updated 11:55 p.m. ET Nov. 17, 2008

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Phil Dawson wasn’t about to quit during Cleveland’s latest fourth-quarter meltdown. Turned out, neither did the rest of the Browns.

With a confident nod to coach Romeo Crennel, Dawson went out and calmly hit a career-long 56-yard field goal with 1:39 left that sent Cleveland to a 29-27 win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night

Dawson’s fifth field goal of the game capped a wild finish. The teams traded leads during a 46-second span in the final 2½ minutes — after the Browns appeared ready to squander a 13-point lead for the third straight week. And the game wasn’t decided until Buffalo’s Rian Lindell missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt wide right with 38 seconds remaining, allowing Cleveland to run out the clock.

Suddenly, the Browns (4-6) have something to feel good about after they were on the verge of unraveling. Running back Jamal Lewis even questioned whether his teammates had quit during a 34-30 loss to Denver on Nov. 6.

“We got tired of what happened the previous two weeks, getting a lead and losing it in the fourth quarter,” receiver Braylon Edwards said. “As a team, we rallied. We came together when we were supposed to and made the plays necessary to win.”

Brady Quinn earned his first win in the second career start for the 2007 first-round draft pick. And the Browns’ once porous defense — which allowed 993 yards of offense in its previous two games combined — held the Bills to 334 yards while generating four turnovers.

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“You can’t say enough,” Crennel said. “The guys hung in there. They played as a team, and it was good enough on this night.”

Give Crennel credit, too. Without hesitation, he made the decision to send Dawson out after the Browns’ seven-play, 28-yard drive stalled at the Bills 39 after Edwards couldn’t hold onto Quinn’s pass at the right sideline on third-and-10.

“On the spur of the moment, you’ve got to be confident,” Dawson said. “So as soon as we threw the incomplete pass on third down, I was ready to go. I gave Romeo a nod, and he had the confidence to send me out there.”

It was a better ending for Dawson, too. He missed a potential game-tying 54-yard field goal in the final minute of a 14-11 loss at Washington on Oct. 19.

It’s the Bills (5-5) who now face questions about unraveling. They’ve lost four straight — their longest skid since 2005 — and five of six, looking nothing like the upstart team that opened the season 4-0.

Much of the blame for this loss falls on the shoulders of quarterback Trent Edwards, who threw three interceptions on his first four possessions, putting the Bills in a deep hole.

“It’s frustrating right now. I don’t really have any good answers,” he said. “I’m frustrated with myself and the way I performed.”

The miscues — two poor reads and a pass tipped by defensive tackle Shaun Rogers at the line of scrimmage — were an extension of the troubles Trent Edwards had in his previous three games. Over a 10-quarter span, including the first quarter against Cleveland, he threw eight interceptions, lost two fumbles and gave up a safety.

Lindell took the loss much harder. He was emotionally upset and dejected as he spoke with reporters.

“Yeah, you have to make it. It’s ridiculous,” said Lindell, who was good from 26 and 31 yards. “I missed my line. You have to make those.”

Suddenly, the Bills’ chances of ending their eight-year playoff drought are in jeopardy. The team has fallen from first in the AFC East to last in the span of a month. And so much for the poise and confidence the team showed in securing three consecutive fourth-quarter comebacks earlier this season.

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“It’s not where we want to be, obviously,” coach Dick Jauron said. “It doesn’t feel like a free-fall, at least not to me. I can tell you, being around them, they hurt.”

The loss spoiled a breakout game for running back Marshawn Lynch, who had a season-best 119 yards rushing and added a team-leading 58 yards receiving, including an 18-yard touchdown. Rookie Leodis McKelvin also scored on a 98-yard kickoff return, one play after Cleveland’s Jerome Harrison scored on a 72-yard run that put the Browns up 23-13 to open the fourth quarter.

Joshua Cribbs also scored on a 2-yard run for the Browns, and Braylon Edwards had 104 yards receiving.

“I can’t say enough for this being a big win for our team,” Quinn said. “We ended up winning in the end. It wasn’t the way we wanted to, but a win is a win.”

NFL game stories Quick look at Week 17 games EAGLES 44, COWBOYS 6: Philly earns playoff spot, ousts 'Boys RAVENS 27, JAGUARS 7: Baltimore makes playoffs with win PATRIOTS 13, BILLS 0: Pats win their 11th straight over Bills PACKERS 31, LIONS 21: Lions complete first 0-16 season in NFL PANTHERS 33, SAINTS 31: Carolina clinches NFC South title VIKINGS 20, GIANTS 19: Minnesota earns NFC North crown COLTS 23, TITANS 0: Manning extends record of 4,000-yd seasons TEXANS 31, BEARS 24: Houston eliminates Chicago from race FALCONS 31, RAMS 24: Norwood runs for two TDs in win STEELERS 31, BROWNS 0: Big Ben goes down with concussion RAIDERS 31, BUCS: 24: Oakland ruins Tampa Bay's playoff hopes BENGALS 16, CHIEFS 6: Kansas City finishes with 2-14 record DOLPHINS 24, JETS 17: Miami clinches AFC East title CARDINALS 34, SEAHAWKS 21: Arizona spoils Holmgren's farewell 49ERS 27, REDSKINS 24: San Francisco finishes in style CHARGERS 52, BRONCOS 21: San Diego cruises into playoffs

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