Despite turning the ball over multiple times, the Cleveland Browns had a chance to win late, but ended up turning it over a fourth and final time.
The Cleveland Browns had the ball down two and had the chance to do something they haven’t all season, come back and win. Cleveland took over just ahead of the two minute warning and seemed to be comfortable with putting the ball in the hands of their best paler, Nick Chubb. Chubb had repeatedly gashed the Packers defense all day so the plan made sense. After a couple of productive plays on the ground it was time to turn to the air and that is when disaster struck. Baker Mayfield threw his fourth interception of the game and ended any comeback attempt.
While there is some questionable officiating about the final play of offense for the Browns, Brett Kollmann provided some insight into how that play was officiated.
If a receiver gets into a DB’s chest and extends while breaking against leverage, refs are going to let a tug from the DB go most of the time. It is generally understood that DBs have a right to dish out just as much as they take when fighting to stay in phase.
Good no-call imo pic.twitter.com/Xs5r3eVOG4
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) December 26, 2021
Anyone is allowed to disagree with how this was called, but this is an excellent explanation as to why there was not a defensive penalty on the play.
Ultimately this is just another letdown by the Browns and Baker Mayfield to make something happen when it matters most. This was the fourth time this season that Cleveland had the ball down a score with a chance and the fourth time they’ve lost. Mayfield has thrown interceptions on those final drive twice this season resulting in zero fourth quarter comebacks and game-winning drives this season.
As former general manager Mike Lombardi pointed out after the game, the two missed passes to David Njoku should get more attention. Mayfield had Njoku wide open twice and did not give him a real chance to catch either ball.
Player notes
Baker Mayfield completed 21 of 36 passes for 222 yards overall, but most of those were shorter than 10 yards. Mayfield went 19-36 for 182 yards and two touchdowns when throwing short and 2-10 with four interceptions with throws more than 10 yards down the field. This is far from a new development as this has been a recurring issue all season.
Per @ESPNStatsInfo, Baker Mayfield was 2 of 10 for 40 yards with 4 INTs on throws 10+ yards downfield vs. GB. #Browns
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) December 26, 2021
While Mayfield is obviously the weak link on the offense, Nick Chubb was busy doing Nick Chubb things. Chubb finished with 17 carries for 126 yards and one touchdown while catching three passes for 58 yards. Perhaps a bit more Chubb late could have altered the outcome of the game.
Rashasrd Higgins and Jarvis Landry led the Browns receiver with five receptions for 58 yards and four catches for 55 respectively.
Harrison Bryant hauled in a one-yard touchdown pass for his second consecutive game with a touchdown. Additionally, Anthony Schwartz caught a five-yard pass for his first career touchdown reception.
Donovan Peoples-Jones was target six times, but only hauled in one pass for five yards. While Peoples-Jones was criticized for failing to haul in a pass downfield, the reality is that it was an incredibly difficult play. Defenders of Mayfield have often turned to blaming the receivers not making a fantastic play on what is an overthrown ball multiples times this season.
Defensively the Browns did just about what everyone thought they would. Nothing spectacular while playing their bend, but don’t break defense. Cleveland finished with three tackles for loss, did not register a sack, and only hit Aaron Rodgers four times.
