Just 55 yards separated the Browns from the first win of the season.
With two seconds left, K Andre Szmyt had a 55-yard field goal between him and finishing the Browns comeback. He stepped up and made the kick, winning the game 13-10 for the Browns on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Browns were down 10-0. Szmyt chipped away at that score with a 35-yard field goal with 3:42 left. Then, Packers QB Jordan Love threw an interception to S Grant Delpit. RB Quinshon Judkins took advantage and ran for his first career touchdown to tie the game. Then, with 27 seconds left, the Packers managed to get into field goal range only for the Browns to block the kick.
Cleveland managed the 21 seconds they had left in the game after recovering the kick. QB Joe Flacco and the offense moved the ball 17 yards, setting up Szmyt to kick the game-winning field goal.
The interception and blocked kick were the first two takeaways of the season for the Browns this season. Also, the Browns defense had a season-high five sacks in the game, including six different players recording a sack.
Judkins led the Browns in rushing yards, recording 94 yards, including a career-long 38 yard run on the Browns first scoring drive.
Key Moments
Browns mount a comeback
With 9:26 left in the game, the Browns got the ball back down 10-0 at their own 20-yard line. Judkins on the first play ripped off a 14-yard run, up to that point his longest run of the game. On the very next play, he topped it, running 38 yards to the Packers 28-yard line. On second-and-9, Flacco and TE Harold Fannin Jr. connected for 13 yards to pick up the first down and get inside the red zone. After picking up a yard on the two plays, the Browns faced a third-and-9. On the play, WR Cedric Tillman was held attempting a catch and the drive continued with a first down at the Green Bay 8-yard line.
Cleveland got down to the 3-yard line but faced third down yet again. Flacco fired a pass to WR Jerry Jeudy but he was held back by Packers CB Keisean Nixon, giving the Browns a first down at the 1-yard line. An incomplete pass on first down led to a second down that set the Browns back. Trying to run the ball, the Browns were called for a chop block that set them back 15 yards. Cleveland couldn't recover from the penalty, and with 3:45 left in the game, Szmyt kicked a 35-yard field goal to put the Browns within a touchdown.
The Packers got the ball back, aiming to run the clock down. After getting 7 yards and the Browns calling a timeout in between each play, Green Bay faced a third-and-3 with 3:18 left at the Green Bay 25-yard line. QB Jordan Love lobbed a ball right into the hands of Delpit. Delpit got up untouched and returned the interception 25 yards to the Green Bay 4-yard line. Two plays later, Judkins followed his blockers into the end zone. Szmyt converted the extra point and tied the game.
The Packers didn't waste time on their next possession, using a Browns pass interference penalty on the first play of the drive to get to the Cleveland 40-yard line. Love and TE Tucker Kraft connected for 18 yards to get to the 22-yard line, getting to the two-minute warning. The Packers ran the ball on the next three plays, running the clock down, leaving 27 seconds in the game with a chance to take the lead with a 43-yard field goal.
Browns DT Shelby Harris blocked the kick, though, and CB Greg Newsome II recovered the fumble at the Cleveland 47-yard line, leaving the Browns 21 seconds to get into field goal range.
Following a 5-yard neutral zone infraction penalty from Packers DE Micah Parsons, a 3-yard pass to WR Jamari Thrash, a 8-yard first down pass to TE David Njoku and Flacco spiking the ball with two seconds left, the Browns had the chance to win the game.
Szmyt lined up to take the 55-yard field goal and hit the ball through the uprights to win the game for the Browns.
Disrupting the Pocket
The Browns were able to blow through the Packers' offensive line in Week 3, recording five sacks. On two of Cleveland's sacks, two players combined to take down Packers QB Jordan Love.
On the Packers first possession, the Browns defensive line showcased that they were going to be able to find their way into the backfield. On second down, defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Mason Graham blew past their men and sacked Love before the play could develop.
A quarter later with the Packers on their own 18-yard line facing third down, LB Carson Schwesinger and DE Alex Wright sacked him for a loss of seven yards. Schwesinger's first career NFL sack wouldn't stand due to the Browns having 12 men on the field on the play. However, later that drive, the Browns continued their demonstration of defensive line dominance.
After the Packers were able to get into Browns territory, Cleveland stopped the Green Bay offensive movement. On second-and-10, Wright found his way to Love on an extended play and sacked him, bringing up third down.
Following a Green Bay penalty to get pushed further back on third down, DE Myles Garrett and DT Adin Huntington combined to take down Love and move Green Bay back to their own 42-yard line. The half sack was Huntington's first of his career after being signed as an undrafted free agent in May.
To begin the second half, Collins forced a Green Bay three-and-out, sacking Love on third down. With a second left in the third quarter, Schwesinger finally recorded his first career sack, tracking down Love outside of the pocket on third-and-1.
The Packers use third-down success to score
On the Packers' two scoring drives, on third down they were able to convert and extend drives. Green Bay went 7-for-8 on third downs, with the sole non-conversion resulting in a 39-yard field goal from Packers K Brandon McManus.
Green Bay's first scoring drive was nearly a three-and-out but Packers RB Josh Jacobs managed to run for six yards on third-and-3. Three plays later, facing third down again, Jacobs picked up the first down. Cleveland again forced a third down for the third consecutive set of plays but Love and WR Romeo Doubs connected to pick up the third third-down conversion of the drive.
With Green Bay nearing the red zone, Cleveland forced another third down, this time stopping the Packers and forcing a McManus field goal.
During the Packers' second drive of the second half, Green Bay went on another long drive. Once the Packers crossed over midfield into Cleveland territory, the Browns' defense began to stiffen up and force Green Bay to extend the drive. Cleveland forced four consecutive third downs but the Packers converted on all four. The final Green Bay third-down conversion on the drive came at the Cleveland 3-yard line when Love and TE John FitzPatrick connected for a touchdown pass to make it 10-0.
Game Highlights
Maliek Collins and Mason Graham combine to sack Jordan Love
Joe Flacco and Harold Fannin Jr. pick up four yards using trick play
Alex Wright sacks Jordan Love for the Browns second sack of the game
Myles Garrett and Adin Huntington hit Love from both sides to force fourth down
Joe Flacco and Jerry Jeudy connect across the middle for 17 yards
Maliek Collins gets his second sack of the game and forces fourth down
Carson Schwesinger gets his first career sack
Quinshon Judkins runs the ball 38 yards to get into Packers territory
Andre Szmyt makes a 35-yard field goal to make the score 10-3.
Grant Delpit intercepts the ball and gets inside the Green Bay 5-yard line.
Quinshon Judkins gets his first career touchdown and ties the game 10-10.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Shelby Harris blocks a go-ahead field goal attempt by Packers kicker Brandon McManus.
Cleveland Browns kicker Andre Szmyt makes a game-winning 55-yard field goal.
Scoring Plays
CLE 0, GB 3 | Brandon McManus makes 39-yard field goal | 14:53 2Q
CLE 0, GB 10 | Jordan Love throws 3-yard pass to John FitzPatrick | 3:23 3Q
CLE 3, GB 10 | Andre Szmyt makes 35-yard field goal | 3:38 4Q
CLE 10, GB 10 | Quinshon Judkins 1-yard run | 3:01 4Q
CLE 13, GB 10 | Andre Szmyt 55-yard field goal | 0:00 4Q
What's Next
After picking up their first win of the season, the Browns travel to Detroit in Week 4 to play the Lions on Sept. 28 at 1 p.m.
