Packers Blow Lead, Stunned by Lowly Browns 13-10

Earlier in the week, Green Bay Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker saw no reason why the team wouldn’t go undefeated.

“I think we can go undefeated, honestly,” Walker said.

Instead, the Packers couldn’t even go 3-0. They blew a 10-0 lead during the final few minutes and were stunned 13-10 by the Cleveland Browns. After Brandon McManus’ potential 43-yard, game-winning field goal was blocked, Andre Szmyt booted a 55-yard field goal as time expired.

The Packers led 10-0 after three quarters. According to ESPN, it was the first time the Browns had won a game when scoreless through three quarters since 2003.

The Packers led 10-0 late in the fourth quarter before a late collapse allowed the Browns to tie the score 10-10 with 3:01 to play.

After Cleveland tied the game at 10, Savion Williams returned the ensuing kickoff to the 40. On the first play, Jordan Love went deep to Romeo Doubs, but Myles Hadden was flagged for pass interference for a 20-yard penalty. On the next play, Tucker Kraft blocked for a half-second, flashed into the flat and turned a 0-yard pass into an 18-yard gain.

That put Green Bay at Cleveland’s 22 at the 2-minute warning. On the first play, Josh Jacobs had the ball punched out by linebacker Devin Bush. After a lengthy review, it was deemed Jacobs recovered the football. Green Bay, as you’d expect, got conservative and ran out as much of the clock as possible.

The reliable McManus walked out onto the field for the field goal. If he would have made it, the Packers would have led by three points with about 23 seconds remaining. Instead, Milwaukee native Shelby Harris blocked the kick and Greg Newsome returned it to the 47.

The Browns had a third-and-2 at Green Bay’s 45 with 12 seconds to go. Joe Flacco hit David Njoku over the middle. The Browns rushed to the line to stop the clock with 2 seconds to go. Szmyt booted the field goal for the stunning result.

Green Bay stopped shooting itself in the feet long enough to put together a monumental 71-yard, 14-play touchdown drive to take a 10-0 lead with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter.

Before the Packers converted four third downs on the drive, Josh Jacobs took a screen for 31 yards on second-and-18. It was arguably the biggest play of the game.

- On third-and-1, Jacobs took a toss to the left. Denzel Ward blew the play up but Jacobs sprung himself forward for the first down.

- On third-and-3, Emanuel Wilson broke a tackle on a 9-yard run.

- On third-and-7, Love whistled one into a crowd to Dontayvion Wicks, who caught ball and slipped a tackle for a catch-and-run gain of 16 to the 3.

- On third-and-goal at the 3 after Jacobs was stuffed on back-to-back plays, Love faked the handoff and booted to his right. Nothing was there. Love pump-faked and paused for a moment, which allowed tight end John FitzPatrick, a blocker at the start of the play, to get open for the touchdown.

A 10-0 lead with about 18 minutes remaining seemed like 100-0 considering the strength of Green Bay’s defense and the weakness of Cleveland’s offense.

The Browns did mount a drive, though, thanks to a Packers letdown. First, Judkins broke Javon Bullard’s tackle attempt for a gain of 14. Next, Judkins shot up the middle for 38. One play later, tight end Harold Fannin broke tackle attempts by Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie and Keisean Nixon for a gain of 13 to the 14.

On third-and-9, Flacco’s pass landed in the middle of nowhere but Bullard was flagged for holding. Moments later, on third-and-goal at the 3, Nixon was flagged for a dubious pass-interference penalty, to make it first-and-goal at the 1. A chop-block penalty forced the Browns to settle for a field goal.

Still Green Bay led 10-3 with 3:38 remaining and was in good shape, but Love threw the ball right to Browns safety Grant Delpit, whose return to the 4 set up Quinshon Judkins for the tying touchdown with 3:01 to go.

The Packers led 3-0 at halftime, with two of the best defenses engaging in an old-fashioned slugfest.

Every inch was just so hard to gain against the Browns. So, while the Packers had two impressive drives, they had little to show for it.

After a three-and-out to start the game, the Packers drove into Cleveland’s red zone. However, on third-and-4, the Packers were guilty of a false start when fill-in right tackle Jordan Morgan, playing for injured Zach Tom, started retreating too soon and was flagged for a false start. It’s the type of mistake you can’t make, and Green Bay had to settle for a 39-yard field-goal attempt after a 13-play scoring drive.

The Packers’ next drive went 12 plays. On third-and-2, Love faked the handoff to Jacobs and had a clear path to the right for a 10-yard run to Cleveland’s 38. However, once again, the Packers made the type of mistakes you can’t make against a top opponent. First, Malik Heath was flagged for a false start. On second down, Morgan was beaten for a sack. On third down, Romeo Doubs was flagged for an illegal block, which made it third-and-22 and set up Myles Garrett for a sack.

In the first half, Green Bay gained just 90 yards. Love was 10-of-13 for 65 yards.

It was more of the same to start the second half. On the opening third-and-1, Morgan was guilty of his third false start of the game and Love was sacked on third-and-6.

In Week 2, Tom (oblique) and Banks (groin) were inactive. Both players started on Sunday but didn’t make it through the game. Tom aggravated the injury on the first play of the game and Banks was sidelined for the start of the second half. So, the Packers started the half with Rasheed Walker at left tackle, Morgan at left guard, Elgton Jenkins at center, Sean Rhyan at right guard and rookie Anthony Belton at right tackle.