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Postgame Recap

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Browns can't stop Cardinals rushing attack in loss at Arizona

GLENDALE, Arizona -- The Browns needed to win out to have a better shot at the playoffs, but those hopes took a major hit in a 38-24 loss in the desert.

The Browns trailed from the beginning and never recovered Sunday against the Cardinals. Cleveland fell into a 14-point hole early in the second quarter and trailed by double digits throughout the fourth en route to its fifth consecutive loss away from FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Browns fell to 6-8 on the season while the Cardinals snapped a six-game losing streak to move to 4-9-1. The Browns have not been officially eliminated from playoff contention, but they'll need to win their final two games and get help from a number of teams to nab the final spot in the AFC.

Cleveland couldn't stop Kenyan Drake, who rushed for 137 yards and four touchdowns. He was the leader of a Cardinals rushing attack that gained 226 yards on the ground and averaged 6.5 per attempt.

Kyler Murray threw for 219 yards with a touchdown and an interception as Arizona out-gained the Browns, 445-393.

Nick Chubb was the bright spot for Cleveland's offense, rushing for 127 yards and a touchdown. It was his seventh 100-yard game of the season, and he moved up from seventh to a tie for fifth on the Browns' single-season rushing list with 1,408 for the year.

Baker Mayfield threw for 247 yards with two touchdown passes to Ricky Seals-Jones in the second half. He was also intercepted on the team's first offensive series when he attempted to find Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone.

Beckham led all Browns receivers with eight catches for 66 yards. Kareem Hunt added eight catches for 62 yards and Jarvis Landry went over 1,000 yards on the season with five catches for 23 yards.

The Browns sliced into Arizona's 11-point halftime advantage when Seals-Jones capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half with a 2-yard touchdown catch. Cleveland had the ball with a chance to grab its first lead but, instead, went three-and-out.

The Cardinals responded with a touchdown of their own thanks to a pass interference overturn near the goal line. A Murray pass intended for Christian Kirk on third down was initially ruled incomplete with no penalty. After a review, Damarious Randall was flagged for pass interference, and the Cardinals scored on the next play with Drake's third touchdown of the game.

Check out photos of the Browns in action against the Cardinals

Cleveland missed a 45-yard field goal with 12:09 to play in the fourth quarter that would have turned it into a one-possession game. Arizona came back with an eight-play, 65-yard drive -- capped by Drake's fourth touchdown -- to put the game away.

The Browns came into Sunday's game hoping to be better against the run than the previous two weeks, but the Cardinals attacked them right away with big runs by Drake, Murray and others to take a 21-10 lead at the half.

Drake punctuated the Cardinals' 90-yard opening march down the field with a 5-yard touchdown. He followed with another less than 3 minutes into the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 14-0 advantage.

Cleveland moved the ball well at times throughout the first half, but a costly interception on the opening drive, when Mayfield overshot Beckham in the end zone, prevented the Browns from matching the Cardinals' game-opening score. The Browns, though, were able to rattle off 10 quick points on a 33-yard Chubb touchdown and a 44-yard Austin Seibert field goal that was set up by Browns LB Mack Wilson's first career interception.

Arizona struck last in the first half, when Murray pinpointed a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dan Arnold in the corner of the end zone with 25 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Cardinals amassed 299 yards of offense in the first half with 145 coming on the ground.

The Browns are back at FirstEnergy Stadium for their last home game of the season when they face the AFC North champion Baltimore Ravens.

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