Sportsnaut
The Cleveland Browns’ defense proved it can carry the franchise Sunday, engineering a 13-10 comeback win over the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers. Myles Garrett and a relentless front recorded five sacks and seven quarterback hits, Grant Delpit delivered the first interception of the season, and veteran lineman Shelby Harris blocked a potential game-winning kick. Those stops, combined with rookie Andre Szmyt’s 55-yard field goal as time expired, turned a stagnant afternoon into a statement victory that could reshape Cleveland’s season.
The Browns improve to 1-2 after avoiding their first 0-3 start since 2017, while the Packers drop to 2-1. For a Cleveland offense that averaged only 3.9 yards per play and managed 221 total yards, the outcome reinforces a simple truth: defense is the team’s engine.
Cleveland’s defense dictated play from the outset, holding quarterback Jordan Love to 65 first-half passing yards and forcing Green Bay to settle for a single field goal through three quarters. Garrett set the tone by splitting a sack with rookie Adin Huntington and creating constant pressure despite double-teams and chip blocks. Six different Browns defenders recorded at least half a sack, illustrating the depth and balance of Jim Schwartz’s front.
The breakthrough came with just over three minutes to play. Safety Grant Delpit jumped a third-down route, ending a seven-game interception drought and giving Cleveland the ball at the Packers’ 4-yard line. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins finished the job, plunging in from a yard out for his first NFL touchdown to tie the game at 10.
Green Bay threatened to answer, but the defense had one more stand. After a 14-play drive reached Cleveland’s 21, Harris pierced the line to block a 43-yard field goal attempt. That play kept the game tied and set up the Browns for their dramatic finish.
The Browns’ pass rush consistently pressured Love on his dropbacks, limiting a Green Bay offense that had averaged 27 points in its first two games to just one touchdown. The run defense proved equally stout, limiting the Packers to fewer than four yards per carry and forcing predictable third downs.The line maintained relentless energy, even as injuries forced a shuffle. Rookie Mason Graham recorded his first half-sack, and Carson Schwesinger added his first NFL sack.
Offensively, Cleveland again labored. Joe Flacco went 21-of-36 for 142 yards with one interception, and the unit converted just four of 13 third downs while playing without starting tackles Jack Conklin and Dawand Jones. Yet when field position finally flipped, Judkins delivered explosive runs of 14 and 38 yards to set up Szmyt’s first field goal and then provided the tying score. Szmyt, who missed two kicks two weeks earlier, redeemed himself with three makes, including the 55-yard game-winner.
Even with an inconsistent offense, this victory demonstrates the Browns’ ability to remain playoff contenders. Schwartz’s front, led by Garrett, gives Cleveland a weekly chance to dictate...
