Raiders boot Browns 16-14

   The Covid crippled Cleveland Browns were within one first down of stealing a game that they had to have from the Las Vegas Raiders with the Raiders unable to stop the clock.

They couldn't and the Raiders made them pay as Daniel Carlson knocked through a forty-eight-yard field goal on the last play of the game to give visiting Las Vegas a 16-14 win on a Monday afternoon in Cleveland.

Nick Chubb rushed for ninety yards and a touchdown and emergency quarterback Nick Mullens threw for 147 yards and hit Harrison Bryant for the other Cleveland touchdown.

The Browns fall to 7-7 with the loss and will visit Green Bay on Christmas Day.

Brownie Bits

1) You cannot blame backup quarterback Nick Mullens for this defeat. Mullins did exactly what you would hope an emergency quarterback would do in this situation. He kept the Browns in the game, didn’t turn the ball over, and avoided the big mistake.

2) Mullins didn’t get the ball downfield very well as only one completion went for more than 20 yards however that’s not a lot different than how Baker Mayfield has thrown much of this season as the Browns simply don’t have the downfield receivers to throw the ball to.

 Avoiding the big mistake was good enough for the Browns on this day.

3) And it was Mullens who drove the Browns down the field late in the game and actually put them in the lead with a fourth-down bullet to tide in Harrison Bryant for the touchdown.

For a guy that legitimately had only one practice before playing this game, Nick Mullens likely earned himself a job for that for 2020 to whether or not it’s in Cleveland will be the question.

4) The Browns are beginning to discover a problem at placekicker. Chase McLaughlin‘s awful 47 yard missed field goal attempt at the end of the first half would have been the difference in the game had he connected.

It's not that McGlocklin missed- it’s how badly he missed. At a time when the Browns traditionally have needed a kicker to step up, they continue to find kickers that fall down.

It has not been since the days of Phil Dawson has the Browns had a kicker that they can feel good about in late-season situations

5) The Browns seem to be in a good position when Greedy Williams intercepted Derek Carr with around three minutes to 

Instead, an inability to run the clock out is what cost the Browns the game as on third down and the third Nick Chubb carry forced Mike Priester (in for Kevin Stefanski) to make a decision, Go for it or punt.

6) I’m not going to barbecue Priester for deciding to punt bur what I might decide to barbecue Priester for is running Nick Chubb three times in a row.

While I know it’s easy for me to say to throw the ball and take the risk of stopping the clock, I may have done that at least once and it might’ve won the game. 

Imagine a defense shuffle to the middle of the field expecting a Nick Chubb run and perhaps a dump out of the backfield to the fullback or a tight end that might’ve gotten them the yardage they needed to put the game away.

7) and this is where Kevin Stefanski not being there may have hurt the Browns. Stefanski hasn’t had a great season calling plays but I do believe he would’ve gone for it on the short fourth down rather than punt the ball and again a first down wins the game.

Instead, you played not to lose.

8) Myles Garrett didn't have a sack and didn't appear to have an impact on the game until you consider he injured his groin during the game and finished the game.

9) The Browns also lost defensive end, Takk McKinley, for the season with an injured Achilles Tendon.

McKinley's loss removes the top pass rusher from among the reserves and continues to hammer the depth of a team reeling.

10 ) The Nick Mullens touchdown drive in the fourth quarter of eighty yards was the longest of the season in the fourth quarter for the Browns this season.

11) During the first half, a graphic appeared on the screen that the Browns would move into first place and would be in last place with a defeat.

That speaks volumes for the AFC North this season.

12) This loss is a heartbreaker for the Browns, who still have playoff hopes but at a minimum will take wins over the Steelers and Bengals to close the season.

I don't like the chances considering the inconsistency of the Browns this season.