The Cleveland Browns rallied from 14 points down and won at the gun for the second straight week on Sunday, beating the Tennessee Titans 27-24 at Nissan Stadium on Andre Szmyt’s 32-yard field goal as time expired. Cleveland improved to 5-2 and remained in first place in the AFC North, opening its three-game road swing with another walk-off finish.
Tennessee struck first and fast. Tony Pollard scored on a 36-yard run on the opening drive and added a 10-yard touchdown after a Deshaun Watson interception, giving the Titans a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and putting Cleveland in an early hole on the road.
The Browns answered with 17 straight points before halftime. Quinshon Judkins scored on runs of 5 and 6 yards to tie the game, and Szmyt hit a 28-yard field goal as the half expired to put Cleveland ahead 17-14. Cleveland outgained Tennessee 491 to 322 on the day, including a season-high offensive output.
After a scoreless third quarter, Joey Slye tied the game at 17 with a 29-yard field goal midway through the fourth. Watson then ran in from 9 yards with 4:34 left to restore Cleveland’s lead at 24-17, capping a day in which he completed 25 of 36 passes for 308 yards — his first 300-yard passing game with the Browns — and added a rushing touchdown.
Pollard tied the game one final time with a 1-yard touchdown run with 58 seconds remaining, his third score of the day on 25 carries for 129 yards. That left Watson just enough time: a four-play, 55-yard drive highlighted by Harold Fannin Jr.’s 36-yard catch and run set up Szmyt, who was true from 32 yards with three seconds on the clock when the kick was lined up.
The finish marked Cleveland’s fifth fourth-quarter go-ahead scoring drive of the season and its third walk-off victory. KC Concepcion caught eight passes for 129 yards for the Browns, while Titans quarterback Cam Ward finished 20 of 31 for 181 yards with no touchdowns and one interception as Tennessee fell to 1-6.
Cleveland’s road swing continues next week at Pittsburgh in a first-place showdown, with the Browns carrying a 5-2 record and a growing reputation for closing tight games. Tennessee travels to Cincinnati on Nov. 1 still looking for its second win.
Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY