Browns Comeback

The Cleveland Browns rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit Sunday for what they called a “statement” victory 33-31 against the division-leading Baltimore Ravens.

Dustin Hopkins kicked a 40-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to reinsert the 6-3 Browns into the AFC North race. Cleveland, which has not won a division title since 1989, now trails 7-3 Baltimore by just a half-game.

The Browns — who had not won a game after trailing by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in nine years — became just the fourth team in the Super Bowl era to win after trailing in the first minute and not leading until the final minute of regulation.

“We didn’t back down,” Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said. “Definitely a big moment for us.”

Watson threw a pick-six to Kyle Hamilton on the game’s opening series and completed just 6 of 20 passes in the first half as the Browns trailed 17-9.

But he responded after halftime despite battling a left ankle injury.

Watson completed all 14 of his second-half attempts for 134 yards and a touchdown, and guided the Browns down the field on the final possession to set up the winning field goal. On that drive, he completed all three of his passes for 30 yards and rushed 16 yards for a first down.

“He’s a warrior,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Makes plays when they’re not there. Makes unbelievable throws. Never a doubt in his mind how this game was going to turn out.”

Cleveland faced its biggest deficit, 24-9, after Odell Beckham Jr.’s 40-yard touchdown catch to open the second half. But Watson and the Browns came back with a 17-play, 10-minute touchdown drive, capped by the quarterback’s 2-point conversion run.

After another Ravens touchdown, Watson answered again in the fourth quarter with a 10-yard, scrambling TD toss to Elijah Moore.

“He’s a gamer,” Browns All-Pro guard Joel Bitonio said of Watson. “All week I sense this focus from him.”

The Browns trailed for 59 minutes and 20 seconds. No NFL team this millennium had won while trailing for that long in a game, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

For Baltimore, it marked the second-largest blown fourth-quarter lead in John Harbaugh’s 16 years as coach.

“I think I can speak for everybody, when [we jumped out to a 14-0 lead] nobody thought that [the Browns] were going to win the game, and that’s what happened,” Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike said. “So it was definitely just shocking, frustrating.”