LAS VEGAS — Nick Harris didn't even realize he was the guilty party in the biggest moment of Sunday's Browns loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

"I didn't even know it was on me until after the game," Harris said after the 20-16 loss.

What was on Harris was the biggest penalty of the game. Or, more specific, the penalty that clearly changed the game's trajectory.

The penalty was a holding call on Harris, who was at center because of an ankle injury to starter Ethan Pocic in the first quarter. The hold, with 10:16 remaining in the game, wiped out an 82-yard touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson to Amari Cooper that could've given the Browns a 23-20 lead.

Harris was engaged with Raiders defensive lineman Christian Wilkins at the time of the snap. Watson stepped up in the pocket and started moving to his right, which was when Wilkins pursued.

But Harris had a hold of Wilkins' jersey, and he didn't let go when Wilkins started to pursue Watson. A replay from behind the defense clearly showed the jersey being pulled in the moment when Watson started to run to his right before throwing the ball.

"Yeah, I mean, it was called, so there's nothing I can do about it," Harris said. "I think maybe I could let him go sooner, I guess, or more clean. But, yeah, unfortunate."

Instead, the penalty made it first-and-19 from Cleveland's 9, and the Browns failed to pick up a first down and punted it away.

"That's how they're calling it, I guess, but we watch [Browns defensive end] Myles [Garrett] get held all the time," left guard Joel Bitonio said. "We watch guys get held all the time. Sometimes you got to let him play football. He tried to let him go. He didn't impede him. He still hit the quarterback, you know what I mean? It wasn't like he didn't crush him on that play.

"It's just frustrating. It's not one mistake, though. I mean, obviously that touchdown, but there was too many other mistakes during the game to just pin it on that."

That was one of two critical plays in the fourth quarter involving Harris, who played all but one series in each half because of Pocic's injury. The other was a snap snafu coming out of the two-minute warning after the Browns had moved the ball to the Raiders 16 on a 35-yard run by Jerome Ford.

The first play out of the timeout, Harris appeared to snap the ball back to Watson before the quarterback was ready for it. The ball ricocheted off Watson, who managed to get on it for a 7-yard loss.

"Yeah, I think it was just miscommunication," Watson said. "Just got to execute better, be more locked in."

That lost yardage was a major issue three plays later when the Browns had to try to convert a fourth-and-3 from the Vegas 9 to keep their hopes alive. Instead, Watson didn't see a wide-open Jordan Akins off the snap, or even Jerry Jeudy breaking across the middle on a slant, and ended up taking a game-ending sack.

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

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Nick Harris unaware critical penalty was his until after Browns loss