Cleveland, OH (92.3 The Fan) – In 2002 the Browns beat the Falcons to clinch their lone playoff berth in the expansion era.
The 26-24 victory in Atlanta in 2014 was followed by a series of cataclysmic events that the Browns have yet to recover from.
Sunday afternoon, once again against the Falcons, the Browns put on a football display not seen in these parts for what feels like centuries.
Baker Mayfield didn’t throw an incompletion until the third quarter, Nick Chubb ripped off the longest run in franchise history for a touchdown, Cleveland’s defense held at the goal line in the fourth quarter and the Browns rolled to a 28-16 win Sunday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium.
“Played well in all three phases,” interim head coach Gregg Williams said. “Played in a good, synchronized, complementary fashion.”
The victory snapped a 4-game losing streak and ensured that the team will not endure a double-digit losing streak for the first time since 2015, which is also the last time they won 3 games in a campaign.
Mayfield completed his first 13 passes before finishing 17 of 20 for 216 yards with 3 touchdowns in his finest performance to date.
“I just felt like I was in a great rhythm,” Mayfield said.
Chubb’s 92-yard touchdown run with 8:45 to play in the third quarter blew the game open and was the longest run in franchise history, eclipsing Bobby Mitchell’s 90-yard run in 1959.
“Those guys blocked hard the whole game, and it was wide open,” Chubb said.
The rookie from Georgia totaled 176 yards on the ground on 20 carries.
“He has good vision, and then once he gets out there, he is not easy to bring down and can run away from you,” Williams said. “He showed his runaway ability, also, to separate and finish the play. That was excellent.”
Chubb also caught 3 passes for 33 yards, including a 13-yard catch-and-run from Mayfield with just under a minute to play in the second quarter for a 14-10 lead.
Duke Johnson Jr. caught all 4 of his targets for 31 yards, including an 11-yard TD from Mayfield to make it 21-10 with 10:27 left in the third quarter. In the last 2 weeks Johnson has caught all 13 targets for 109 yards and 3 touchdowns.
“I’m getting there,” Johnson said. “Game by game making my plays and catching al the passes that come to me allows the play-caller to build that trust in me. I just have to keep making plays for the team to help us win.”
Mayfield opened the scoring with a 28-yard strike to receiver Rashard Higgins with 4:36 left in the opening quarter. Mayfield threw a dime to Higgins while rolling right, just high and towards the outside where only the third-year receiver could catch it for a 7-0 lead that capped an 8-play, 88-yard drive to give the Browns their first touchdown in the first quarter of the season.
Not even an ill-advised trick play that saw Mayfield hand off to running back Dontrell Hilliard, who then threw it across the field back to Mayfield only have it intercepted by Falcons safety Damontee Kazee and returned 33 yards with 8:30 remaining in the second quarter that led to Atlanta’s first touchdown of the day, or the specter of Julio Jones’ first visit to Cleveland could derail the Browns.
“I envisioned myself catching a one-handed pass over somebody, something spectacular like that, but the reality is I am not that athletic,” Mayfield said. “It could have been big. It could have been a great play. It was taking a shot. You have to take your shot plays within the game.”
Jones became the fastest receiver in NFL history to reach 10,000 yards – he did it in 104 games – after catching a 30-yard pass from quarterback Matt Ryan in the second quarter. The Browns traded the sixth pick in the 2011 draft to Atlanta, who selected Jones and of the 5 players Cleveland ended up with from those draft picks, only 1 remains in the league – Texans backup quarterback Brandon Weeden.
Jones finished with 7 catches for 101 yards and a TD.
“When you get elite wide receivers like that, the only thing you can do is frustrate them,” cornerback T.J. Carrie, who forced and recovered a fumble said.
Linebacker Jamie Collins, whose effort came under fire the last 2 weeks, sealed the victory by recovering Ryan’s fumble with less than 2 minutes remaining allowing Mayfield to run out the clock.
