The Jameis Winston era in Cleveland is off to a great start.
The Browns edged the torrid Ravens, hitting a season high in a 29-24 loss to Baltimore on Sunday. The win was only the second of the season for the Browns and came against a Ravens team that entered Sunday with the second-best record in the AFC.
Cleveland closed the game on offense with a 38-yard touchdown pass from Winston to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left.
One play before the touchdown pass, Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton dropped a would-be interception that hit him in the hands and would have all but secured a win for Baltimore.
Cleveland’s defense then stopped Baltimore’s offense just short of the goal line before the final clock hit zero.
The game for Winston was his first as a starter for Cleveland, a week after starter Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear. Winston led the Browns to a second-half lead with a pair of touchdown drives in the third quarter before throwing the game-winning touchdown in the final minute of regulation.
Winston finished the day completing 27 of 41 yards for 334 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. A Browns offense that entered the day averaging 253.9 yards per game in the NFL produced 401 yards of total offense.
Cleveland held a 20–17 lead in the fourth quarter and elected to attempt a 48-yard field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-3 with 4:55 to go. Dustin Hopkins was successful in his attempt to extend the lead to 23-17.
The Ravens responded with a six-play, 91-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Derrick Henry, leaving Cleveland 2:19 to respond. The Browns countered with a 69-yard touchdown drive to secure the victory.
