WASHINGTON — Though they've been eliminated from playoff contention, the Browns certainly looked like they had something to play for on Sunday.
Eight days after being vanquished with a frustrating loss to the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland bounced back with a strong 24-10 win over the Washington Commanders, spoiling D.C.'s own chances to potentially clinch a playoff berth this weekend. The offense recovered from a stagnant first half to take control of the game, while the oft-criticized defense turned in a rare strong performance and intercepted quarterback Carson Wentz three times.
Things certainly got off to a slow start, as after an early Cade York field goal the Browns (7-9) struggled to move the ball. Deshaun Watson was just 4 of 8 for 41 yards and was sacked four times, and even got stopped on a fourth-and-goal situation when Kevin Stefanski chose to take another successful field goal off the board following a Washington penalty. To make matters worse, Wentz recovered from two early picks to lead a 21-play, 96-yard touchdown drive that lasted more than 11 minutes and gave the Commanders a 7-3 halftime lead.
But in the second half, Cleveland did something they had seldom done before the calendar turned to 2023: adjusted. Watson hit a streaking Amari Cooper for a 46-yard touchdown pass on his first series out of the intermission, and later in the third Donovan Peoples-Jones caught a pass and bullied his way into the end zone for another score. After D.C. cut it to 17-10 early in the fourth, Cooper delivered again with a tiptoeing 33-yard TD, finishing the afternoon with 105 yards despite just three receptions.
The defense also found its groove, with Myles Garrett tallying 1 1/2 of the three sacks on Wentz. The Commanders (7-8-1) chose to start the former No. 2 overall pick at QB instead of Taylor Heinicke, but the veteran delivered a dud, throwing for just 143 yards and posting a passer rating of 31.4. Of his three interceptions, Grant Delpit had two of them, including one in the fourth quarter that virtually wrapped the game up.
With a win and a little help elsewhere, Washington could've earned a spot in the postseason. Instead, they now find themselves on the outside looking in, and could be eliminated altogether if the Green Bay Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings later today.
The victory is the Browns' first in D.C. since November of 1988, when Earnest Byner beat the defending Super Bowl champions with a fourth-quarter touchdown run at old RFK Stadium. Cleveland will head to Pittsburgh for the season finale next Sunday, and could potentially have a shot to play spoiler again if the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens tonight and keep their playoff hopes alive.
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