CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – All you can ask for is a chance at the end.
For the second consecutive week, the Browns offense had multiple chances to win it down the stretch but critical mistakes all around doomed them in a 20-16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Here’s the top Brownie Bites from Sunday’s game in Vegas.
Losing to Las Vegas – The Browns have themselves to blame for this one. Be it receiver Amari Cooper having a football bounce of him for an interception or missed blocking assignments or kicker Dustin Hopkins missing an extra point or backup center Nick Harris being called for a critical holding to wipe the most explosive play of the season off the scoreboard or multiple missed tackles ending in a touchdown or Harris snapping the ball too early as Deshaun Watson tried to realign running back Jerome Ford in the backfield that cause Watson to simply fall on the ball late in the fourth quarter putting them behind the chains again.
Bad beat – The Raiders were without their top receiver Davante Adams and pass rusher Maxx Crosby, and they still beat the Browns. Without Crosby, Las Vegas still tallied three sacks, including on the Browns fourth-and-3 try with less than a minute to play to seal the win, and 11 QB hits. Vegas came in with just 153 yards rushing and they nearly doubled that total with 152 on the ground.
First punch – The Browns marched 15 plays and 70 yards to take a 7-0 lead on Watson’s touchdown to tight end Blake Whiteheart. The drive took 9:22 off the clock and marked the third straight game Cleveland scored on its first offensive possession.
Bombs away – Dustin Hopkins hit a 56-yard field goal to extend the Browns early lead to 10-0 with less than a minute left in the first quarter. It was Hopkins’ 11th make from beyond 50 yards in 12 tries since joining the Browns in 2023. Unfortunately Hopkins missed a PAT in the fourth quarter that took a potential tying field goal try out of the equation.
Just a kid from Akron – Tre Tucker scored the Raiders first touchdown off a reverse, a three-yard run to cut Cleveland’s lead to 10-7 with just under 10 minutes left in the first half. Tucker, who grew up in Akron, is a CVCA alum.
Another oops from Cooper – Watson’s fourth interception of the year was not the quarterback’s fault. Watson fired a beautiful ball to Cooper, who went for a basket catch but the ball went through his hands, bounced off his chest and into the hands of Raiders safety Tre'von Moehrig, who returned it 17 yards to the Las Vegas 48. The turnover led to a DJ turner 18-yard touchdown run to give the Raiders a 20-10 lead with 5:23 left in the third quarter.
Getting an earful – Watson laid into right tackle Dawand Jones late in the second half after Jones failed to block at least one of the two Raiders rushers, which forced Watson to unload downfield faster than he wanted in the direction of Amari Cooper. Had Watson had more time, he may have made a better throw to Cooper, who was wide open, for a touchdown. As for Jones, there have been at least a half dozen plays through four games where Jones barely laid a hand on a defender when they send two at him.
Scoop and score – Safety Rodney McLeod ended the Raiders run of 20 straight points by scooping up a fumble by Raiders running back Zamir White and returning it 25 yards up the sideline for a touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah helped pop the ball free to cut the Las Vegas lead to 20-16 after Hopkins missed an extra point.
Center of attention – Harris was called for a questionable holding penalty that took an 82-yard Watson to Cooper touchdown off the board with 10:28 remaining. Harris also misfired on a first down snap from the 16 costing trhe Browns five yards.
Big fizzle – The Browns entered Sunday with just nine plays of 20 or more yards, and none have gone for 40 or more. Thanks to a 35-yard run in the fourth quarter by Ford, the Browns now have 10.
Bad odds – The loss dropped the Browns to 1-3 and since 1990, that gives them a 14% chance of still making the playoffs.
Inactives – QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (third QB), RB Pierre Strong Jr., CB Kahlef Hailassie, LT Jedrick Wills Jr., RT Jack Conklin, WR Jamari Thrash, TE David Njoku
Injury report – C Ethan Pocic (ankle), LB Jordan Hicks (elbow), CB Martin Emerson Jr. (head)