Dawgs By Nature
AFC playoff picture can be impacted by Browns vs Chargers result in Week 9
The Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers face off in a surprisingly important AFC playoff matchup in Week 9. If the Browns lose, their playoff hopes are over but a win keeps them in competition with the weak bottom of the AFC. The Chargers are just 4-4, the seventh seed going into Week 9, with a lot to play for in Jim Harbaugh’s first season as head coach.
With Cleveland’s season on the brink, with both NFL draft and playoff rooting interests, this week, the final home game of a three-game stretch takes on extra importance.
The inactive lists are published and we are ready for kickoff. Join us here for an ongoing recap with scores, highlights, injuries and more. You can also join our quarterly threads where fellow Browns fans chat as the game is going on.
Community Chat Thread - 1st Quarter
The Browns kicked off to begin the game, as QB Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ offense took the field. Herbert’s opening play was a 16-yard pass over the middle, but Cleveland’s defense allowed no more as CB Denzel Ward had tight coverage on the Chargers’ 3rd-and-8 pass attempt. The punt unit came out and WR Jaelon Darden made a fair catch back at the 8 yard line, where QB Jameis Winston and the Browns’ offense would take over.
After a 2-yard carry by RB Nick Chubb, Winston whipped a quick strike to WR Cedric Tillman for a first down. A false start by TE David Njoku, followed by a scramble by Winston that went no where, set up a 3rd-and-9 situation for the Browns. Winston tried to get it to WR Elijah Moore, but the pass was a bit low and incomplete, forcing a punt. The Chargers’ return man dodged a tackle and had a big return out to the Browns’ 30-yard line, putting Los Angeles into field goal range right away.
Both teams traded penalties — first the Chargers with a holding penalty, but then Cleveland had a neutral zone infraction, leading up to a 3rd-and-7 attempt by the Chargers. Herbert took a shot as he delivered a first-down pass to rookie WR Ladd McConkey, getting the ball up to the 18 yard line. RB JK Dobbins got the next handoff, but LB Winston Reid blew it up for a loss of 3 yards. On second down, DT Dalvin Tomlinson came right up the middle for a sack on Herbet, setting up a 3rd-and-21. Los Angeles caught the Browns off guard with a completely blown coverage, as WR Joshua Palmer was wide open for a 27-yard touchdown pass to put the Chargers up 7-0.
The Browns’ next drive would begin at the 25 yard line with 6:44 remaining in the first quarter. Winston hit WR Jerry Jeudy along the left side for a 10-yard gain on the first play. After that, Chubb was stopped...
