The Browns implode on offense and defense and lose 20-16

Deshaun Watson completed a lot of short passes, but nothing came easy for him. (Cleveland Browns)

Editor’s Note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

LAS VEGAS, NV

Instant takeaways from the Browns’ 20-16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders…

1. Make it stop: It almost seems like that just isn’t happening for Deshaun Watson. His second attempt at another comeback in the fourth quarter was thwarted when his offensive teammates let him down. The game ended when Watson was flushed out of the pocket on fourth-and-3 at the Raiders’ 9 and sacked by Charles Snowden. It was Watson’s third possession, trying to erase a 20-16 deficit. The first attempt was nullified when an 82-yard catch-and-run by Amari Cooper was called back due to a Nick Harris penalty. The second on a PBU by safety Isaiah Pola-Mao after a pass that Jerry Jeudy had in his hands. The final possession was no better, as Harris grabbed the ball without Watson looking and he fell on it at the Raiders’ 22. Oh yeah, Dustin Hopkins also missed a PAT. The loss dropped the Browns to 1-3. The Raiders improved to 2-2.

2. Wow…wait…what?: Watson showed his old 2018 form on a play from the Browns’ 18 early in the fourth quarter. He broke off a tackle from cornerback Jack Jones and threw the ball to Amari Cooper in the wide middle of the field. Cooper turned on the jets for an 82-yard TD catch-and-run. But Harris was charged for his defensive tackle on Christian Wilkins. To add insult to injury, Wilkins played off Harris’ grip and threw Watson to the ground just as he released the ball. The Browns were forced to punt after Watson’s third-down pass to Jerry Jeudy was broken up.

3. Not dead: The Browns finally gave their large fan base something to cheer about on the first play of the fourth quarter. End Isaiah McGuire took the ball from Zamir White and after a few bounces, Rodney McLeod secured the ball at the Raiders’ 25 and hit it down the left sideline for a touchdown. Unfortunately, Dustin Hopkins’ PAT hit wide left and the Raiders led 20-16. The ball may have hit right-back Zak Zinter’s left shoulder on the way up.

4. Implosion: After the Raiders extended their lead to 13-10, Watson was intercepted as his perfect pass flew through Amari Cooper’s hands, bounced off his chest and was intercepted by safety Tre’von Moehrig. It was Cooper’s fifth dropped pass in four games. Anyway, the defense had the Raiders on 3rd-and-9 at the Browns’ 36. A simple inside handoff to Alexander Mattison turned into a 19-yard run due to a sloppy tackle. More sloppiness ensued on the next play, as DJ Turner swept left on a handoff and fended off weak tackle attempts for a 17-yard TD run. And just like that, it was 20-10, Raiders. Consequently, the Raiders increased their pass rush and ended Cleveland’s next possession with consecutive sacks.

5. Not to be missed: Actually, we should attribute the implosion to a roughing it against Alex Wright, who had a third-and-9 sack on the Raiders’ first possession of the second half. It was a clear foul as the crown of Wright’s helmet touched Gardner Minshew’s chin. Those 15 yards led to Carlson’s 34-yard field goal.

6. Phew!: In the final seconds of the first half, the Raiders were secured at their 2-yard line. It looked like they had just run out of time. Then running back Zamir White shot through the middle and into the second half. Safety Ronnie Hickman brought him down with a narrow tackle at the 19. Hickman probably saved a 98-yard TD run.

7. Passing woes: The Browns were forced to punt with 1:20 left before halftime because their so-called 2-minute offense stalled at the end. Watson increased the offense from 17 with the Browns to 40 with the Raiders in six games. That included his longest completions of the half — 17 yards and 19 to Jerry Jeudy. But on the third and ninth shots, Watson had to give up the ball early because Dawand Jones was beaten. Watson’s deep pass for Amari Cooper was aimed down the right sideline. Cooper internally collapsed. Watson finished the half 14 of 17 for 87 yards – 5.1 yards per attempt.

8. Ground and Pound: Just like in Jacksonville, Stefanski’s conservative opening game script worked perfectly. With extra tight ends instead of extra linemen, Watson moved the Browns 70 yards in 15 plays, eating up 9 minutes, 22 seconds on the clock. Watson converted the TD with a 1-yard flip to TE2 Blake Whiteheart after a pass to fullback Nick Harris. It was Whiteheart’s first career TD in his fifth NFL game, including two with the Cardinals.

9. Battle of the Kickers: Dustin Hopkins’ 56-yard field goal gave the Browns a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. However, the second quarter belonged to the Raiders. They countered with a 3-yard TD run by receiver Tre Tucker on a reverse from a handoff from White, and then Daniel Carlson tied it with a 52-yard field goal. Carlson beat the Browns with a last-second field goal in the teams’ final meeting of 2021.

10: Injuries: In the first half, the Browns lost center Ethan Pocic to an ankle injury and linebacker Jordan Hicks to an elbow injury. Both were considered questionable, but neither returned in the first half. Pocic came back in the third quarter, then left again. Hiccup never returned.

11. Notes before the game: No surprises on the Browns’ inactive list: quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, running back Pierre Strong Jr., cornerback Kahlef Hailassie, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., offensive tackle Jack Conklin, receiver Jamari Thrash and tight end David Njoku.