October 5, 2014 – Cleveland Browns vs. Tennessee Titans
Cleveland Browns 29 – Tennessee Titans 28
In head coach Mike Pettine’s first season as head coach the Browns were 1-2 and after a week 4 bye arrived in Tennessee to face the Titans.
The Browns offense looked like a team that was coming off a bye week. As the second quarter was winding down, the Browns had done very little on offense and were staring at a 28-3 deficit.
More from Browns All-Time Lists
- Top 10 all-time best Cleveland Browns players since ’99
- Cleveland Browns top 10 quarterbacks in franchise history
- Cleveland Browns: 12 best UDFAs since 1999
- Cleveland Browns: Best 5 draft picks of the past 5 years
- Cleveland Browns 5 worst draft picks of the past 5 years
However, with 12 seconds left in the first half, quarterback Brian Hoyer hit tight end Jim Dray with a touchdown pass from one-yard out and the Browns went into halftime with a little momentum.
The other key factor was that Titans starting quarterback Jake Locker was forced to leave the game in the first half with an injury. The Titans went the rest of the way with backup Charlie Whitehurst.
Whitehurst had a respectable performance off the bench, including leading the Titans to their last score of the first half. However, the Titans would not score in the second half which was a key factor in the comeback.
Another factor in the comeback was a blocked punt by Tank Carder that gave the Browns a safety. This turned out to be critical because it made the score 28-15 and it meant the Browns could score the final two touchdowns without needing to go for the two-point conversion on either attempt.
In the final seven minutes, Hoyer would connect with wide receiver Travis Benjamin on two touchdown passes including the game-winner with just over a minute left. The comeback started the Browns on a stretch where they would go 5-1 and briefly take over first place in the AFC North.