CLEVELAND — Trailing the Las Vegas Raiders 10-0 in the third quarter with more than 15 players missing due to COVID-19, the Cleveland Browns offense needed a spark. Nick Chubb provided just that.
After the Browns defense secured its first takeaway of the night, with linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and defensive tackle Sheldon Day combining to sack Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, forcing a fumble in the process, Cleveland's offense took over at Las Vegas' 47-yard line. From there, a screen pass to tight end David Njoku moved the ball 13 yards, with Chubb then carrying the ball four yards before ripping off a 24-yard run -- his longest gain of the day -- to give the Browns offense the ball at Raiders' six-yard line.
Three plays later, Cleveland was in the end zone, with Chubb's four-yard carry on third-and-goal giving the Browns their first points of the day. Following a Chase McLaughlin extra point, Cleveland had cut Las Vegas' lead to 10-7 with 4:33 remaining in the third quarter.
Trimming the Raiders' lead to a single score was no small feat for a Cleveland team missing several key players -- including quarterback Baker Mayfield and head coach Kevin Stefanski -- due to a recent COVID-19 outbreak. In total, the following Browns players remained on the COVID-19 list and were not eligible to play vs. Las Vegas in a game that had been rescheduled from Saturday to Monday:
- QB Baker Mayfield
- QB Case Keenum
- RB Kareem Hunt
- WR Jarvis Landry
- TE Austin Hooper
- OT Jedrick Wills Jr.
- OT James Hudson III
- DE Jadeveon Clowney
- DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
- DT Malik McDowell
- LB Mack Wilson Sr.
- LB Tony Fields II
- LB Jacob Phillips
- CB A.J. Green
- CB Troy Hill
- S Grant Delpit
- S Ronnie Harrison Jr.
- P Jamie Gillan
With the Browns entering Monday at 7-6 and the Raiders at 6-7, their Week 15 matchup could have significant implications in the AFC playoff picture. For all the latest from FirstEnergy Stadium on Monday night, follow our live blog.