The good news was Baker Mayfield made it to Green Bay in the morning. The bad news was he tossed three interceptions in the first half. (Cleveland Browns)
Browns throw it away early and late in Green Bay
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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’ 24-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers …
1. Aw, nuts: The Browns figured it out too late. They only turned to Nick Chubb after three first-half interceptions by Baker Mayfield built a 24-12 deficit. Chubb was unstoppable in the second half and he helped the Browns claw back. But with a chance to set up a game-winning field goal try, Mayfield was intercepted a fourth time with 50 seconds to go. The Browns argued for a holding call by cornerback Rasul Douglas against Donovan Peoples-Jones to no avail. Douglas’ second interception of the game clinched Green Bay’s 24-22 win. Chubb carried only five times in the first half and wound up with 126 yards on 17 rushes. The Browns accumulated 219 yards on the ground, but the four picks did them in. The loss does not eliminate the Browns from the AFC playoffs. But after falling to 7-8, they need to defeat Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and hope for the right combination of losses by their rivals to win the AFC North division.
2. What the hay?: A pivotal point in the game occurred with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Browns needing at least a field goal to make it a one-score game. Despite a drop by Donovan Peoples-Jones on a diving catch try at the Packers' 10-yard line, they drove to the Packers’ 28, and then came this sequence: False start on Michael Dunn, a 2-yard sack of Mayfield, and then an 8-yard sack of Mayfield. Faced with fourth-and-22 from the Packers’ 43, Stefanski kept his offense out there. But a flag went against the Browns for a false start. It was called on right guard Wyatt Teller, but it appeared that Packers’ linebacker Preston Smith jumped offsides. Moved back to the 48, Stefanski punted and the Packers took over at their 20-yard line.
3. Not done yet: But after the defense forced a Green Bay punt in three plays, the Browns roared back with a touchdown in 2 minutes, 10 seconds. Chubb churned out runs of 12 and 8 yards, and then added 11 with a screen pass. After another first down, D’Ernest Johnson surprised the Packers with a 30-yard run on third-and-10. Mayfield then caught the Packers defense in a confused state and hit Anthony Schwartz from 5 yards out for the first TD of his rookie season. Chris Naggar’s PAT closed the Packers’ deficit to 24-21 with 4:31 to play.
4. Whaddya know: Sanity seemed to return to the Browns after they fell behind, 24-12, in the third quarter. Stefanski bit the bullet and started relying on Chubb and his offensive line. Chubb knocked off runs of 3, 5, 8, 13, and 15 yards. But from the Packers’ 13, the Browns false-started, had an incompletion/drop by Rashrd Higgins, and eventually a sack. Emergency kicker Chris Naggar, who missed a PAT on his first kick, made a field goal from 37 yards to close the deficit to 24-15. Still, the possession consumed over 8 minutes, keeping Rodgers and Davante Adams off the field. Should have been doing that from the start.
5. Not fair: The Packers entered the game with 30 wins in a row when winning the turnover battle. So, naturally, Mayfield tossed three interceptions in the first half. And Aaron Rodgers turned every turnover into a touchdown pass. The Browns somehow were still in the game, down by 21-12. Rodgers three touchdown passes broke Brett Favre's Packers record and moved Rodgers to third all-time with one team with 445.
6. Interested observer: Stefanski was adamant in throwing the ball from the outset. He called pass plays 18 times in the first half (counting two sacks) and ran the ball nine times. When the Browns were behind, 7-6, Nick Chubb ignited an offensive surge with a 27-yard run. Receiver Anthony Schwartz followed with an 11-yard scamper on an end-around. But from the Packers 15-yard line, the series imploded in a Mayfield sack, a Mayfield incompletion and a Mayfield interception on a high throw for a wide-open Jarvis Landry. In Cleveland, Browns inactive safety John Johnson live-tweeted: ‘RUN THE DAMN BALL’
7. Hot and cold: Aside from the two sacks and three interceptions, Mayfield was 11 of 16 for 146 yards and a 1-yard TD to tight end Harrison Bryant in the first half. They moved 75 yards for a 1-yard Chubb TD on their first possession. The Browns were basically even with the Packers in total yards, 204 to 202. Um, Chubb had 5 carries for 38 yards, plus 40 yards on a short screen pass.
8. Be careful what you ask for: Practice squad kicker Chris Naggar was an emergency replacement for embattled Chase McLaughlin, who tested positive for COVID on Friday. It was Naggar’s first-ever NFL game. On his first-ever kick, he pushed a PAT wide right.
9. Ow, ow, ow: Rodgers has played for weeks with a broken little toe on his left foot. Two times he came up limping after a player stepped on that foot. Myles Garrett did it on the last play of the first quarter and Packers right guard Royce Newman did it with about 6 minutes left in the second quarter. Camera shots of Rodgers showed he was in pain.
10. The more things change: The insertion at center of Nick Harris for COVID-addled JC Tretter assured the seventh different starting offensive lineup for the Browns in 15 games, and third in three games. In Green Bay, they chose to keep Joel Bitonio at left tackle and Michael Dunn at left guard. To the right of Harris, who made his first NFL start at center, was Wyatt Teller at right guard and Blake Hance at right tackle.
11. Pre-game notes: Mayfield, QB2 Case Keenum and defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo all were cleared through COVID protocols in the morning and were private-jetted to Green Bay in time to be active. That made QB3 Nick Mullens and QB4 Kyle Lauletta inactive. The others were safety John Johnson (hamstring), linebacker Willie Harvey and receiver Ja’Marcus Bradley. In all, the Browns had 12 players on COVID/reserve, including six starters.
