It looked like it was going to be a rough day for the Browns early on — but then, in a flash, they had two defensive touchdowns on consecutive drives. Despite the offense not mustering much, Cleveland never looked back. The remaining goal in the game was to see if DE Myles Garrett
could bring down QB Joe Burrow to make history. It looked like time was running out, but then mid-way through the fourth quarter, it happened!And it helped lead to the Browns’ 20-18 victory, as they finished the season
at 5-12, including having a game-winning field goal from 49 yards out as time expired by K Andre Szmyt, avenging his misses from Week 1. Let’s get to the full game recap.
1st Quarter – Browns vs. Bengals
The Bengals received the opening kickoff, with all those eyes on DE Myles Garrett from the first snap. Cincinnati came out running on the first two plays to set up 3rd-and-1, but a false start pushed it to 3rd-and-6. Garrett came oh-so-close to a sack, but QB Joe Burrow dumped it off in time for a short completion. The Bengals punted, and WR Gage Larvadain fielded the ball inside the 5 yard line and was stopped there.
On 3rd-and-4, QB Shedeur Sanders got a nice late completion off to WR Malachi Corley on a crossing route, with the catch-and-run going for 19 yards. A few plays later, though, when trying to scramble from pressure, Sanders was stripped of the football with Cincinnati recovering at the Browns’ 29 yard line.
Burrow slung a nice quick hitter to WR Tee Higgins for 21 yards to set the Bengals up with a 1st-and-goal at the 6 yard line. They finished the drive with RB Chase Brown catching the ball out of the backfield as Cleveland picked themselves, allowing the easy touchdown and a 6-0 lead. DE Alex Wright blocked the extra point for the Browns.
Cleveland then went three-and-out, as Sanders was nearly picked off on his third down pass trying to found WR Jerry Jeudy over the middle. After a punt by P Corey Bojorquez, the Bengals began their next drive at the 30 yard line.
Back-to-back run plays had Cincinnati to midfield already, and then another run moved the ball into Cleveland territory. The Bengals were well on their way to another touchdown, but then on 1st-and-goal at the 7 yard line, Burrow’s pass was tipped by DT Shelby Harris and intercepted by LB Devin Bush, who returned it 97 yards for a touchdown, with Garrett getting a block near the end to help ensure a chaser didn’t get to Bush. With the extra point, just like that, the Browns were winning 7-6 with under a minute to go in the first quarter.
2nd Quarter – Browns vs. Bengals
With the Bengals trying to drive again, Cleveland’s defense came up with a clutch play again — Burrow completed a pass to TE Noah Fant, but right before he went down, LB Jerome Baker punched the ball out and then CB Sam Webb picked it up to run it in for a 47 yard fumble return for at touchdown to make it a 14-6 game.
Of note, CBS announced that both CB Denzel Ward and CB Tyson Campbell were questionable to return with injuries, as Cincinnati went to work for their third straight drive without Cleveland’s offense possessing the ball (due to the turnovers for touchdowns). On a 3rd-and-2, Burrow found WR JaMarr Chase on the outside to move the chains. Cincinnati faced another 3rd-and-2 on the next set of downs, the run was stopped for only a yard. On 4th-and-1 at the Browns’ 45 yard line, they took a delay of game and punted down to the 12 yard line.
Sanders completed a late checkdown to RB Raheim Sanders, and 15 yards were tacked on due to roughing the passer. The drive was a disaster after that, though. Sanders stumbled and fell down, taking a sack for 11 yards. On 2nd-and-21, Sanders was then brought down by a defender for another sack and a loss of 10 yards, making it 3rd-and-31. A screen pass got half of it back to set up a punt, which Bojorquez directionally got out of bounds at the 22 yard line.
Cincinnati faced a 3rd-and-8 on their next drive, and Wright got his hand up to deflect Burrow’s pass and forced a punt. On the Browns’ end, Sanders was nearly intercepted again on second down, trying to throw long for Jeudy. On 3rd-and-10, he checked it down to Jeudy for a short gain as the offense went to punt immediately again. The Bengals’ next drive began at the 22 yard line with under five minutes to go in the half.
A jet sweep to Brown worked to begin the drive, going for 18 yards to the Bengals 40 yard line. Chase then broke a tackle on a catch to go for 21 yards, into Cleveland territory at the Browns’ 39 yard line. Cincinnati took it to the two-minute warning facing a 3rd-and-1 at the 30 yard line. QB Joe Flacco came in and ran the quarterback sneak to get a first down.
Brown picked up 8 yards on the ground but were taking their time. Burrow completed a pass to Higgins over the middle for a first down, as Cincinnati burned their second timeout with 0:37 left at the 14 yard line. A few plays later, Burrow threw the ball to Higgins on the left side, who made a one-handed catch with CB Myles Harden committing pass interference.
