Browns ending that no one saw coming! Cleveland beats Green Bay on a last-second field goal

Photo via Imagn Images

The improbable happy ending for the Cleveland Browns happened Sunday down along the Lake Erie shoreline as the Cleveland Browns stunned the Green Bay Packers 13-10 at Huntington Bank Field as kicker Andre Szmyt kicked a 55-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.

Two of the most storied NFL teams, the Browns and the Packers, took to the battlefield on this late September Sunday afternoon. While the Packers had started the season well with a record of 2-0, the Browns had struggled out of the gate and were trying for their first win of the season. 

What looked like another disappointing game for the hometown Browns as the closing minutes of the game clock ticked down, somehow miraculously changed course in the blink of an eye. Green Bay looked like they were on their way to a win. 

The Packers used a lengthy 3rd quarter touchdown drive to go up 10-0. But the Browns finally got on the board with 3:45 in the game on a field goal by Szmtz. In the ensuing drive by the Packers, their quarterback Jordan Love threw an interception that was picked off by Cleveland safety Grant Delpit deep in Packers territory. The Browns punched it in for the touchdown a few plays later with a one-yard score by rookie running back Quinshon Judkins (who finished the game with 18 carries for 94 yards). 

The crazy scenarios weren’t done yet in this one, as the Packers took the ball on their next possession and calmly marched down the field to the Cleveland 25-yard line with 27 seconds left to set up a potential game-winner. But that wasn’t in the cards for Green Bay as their field goal attempt was blocked by defensive tackle Shelby Harris and recovered by cornerback Greg Newsome at the 47-yard line. 

Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (who was 21-36 for 142 yards on the afternoon) was able to navigate the team down to the Packers’ 37-yard line to set up the dramatic ending and the game-winner by kicker Szmtz. 

Cleveland is now 1-2 on the season, and Green Bay falls to 2-1. For most of this battle, the Browns quarterback, Flacco, looked like a 40-year-old playing football as he was slow with his delivery and not in sync much of the game, as his offense sputtered most of the game. While the Browns’ defense continued to impress as a unit, making numerous stops to a pretty good Packers offense, it looked like another game where their offensive teammates would stay stuck in the mud.

The game began slowly for both teams as neither was able to score points. The Browns got the ball twice with quarterback Flacco leading the charge, which wasn’t much. Their first drive stalled at midfield. 

Green Bay started moving the ball on its second offensive possession, taking the ball at its own 36-yard line and marching it down to the Cleveland 22-yard line, where it stalled. Green Bay kicker Brian McNanus capped the seven-minute drive with a 39-yard field goal early in the 2nd quarter.

Cleveland continued to try to find a spark on offense, but continued to sputter on their next possession. 

Green Bay got the ball back and looked like they stalled too, as the Packers quarterback Love got sacked by rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger; however, that play was nullified as the Browns had 12 players on the field and continued the drive. The Browns’ defense continued to make mistakes on the drive as defensive end Myles Garrett jumped offsides (like he does once every game), helping the Packers drive move on. However, Garrett made amends in the drive, finishing the drive by sacking the quarterback and forcing another Packer punt.

Cleveland got the ball back at just outside the two-minute warning but again did nothing with the ball offensively. 

After the halftime break, Green Bay took their second possession on a lengthy drive that resulted in a touchdown at the 3:23 mark of the 3rd quarter. The vaunted Browns defense finally broke as the Packer quarterback connected with tight end John FitzPatrick on a three-yard pass. 

The 4th quarter played out much like the rest of the game for the Browns as they couldn’t get anything moving on offense. However, very late in the game, Cleveland got a spark from their rookie running back Quinshon Judkins, who went for a 14-yard run and then a 38-yard run, and eventually the Browns got down to the I-yard line. They couldn’t score the touchdown, but did manage the three points on a 35-yard field goal by Szmyz.

After that, the crazy ending went into full effect.

It was a storybook ending for the Browns, and hopefully, it can propel them forward to more successful wins in the near future. Cleveland now hits the road for three straight battles. They travel to play the Detroit Lions next week and then cross the pond in a Week 5 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. They come back to the States and then take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Browns will return to Cleveland in a Week 7 game against the Miami Dolphins on October 19th.