CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are 5-2 and sitting atop the AFC North after another dramatic victory, this time escaping Tennessee with a 27-24 win on Sunday afternoon. For the second consecutive week, Andre Szmyt delivered a game-winning field goal as time expired, helping Cleveland overcome an early deficit and survive a late Titans comeback.
The Browns have now produced five go-ahead scoring drives in the fourth quarter this season, an impressive accomplishment for a team that continues to struggle with consistency. Sunday's game provided another example of Cleveland's ability to rise to the occasion, but also reinforced some problems that have needed attention.
Here's our Good, Bad & Ugly from Sunday's victory.
The Good: Clutch Play
Whatever else can be said about the Browns, this team knows how to make plays when it absolutely has to. Whether it's the offense moving the football, the defense producing a crucial stop, or Szmyt delivering another game-winning kick, Cleveland continues finding ways to win.
Sunday's finish was another perfect example. After Tennessee tied the game with just 58 seconds remaining, Deshaun Watson needed only three completions to move the Browns into field-goal range. The biggest was a 36-yard pass to Harold Fannin Jr., setting up Szmyt's 32-yard winner as time expired. As a side note, Fannin Jr. is a beast. Feed this dude the rock and let him cook.
Szmyt deserves a ton of credit, obviously. His walk-off field goal against Tennessee came just one week after his last-second winner against Baltimore, and he has now kicked three game-winning field goals this season. He even overcame a 43-yard miss earlier in Sunday's game, but going back to the clutch theme here, he was absolutely clutch when the team needed him most.
Cleveland has also shown that its ability to deliver in big moments extends beyond Szmyt. Quinshon Judkins scored twice against Tennessee, Watson rushed for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, and the defense produced a goal-line stand and two takeaways.
The Browns have developed a knack for delivering when the pressure is highest, and that ability has played a major role in their 5-2 start.
The Bad: Slow Starts
We've highlighted this problem in previous Good, Bad & Ugly articles, and it remains one of Cleveland's biggest concerns. The Browns continue putting themselves in difficult situations by failing to play well early in games.
Against Tennessee, the defense allowed Tony Pollard to score on runs of 36 and 10 yards during the Titans' first two possessions. An interception by Watson helped set up the second touchdown, leaving Cleveland trailing 14-0 less than seven minutes into the game.
The Browns eventually recovered, scoring 17 unanswered points before halftime, but they shouldn't have needed such a dramatic comeback against a Tennessee team that entered Sunday with only one victory.
Cleveland's slow starts have become a recurring theme this season. Against Baltimore the previous week, the Browns trailed 10-0 at halftime and managed just 46 yards of offense in the first two quarters.
This team deserves credit for repeatedly overcoming adversity, but the pattern cannot continue indefinitely. Falling behind by multiple scores puts enormous pressure on the offense and forces the defense to spend too much time trying to recover from early mistakes.
The Browns have shown they can finish games. Now they need to learn how to start them.
The Ugly: Making Bad Teams Look Good
Tennessee entered Sunday's game at 1-5, but for much of the afternoon, the Titans looked like a team capable of beating the AFC North leaders.
The Browns allowed 129 rushing yards and three touchdowns to Pollard, who repeatedly found room to run against a defense that has otherwise been solid, and the backbone of the team, this season. Cleveland also allowed Tennessee to drive 63 yards in the closing minutes for the touchdown that tied the game at 24.
There were other missed opportunities. After recovering a Tennessee fumble at the Titans' 41-yard line in the third quarter, Cleveland lost yardage on the ensuing possession and punted. Szmyt also missed a 43-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter that could have extended the Browns' lead.
The most concerning part is that Cleveland was capable of controlling this game. The Browns outgained Tennessee 491-322, rushed for a season-high 183 yards, and got 308 passing yards from Watson. Yet despite those advantages, they still needed a field goal on the final play to beat a one-win opponent.
It's another reminder that Cleveland's record doesn't tell the entire story. The Browns have shown an impressive ability to win close games, but they've also made some games unnecessarily close.
At 5-2, Cleveland holds the AFC North lead on a tiebreaker over Pittsburgh. But with a road game against the Steelers coming up, the Browns need to start putting together more complete performances rather than relying on another last-second rescue.
