Browns (5-7-1), who scored nine points in the fourth quarter and overcame their own costly mistakes.It’s back to the drawing board for the Panthers and coach Ron Rivera, who was already feeling the heat and is in real danger of losing his job. Rivera shook up his coaching staff last week, pulling defensive play-calling duties away from coordinator Eric Washington, firing defensive line coach Brady Hoke and assistant secondary/cornerbacks coach Jeff Imamura.Those moves came after Rivera’s meeting with owner David Tepper and general manager Marty Hurney, who may want to have another discussion with him.The Browns completed a 66-yard pass on their first play, and gashed Carolina’s defense for plays of 51, 51, 29, 28 and 15 yards. Even Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry got loose for a long run.But the Panthers’ biggest problem has been their inability to win close games. They’ve dropped their part four by a combined 17 points.“We felt like we were going to win today https://www.brownsfanshop.com/Damarious-Randall-Jersey ,” defensive end Julius Peppers said. “We felt like we were going to win last week. We feel like we are going to win every game. It is not for a lack of confidence. It is just a lack of execution.”With the Panthers trailing 26-20, Newton, who has been bothered by a sore right shoulder for several weeks, dinked and dunked his way to Cleveland’s 3-yard line with 3:25 left.After a run by D.J. Moore was stopped for no gain, Newton underthrew Curtis Samuel in the right corner of the end zone on third down.Then, on fourth down, Newton, facing some pressure up the middle, overthrew Jarius Wright in the back of the end zone on what would end up being Carolina’s last real chance.The Panthers got the ball back with 1:04 left, but Newton missed wide receiver Devin Funchess and was intercepted by Browns safety Damarious Randall.Newton accepted responsibility for his mistakes, but said the Panthers as a whole aren’t doing enough to win.Carolina had earlier chances to score, but a false start led to a field goal instead of a touchdown and the Panthers had the ball for just 24 seconds in one series in the third before punting.“Those opportunities slip through our grasp and find ways to come back and bite us,” Newton said. “Early on in the second half, we had opportunities, favorable field position, and we just have to find ways to score points, touchdowns, preferably. Now everyone goes to shuffling, running around with their heads cut off and panicking at the end of the game.“We should’ve done the hard work when we had opportunities. It’s just a detriment to everyone. I’m going to do my part. I’m starting with myself. We all put ourselves in this situation. There’s no one person to blame. We just have to keep moving forward.”Newton quickly dismissed a question about whether he would rest his sore shoulder.Times are tough, but he’s not quitting.“We’re in a position where we’re done with the cliché sayings,” he said. “It just comes down to us doing our job. That’s pretty much what it is Darren Fells Jersey , in all three phases of football. Even though coach can get up and motivate us, we can get up, scream and holler, it just comes down to us doing our job.” DENVER (AP) — Whether it was “The Fumble” or “The Drive” in the playoffs in the 1980s or the 11 consecutive times Denver had dumped Cleveland, the Broncos always served as the Browns’ biggest bugaboo.With John Elway watching from his suite at Mile High Stadium, Baker Mayfield capitalized on Denver’s depleted cornerback corps and dubious coaching decisions in leading the Browns past the Broncos 17-16 on Saturday night.Mayfield’s 2-yard TD toss to Antonio Callaway with just under 12 minutes left provided the winning margin for the Browns (6-7-1), who kept alive their slim hopes of ending the NFL’s longest playoff drought.Article continues below ...The Browns still have a shot at their first winning season since 2007 and even their first playoff berth since 2002 thanks to their first win over Denver (6-8) since 1990.“I think the tough environment, winning on the road’s the most important thing,” Mayfield said. “If we don’t take care of business tonight — and obviously we have to move on and take care of business next week — none of that matters.“So, being able to win on the road is something we’ve got to take pride in.”Combined with their win at Cincinnati last month, the Browns have multiple road victories for the first time since 2014.Callaway’s touchdown made it 17-13 and came with safety Justin Simmons in coverage because the Broncos were down five cornerbacks.The Broncos responded with a 13-play drive that ate up more than seven minutes, but after Phillip Lindsay was stuffed for no gain on third-and-1 from the Cleveland 6, Broncos coach Vance Joseph sent in kicker Brandon McManus for a field goal instead of going for it on fourth down.Jabrill Peppers, for one, was surprised the Broncos didn’t try for the first down or the end zone.“Absolutely. Absolutely. But, hey, it worked out in our favor,” Peppers said. “We’d been stopping them all day and they didn’t want to come away with nothing.”Exactly.“I wanted points there,” Joseph explained. “We had about 4:35 left. We had one timeout and the 2-minute warning. I trust our defense to get a stop there.”It didn’t happen, at least not right away.Nick Chubb reeled off a 40-yard run on the first play.“We can’t let that happen,” Von Miller said.But the Broncos came up with a big stop on fourth-and-1 from the Denver 10 when Cleveland interim coach Gregg Williams went for it — and Chubb was dropped for a 2-yard loss by Adam Gotsis.“We came up here to win a ballgame T. J. Carrie Color Rush Jersey ,” Williams said. “I don’t think anybody’s worried about me not being aggressive and we came up here to win it. Offensively we were going to win it right there. If not, defensively we’re going to come back and do it. Pretty similar going all-out blitz the last several plays. That’s the aggressive nature of the team.”The Broncos got the ball back at their 13 with 1:49 remaining and reached the 50-yard line with 52 seconds left. But a spike, two incompletions and a sack by defensive back Peppers of Case Keenum all but ended Denver’s playoff hopes.Keenum said he wanted the Broncos to go for it on fourth down at the Cleveland 6 but added that ultimately, Joseph’s decision worked out, despite the loss.“I can’t complain,” Keenum said, “because I’ve got the ball back in my hands with a chance to win the game. So, that’s all I can ask for.”The Broncos began the night with cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr. and Isaac Yiadom sidelined and they lost Brendan Langley to a concussion in the first half and newly signed Jamar Taylor to an ejection in the second half on the same play Bradley Roby went out with a laceration in his mouth. Roby later returned.With safety Dymonte Thomas, who had his first career interception in the first half, subbing at cornerback, Miller broke Simon Fletcher’s franchise record of 103½ sacks, including playoffs.Denver’s depleted defense, however, was forced right back out onto the field when Keenum’s first-down heave was easily picked off by T.J. Carrie at the Broncos 48, after just eight seconds had ticked off the game clock.“I didn’t see the corner,” Keenum acknowledged. “And it’s not an excuse. But it’s ultimately what lost us the football game because they went out and scored right after that.”Six plays later, Mayfield put the Browns ahead for good.INJURIESLangley went out in the first half and Roby in the second. Combined with Taylor’s ejection — he was signed after Harris fractured his right fibula two weeks ago — and the Broncos were left scrambling in their secondary.UP NEXTBrowns: Host Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 23.Broncos: Visit Oakland Raiders on Christmas Eve.
