The Cleveland Browns’ recent history is largely the image of Charlie Brown running to kick a football and Lucy pulling it away, with the team only making the playoffs once since their 1999 return to the NFL (and that being a 2002 wild-card loss). The Browns haven’t had a winning season since 2007, won only three games in 2015, won only one last season and haven’t won a single game this year. But that looked set to possibly change Sunday at home against the Green Bay Packers, who were without Aaron Rodgers and only 6-6 themselves heading into this game. Cleveland was even leading by seven in the fourth quarter, before a DeShone Kizer completion was overturned on a challenge, creating a punt that led to a late Brett Hundley touchdown drive that tied the game for Green Bay with just 17 seconds left. But in overtime, there was again a chance for the Browns, who got the ball first and were in a manageable third-and-two situation on their first set of downs. And then Kizer did this:
That’s one of those plays where it just keeps getting worse. The Browns give Kizer an acceptable pocket for a second, but no one’s open. One rusher then gets close enough that he decides to spin back and to his right a bit, but that only winds up exposing him to more of the rush. Kizer uses his mobility to get away from a couple of rushers and roll to his left, but Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews stays right with him and launches himself in for the tackle just as Kizer throws, possibly hitting his arm. It certainly led to a wounded duck of a pass that safety Josh Jones picked off, with his closest competition being other Packers’ defenders. Oh, and after that, the Browns played okay defense briefly; they allowed one first down, then made some stops to set up a third-and-six for the Packers, but then had the football yanked away yet again when Huntley’s dangerous short pass in traffic turned into a 25-yard catch-and-run game-winning touchdown for Devante Adams:
On the day, Kizer (the Browns’ second-round draft pick in 2017) wasn’t bad overall, completing 20 of 28 passes for 214 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. That second interception in OT was the backbreaker, though, and led to Cleveland’s 27-21 loss. The loss moves the Browns to 0-13 on the year, and means that the Perfect Season Parade 2.0 is still very much in the cards for the time being. All that stands in the way are the Ravens, Bears and Steelers. And if the Browns continue to play like this, their version of a perfect season is absolutely in reach. Of all the Cleveland Browns in the world, they’re the Cleveland Brownsiest.
[Matt Clapp on Clippit]
