BALTIMORE — They continue to find a way.
Even when they seemingly do everything in their power to lose, the Browns somehow find a way to win the game.
No one can be blamed for being confused by this, but no one is going to ask questions following the team's stunning 33-31 victory Sunday over the Baltimore Ravens. Dustin Hopkins' 40-yard field goal as time expired game Cleveland the final edge it needed in an emotional victory not only crucial for its playoff hopes, but the race for the AFC North Division, as well.
The Browns trailed by as many as 15 as well as 14 in the fourth quarter, and had to overcome a mountain of mistakes. The first of those errors came on just the second snap of the ballgame, when Ravens safety Luke Hamilton deflected a Deshaun Watson pass and ran it back 18 yards for a touchdown.
Baltimore continued to control the game from there, and Watson continued to struggle, completing only six of his 20 first-half passes for 79 yards. He even briefly went to the locker room with a leg injury, forcing backup quarterback P.J. Walker to attempt a Hail Mary right before intermission.
Three Hopkins field goals and a Mike Ford pick of Lamar Jackson managed to cut the deficit to 17-9 at the half, but on their first series out of the locker room the Ravens took their largest lead of the game thanks to a 40-yard catch-and-run by former Brown Odell Beckham Jr. Down 15, things looked bleak, but Watson subsequently led the offense on a 17-play, 10-minute drive that ended with a Kareem Hunt touchdown. Watson then kept it himself for the 2-point conversion, cutting the lead to 24-17.
Even still, there were several more moments when it looked like disaster would descend upon Cleveland, staring with the very next series.
Myles Garrett managed to force a Jordan Stout punt with 1 1/2 sacks, only for James Proche III to muff the kick and give it right back to the Ravens just 12 yards from the end zone. A sloppy sequence of events followed before Rodney McLeod intercepted Jackson, but Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was called for a hold, and two plays later Gus Edwards scored from a yard out to again make it 31-17 with 11:34 to go.
And still, the Browns continued to fight back, as long receptions by David Njoku and Amari Cooper (coupled with a Rock Ya-Sin pass interference) set up a 10-yard TD catch by Elijah Moore to make it 31-24. Then, the play of the game, as Greg Newsome II picked off a Jackson pass and sprinted 34 yards to the paydirt.
All tied up, right? Wrong, because the always reliable Hopkins inexplicably missed the extra point try. Ravens 31, Browns 30, 8:16 on the clock.
Jim Schwartz's defense held firm, forcing a Baltimore punt that gave Cleveland the ball at its own 20. Watson, who was able to shake off the first-half rust, led another stellar drive that included a 17-yard pass to Cooper and a 16-yard QB keeper. Jerome Ford added a 12-yard run of his own, and suddenly the Browns were in field goal range.
With a chance to redeem himself, Hopkins prepared to kick the ball from the center of the hash marks and converted for his fourth field goal of the game. As the ball sailed through the uprights, the Browns reveled in their first win in Baltimore since 2019.
In contrast to his rough start, Watson was a perfect 14 of 14 in the second half, finishing the game with 212 yards and a touchdown to go with the early pick. Cooper also had 98 yards on six catches, while Ford ran the ball 17 times for 107 yards.
Meanwhile, Jackson came out of the gate strong but was eventually stymied by Cleveland's defense, posting a pedestrian 67.8 passer rating after the two picks. Tight end Mark Andrews was also held to just 44 yards on two catches, and four different Browns combined for three sacks.
With the victory, the Browns improve to 6-3 on the season, their best start since they last went to the playoffs in 2020. They also sit just a half-game behind the Ravens for first place in the AFC North.
Up next? A Sunday home battle with the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, who are also 6-3 and beat Cleveland on "Monday Night Football" back in Week 2.