Acting head coach Mike Priefer didn't have much to smile about. His night got off to a bad start when Hunter Renfrow returned the first Browns punt 29 yards to set up an opening TD by the Raiders. (Cleveland Browns)
Browns playoff hopes dented by last-second Raiders field goal
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Instant takeaways from Browns’ 16-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders …
1. COVID wins, Browns lose: Those Browns playoff hopes are back on life support. With a chance to vault to the top of the AFC North standings and fourth seed in the playoff field, the Raiders and COVID rolled snake-eyes at the Browns. Missing 18 players overall and 10 starters due to COVID, the Browns lost, 16-14, when Daniel Carlson’s 48-yard field goal floated through the Dawg Pound goal posts as time expired. The Browns had iced Carlson with a timeout just before he drilled one through on his first attempt. The heart-breaking field goal thwarted a go-ahead Browns’ touchdown drive completed on fourth down. The Raiders’ win doesn’t eliminate the Browns. But at 7-7, they fell to the basement – a game behind Cincinnati and Baltimore – and must play Christmas Day in Green Bay before ending with the Steelers and Bengals. The Raiders, angered by the rescheduling of the game 48 hours to help the Browns field a team, improved to 7-7 and are still alive in the crowded wild-card chase.
2. Awakening: The Browns took their first lead with 3:45 left in the fourth quarter on a 14-play, 80-yard possession that ate 8 minutes, 22 seconds. Nick Chubb regained some rhythm with 35 yards on seven runs. That didn’t include an 11-yard scamper to the end zone that was nullified by a Wyatt Teller holding penalty. Nevertheless, the Browns got the touchdown by gambling on fourth down from the Raiders’ 6. Fill-in QB Nick Mullens scrambled when nobody got open and then flung the ball to Harrison Bryant crouching in the end zone. Chase McLaughlin’s PAT put the Browns ahead, 14-13. On the Raiders’ ensuing possession, Greedy Williams intercepted an ill-advised deep ball for Zay Jones at the Browns’ 23.
3. Well, well: The defense woke up the crowd and the offense midway through the third quarter with a strip-sack of Carr and recovery by Porter Gustin at the Raiders’ 47. Sheldon Day and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah shared the sack, and JOK was credited with the strip. Mullens and David Njoku hooked up for a 13-yard gain on a screen pass and then Chubb came alive with a 24-yard run. On second-and-goal from the 4, Njoku appeared to haul in a TD over linebacker Corey Littleton, but Njoku’s left foot touched the end line and the pass was ruled incomplete. No matter. Chubb scored the TD on a power sweep to the left on the next play. Chase McLaughlin’s PAT closed the Raiders lead to 10-7.
4. Costly series: The Raiders responded with a field goal drive as Josh Jacobs continued to carve up the defense on the ground. Daniel Carlson’s 40-yard field goal made it 13-7 Raiders. Worse, just before the field goal, Myles Garrett limped off the field in pain with what looked like a groin injury. But he came back on the next series.
5. Not going well: A chip-shot field goal by Daniel Carlson inside the final minute of the second quarter gave the Raiders a 10-0 lead at halftime. It could have been worse. Carr looked like he had a huge lane to the end zone on a third-down keeper but safety Jovante Moffatt made a textbook open-field tackle at the 6, pummeling Carr to the ground, to force the field goal. In their best offensive series of the half, Mullens then moved the Browns from their 25 to the Raiders’ 29 to set up a 47-yard field goal. Alas, Chase McLaughlin’s try was short and to the right. The 10-0 deficit felt insurmountable. The Browns had 84 total yards and punted after four of their five possessions. Nick Chubb had six carries for 14 yards.
6. Squandered it: For the third time this year, Kevin Stefanski (via acting coach Mike Priefer) chose to take the ball first. Such was the importance deemed in getting the first lead. The Browns squandered it, though, when Mullens took a delay of game after one first down. The infraction took the Browns off their opening play script. They punted and the Raiders moved 58 yards to take a 7-0 lead.
7. Slow sledding: Mullen’s second possession marked another opportunity squandered. After one first down, he threw deep for Donovan Peoples-Jones on second down. The ball was underthrown and as Peoples-Jones was pulling it in, cornerback Brandon Facyson caught up and knocked it loose. It would have been about a 39-yard gain to the Raiders’ 20. The Browns’ third offensive possession marked the reappearance of fleet rookie Anthony Schwartz on the field. No worries to the Raiders. The Browns had to punt for the third series in a row. They made it four in a row after another three-and-out. In the first half, Mullens targeted Peoples-Jones five times. Four of the throws were short and defensed.
8. Carr on point: Carr took advantage of a Hunter Renfrow punt return of 29 yards to the Raiders’ 42 and scored on his first series. Carr overcame two Raiders holding calls on run plays and went the full 58 yards on 7 of 7 passing. The touchdown came on a beauty fade throw for 5 yards and an even better catch in the right corner by Bryan Edwards who fly-papered the ball away from Denzel Ward. During this drive, the Raiders exploited two replacements in the starting defense – M.J. Stewart, who played nickel back, and Moffatt, who joined John Johnson at safety. Stewart, however, came back to force a fumble after a catch by Edwards in the second quarter.
9. December surprise: One of the biggest secrets in town was revealed when the Browns’ offense took the field for pre-game warmups. Joel Bitonio was moved from left guard to left tackle for the first time in his NFL career. This was a concession that Browns coaches didn’t think practice squad call-up Alex Taylor could handle Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby from the right tackle position. So O-line coach Bill Callahan reconfigured the starting line to have Bitonio at left tackle, Michael Dunn at left guard, JC Tretter at center, Wyatt Teller at right guard and Blake Hance at right tackle. Bitonio played 39 games at left tackle in his college career at Nevada, but was drafted in the second round in 2014 and moved to left guard, where he has started every one of 108 games with the Browns. Coaches experimented with Bitonio at left tackle in the 2018 training camp, but it was short-lived. Bitonio is the longest-tenured member of the Browns and before the game learned he had been selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time.
10. Ballots in: Although the full roster of the Pro Bowl teams won’t be revealed until Wednesday, the NFL announced Bitonio was one of five members of the Browns to make the AFC squad. Others were running back Nick Chubb, defensive end Myles Garrett, Teller and cornerback Denzel Ward. The Browns later announced that defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, fullback Andy Janovich, Tretter and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. were selected as alternates. There will be a Pro Bowl game played Feb. 6 in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV.
11. Pre-game notes: With 18 players from their regular roster on COVID/reserve, the Browns had an inactive list of three – cornerback Greg Newsome (concussion), receiver Lawrence Cager and defensive tackle Josiah Bronson. The Browns had only 45 players active – two below the maximum allowed. Usually, the Browns announce lineup changes with their inactive list. But they withheld the configuration of their offensive line until they took the field on offense.
