The 33-31 win saw the Browns trail from seconds after the game began until the final kick by Hopkins as the Browns constantly hustled and scrapped to make up deficits that multiple times were fourteen points.
DeShaun Watson battled through an ankle injury to complete each of his fourteen second-half passes to lead the comeback.
Jerome Ford rushed for 107 yards and Amari Cooper led the receiver with ninety-eight yards on six catches.
Cleveland improved to 6-3 with the win and moved to within a half-game of the AFC North-leading Ravens.
The Browns will host the also 6-3 Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday in Cleveland.
Brownie Bits
1) The day started poorly when Baltimore Safety Kyle Hamilton blitzed in on DeShaun Watson, tipped Watson's pass into the air and then grabbed it to cruise into the end zone for a touchdown uncontested.
Hamilton is a terrific young safety and I have a feeling that we will see many big plays from Hamilton against the Browns before his career is over.
2) A key play in the game was another fortunate bounce in a season filled with them was the fumble recovery by Wyatt Teller on the game-winning drive on a Baltimore strip sack on DeShaun Watson.
In the past, Baltimore recovers the ball and the game ends.
3) DeShaun Watson may not have been allowed to go down the field by the Baltimore defense (his longest completion was 28 yards) but especially in the second half, Watson took what was given and put the ball where it needed to be.
That hasn't always been the case for Watson but the short-range accuracy is exactly what the Browns hoped for when they paid a punitive price for him.
4) Dustin Hopkins has been so dependable this season since the Browns acquired him from the Chargers and I actually felt sorry for him when he missed what would have been the game-tying extra point in the fourth quarter.
Trust me, that is not a common feeling from me on Browns kickers and I felt really good for Hopkins when he drilled the game-winner and avoided the goat horns.
5) Greg Newsome's pick-six in the final quarter was the first career interception for the former first-rounder and took some horns off himself for an earlier defensive holding penalty in the end zone that negated an interception that would have ended the drive for Baltimore but instead resulted in a Ravens touchdown.
Considering Newsome was injured for most of the weekend with an uncertain game status, it was quite a game for the Northwestern product.
6) I would be surprised if Denzel Ward was able to play this week after sustaining a neck injury in the first half.
Ward was trying to tackle Ravens receiver Zay Flowers when suddenly tackle Ronnie Stanley charged into the picture and spears Ward helmet-first.
Ward was unable to return after the cheap shot and Stanley is likely to pay a hefty fine after the NFL reviews all the games this week.
7) DeShaun Watson's biggest throw came on the final drive as the Browns faced a second and nineteen on their own twenty-two with Watson firing a dart to Amari Cooper for seventeen yards to bring the Browns to a reasonable third and two situation.
Jerome Ford ran for six yards to gain the first down but a big-time throw from Watson when the team needed it most.
8) James Proche had looked good returning punts last week in his Browns debut but his muffed punt in Baltimore led to the Ravens touchdown in the fourth quarter, so the Browns haven't solved their return problems yet.
9) The Browns grit came through on two occasions in the fourth quarter, one with David Njoku carrying defenders down the field for yardage and on Kareem Hunt's carry on the final drive, the Browns lineman pushed Hunt down the field for several extra yards that brought Dustin Hopkins into field goal range for the game-winning kick.
10) Jordan Elliott blocked a Justin Tucker field goal attempt in the second quarter for the second block of his career.
The other block of his career? Also against Justin Tucker.
11) The Browns defense kept Lamar Jackson under control, sacking him three times, intercepting him twice, and allowing Jackson to throw only one touchdown.
It wasn't easy or even pretty but it was enough to allow Cleveland to crawl back into the game.
12) I thought Baltimore would win a close game and I thought Cleveland had to win both this game and the following week's game against Pittsburgh to have a shot at winning the division due to tiebreakers inside the division as a loss to either would make 3-3 the best mark that Cleveland could have with a split.
The Browns now have a chance to win both and while the 6-3 Steelers are struggling on offense and overachieving a bit, their defense is the real deal as well.
Cleveland needs this game for many reasons, take the Steelers lightly at your own peril.
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