Browns boot Falcons 26-24 at 0:00

The disheartening defeat stopped the Falcons’ modest winning streak at two games and dropped them to 4-7. The Falcons have yet to beat a team with a winning record this season while Cleveland improved to 7-4.

More amazingly, depending on New Orleans’ outcome on Monday night against Baltimore, the Falcons could still hold down first place in the meek NFC South.

“It was certainly tough from an offensive standpoint,” said Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who has had better games (27 of 43 passes, 273 yards, two touchdowns and an interception).

Trailing 23-21, the Falcons, who were the beneficiary of three Brian Hoyer interceptions, took a questionable timeout with 55 seconds remaining to set up a third down-and-2 call. After Ryan failed to connect on a deep pass to Devin Hester, Matt Bryant came on to kick a 53-yard field goal to put the Falcons up 24-23 with 44 seconds to play.

“We had an opportunity to get that first down and get us in better field goal range,” Ryan said. “Those are the things when you are low on the clock and the game situation, you have to take advantage of every opportunity that you have. We would have liked to have converted that third down and see what would (have) happened then.”

But with the Falcons stopping the clock twice in the last minute, the Browns had ample time to drive within range for Billy Cundiff’s game-winner. They marched 61 yards in seven plays, Hoyer spiking the ball with six seconds left at the Atlanta 19-yard line before Cundiff came on.

“In this league, when there is time left on the clock, you never know what is going to happen,” Ryan said.

The Falcons held a 14-13 halftime lead but the Browns took control in the third quarter, posting a 23-14 lead behind a 32-yard Cundiff field goal and a 26-yard touchdown run by former University of Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell.

A Steven Jackson 1-yard plunge with 9:31 to play closed the Browns’ lead to 23-21 and Hoyer’s last interception gave the Falcons possession on their own 45 with 2:42 remaining. When the drive stalled at the Browns’ 35, Bryant gave Atlanta the short-lived 24-23 lead.

The Browns entered the game giving up 142.1 yards rushing per game, but the Falcons could not take advantage of a unit that was without standout linebacker Karlos Dansby. On another dismal day for the ground game, the Falcons could only muster 63 yards on 23 carries for a paltry 2.7 yards per carry.

The inability to run the ball may explain why the team elected to pass on the critical third-and-2 when they could have run some off some clock with a running play.

“Well, we wanted to get our best play for third and two, to try to earn the first down,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said about the last timeout. “That was our thought. We were right on the end (of Bryant’s range).”

The Falcons believe that Bryant is automatic from 52 yards.

“We wanted to get a first down,” Smith said. “The look that they gave us said to throw the ball. We did and we didn’t convert it.”

The offense was sporadic throughout and could never find a rhythm against the Browns. Cleveland outgained the Falcons 475 yards to 315, including 162-63 yards on the ground.

“It’s frustrating going back to the sideline and going over the cards and seeing how we just missed little things here and there,” Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones said. “It’s costing us ball games.”

Nor was Roddy White happy with the offense’s performance.

“It was just up and down,” White said. “It’s been that way the whole year. We go out there and get two first downs and then not get two first downs and punt.”

As expected, the Falcons did get a full dose of Cleveland wide receiver Josh Gordon, who was returning from a 10-game drug suspension. He was targeted 16 times and caught eight passes for 120 yards.

“I know people will say the defense should have stopped them,” White said. “No, we need to finish them off on offense so that they don’t get a chance to score on our defense.”