This time, K Evan McPherson flat out missed the extra point to make it a 14-12 game with 0:29 left in the half.
3rd Quarter – Browns vs. Bengals
Cleveland got the ball to begin the second half and started utilizing the running game to success, with a combination of jet sweeps and runs by R. Sanders. The drive also included going for it on 4th-and-1 in their own territory, and converting on a jet sweep to Jeudy (despite a bobble on the handoff). All those runs set up a playaction fake and Sanders going deep to the end zone for TE Sal Cannella, who nearly came down with the pass.
A few plays later, on third down, Sanders found WR Cedric Tillman for 23 yards to the Bengals’ 10 yard line got a goal-to-go situation. Two plays later, on 3rd-and-goal from the 5 yard line, Sanders took too long to get the play going and led to a delay of game, pushing the ball back to the 10 yard line. Sanders thought he saw a lane open up to run, but it closed quickly from the side, stopping him at the 9 yard line. K Andre Szmyt came on for a 27-yard field goal, which he hit to make it a 17-12 game with 8 minutes to go in the third quarter.
After a couple plays, the Bengals faced 4th-and-1, and this time they went for it from the Browns’ 46 yard line. Burrow got the short checkdown to TE Mike Gesicki to get the first down. A few plays later, the one play where Garrett was off the field, S Grant Delpit came in on a blitz and sacked Burrow for a loss of 7 yards. Cincinnati tried a hook and ladder after that, but Cleveland had it stopped, and the Bengals had to punt. Larvadain made a fair catch at the 9 yard line with two minute left in the quarter.
The Browns’ running game picked up to close out the third quarter, with R. Sanders getting 5 yards and then Sampson having 11 yards to get out to the 30 yard line.
4th Quarter – Browns vs. Bengals
Cleveland had a nice mix of short runs and passes again at the beginning of the fourth quarter. After getting into Bengals territory, though, on 3rd-and-5, Sanders was hit as he tried to throw a screen pass to the running back, leading to an incomplete pass. Bojorquez came out and punted, with a fair catch being made at the 9 yard line with 10:36 remaining.
On a busted play on second down, Burrow was able to scramble 11 yards for a first down — of course, it was one of the few plays that Garrett lined up inside vs. outside. The Bengals kept chipping away with short, quick passes, with under seven minutes to play as they were shy of midfield. And then, just as you thought it might not happen…it happened:
Garrett is your new sack leader in NFL history. That helped put the Bengals behind in the sticks at 2nd-and-16, and then they faced a 4th-and-15 from midfield and had to punt, despite there being under four minutes to go. Larvadain made a fair catch at the 9 yard line.
Unfortunately, the offense could not close things out again. After a first down run, Sanders was sacked, setting up a 3rd-and-14. On third down, Sanders took off and ran for 13 yards, with some help from his lineman, to set up 4th-and-1 as the Bengals burned their second timeout with 2:50 to go. After the punt, the Bengals began at their own 39 yard line, needing a touchdown to win.
On 3rd-and-2, Burrow got the ball to Chase for 11 yards and a first down at the Browns’ 42 yard line at the two-minute warning. After the intermission, Burrow got a back shoulder pass to Higgins for 17 yards to the 21 yard line and still 1:52 to go. Burrow then found Chase over the middle for 21 yards, and then on 1st-and-goal at the 4 yard line, he hit Chase in the left corner for a touchdown to give the Bengals an 18-17 lead. Cincinnati went for a two-point conversion, and Burrow’s pass over the middle was broken up by Delpit, giving Sanders a shot to engineer a game-winning field goal drive.
On 3rd-and-10, Sanders got the ball to WR Isaiah Bond on the sideline for a first down. A swing pass to Sampson went for 9 yards, setting up a 3rd-and-1. Sanders dropped back and fired it to Jeudy, who held on despite a slight bobble to get a first down to the Bengals’ 39 yard line. After a 2-yard run by Sampson, Sanders took a deep shot to Bond, but it was just beyond his reach for an incompletion. On 3rd-and-8, Sanders handed it to Sampson, who gained 5 yards to set up 4th-and-3 and a timeout with 3 seconds to go. Szmyt came on to try to win from 49 yards out, and he drilled it for the 20-18 win!
Quick Hitters
- QB Shedeur Sanders: 11-of-22 for 111 yards. 3 carries, 26 yards, 1 fumble lost.
- DE Myles Garrett: 1 sack, and history made.
Next up, the Browns face another offseason of coaching questions, and looking forward to free agency and the draft.
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