By Kathy Wray Coleman: Cleveland Browns lose to New England Patriots 27 to 26, loss comes on heels of Cleveland City Council ordinance that funds $30 million for upgrades to Browns stadium
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts-The Cleveland Browns lost by one point to the New England Patriots on Sunday, falling 27 to 26 in a heartbreaking loss at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Browns Quarterback Jason Campbell, who is Black, passed for 391 yards and three touchdowns, not enough though to bring home a needed win.
The Patriots trailed 6 to 0 at halftime. And with 1:25 left in the third quarter, the Browns led 19-3. But that's when Quarterback Tom Brady stepped up his game, ultimately completing 32 of 52 passes, and two touchdowns. With 61 seconds remaining, the Patriots got two touchdowns, and the Browns could not recover.
In spite of the team loss, Josh Gordon, who had seven catches for 150 yards, one of those catches resulting in a touchdown, set an NFL record with 774 yards receiving in four consecutive games. He also set a single season team record for the Browns for yards receiving, with 1,400.
Browns Coach Rob Chudzinski told reporters after the game that he was "sick about the outcome of the game."
The Browns are now four in nine, and fourth in the AFC Northern Division.
The loss comes on the heels of a controversial ordinance passed by the 19-member Cleveland City Council that allocates $30 million over a period of 15 years to fund upgrades to FirstEnergy Stadium for the Browns.
Pushed by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Council President Martin Sweeney, the measure passed two weeks ago with the required super majority, though five city councilpersons, namely Kevin Conwell, Michael Polensek, Dona Brady, Jeff Johnson and Brian Cummins, opposed the ordinance. They argue that the money could be better spent rebuilding inner city neighborhoods, with Polensek and Johnson saying further that the city should hire more firefighters and police officers.
Jackson told reporters before the ordinance passed last month that stadium improvements are needed, and that the Browns are a city investment that he will not neglect.
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