DETROIT — The clock read 00:00 and the Browns led by six.

But it’s the Browns, so the sad story wasn’t complete.

The Lions (2-8) scored the tying touchdown and kicked the winning extra point after time had expired Sunday, thanks to a penalty on the last play and a series of events that conspired to send the Browns (1-9) to a spirit-crushing, head-scratching, no-time-remaining 38-37 defeat.

The story starts at the finish.

Eight seconds remained and the Lions had 32 yards to traverse and no timeouts. Usually enough time for two shots into the end zone, but rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford burned one when he scrambled to his left and back to the middle of the field as he eluded the three-man rush.

He lofted a pass in the direction of Calvin Johnson — “It looked like he was tired as hell and I just threw it up,” Stafford said — then was planted by defensive end C.J. Mosley.

“I was content to lay there for a while,” Stafford said.

The desperation pass reached the end zone, but safety Brodney Pool jumped in front of Johnson and intercepted it. It took a few seconds before he turned around and noticed the yellow flag on the green Ford Field turf.

“I was like, ‘I know they ain’t called pass interference,’” Pool said. “Unfortunately, they did.”

Hank Poteat, the Browns’ sixth defensive back, had his back to Stafford and pushed Bryant Johnson out of the back of the end zone with the ball in the air.

“My understanding is, once the quarterback’s out of the pocket you can force the receiver out of bounds, and that’s what I was trying to do,” said Poteat, a nine-year veteran. “That’s what I was always coached to do.”

He tried telling that to the official.

“He was like, ‘No, pass interference,’” Poteat said.

The defensive back is no longer allowed to push the receiver out of bounds once the ball is in the air. The Browns had another gripe: Contact is abundant on Hail Mary passes, so why call a penalty in this instance?

“Usually that’s a scrum,” coach Eric Mangini said. “To decide the game like that is disappointing.”

“A lot of times officials will eat their flags, but if they see something, they have to call it,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. “You can’t just let it go because it’s the last play of the game.”

The game wasn’t over, as the Lions, still trailing by six, got one untimed play from the 1-yard line. Stafford was forced to leave the game with an injured left (non-throwing) shoulder from the Mosley hit. His arm was dangling as he headed to the sideline.

Daunte Culpepper headed in and the Lions reached the line of scrimmage. Mangini then called a timeout to assess the formation and get the proper personnel in the game.

“I thought it was a good idea to use it,” he said.

The timeout allowed Stafford to re-enter. First, he had to be helped off his back by the trainers, then get past them onto the field.

“He made a great play to finish the game but probably his best play was eluding four team doctors on the sideline that were all trying (to stop him),” Schwartz said. “His right arm was good and he’d come way too far in that game to not finish it.”

Stafford took the snap and hit open tight end Brandon Pettigrew in the middle of the end zone. The rookie gave linebacker Jason Trusnik an outside move, then cut back inside. Kaluka Maiava didn’t get over in time.

“That’s what makes it that much tougher to lose a game like that,” Maiava said.

“They made a nice play from the 1 and you’ve got to give them props,” said Trusnik, who earlier drew a safety on an intentional grounding penalty by Stafford. “Good throw, good catch.”

The Lions needed the extra point for the win, but that didn’t stop an assistant coach from running all the way across the field to hug a player after the touchdown. The officials didn’t penalize him, although Schwartz was furious.

“So they call (the interference), but to top it off, after they score they have a coach on the opposing side run across the field to go celebrate,” guard Eric Steinbach said. “If you’re going to call a (bad) game, keep it consistent.”

The winning drive was 10 plays and 88 yards and began with 1:46 left. The Lions had that much time because Brady Quinn threw an incompletion on third-and-5 with Detroit out of timeouts.

Mangini said he expected a blitz and soft coverage, which would allow a short completion for the first down. The blitz came, Quinn threw quickly and receiver Mohamed Massaquoi was further upfield. Quinn wouldn’t call it a miscommunication.

“They brought pressure, a little more than we could handle,” said Quinn, who threw for four touchdowns and 304 yards. “I tried to throw it out quick to Mohamed and I just didn’t convert.”

Mangini decided against running the ball, which would’ve used about 45 seconds.

“I thought we had a chance to win the game with that play,” he said.

Instead, the decision started a bizarre chain of events that led to a loss with no time on the clock. Browns fans saw that in 2002 when they lost the opener to Kansas City after Dwayne Rudd was penalized for taking off his helmet in celebration during the final play.

“I never felt anything like this, to lose at the last second like that,” Mosley said.

Matchups

Offense

Matthew Stafford outdueled Brady Quinn — five TDs to four and 422 yards to 304 — but it was close. It was nice to see the Browns, who rushed for 131 yards, finally move the ball.

Edge: Even

Defense

The Browns couldn’t hold a 21-point lead or prevent an 88-yard touchdown drive in the final two minutes. Hank Poteat’s pass interference penalty made the loss possible.

Edge: Lions

Special teams

Phil Dawson completed a pass on a fake field goal, but it didn’t go for a touchdown as hoped. Joshua Cribbs, who battled a stiff neck, was held in check on returns all day.

Edge: Even

Coaching

Eric Mangini’s late-game decisions will be second-guessed, and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will have some explaining to do for the porous pass coverage. At least offensive coordinator Brian Daboll quieted the critics for a week. Jim Schwartz has two wins after taking over an 0-16 Lions team.

Edge: Lions

Read more

• Lions 38, Browns 37: Big day for offense, but bizarre loss for Browns
• Lions steal win, prove themselves less bad ballclub
• Decisions costly in Browns’ final moments against Lions
• Browns notes: Despite loss, a breakout day for Brady

Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.

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