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Browns steal win from Colts on last-minute Kareem Hunt touchdown

chris easterling, akron beacon journal
·16 min read
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INDIANAPOLIS — The Browns had their starting quarterback back on the field. Until they didn't have him back.

The Browns had the lead on the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game. Until they didn't have the lead.

Unlike with their starting quarterback, the Browns got the lead back. Kareem Hunt's 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal with 15 seconds remaining capped a wild comeback in the final 2:35 to lift them to a 39-38 win at Indianapolis.

The Browns are now 4-2 and have won two games in a row for just the third time in the last two-plus seasons.

Watson made his first start since suffering a rotator cuff strain in his right throwing shoulder in a Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans. That return lasted just three possessions and nine plays before he was knocked out of the game.

The Browns announced Watson, who was 1-of-5 passing for 5 yards with an interception, cleared a concussion evaluation. However, he never returned after leaving the game with 3:13 left in the first quarter.

That put the game in the hands of P.J. Walker, who was elevated from the practice squad for the third consecutive game. For the second game, Walker found himself needing a fourth-quarter drive to rally the Browns for a win.

Last Sunday, Walker led the Browns to two fourth-quarter field goals, including one with 1:40 remaining, to beat the previously undefeated San Francisco 49ers 19-17. This time, he had to march them 80 yards in 2:35 for a win.

Much like the 49ers win, Walker needed some assistance to get down the field. The Colts' Darrell Baker Jr. obliged with an illegal contact call that negated a fumble recovery by E.J. Speed on a strip sack and put the Browns at the Colts 8.

On the next play, Baker was called for pass interference in the end zone to give the Browns first-and-goal at the Colts 1. Walker, who was 3-of-8 passing for 50 yards on the final drive, threw three consecutive incompletions before Hunt took a bobbled handoff and just got over the goal line for the go-ahead score.

Walker was 15-of-32 passing for 178 yards with an interception and a 51.3 passer rating.

This is how the Browns' wild win in Indianapolis unfolded.

Another Browns missed tackle leads to another big Colts touchdown

The Browns had a chance to limit Michael Pittman Jr. to only a big gain. Instead, cornerback Greg Newsome II missed on the tackle and Pittman got free for a 75-yard touchdown with 5:38 remaining.

Pittman was flagged as he crossed the goal line for taunting, which pushed the PAT try to the Colts 30. Matt Gay still made it easily to make it a 38-33 Indianapolis lead.

Dustin Hopkins' career long gives Browns lead in fourth quarter

Dustin Hopkins is now 7 for 7 on field goal tries of 50 or more yards. He's 3 for 3 against the Colts after making a 58-yard kick with 6:33 remaining to give the Browns a 33-31 lead.

Hopkins set a career best with the kick. His previous was a 56-yarder on Oct. 14, 2018, against the Carolina Panthers while with Washington.

Denzel Ward in the locker room, being evaluated for head injury

Denzel Ward picked off his first pass of the season in the third quarter. He was in the locker room in the fourth quarter being evaluated for a possible head injury.

If Ward is found to have a concussion, it would be the fifth of his career and second since Aug. 26.

P.J. Walker throws interception, puts Colts inside own 5

P.J. Walker's first interception of the game prevented the Browns from possibly getting a field goal. However, the pick by Rodney Thomas II on a pass intended for Amari Cooper, put the Colts at their own 2 with 11:06 remaining.

Matt Gay gives Indianapolis Colts lead early in fourth quarter

The botched fourth-down try by the Browns turned into a lead for the Colts. Specifically, it was turned into a 27-yard field goal by Matt Gay and a 31-30 Colts lead 47 seconds into the final quarter.

End of third quarter: Cleveland Browns 30, Indianapolis Colts 28

The Browns go into the final 15 minutes of regulation holding on to the tenuous 30-28 lead over the Colts. Indianapolis will have it second-and-9 at the Cleveland 15 when the fourth quarter begins.

Alec Pierce's 32-yard catch to the Browns 16 set the Colts in the red zone.

