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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Baker Mayfield recovered from a left shoulder injury in the second quarter and losing top receiver Jarvis Landry to an MCL sprain to beat the Texans 31-21 and even the Browns at 1-1 Sunday afternoon.
The Texans, who got a spirited effort from former Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor before leaving the game at halftime with a hamstring injury, also moved to 1-1.
Mayfield completed 19 of 21 attempts (90%) for 213 yards with a touchdown and an interception for a rating of 105.0. He also rushed for a five-yard touchdown.
Mayfield was already without Odell Beckham Jr. (inactive) when he lost Landry in the game’s first non-penalty play, and had to overcome that and the left shoulder injury suffered when he attempted to tackle Justin Reid after an interception in the second quarter.
“It hurts, but he emptied it,” coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game. “He’s a very, very competitive young man. He wants to be there with his teammates. It doesn’t matter if he’s in pain, he’s going to fight with his teammates.
Grinning in pain, Mayfield made his way to the tent first, then to the locker room, but sprinted to get back on the sidelines just minutes after he left. Ex-Texans captain of the game, Case Keenum, warmed up on the sidelines, but Mayfield got none of that.
“It’s kind of in and out, but I’ll be good,” Mayfield said after the game. “Nothing too serious. “
He was back on the next drive, and didn’t miss a beat. At the end of that 10-game walk, he pushed his way through a huge hole in the middle for the 5-yard TD and fired the ball into Dawg Pound’s wall with gusto. TD tied the score at 14.
Mayfield appeared to favor the left arm a bit in the second half, but overcame it and clinched a fierce victory over a team that looks to be better than most thought.
“I think he was just playing for the cameras,” Garrett joked. “He rolled his shoulder a bit, threw dirt on it, and came back over there.”
More seriously, “the guy is tough. He’s like Brett Favre 2.0. Stuff falls on his back. He just rolls with the punches. We love that from him because he always brings that intensity. ”
Landry’s loss hurt the offensive
Landry’s loss after a nine-yard catch-and-run was huge. Landry, who will have an MRI on Monday, looked frustrated and in pain on the sidelines.
“You never want to lose a Jarvis Landry from your football team,” Stefanski said.
Landry’s best friend, Odell Beckham Jr., immediately came to console him, even falling to his knees and appearing to say a prayer.
With Beckham inactive due to his continued recovery from a torn ACL, the Browns were reduced to Donovan Peoples-Jones, rookie Anthony Schwartz and Rashard Higgins, and youth and inexperience led to a pair of first-half turnovers. -time.
With 2:13 left in the first quarter, Peoples-Jones caught a 15-yard pass down the middle and then fumbled when safety Justin Reid put a hat on the ball. Former Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey recovered, but the Texans couldn’t concede.
In the second quarter, Mayfield fired a pass over deep midfielder for Schwartz, who made a critical error stopping in his way, and Reid pulled it out. Tyrod Taylor capitalized on the mistake, rushing for a 15-yard touchdown that gave the Texans a 14-7 lead with 7:06 left.
The good news is that Beckham has a decent chance of making his 2021 debut next week at home against the Bears. Meanwhile, the two stars stood on the sidelines and cheered their teammates on to victory.
Tyrod Taylor can’t take a break
Taylor had the worst luck. In 2018, he lost his job to Mayfield when he suffered a concussion against the Jets, and last season he was replaced by rookie Justin Herbert when the Chargers’ team doctor went. punctured the lung while trying to give an injection pain reliever for the cracked ribs.
Taylor had the Browns on his heels on Sunday when he suffered a hamstring injury at the end of the first half. He was replaced by third-round pick Davis Mills, the Stanford rookie.
“You never want to see someone get hurt,” Stefanski said.
In the first half, Taylor completed 10 of 11 attempts for 125 yards, with a touchdown pass and no interception for a score of 144.3. He also ran for a TD. It was a great performance from Taylor, who completed 32-, 13- and 12-yard passes on his first shot before hitting Phillip Lindsay with a 22-yard screen pass for a touchdown.
“I think people took Tyrod for granted,” Mayfield said Wednesday. “I think he’s a very good leader.
“Everything he taught me, lead by example and do different things… I’m so thankful that I walked into a QB room with Drew Stanton and Tyrod that I was able to learn from these guys. This is something for which I am obviously very grateful.
Mills’ long TD workout
Mills kept things tight in the fourth with a 16-play, 75-yard run that ended in a 2-yard pass to Brandin Cooks to come close to 24-21. The Browns’ defense allowed Houston to convert four third downs and Greg Newsome II was posted at 27 yards for passing interference.
Grant Delpit’s excellent debut
Delpit, who made his NFL debut, sacked Mills in the fourth quarter for a nine-yard loss. The Texans recovered, but it led to a missed 41-yard field goal by Joey Slye. Delpit also nearly eliminated Mills and showed a lot of enthusiasm and promise. He demonstrated why the Browns were so eager to bring him onto the field. Delpit played in three-safety sets and some two-safety looks ahead of Ronnie Harrison.
Demetric Felton makes an impact
Sixth-round running back / receiver Demetric Felton was dazzled with a 33-yard catch and run for a touchdown that put the Browns up 21-14 in the third quarter, and an 18-yard catch and run that led 26 yards behind Nick Chubb’s rush that essentially sealed the victory. Felton has undoubtedly gained more playing time.
Nick Chubb stays cool
Chubb had plenty of gas in the tank for the fourth quarter to sideline the game. He finished with 95 yards on 11 carries. Chubb’s touchdown streak gave the Browns seven points this season and marked their eighth straight game with a rushed score.
Myles Garrett excluded
The Texans did a great job shutting down Myles Garrett and preventing him from sacking Taylor or Mills. With teams doubling and chipping him, he only has one sack on the season in two games.
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