Cleveland Browns: 5 worst games of 2020
By Sam Penix
3. Week 8 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Riding high after a thrilling comeback against the Bengals, and winners of five of their last six games, the Browns welcomed the Raiders to cold and rainy Cleveland. Las Vegas had struggled to run the ball, which played right into Cleveland’s hands. But the game did not go as planned in the slightest.
The Browns offensive and defensive lines were completely dominated by the Raiders, allowing 209 rushing yards while managing just 101 of their own. Cleveland had six total possessions, the first of which was ended prematurely by a Harrison Bryant fumble. The offense couldn’t sustain drives thanks to poor blocking and devastating drops from essentially every receiver, and the defense was utterly helpless, unable to get off the field. The Raiders punted once all game, and it’s hard to win when you lose the time of possession battle by more than an entire quarter.
Letting the team from the desert run all over you in harsh weather is unacceptable, and considering the Browns went on to win five of their next six games, it seems they learned their lesson from this game. For the most part, Cleveland has beaten the teams they were supposed to this season, but this one nearly came back to bite them in the playoff race.