Browns look to build from win

OAKLAND -- In defeating the Oakland Raiders, 20-17, at the O.co Coliseum on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns snapped a 12-game road losing streak that, ironically, began at the very same place it ended with a 24-17 loss on Oct. 16, 2011.

The win was also the Browns’ second straight victory, following last Sunday’s 20-14 triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, the Browns’ players and coaches will look to carry that momentum into next Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, who come to Cleveland Browns Stadium.

“It was definitely big for us because now, we’ve got two,” wide receiver Josh Gordon said. “You should definitely want to back it up and come up with a third one if you can back at home, for our fans. We’re really just trying to stack up some wins at the close of the season. We’re definitely glad to have any win, especially in this league.”

Defensive back Sheldon Brown added, “It’s the beginning of nothing if you don’t win next week. The important thing is move onto the next week. This game is over and done with. Kansas City is going to be fired up coming into our place. I think they have a couple Browns there, waiting to come back. I think we need to be focused and ready to play that game.”

Until Sunday, the Browns had not won two consecutive games since the 2011 season when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 27-19, on Sept. 18 and the Miami Dolphins, 17-16, on Sept. 25.

When they line up against the Chiefs, the Browns will be in search of their third straight win, something the team has not achieved since winning four consecutive, over the Steelers, Chiefs, Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, at the end of the 2009 regular season.

“It’s very important, but it’s just two games,” running back Trent Richardson said. “We’ve still got a long way to go. We could still creep back up in there and still finish the season strong at 8-8. It means you’ve got to keep fighting. We’re trying to get there.

“We lost a lot this year. That’s something you try to conquer, not losing and to be a part of that when you’re losing, you’re trying to do everything to get back to fighting and overcoming, especially losing in the last two minutes.”

Quarterback Brandon Weeden, who, on Sunday, earned his first road victory as a starting quarterback in the NFL, said it was “big to kind of get the monkey off your back.”

“To travel out here with a three-hour time difference, the weather, we were able to find a way to get it done,” Weeden said. “It will give us confidence moving forward. We still have a young team. To beat a good team on the road like this, (it) can only help us moving forward.

“Beating a great team last week and coming on the road and beating a really good team this week, that shows the maturity this team is taking and moving forward, that’s exciting to be a part of that. We’re not satisfied.”

EARNING A TEAM VICTORY

The Browns outgained the Raiders, 475 to 429, in total yards, including a 122-to-85-yard edge in rushing and a 364-to-351-yard advantage in passing. They held the ball for 32:30, converted both of their fourth-down attempts and went one for one inside the Raiders’ 10-yard line.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur described Sunday’s win over Oakland as “a team victory.”

“This was a good opportunity to go out and beat a good football team on the road,” Shurmur said. “It was a great opportunity to put two wins together and then, I asked them to let it all go, just release it all, let it all go, play hard and we’ve got a lot of exhausted guys that did that.

“My focus was for us to come and win a game on the road, in this case, a conference game. I think that’s what’s most important. You don’t want streaks like that and let’s face it, over the last three years, we haven’t done a great job of winning games. As we take this journey with this young football team, they’re starting to learn.”

GETTING PRODUCTION

Weeden targeted nine different players with passes and eight registered at least one catch in Sunday’s victory. Five of the players had an average of at least 12.0 yards per reception and six had a long catch of at least 18 yards.

The Browns also got a lift in the running game, as Richardson rushed for 72 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries. Montario Hardesty gained 39 yards on five carries, including a 19-yard run on his first attempt.

“I thought Hardesty came in and gave us more quality reps,” Shurmur said. “Trent pounded it out. Brandon battled. He got banged around a little bit. There was a time in there when they started to come after us and I thought we threw the ball to eight or nine guys. That was all good.”

WEATHER CONCERNS

Weather forecasts earlier in the week called for heavy rains throughout the weekend and three inches of rain fell in the 24 hours prior to Sunday’s game in Oakland. However, the heavy rains that were predicted for game time worked their way out of the area before kickoff and the game was played under partly sunny skies and 61-degree temperatures.

“(Local meteorologist Betsy Kling) said, ‘There’s a chance it could clear up by game time,’ and then, we just looked at the weather like everybody else and, low and behold, it did,” Shurmur said. “When I woke up this morning over on the other side of the bay, I was wondering. I thought we were going to build an ark instead of playing the game. It cleared up and the field conditions actually were pretty good. There were some soggy areas, but for the most part, that had no effect on the game.”