DeShone Kizer's OT pick results in Browns' 27-21 loss to Packers

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was almost too good to be true for the Browns on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium. They were about to win a football game and avoid the 0-16 parade.

And then it was too good to be true, and the Browns dropped to 0-13.

Blowing a 14-point lead late the third quarter, they lost 27-21 to the Packers in overtime after rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer scrambled around on third down and threw a pop-up that resulted in an interception.

The Packers took over at the Browns' 42, and quarterback Brett Hundley threw a 25-yard TD pass to Davante Adams to produce the final margin.

The Packers, who trailed 21-7 with 2:49 left in the third quarter, scored three straight touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.

The Browns won the toss in overtime and started at their 25. If they had scored a TD on the first drive, game over. It didn't happen.

On the third play of OT, Kizer scrambled around looking for an open receiver, and Packers linebacker Clay Matthews -- playing in front of his father Clay Jr., the 16-year Browns linebacker -- hit Kizer's arm as he released the ball, and it popped up into the air and into the arms of safety Josh Jones with 8:28 left in OT.

It was Kizer's second interception of the game.

Kizer finished the game 20-of-28 for 214 yards with 3 TDs and 2 interceptions for a 99.4 rating.

The OT pick spoiled big games by Isaiah Crowell, Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman.

"At critical times, our team, it's understanding what we have to do in the fourth quarter in order to win," Browns coach Hue Jackson said after the loss. ". . . . We've got to find a way to make those plays when the opportunities come."

After David Njoku's third-down catch in regulation was overturned upon Green Bay's challenge, Britton Colquitt fired off his second straight 53-yard punt. Only this time, Trevor David returned it 65 yards to start the Packers at the Browns' 25 late in the fourth.

Quarterback Brett Hundley converted a third-and-1 on a sneak, and then ran in from 6 yards out for an apparent touchdown. But the officials reviewed the play and ruled that Hundley came up a yard short. On the next play, Hundley threw a 1-yard TD pass to Davante Adams to tie the game at 21.

Kizer's first-half performance

Kizer finished the first half 15-of-18 for 174 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception for a 120.8 rating. His rating was a superb 150.5 until he was picked off on his final play of the half by safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on a deep ball for Corey Coleman. Dix jumped the the sideline route and easily swiped the pass with 17 seconds left in the half.

Before that, Kizer completed 14 of 16 for 170 yards, including TD passes to Josh Gordon and Duke Johnson.

Kizer threw TD passes of 18 yards to Gordon, 7 to Johnson and 2 to Corey Coleman for a 21-7 lead with 2:49 left in the third quarter. He tied the Browns' rookie record for three TD passes in a game, also held by Tim Couch in 1999.

Jackson said it was Kizer's best performance of the season, until the end.

"The two picks, it's still the same old, 'If you turn the ball over, you're going to lose,'" Jackson said. "We had one at the end of the half, and one in overtime. You've always got to be team-protective of the ball."

Jackson was not happy with the interception in overtime.

"If it's not there, throw it away and play defense and give us a chance," Jackson said. "Just understanding who you're playing against. Again, it's Mathews coming off the edge, and he's a crafty guy, and he's going to get a hand on that football and make a play. He was able to make a play and we weren't."

Gordon's big day

For the second straight game, Gordon caught a pass on the Browns' first play, this time a 38-yarder after a fake handoff. On the touchdown, he made a great leaping grab, reaching for the ball over safety Morgan Burnett on a post route.

It was Gordon's first touchdown catch since Dec. 15, 2013 -- almost four years, and a span of 1,456 days.

After the TD, Gordon danced in the end zone with David Njoku and then waved his arms to fire up the crowd. On the sidelines, he donned a pair of shades handed to him by Bryce Treggs and walked around receiving congratulations.

Gordon also caught a 13-yard slant on the next TD drive, the one that ended in the Johnson's TD.

Johnson's TD

Johnson caught a 7-yard shovel pass from Kizer after a fake handoff to Isaiah Crowell to put the Browns up 14-7 with 5:12 left in the half. Key plays on the drive were catches of 20 and 18 yards by Coleman, and Gordon's 13-yard slant on third down.

Caleb Brantley stops the Pack

Brantley came up big with 7:20 left in the third quarter when he dropped Brett Hundley for a 2-yard loss on fourth and 1 from the Browns' 10. The Packers, trailing 14-7 at the time, gambled by going for it on fourth down, but they had confusion in the backfield, and Brantley pounced, killing a 13-play drive. It marked a huge turning point it the game, because the Browns marched 88 yards and scored on the next drive to make it 21-7.

Coleman's TD

Coleman caught a 2-yard pass from Kizer with 2:49 left in the third to put the Browns up 21-7 and cap the 9-play, 88-yard drive. Coleman made a great catch just inside the end zone between two defenders. Kizer also threaded the needle on that play, putting the ball where only Coleman could get it. The drive featured a 37-yard blast by Isaiah Crowell. After the TD, Coleman got to wear the TD shades on the sidelines.

Packers close to within 21-14

With quarterback Aaron Rodgers roaming the sidelines and hoping his 6-6 team could keep iots playoff hopes alive, the Packers closed to 21-14 with 12:50 left in the game on a 1-yard TD run by running back Jamaal Williams.

The Packers stopped the Brown on third and 2 on the next drive, stuffing Isaiah Crowell. But Britton Colquitt uncorked a 53-yard punt, and the Browns downed the ball at the Packers' 3, to start them there with 9:23 left in the game. Carl Nassib forced the Packers to punt when he knocked down a Hundley ball at the line of scrimmage.

Packers strike first

Green Bay opened the scoring on a 30-yard TD pass to running back Jamaal Williams with 8:50 left in the first quarter. Williams was left wide open at the right side of the end zone on a blown coverage by the Browns.

The Packers had burned the Browns by a 7-yard run on a fake punt, and then completed an 8-yard pass to Randall Cobb on fourth and 1. Safety Kai Nacua, who replaced Jabrill Peppers (knee), jumped the underneath route, leaving Williams open.

John Dorsey sits with Jimmy Haslam

New Browns general manager John Dorsey at side-by-side with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam in the owner's loge. On Friday, Dorsey gave the players a pep talk about beating the Packers, whom he played for as a linebacker and worked for as a personnel executive for 21 years. Dorsey especially tried to get the defense fired up to shut down the Green Bay offense, which was minus Rodgers.

Kevin Hogan the backup

Hogan, who was drafted by Dorsey in the fifth round of the 2016 draft out of Stanford by the Chiefs, was the backup quarterback after being inactive for six games following his three-interception game in Houston. Dorsey was instrumental in Hogan's acquisition, and wanted to sign him back to the practice squad after the Chiefs cut him in the final cuts.

But he opted to sign with the Browns instead, in part because his former Stanford offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton was here.

Kai Nacua's headbutt

Nacua was flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct when he headbutted receiver Davonte Adams on the sidelines after a play. The two were jawing, and then Adams shoved the official, and Nacua headbutted him to draft the flag. But the rest of the defense bailed him out and forced the Packers to punt o that drive.

Three key Browns defenders inactive

The Browns were down three more key defensive players against the Packers.

Defensive tackle Danny Shelton (ribs), safety Jabrill Peppers (knee) and cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun (knee) were all sidelined because of injuries.

The Browns were already without Jamie Collins (torn ACL) and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah.

In addition to Nacua starting in place of Peppers, Larry Ogunjobi started in place of Shelton.

Next

The Browns host the Ravens next Sunday at 1 p.m.

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