Joe Flacco overcame three interceptions to guide a fourth-quarter comeback and Dustin Hopkins made the go-ahead field goal from 34 yards for the host Cleveland Browns to top the Chicago Bears 20-17 on Sunday.
Flacco finished the day 28-for-44 passing for 372 yards and two touchdowns for the Browns (9-5), who have won five of seven games. David Njoku caught 10 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown and Amari Cooper added four receptions for 109 yards and a score.
The Browns fought past a strong defensive effort by Chicago (5-9), which got 2.5 sacks from Montez Sweat and an interception return for a touchdown by Terrel Edmunds. The Bears were eliminated from playoff contention.
Down 17-10, the Browns stayed alive when Flacco threw between defenders to Cooper, who sprinted down the right sideline for a 51-yard touchdown with 3:08 left in regulation.
Cleveland forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with 1:50 to go. Flacco found Njoku on third-and-15, and the tight end barreled ahead for 34 yards to get the Browns into range for the game-winning kick with 32 seconds left.
Chicago’s Justin Fields chucked a Hail Mary on the last play of the game, and Bears receiver Darnell Mooney nearly corralled it on the ground but lost control and watched it land in the hands of Browns defensive back D’Anthony Bell.
The Browns outgained the Bears 377-236 despite netting just 29 rushing yards. Fields had 166 yards on 19-of-40 passing for one touchdown and two interceptions.
There was no score until the second quarter. Flacco’s throw landed in the bread basket of defender Eddie Jackson, who returned it from the Browns’ 28-yard line to the 1.
The Bears got pushed back to the 5 before Fields escaped Myles Garrett’s would-be sack and hit Cole Kmet in the back-left corner of the end zone.
Cleveland responded with a 12-play, 84-yard drive. Flacco finished the job with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Njoku, tying it 7-7 with 3:48 before halftime.
Fields drove Chicago to the Cleveland 37, but the Bears turned down a long field-goal attempt with 3 seconds left and had Fields try a Hail Mary. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah came down with a pick.
In just the second minute of the second half, Flacco’s short pass to Cedric Tillman was jarred loose and caught by Edmunds, who ran 45 yards for his first career pick-6 to put Chicago back in front.
Cairo Santos added a 41-yard field goal with 7:07 left in the third quarter.
Chicago’s Trent Taylor muffed a punt that Mohamoud Diabate recovered for Cleveland in the red zone, but on the next play, Flacco’s throw toward the goal line was intercepted by rookie Tyrique Stevenson.
Flacco tossed a deep pass to Marquise Goodwin for 57 yards, setting up Hopkins for a 33-yard field goal with 12:27 left to go.
–Field Level Media