Botched fourth-down play give Colts the ball at midfield

The Browns set the Colts up perfectly when they botched a fourth-and-2 play from the Indianapolis 41 P.J. Walker tried to run a counter pitch to Jerome Ford, but sent the pitch past the back.

Ford would recover the ball and try to turn it into something. However, the Colts tackled him at midfield to give them the ball.

Jonathan Taylor takes over for Colts to cut into Browns lead

The Colts missed Jonathan Taylor was he was recovering from his ankle injury. Taylor showed them on their 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped by his 5-yard run with 5:11 remaining in the third quarter that pulled Indianapolis within 30-28 of the Browns.

Taylor on the drive had a 4-yard run on third-and-4 to keep the drive going, as well as a big 20-yard gain on a screen pass. He has 74 yards on 15 carries so far, and two catches for 39 yards.

Dustin Hopkins gets second 54-yarder, extends Browns lead after pick

Denzel Ward's interception turned into yet another Dustin Hopkins' field goal from beyond 50 yards. It was a second 54-yarder with 9:23 remaining in the third quarter to extend the Cleveland lead to 30-21.

Hopkins is now 6-for-6 on 50-plus-yard field goals this season.

Denzel Ward gets his first interception of the season

The Browns continued to get their hands on the football on defense early in the third quarter. This time, it was cornerback Denzel Ward who intercepted Gardner Minshew II and returned it to the Colts 42 with 10:16 remaining.

It's the third Indianapolis turnover of the game. It's Ward's first pick of the season.

Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins sets an NFL record to give Cleveland 27-21 halftime lead

The Browns managed to get three points right as the first half ended to take a 27-21 lead at halftime. Dustin Hopkins kicked a 54-yard field goal as time expired in the half to give Cleveland the 6-point lead.

Hopkins set an NFL record with his fifth consecutive game with a 50-plus-yard field goal. He is 5-for-5 from 50 yards or longer.

The Browns managed to get the three points despite getting the ball at their own 30 with 1:17 remaining.

Myles Garrett creates strip-sack touchdown for Tony Fields II

Myles Garrett has shown up to play football in Indianapolis. His second strip-sack of the game resulted in Tony Fields II's fumble recovery in the end zone for a Browns touchdown. The recovery gave the Browns a 24-21 lead with 1:42 remaining in the first half.

Garrett has created the last 17 points for the Browns with two strip sacks and a blocked field goal. It was the first time it directly led to points on the same play.

Deshaun Watson cleared of a concussion, no word on if he'll return

The Browns announced that Deshaun Watson was checked for a concussion and was cleared. Despite that announcement, they gave no other word on his status to return to the game.

Watson emerged from the medical tent early in the second quarter and has been on the sideline the entire quarter since. However, P.J Walker has remained at quarterback since Watson was injured late in the first quarter.

Gardner Minshew II's second touchdown run gives Colts the lead again

Gardner Minshew II's is doing as much, if not more, for the Colts with his legs than his arms. Minshew gave Indianapolis a 21-17 lead with 3:51 remaining in the second half with a 4-yard touchdown.

Minshew has 29 yards and two touchdowns on three carries.

Dustin Hopkins gives Browns lead with 44-yard field goal

The Browns turned the blocked field goal by Myles Garrett into a second-quarter lead thanks to Dustin Hopkins. The AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 6 made a 41-yard field goal to give Cleveland a 17-14 lead with 8:38 left in the second quarter.

Garrett's strip-sack and blocked kick have resulted in 10 points.

Matt Gay's field goal try blocked by Myles Garrett

The Browns got a massive third-down play when Grant Delpit dropped Mo Alie-Cox for a 6-yard loss to the Browns 42. They brought Matt Gay on to try a 60-yard field goal.

Myles Garrett leaped over the line at its midpoint and cleanly blocked the kick. Denzel Ward picked it up for the Browns at returned it to the Colts 26.

