Browns stumble into bye week with loss to Raiders

CLEVELAND — The Browns failed to get hot Sunday in wintry weather and lost 16-6 to the Las Vegas Raiders at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The frustrating letdown occurred in a game with playoff implications because both teams figure to be in the hunt for an AFC wild-card berth as the season unfolds.

The Browns will carry a record of 5-3 into their bye next week, and they'll lick their wounds during the bye. Star defensive end Myles Garrett entered the weekend with an ankle injury and played sparingly against the 4-3 Raiders after taking a trip into the medical tent on the home team's sideline during the second quarter.

The Browns and Raiders entered their game Sunday ranked 10th and 11th in the NFL in scoring.

But with wintry weather descending on the lakefront, the game proved to be the opposite of a shootout. The Raiders handled the conditions better, outgaining the Browns 309-223 and winning the turnover battle 1-0.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr fared better than Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Carr went 15-of-24 passing (62.5%) for 112 yards and a touchdown without an interception. He posted a rating of 87.5 and was aided by a rushing attack that produced 208 yards on 45 carries (4.6 average).

Mayfield finished 12-of-25 passing (48%) for 122 yards without a touchdown or an interception. He had a rating of 62.4. The Browns rushed for 101 yards on 22 carries (4.6 average).

In a last-ditch effort to rally, Mayfield threw a pass to receiver Jarvis Landry in the end zone on third-and-15 from the Las Vegas 19-yard line, but Landry couldn't hang onto the ball as he took a shot from safety Lamarcus Joyner with 1:54 left in the fourth quarter. Landry was slow to get up. He and Mayfield have each been playing with a broken rib.

Then Cody Parkey's 37-yard field goal sailed wide left with 1:54 left to play. Winds were blowing out of the west at 35 mph at kickoff, so successful field goals were anything but guaranteed.

The Raiders went ahead 13-6 on the second play of the fourth quarter and at the end of a 15-play, 75-yard drive.

On third-and-goal, receiver Hunter Renfrow caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Carr while sliding across the goal line with 14:53 left in the fourth quarter. The catch survived a replay review. Although the ball hit the ground in the end zone, the officials apparently didn't see video evidence that Renfrow failed to control the ball, and the call on the field stood.

During the ensuing series, the Browns faced third-and-8 at the 50, and tight end David Njoku dropped a pass from Mayfield for a would-be first down. The Raiders then took over their 20 after a touchback on the ensuing punt.

The Browns kept the Raiders out of the end zone after they faced first-and-goal at the 2 and rushed the ball on three consecutive plays. But Daniel Carlson made a 24-yard field goal at the end of a 13-play, 74-yard drive to give the Raiders a 16-6 cushion with 4:24 remaining in the fourth quarter.

After trailing 6-3 at halftime, the Browns nearly scored a touchdown during the opening possession of the third quarter, but they had to settle for a tie score instead.

On third-and-6 from the Las Vegas 20, Landry beat cornerback Nevin Lawson, bobbled the ball in the front left corner of the end zone but intially appeared to haul in the pass for a touchdown. However, after a replay review, the officials ruled it was an incomplete pass because the ball hit the ground before Landry established control.

After the play, Landry approached a TV camera and had held up one finger, then three fingers to signal No. 13 in honor of Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in last week's 37-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

But Landry's celebration was spoiled when his would-be TD was overturned.

So the Browns resorted to a 38-yard field goal at the end of the 11-play, 55-yard drive, and Parkey made the kick to tie the score 6-6 with 8:47 remaining in the third quarter.

The Raiders also outgained the Browns 145-92 through two quarters. According to ESPN Stats & Info, 92 yards of offense is the fewest the Browns have produced in a first half since they had 74 yards in Week 13 of the 2018 season against the Houston Texans.

Parkey's low 41-yard field goal curved but stayed just inside the left upright to give the Browns a 3-0 lead with 13:35 remaining in the second quarter.

Mayfield had nearly been intercepted by linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski on the previous play, but the third-down pass was low and difficult to catch.

Earlier, Mayfield kept the 14-play, 60-yard drive alive by gaining 2 yards on a quarterback sneak with the Browns facing fourth-and-1 from the Las Vegas 45.

During the next series, the Raiders converted twice on fourth down with a 3-yard run by fullback Alec Ingold and a 1-yard rush by running back Josh Jacobs.

On third-and-9 from the Cleveland 10, rookie receiver Henry Ruggs caught a pass from Carr in the back corner of the end zone, but the officials ruled Ruggs got only one foot inbounds. The Raiders challenged, but the call of an incomplete pass stood after a replay review showed Ruggs had the tip of his left cleat out of bounds as he hauled in the pass.

The Raiders summoned Carlson for a 21-yard field goal, and he made the kick to cap the 16-play, 58-yard march and tie the score 3-3 with 5:17 left in the second quarter.

Instead of countering, the Browns went three-and-out, and the Raiders took over at their 34 with 4:02 left in the first half.

On third-and-4 from the Cleveland 27, Carr completed a 12-yard pass to running back Jalen Richard. Then Carr spiked the ball to stop the clock with two seconds left.

Carlson made a 33-yard field goal with no time left in the second quarter to give the Raiders a 6-3 halftime lead.

The teams traded disappointing moments to start the game.

The Raiders opened with the ball and marched to the Cleveland 23. On third-and-6, Garrett swiped at the ball, but missed it and a strip-sack on Carr. A split-second later, strong safety Ronnie Harrison dropped a would-be interception over the middle. The Raiders settled for Carlson's 41-yard field goal, but the kick curved in the wind, hit the left upright and was no good with 10:34 remaining in the opening quarter.

Then the Browns marched to the Las Vegas 38. On second-and-10, rookie tight end Harrison Bryant caught an 8-yard pass from Mayfield and had the ball knocked away by Kwiatkoski. Linebacker Nicholas Morrow recovered the fumble for the Raiders at the Cleveland 27 with 7:49 left in the first quarter.