Kareem Hunt runs Browns back to even with Colts

With all of the drama surrounding Deshaun Watson's health, the Browns managed to get back to even playing some complimentary football. It started with Myles Garrett getting a strip-sack fumble off Gardner Minshew II at the Colts 36 which was recovered by Anthony Walker Jr.

Kareem Hunt capped the drive with a 2-yard run on a direct snap on the second play of the second quarter. The Browns and Colts are now tied at 14-14 with 14:22 remaining.

Deshaun Watson back in medical tent, Browns threatening at end of 1st

Deshaun Watson went back into the medical tent as the first quarter came to an end, with the Colts lead 14-7. The independent doctor assigned to look at concussions went into the tent with him.

Meanwhile, the Browns were facing first-and-goal from the Colts 3 as the quarter began.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson injured on overturned interception

Deshaun Watson avoided his second interception of the game upon review. However, Watson couldn't avoid taking a shot that sent him into the medical tent.

Watson, on a third-and-6 play from the Browns 24, scrambled to his left and threw downfield. As he released the pass, Dayo Odeyingbo hit him, dropping him to the turf.

The quarterback spent several minutes down being tended to by medical staff. He appeared to point to his shoulder.

The pass was originally ruled an interception by Kenny Moore II. However, after review, it was deemed he didn't get his hands under the pass.

Gardner Minshew II runs Indianapolis Colts into the lead

Gardner Minshew II's legs were the biggest cause of damage for the Browns as they fell behind 14-7 with 4:28 remaining in the first quarter. Minshew ran for a 17-yard touchdown in which he juked out safety Grant Delpit at the line of scrimmage and then essentially ran untouched to the end zone.

Minshew had 25 yards on two rushing attempts on the drive. He also had a big 19-yard pass to running back Jonathan Taylor on a wheel route to get the 57-yard scoring drive going.

Julian Blackmon intercepts Deshaun Watson to end second Browns drive

Deshaun Watson's first pass attempt deep was intercepted by Colts safety Julian Blackmon at the Indianapolis 45. Watson was trying to find Amari Cooper on third-and-8 from the Browns 28, when Blackmon jumped the rout.

The Browns were called for illegal formation on the play, which was declined. Watson was 0-for-3 over the first two drives with the pick.

The pick didn't hurt, as the Browns defense forced a punt with a 3-yard loss on third-and-1. However, they were pinned at their own 3 by the Rigoberto Sanchez punt.

Josh Downs answers for Colts with big third-down TD catch

The Colts tied the game with their own third-down try. Facing third-and-7 from the Indianapolis 41, Browns safety Grant Delpit turned his head long enough for Colts receiver Josh Downs to race past him down the sideline.

Gardner Minshew II hit Downs in stride, who raced for the 59-yard Indianapolis touchdown. After a penalty on the initial try, Matt Gay kicked the point-after to knot the game at 7-7 with 10:33 remaining.

Browns start with five defensive linemen

The Browns came out with five defensive linemen and one linebackers in their initial series.

  • DE: Myles Garrett

  • DT: Jordan Elliott

  • DT: Dalvin Tomlinson

  • DT: Shelby Harris

  • DE: Za'Darius Smith

  • LB: Anthony Walker Jr.

  • S: Grant Delpit

  • Nickel: Greg Newsome II

  • CB: Denzel Ward

  • CB: Martin Emerson Jr.

  • S: Juan Thornhill

Jerome Ford gets loose, gives Cleveland Browns the early lead

Jerome Ford was in the starting lineup at running back. On third-and-2 from the Browns 31, Ford got loose for a 69-yard touchdown to give Cleveland a 7-0 lead with 14:03 remaining in the first quarter.

The run tied Ford's career long, which came in Week 2 at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Deshaun Watson gets the ball first to open return to field

The Colts won the toss and deferred their choice until the second half. That out Deshaun Watson on the field right away in his first start since Week 3.

  • QB: Deshaun Watson

  • RB: Jerome Ford

  • TE: David Njoku

  • WR: Amari Cooper

  • TE: Harrison Bryant

  • TE: Jordan Akins

  • LT: Jedrick Wills Jr.

  • LG: Joel Bitonio

  • C: Ethan Pocic

  • RG: Wyatt Teller

  • RT: Dawand Jones

Deshaun Watson officially in starting lineup for Cleveland Browns vs. Indianapolis Colts

There's no more qualifiers to be attached to Deshaun Watson's status for Sunday's game at the Indianapolis Colts. The Browns quarterback will be in the starting lineup for the first time in nearly a month.

Watson has been expected to start against the Colts since Friday, when he went through a full practice workload. However, the Browns gave themselves an out by listing him officially as questionable.

When the Browns announced their inactive list, Watson was not on the list. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson was inactive as the No. 3 quarterback behind practice-squad elevation P.J. Walker, who started last Sunday's win over the San Francisco 49rs.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday the lone holdup was to see how Watson's shoulder responded to the practice workload. He had not practiced fully since Sept. 22, the Friday prior to the Browns' Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Sione Takitaki, rookies on inactive players for Cleveland Browns

The other inactive players were led by injured linebacker Sione Takitaki, who is dealing with a hamstring injury and was ruled out on Friday. Receiver Cedric Tillman, cornerback Kahlef Hailassie, safety Ronnie Hickman, defensive end Isaiah McGuire and defensive tackle Siaki Ika.

Running back Kareem Hunt (thigh), tight end Harrison Bryant (hip) and cornerback Greg Newsome II (hamstring) all were active Sunday and will play.

How to watch, stream and listen to the Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts

  • TV channel: CBS WO-TV (Channel 8).

  • Stream: Paramount+, Fubo (free trial).

  • Announcers: Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Adam Archuleta (analyst) and Aditi Kinkabwala (sideline reporter).

How to listen to the Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts on the radio

  • The Cleveland Browns Radio Network will carry the game, with Andrew Sicilliano (play-by-play), Nathan Zegura (analyst) and Je'Rod Cherry (sideline reporter) on the call. Among the affiliates in the Akron-Canton area are WAKR-AM 1590, WONE-FM 97.5, WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKRK-FM 92.3, WKNR-AM 850 and WNCX-FM 98.5.

  • Compass Media Group is also broadcasting the game on select stations nationwide. Chris Carrino (play-by-play) and Brian Baldinger (analyst) will be on the call.

  • The Browns have also started a Spanish-language broadcast, with Rafael “Rafa” Hernández-Brito (play-by-play) and Octavio Sequera (analyst) on the call. Games will be streamed on La Mega Cleveland, as well as heard on WNZN-FM 89.1 in Lorain and WVKO-FM 103.1 in Columbus.

Browns-Colts odds, money line, over/under

Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts injury report

  • Browns: Quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder), questionable; running back Kareem Hunt (thigh), questionable; cornerback Greg Newsome II (hamstring), questionable; tight end Harrison Bryant (hip), questionable; linebacker Sione Takitaki (hamstring), out.

  • Colts: Offensive tackle Braden Smith (hip), out; tight end Kylen Granson (concussion), out; receiver Alec Pierce (shoulder), questionable

Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts in Week 6

The Browns improved to 3-2 on the season with a 19-17 win over the previously-undefeated San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Dustin Hopkins kicked a 29-yard field goal with 1:40 to provide the lead. San Francisco's Jake Moody missed a 41-yard field goal with 9 seconds remaining to seal the win.

The Colts fell to 3-3 on the season with a 37-20 road loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Quarterback Gardner Minshew II was 33-of-55 for 329 yards with a touchdowns. He threw three interceptions and was sacked three times.

Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts series

Sunday's game will mark the 35th meeting between the Browns and the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts. The series began in 1956 while the Colts were still in Baltimore. The Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984.

  • Overall: Tied 17-17

  • In regular season: Tied 15-15

  • In playoffs: Tied 2-2

  • In Cleveland: Colts 8-6

  • In Baltimore/Indianapolis: Browns 9-7

  • Streak: Browns won the last meeting 32-23 in Cleveland on Oct. 12, 2020

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns steal win from Colts on Kareem Hunt touchdown